You're sick? Thank goodness

Well, as the parent of an autistic child, I can tell you it is difficult when they are home from school. Talk about bored and having to be occupied every minute. S1 normally loves to try and leave the house because he always wants to be on the go. Plus he doesn't understand why there is no school. Well, winter break came and S1 had eight days off plus the two weekends - twelve days without his normal routine and without getting out of the house for extended periods of time. I didn't know how we were all going to make it!

Luckily the first couple of days weren't too bad - he just thought it was the weekend. Plus, we did try to get out of the house to run a couple of errands and play in the snow in our yard. Then he had respite on Saturday. Then it was Christmas Eve and we went to church so he got out of the house then. Monday was Christmas and well, that was pretty exciting. He had so much fun with the new stuff and new DVD's that he forgot all about being outside. Then the "miracle" occurred.

Okay, it wasn't really a miracle, but it definitely was a God send. He woke up Tuesday sick! Not sick sick, I'm not that twisted. Just enough that he didn't want to go outside or move really! He spent the next four or five days just lounging around the house. He never had a fever, threw up or had nasty diapers - just lethargic and a little stuffed up. Thursday he just slept on and off all day on the couch. We did our best to keep him hydrated and make him comfortable. Saturday rolled around and he was up and moving again. But that was alright - we had survived the week! Saturday night (the 30th) we went out as a family and drove to a Christmas lights display. We had tried to go a week earlier but the line to get in was horrendous. This time there was no line at all. It's one of those that you drive through. The kids got a kick out of it. Then we got slurpees (not mom though). Sunday was church again, Monday was New Year's Day so he had fun watching the parade and football games with their bands with dad. Then Tuesday it was back to school!

I am always grateful for small mercies, although I did feel bad that he had to be sick during his vacation time - even though he didn't realize it. That's the only reason I can be happy about it. If he had known, I would have felt worse for the little guy.