Wednesday, August 29, 2007


School days!

Well, the kids are off to school tomorrow. They need their routines back. We don't do well with long stretches of open time. Today I tried to take them to this HIDEOUS PLACE to kill a couple of hours. I needed food. I thought it would be fun. Not so much. Completely overwhelming. Too big. Too noisy. Too many people. It's like a Costco sized farm stand with a thousands little rooms to navigate and loaded with Disney sized animatronic orange juice cartons singing to pigs and skim milk bottles. W-E-I-R-D! For the first time in a long time I abandoned ship (cart) and we bolted.


Bella starts 1st grade tomorrow. It's bittersweet for me. Technically it is 1st grade. Technically. I told her school starts tomorrow and she gave me a HUGE smile. Bella's no dumb bunny. Mia enters 7th grade. I went to my first dance in 7th grade. Had sleepovers with friends. Begged my parents for a CB radio so I could talk to truckers. (Denied, smart move Dr. and Mrs. R.) Miss G heads to fifth grade.


I'm proud of my girls. They navigate the world with style and a certain panache. Even when I drag them to highly inappropriate places (I didn't mean to!) We stand out, that I can promise you. But I don't give two shits. I explained to one woman as I frantically searched for an exit in that labyrinth of a farm store on steroids, "This is autism. It's too much for us in here. We need to leave." And she gave me a nod that said, "That's cool. Do what you got to do."

15 comments:

Mom26children said...

Hi Kim-Breaker 1-9,
Kiernan started first grade...I love first grade. He is in a lifeskills with inclusion. We will see how that goes. He is my youngest, so I still worry.
My sister had a CB..scary.
My family definitely stands out any where we go. I am so damned proud of my kids. When things get too overwhelming for Kiernan or Caitlin, we have to leave also. Costco is a nightmare for both of them.
That woman was correct...IT IS COOL...and you do have to do what ya gotta do....
Wishing the girls a great first day of school...and you too, of course!
Jeanette

Kim Rossi Stagliano said...

10-4 good buddy! We can manage Costco believe it or not. Now I'm off to SEARS ALONE!!!!!! I've heard there's a blow out sale on the Land's End stuff. 50% of clearance and cheaper than the Overstocks on line, which is what I usually buy.

The kids got off to school just fine. I'll be happy to see them this afternoon.

Drama Mama said...

Dude, I would totally high-five you if I saw you in a store. I might even give you the Black Power salute.
You and your girls are fierce. Awesome. Keep on with your bad selves.

xo

Anonymous said...

I prefer to think that we stand out because the boys are so handsome, but I'll admit, I love it when we can go undetected.

Took the boys to the little amusement park within City Park this weekend, and did the long slide all by themselves! Joy!

Anonymous said...

We like to say a visit from our family is more than a visit, it's an event.

Someday, we say, we will visit a place and no one will even know we were there. Maybe.

Anonymous said...

Come on, say it with me, you know you want to....ONLY IN AMERICA!

Kim Rossi Stagliano said...

Hello, don't you UK types have "Diana world" or some such thing? Haggis Village? Scone City? Real castles? OK, you win.

Michelle O'Neil said...

I'm cracking up over the CB.

10/4 do you read me?

Anonymous said...

We stand out anyway because we're all pretty tall but my way of dealing with people staring is to fix them with my most direct eye contact and smile my best smile...which depending on the reason for the stare could be "Come on over here if you think you're hard enough" or "yep, we're having more fun than you! Ner-ner-ner-ner-ner!"
There is always the good old stand by for the old biddy tutting "can't you control your child" of "No." never fails to floor them!

Laura said...

I can't remember who had it, but I do remember riding in a car with someone who had a CB. We all got to come up with "handles". Mine was something stupid like Lizard Laura. Hey, I was probably 7 or 8.

My boys do pretty well in stores most of the time. The three of us shopping in the grocery store is a frequent occurrence. The whole family actually "enjoys" our weekend trips to Costco. But the other day Hutton did his loud scream of defiance in a store when something didn't go his way, and I got "the look" from all around. I didn't even bother with the Autism spiel. I just gave them all my own look - the eat shit and die one, er I mean, the please mind your own business one - and told Hutton to cool it with the screaming because I had to get stuff done.

It's been a long time since I've bolted from a store, but that place looks like it would be one to bolt from!

Anonymous said...

One day we'll 'graduate' stores. For the time being we're in a holding pattern.
Cheers

LadyBronco said...

ACK!!
That place gives me the willies.

Good luck to your beautiful girls on their first day of school!

Suzy said...

I've bolted from Stew Leonard's....

Love your writing. Love your kids.

Been lurking for a while....

Rainmom2x said...

My husband still speaks fondly of his CB days...

The boys and I can be quite the spectacle when we're out and about in the "typical" world...My 6 year old had a full blown freak out in the craft store recently...the short version is that we ended up with me holding him an a bear hug on the floor for what felt like 3 hours(but was probably 3 minutes) until he stopped screaming. We got some looks, but I think some people thought maybe we were part of the display of shrieking, moaning halloween decorations(which, of course,was what set him off in the first place). This is the same kid who insisted on going on the "haunted house" ride 6 times(with his eyes closed and hands over his ears)at the amusement park last week! Go figure...

School started today for us...I must admit I was even happier than they were when the buses drove away. I have thus far resisted the temptation to mix up a pitcher of "Momosas" to celebrate...it's 5 o'clock someplace, right? I settled for a nice, quiet second cup of coffee...

Hope your girls are off to a good start!

Kim Rossi Stagliano said...

Amen, Rainmom! Joann's or Michaels? LOL! :)