As I said on #HomeCrazzyHome…today is mine and Cookie Monster’s first anniversary. The thing is…when you have children it is impossible to have any relationship that does not effect them somehow. I know…I tried and failed.
So from the very beginning I threw Cookie Monster in the deep end…
So…IF we do hit it off on Sunday…would you care to do a late lunch back at
> mine? Maybe it seems like I am throwing you in the deep end but an hour or
> two exposure to my reality when she is in her comfort zone would at least
> give you a chance to weigh things up. I don’t want either of us stringing things
> out…not perfect words but hope you get the idea. She has some exposure to
> my friends coming over to eat…her friends’ moms, Jack whose kids I
> watched and Leo…so it won’t be THAT kind of pressure.
That is from one of our early emails planning that first meeting.
And oh what an introduction the poor man got too…PanKwake was chasing Mere-Mere around the flat with a can of fake POO!!!
And Cookie Monster did not run out the door screaming you’re crazzy over his shoulder.
I told him from the beginning that I was looking for a partner to share my life…the ups and the downs. Not a father for PanKwake…
Except I forgot to consult her on that one. She made her own choice on the matter. In fact, she was very pivotal in my discovery that I loved this man.
We had been together a few weeks and it was getting late…we were lying in bed (relax…we had clothes on). And she kept interrupting us. She had been dressing her G I Joe’s in Barbie’s party dresses. And she kept asking Cookie…what do you think? That is one of her coping mechanisms with the autism…since she can’t tell from facial expressions she asks…A LOT!
The man had the patience of Job with her. And when she ran out he switched gears and cwtched and kissed me. It was like a light bulb turning on. I thought…I love this guy. Of course, I was not quite so bold as to say it that moment.
There have been so many other shared moments over the past year that involve PanKwake. Of course, the first time that she woke Cookie up with a water gun…I almost died. This is it. No man can manage this. We’re over. No, he just laughed…and armed himself.
- Pink beards…
- Ralphs the skeleton and a tombstone at Halloween…
- A dozen kids running around the house at parties…
- Meltdowns in front of Joe’s with police called…
- Getting up at 3 am to install a mod on Minecraft…
And while she does not call him Dad…when she refers to the future and her children we are Grandma and Grandpa…so I think it is coming. He has certainly earned the title. And so much more…
No, it is not just me that loves Cookie Monster…heck, even the cat that he should be allergic to does. Though the goldfish ain’t saying much.
Happy Anniversary, Cookie Monster! WE love you.
Oh and the man GETS home education. He recognizes that Radical Unschooling is the only viable option for PanKwake. How cool is that, folks?
Self-Directed Learning & Neurodiversity 