We gave Nick a party for family to celebrate his 8th birthday.  The boy loves Transformers and is a whiz at putting them together so I found one on Craigs List that was a 20th anniversary issue and pretty cool.  As I was walking out of Arbys with the transformer in a sack he was talking to me loudly enough to have someone going inside turn around and look.  (I hadn't realized that transformers talked.)

Nicky was so excited and had a great time at his party.  You'd never know he has Aspergers, unless you knew already or watched him change the Transformer so quickly.  The hardest time he has is in school and being a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.  He is a delightfully sweet boy and he is sensitive to a fault.  I really enjoy listening to my two 8 year old Aspies when they talk, using such big words - its so cute. 

I know I'm getting on in age, but really want to be around to support these kids whenever they need it, and I hear it can be harder when they get older.  We'll see.  I realize now that I've been blessed that my kids and grandkids are such wonderful people and the Aspergers ones function so well.  

My granddaughter, who is 14 has been going through depression and talking about not wanting to live.  She lives too far away for me to be able to spend much time with her, but we recently got together in California and had a small family reunion, kind of, and it seemed so good for her to be around family.  She had a great time panning for gold and visiting a place called Turtle Bay where we got to see birds, fish, and other displays. 

 We've been obsessively collecting little Blythe dolls for her as a collection to help get her mind off the negative.  She's probably an Aspie too, but all she knows is something seems "wrong" with her.    She plays the cello and that is a real benefit to her as far as making friends.  She was voted as the girl with the prettiest eyes in the school.  She is a whiz at math, but is failing school because she just can't take the stress of being more on her own in school.  She was used to more teacher assistance.  The school is going to have to step up and start helping her and giving her more space, but first the diagnosis.   That could be awhile!