Hi there, this is Mr. Boo taking the helm. Daddy is out of town this week in California and mom and I are running the show. Actually, Gloria the puppy, thinks she is running the show, but she is just silly. Last week she got spayed and is now wearing the cone of shame. She is so small the vet had to use a cat cone. Gloria is disgusted. Not only does she have to wear a cone, it has pictures of cats all over it! This still does not stop her from waking me up with kisses every morning. Mouse has spent a lot of time out with friends this weekend. Mom says that what teenagers do. I don’t know. I have friends, but I also really like staying close to home. I don’t need mom by me every second, but I like knowing that she is around. Besides, who knows when I might need a treat?
Weekends are pretty low key around our house. I get to sleep late, which is nice. Eventually, mom and Gloria wake me up. Sometimes I hang out with mom and dad, other times Peter comes and takes me on adventures. My new favorite place is Red River Pizza in Minneapolis. The manager there knows me by name. I like their pizza so much mom is thinking of having them cater my graduation party!
On weekdays I get up early and get on the bus. Then I go see teacher Sonia and my friends. After school I sometimes hang out with Jill or Alissa. This lets mom go to her piano and Kung Fu lessons. A lot of the time Alissa takes me to the Y to swim. I love to play in the water but I am tired of all the people who stop Alissa and ask about my “disability”. Can’t you see I am just a kid trying to have fun? Alissa is here to take me swimming, the autism just sort of comes along for the ride. Instead of bothering Alissa, or worse yet, hitting on her and my sister, why don’t you just smile at me, wave, or give me a high five? I won’t bite and autism isn’t catching. Sorry, you can’t catch autism from me and then become automatically cool.
After swimming I come home and eat lots! For a long time I did not have much of an appetite and mom was really worried. When I eat, she gets really happy. This works out well because I like to eat and she likes to feed me. The dogs hang out right by my feet because I sometimes drop things. After I eat I take a bath and then hang out with my parents or my sister for a while. Eventually, after my meds, I get sleepy and mom or dad gives me my night -night treat and I go to bed. I like my bed. It is super cozy and has lots of handmade blankets made by people who love me. Sometimes I sing or talk to myself until I go to sleep. When I wake up in the morning, Mom and Gloria are there to say hi. It may not be the most exciting life, but it suits me just fine. Final note to perfect strangers, please do not use me as an excuse to hit on Alissa or my sister. It’s really rude. Just give me a high five and go on with your day. Thanks, Boo.
Harriet's Hedgehogs and Autism Advocacy 