Public Service Announcement for Lisa. The Chicken Recipe!

By popular demand - okay...only one person actually asked - here is the recipe for "Loon's Chicken".  I tend to cook by feel...so there's no need to follow the recipe to the letter.

Here's what you're going to need.

• Chicken.  With the skin on.  If you've got skinless chicken - you're just wasting everyone's time.  I typically use chicken thighs...but you can use drumsticks or breasts. 
• Breadcrumbs - you can make you're own if you're inspired...or you can be lazy and just buy them.  I'm lazy...or efficient - you decide.
• Corn Flakes.  Yes - that's right Corn Flakes.  Regular Corn Flakes.
• Bunch of spices and stuff.  I use the following.....I don't take actual measurements...but I'd say about a 1 teaspoon of each of the following:  garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, turmeric, salt, and pepper.  I might add in some hot pepper flakes if I'm in the mood.
• I also use a pinch of cumin and cinnamon.  You can use whatever floats your boat actually...depends on what you like.  I won't use curry (funkifies the whole house)....and there is no coriander in my house at all.  That stuff is just nasty.
• Oh....throw some parsley flakes in there too.  It doesn't do much for the taste of the chicken...but it makes it look pretty.  Presentation is good too!

Ok - got all that stuff Lisa?  Ready to get your chicken on?  Here we go:

Get a large bowl (preferably clean...depends on whether you like the people you're serving the chicken too).  Kurt's alright as I recall...so clean is probably the way to go.

• Dump in about 1 cup of Corn Flakes...and crush them up mortar and pistil style.  Don't turn them into dust...just make the Corn Flakes really, really small (like half the size of a Rice Crispy I suppose).  The ideal size is generally the same as you'd find in the last bowl of Corn Flakes - when some unthoughtful spouse has left just enough in the box as to qualify as not empty (and thus avoiding the trip downstairs to get another box).
• Dump in 1/2 cup of bread crumbs.
• Dump in all the other stuff
• Mix

Now the fun part (as if crushing Corn Flakes wasn't fun enough)!

• Take a piece of chicken and rinse it off....shake off excess water.  I suggest using a pair of tongs for this....but I'm sure you've already thought of that.  As much as I love to cook - I abhor touching raw meat.
• Throw said piece of chicken in the bowl....ensure the entire piece of chicken is covered with the spicy stuff.
• Do this as many times as there are pieces of chicken.
• If you have any of the mix left after all the pieces have been coated - sprinkle it over the pieces.  It adds to the crunchy texture we're going for here.

The key to getting this to turn out well is how you cook it.

I don't like my chicken cooking in all the fat that renders off as it cooks....so I place an elevated rack on the tray that I use.  Actually - I use some Ikea roasting pan and just use the rack that came with it.  Doesn't matter really what you use - just as long as the chicken is not marinating in the chicken fat.  I also line the tray with foil - the bottom of the tray is going to get really messy.  Using foil is going to save you lots of time.

Throw those bad boys into a preheated oven....generally about 375 for 60-70 minutes.  The last 5 minutes I crank up the broiler to high to ensure the skin is nice and crispy.

Voila!  Chicken worth stealing!  Bon appetit!

And the tie into how this particular posting relates to my son....well....now that the recipe is posted on the Internet.....he'll be sure to find it.....and make his own damn chicken!  :)

Who Ate The Big Piece of Chicken?

"Why did the little boy cross the road?"

"To rip off the big piece of chicken!"

It used to be bacon that was the most commonly stolen item of food in my house.

Things have changed.

Now it's chicken.  More specifically.  Daddy's chicken.

Word to the wise...I can totally understand the recent spate of chicken theft.  I happen to make some really fine chicken.  Got my own recipe for a KFC/Shake 'n Bake knockoff that has been years in development.  It's recently been perfected - and now chicken theft is on the rise.

All I ever did was offer my son a piece of chicken.  Once.  Now he's hooked....bad.

I've had pieces of chicken go missing from my plate.

I've seen all the left over chicken that I had lunch plans for....go missing from the fridge (and the tell tale empty Tupperware thing is left in the fridge - ChickenMan is not concerned about leaving a neat crime scene....it's usually a smash and grab kind of event).

I've even had requests for chicken.

"Daddy!"

"What?"

"I'm hungry!  Can you make some chicken?"

"Ask Mommy to make it."

"No.  You make good chicken.  Mommy's is ok...but your's is better!"

He happens to be right on that by the way....but we won't discuss that publicly.


"Well....maybe for dinner little man.  No one eats chicken for breakfast anyways."

"Why not?"

"Just because.  You don't eat waffles for dinner...and you don't eat chicken for breakfast.  That's just the way it is.  I don't make the rules in society man....I just try and follow them."

"That's terrible.  Who makes these rules anyways?"

Wish I knew little man....wish I knew.

Someone please click on some ads (on the right hand side)...I've gotta chicken junkie to support.  :)

In The Beginning... "Now In Stereo!"

Today's posting, aptly titled, "In The Beginning..." is just that.  It's a summary of things that first caught our eye - and started us down the road of discovering Autism.  It's intended as a bit of a guide for other parents who are wondering about their child's development.  I get an email to that effect fairly often....someone I know will send me an email asking me about our initial experiences....as they cast a wondering eye at their own offspring.


So - without further ado - here's how it all went down.  And yes - I like the Motley Crue tune "In The Beginning - and how it leads into Shout At The Devil.  I really only want the ominous "In The Beginning" sound....but then ya know - it just leads into some classic mid 80's metal....so I used the whole tune instead. If you're not feelin' Motley Crue - just turn it off and read on.  If you are feelin' it....turn it up.  And if you're a lawyer representing Motley Crue about my use of the tune....take it up with YouTube - I'm just linking something that they are making available.  It's not like I'm getting rich here ripping off Crue tunes....

As best as I can recall - we first noticed that Nicholas stopped responding when we called to him.  He would just act as if he hadn't heard us.  So - being responsible and concerned parents...we took him to get his hearing checked out.  His hearing was fine.  He was nearly 2 1/2 at that time.


Around that same time - the daycare that we had him at wanted to speak with us about some 'observed' behaviour.  My wife and I went down to the daycare to have a little chat (interestingly enough - this is the same daycare my wife attended once upon a time....some of the same staff were their after all that time) about some things they had noticed about Nicholas.  We were glad that they took the time and effort to speak with us - they had a lot more experience with kids than we did at that time....so it was helpful to have people more skilled in child development than us provide some insight/concerns.  Basically - the behaviours expressed things like:

• he seems to be unaware of other people around him
• he likes to line things up - in order (we had noticed this as well).
• he doesn't always deal well with transitions
• he doesn't seem to have a lot of interest in socializing with other kids, or take part in group activities.

My wife and I took this information home - and began to wonder about our son...


It was also around the same time (actually 7-10 days before we noticed the hearing issue) that we had our son vaccinated with the MMR shot.  Now I know - there's a lot of controversy surrounding the use of vaccinations and the incidence of Autism.  And I'm not here to rehash all that nonsense - whether I believe MMR negatively impacted my son is besides the point.  And what good would it do anyways if we knew for sure?  But - for the record....I do not believe in coincidences (and I know a great many number of people who have had similar experiences)....and I do think it quite likely that it was the loading schedule itself that caused our son harm.  Kids today receive many, many more shots than we did when I was of that age.  I don't think it was MMR per se....but rather the frequency in which children were subjected to vaccinations that has a cumulative impact of children's neurological development.


We also noticed Nicholas had a fascination with lining stuff up.  Blocks.  Animals.  Books.  Whatever.  If it could be arranged from big to small....it was.  This is typical of kids on the spectrum - or so we learned.


Nicholas also had an innate skills when it came reading.  That we discovered is called hyperlexia (defined by the follow 'borrowed' text from Wikipedia):

Hyperlexia was initially identified by Silberg and Silberg (1967), who defined it as the precocious ability to read words without prior training in learning to read typically before the age of 5. They indicated that children with hyperlexia have a significantly higher word decoding ability than their reading comprehension levels.

Hyperlexic children are characterized by having average or above average IQs and word-reading ability well above what would be expected given their age.

In a nutshell?  Our son was reading at a very early - at a level far advanced for his age.  His recall on what he has read is nearly photographic.  He remembers everything he's read - and everything that's read to him.  Just try and miss a page when reading him a story he's already heard...


And then there was echolalia - the automatic repetition of vocalizations made by another person. It is closely related to echopraxia, the automatic repetition of movements made by another person.  Nicholas used to love repeating things back to us....and one occasions - when he gets really excited - he'll kind of flap his left arm (mostly when he's brushing his teeth these days however).


At this point - my wife got her social worker skills happening...and was able to get Nicholas in to see a Dr. by the name of Dr. Flanagan at St. Joseph's Health Care Centre.  Dr. Flanagan had opened a new clinic there - so we were able to bypass the year long wait that we would have had to endure if we booked at East York General.  Connections help sometimes.  From a few visits with Dr. Flanagan we were provided a from that basically said our child had autism....among other high end diagnostic expressions.


So - we noticed a few things.  Other people noticed a few other things.  A diagnosis here - a professional opinion there....and voila.  Instant diagnosis of autism.


Now....here's your written summary - you have a child with an issue on your hands....but no help provided as to the question, "Great?!  Now what the hell do I do?":


To be continued...

Out With The New....In With The Old?

My son has an incredible memory.  He remembers everything.  All the time.  Well....most of the time - he can remember who said what, when they said it - and quite possibly what they were wearing when they said it....but as him where he left HIS toy and the answer is invariably, "I dunno".

Yeah...right.  You know.  You just don't want to be the one to actually go and get it (have I mentioned that I was gullible on occasion).

My son used to go to Norseman Public School.  He currently attends 20th Street Public School.

We changed his home school a few years back because Norseman didn't actually have any classes for autistic dudes....and 20th Street did.  We were thrilled with the change initially.  It meant that Nicholas would be in a class where the teachers (we thought) had actual training and a background in dealing with kids who were atypical.  While the staff at Norseman were sincere in their efforts to help Nicholas - they didn't have a lot of experience in dealing with autistic kids - and no....attending a 1/2 day seminar isn't going to make someone an expert.  FYI - we've had mixed results with Nicholas' new school placement, and are currently investigating other, more suitable options.

My son had a lot of fun (for the most part) at Norseman.  He had some friends that he really liked (mostly girls...ya man!) and he had more good days than bad.  20th Street is different.

He seems to have more bad days than good.  What entails a bad day is a post unto itself (and I might post that too...we'll see) - and I'm pretty sure Nicholas would rather switch back to Norseman (it's a lot closer too).

A few days ago - Nicholas announced his intentions to return to his old stomping grounds and pay a visit.  That's where he is right now actually.  Mommy called ahead and had a chat with the principal (who remembers Nicholas quite well) to see if it would be ok.  His kindergarten teacher isn't there anymore (likely off on mat leave I suspect) - but his grade one teacher is around.

It's an interesting process watching my son's schemes unfold.  I'm sure there's an end game here somewhere - likely (in his mind) a return to where school was more fun than work.  Sorry bub - that's not going to happen.

Scrap Ain't Crap

Once upon a time - there was a mayor of Toronto who decided that residents didn't pay enough in taxes.  Now this mayor spent a lot of money of things that weren't really all that useful...so new sources of revenue had to be invented just to pay for his grand vision of what Toronto should be.

So....this mayor foisted upon the hapless citizens of Toronto some new taxes.  We got the vehicle license tax (since repealed by our new mayor), a land transfer tax on the sale of homes, and a garbage pick up fee.

The garbage pick up fee is a scam.  Big time.  Our property taxes were supposed to pay for this service already...but it wasn't enough you see.  So now?  Citizens of Toronto now have a new line item on their water bills....trash collection.  What a scam if you ask me.

Ok.  Great.  I've gotten my little rant out of the way....but what does this have to do with my son and his adventures?  I'm getting to that - hold on!  Be patient!

Now - if you're like me....you're pretty diligent in your efforts to recycle.  I'm really good at it....as my bin is frequently overflowing with stuff.  And then it dawned on me one day in a moment of "screw this!  I'm paying for the privilege of having the city haul away my crap that they are making money from".

Come again Paul?

Yes.  You see the city (or the contractors who haul it away) makes money from your trash.  The metal that is recovered is sold for scrap - and someone (not me) gets money for it.  This annoys me a great deal.

If you know me - you know that I used to consume about 14% of the world's production of Coca Cola (I've since cut back considerably)....and that means a lot of empty pop cans.

Pop cans (or soda cans if you happen to be of the American persuasion) are worth money.  Not a lot of money....but money nonetheless.  Pop cans happen to be made of aluminum.  Aluminum happens to be worth coin.  Coin happens to be of interest to me.

So....I've taken to separating the aluminum cans out of the city's recycling stream....and placing them in my own recycling stream.  All the pop cans in my house go into another bag....which when full makes it's way to the scrap yard for cold hard cash.  I'm never going to get rich off this - but that isn't the point.  I just don't like the fact that they city is charging me to pick up stuff that they are going to turn around and make money from.  So I separate.

And this is where my son comes in.  We're trying to teach him that there are more ways to earn money in life than just sticking his hand out and smiling at his parents.  Sometimes work can earn you money as well.  And my son has developed himself a rather expensive hobby of collecting Moshi Monster (read: cheap plastic crap made in China).  Oh....let's not be coy.  He's got himself a bad problem.  He's hooked on Moshis....and he's always jonesing for a new one.

Recently my son asked me for some money to buy a Moshi on eBay.  I wasn't into it.  I was into cutting him in on my aluminum venture.

"Nicholas.  Want to make some money?"

"Of course!"

"You know that big bag of pop cans in the shed?"

"Uh huh.  What about it?"

"Would you like it?"

"What for?  It's garbage!"

"No.  It's...money just waiting to happen."

"Explain please."

"Well...there are these places called scrap yards.  They take your scrap metal and give you money for it."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really."

"Ok.  That sounds good.  How do I get in on this?"

"Simple.  You just take pop cans and put them in the black bag on the deck....as opposed to the blue bin.  And when you have a bunch - we take them to the scrap yard.  They weigh them - and then they give us cold, hard cash."

"That's it?"

"Yep.  Pretty much."

"Ok.  I'm in!"

"And to start you out - you can have the big bag that I've already got stashed away.  We can take it in tomorrow when you get back from school."

"Awesome!"

The very next day upon arrival from school - my son refuses to take his boots and coat off.  He announces that he is going to the scrap yard.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddy!!!  Let's go!"

"Ok.  Let's wait for Mommy at least!"

"No!  We don't need her.  This is boy stuff.  Mommy can't come."

I beam with pride.  He's right!  This is boy stuff.  The scrap yard is dirty, noisy....and dangerous.  No place for Mommy.  We may not throw a baseball very often....who needs that!  We have the scrap yard!  Booya!

I grab the big bag of pop cans from the shed - and toss them in the trunk.  Nicholas piles into the car (he's brought one of his stuffed doggies - apparently they need to see this as well), buckles his seat beat and proclaims his readiness.

And we're off!  Over hill, over dale...to the scrap yard - it never fails!

When we get there - we have to wait for a few minutes while other dudes (not a female to be found) get their metal weighted.  Then it's our turn.

I pile the bag on the scale....and remove my son from the scale.  I'm not scrapping him (but nice try on upping the weight little man!).  The guy asks us what we have.

"POP CANS!  Lots of them!"

"Ok little man" the guy replies with.  He then asks me if this stuff is for "the kid".

I reply in the affirmative.

"Ok then.  You've got 20 pounds of aluminum.  That's $7.  But since its for the kid - I'll make it $10."

"Yaaaaaaayy!"

My son happily collects a piece of paper that says someone owes him $10.  He's excited as we walk through a building full of busted up machinery - and a yard that has a big crane with a magnet for picking up and moving steel (not aluminium....that's a non-ferrous metal - and thus not magnetic.  Learned something new didn't ya!).  We enter the office - and politely wait our turn to cash out.

And there she is!  The sole woman at the scrap yard.  She's the one handling the money!

Nicholas hands over his piece of paper and announces he "would like his loot please".  He's very excited that junk has been turned into money....and that money will eventually be converted back into more junk (read....Moshis).  The scrap lady looks over the counter (there's a glass barrier in the way) and smiles down on my son as she hands over a fresh, crisp $10 spot.

"Here you go sweetie.  Don't spend it all in one place."

"Oh.  Don't worry.  I've got plans for this money.  Thank you!"

My son is beside himself with joy!  So much so that he seems to have forgotten that Little Caesars....that nirvana of pizza goodness is only 1 minute away.  He doesn't care.  He's got cash.  He places it safely in his pocket for the ride home.

"Oh wow Daddy!  That was really cool!  Just wait until Mommy see's my money.  I am totally rich now!"

Or he was...for all of 15 minutes.  He had that spent on eBay in short order.  He decides what he wants  I buy it....and he forks over the money to me.  I always get ripped off on the transactions....but at least he's chipping in - like a good Moshi addict should.

If your car has aluminum rims...please send me your address.  My son and I will there in short order to take them off your hands....you don't need to be there - we'll just jack up your car and take care of it for you.  Cast aluminum is worth more money than the aluminum they use for pop cans.  :)

Finger Lickin' Good!

I may have already mentioned this....and if I'm starting to repeat myself I apologize - but a momentous occasion has taken place.  My son has expanded his food options to include....drum sticks!

No.  Not the ice cream Drumstick thing.  Dairy impacts his mood (trust me on that).

Drumsticks.  As in the legs of formerly upright chickens who now reside in my fridge (they were on sale - so we'll be eating these things for awhile).  And these aren't just any plain ole drumsticks.  These are customized with a special homemade Shake n' Bake knockoff recipe.  I could tell you how I make it...but I'm not going to.  If you want that - you're going to have to ask in the comment section.

Oh - you have no idea how freakin' excited I am about this!  Not the sale part...although that's pretty sweet too - the actual consumption of something new.

Now for the those of who have neural typical children....I'm sure you've had challenges getting your kid(s) to eat different foods.  For those of us who have kids who are on the spectrum - it can be downright impossible.

Nicholas' diet has always been somewhat limited (when he was a baby - he'd eat whatever we shoveled into his face...he didn't care - he ate it all) since he was about the age of 3.  For the most part - I'm pretty sure if we fed him nothing but pizza (Little Caesars being his favorite) or bacon (chicken bacon....we switched over from the 'good' stuff - we don't want an obese kid) he'd be happy as a pig in feces.

Here's an overview of what he will eat - for those that are interested:

• Pizza.  Pizza.  And more pizza.  Like I said Little Caesars is his favorite...but he'll eat other pizza as well (even the ones we make him).  The last blood test revealed that his red blood cells had been fully replaced by little pepperonis.  Nicholas is fine with this.

• Crazy Bread.

• Waffles.  With peanut butter.

• Bacon.  The chicken kind seems to go over well....but he would prefer the pork variety (who wouldn't?)

• Lasagna.  Home made too.

• Chicken fingers.  We make those too.

• Pasta.  Just about any kind of pasta.  Has to have a mixture of tomato sauce and cheese (some soy based cheese mind you.  Dairy is problematic).

• Zookies.  Those are some type of animal cracker thing.  They go down well with Nutella to dip them in.  This has become a favorite of mine as well.

• Chips.  Any kind - but preferable Sour Cream n' Onion.  These are typically purchased for me....but then he finds them and eats them.

• Popcorn

• Pears (sliced into quarters please and thank you).

• Strawberries (if Mommy hasn't eaten them all)

• The occasional blueberry.  

• Ketchup (or catsup for those who like to call it something other than what it should actually be called).  It can either be on food....or just on a plate.  He doesn't care.  Ketchup is a food group unto itself.

Notice a pattern here?  With the exception of a few fruits - its mostly carbs and some protein.  Any green stuff we are able to get in him has been hidden in pizza sauce.  It's amazing what you can do with a high end blender and food processor.

So last night - drumsticks were made.  They were cooking in the oven (350 for about an hour or so)....and the kitchen was smelling really good - then its gets interesting.

"Hey!  What's that smell?"

"Drumsticks man."

"Hmmmm....smells pretty good.  I want one!"

"And the magic word is what exactly?"

"Now!"

"Try again."

"Please?"

"Much better.   Now try it again with the magic word in a sentence."

"Ahem.  I would like a drumstick please!"

"Awesome!  So would I.  And as luck would have it - they're done."

"Good!"

Parental eyeballs rolling....

So I take them out of the oven, and check to ensure that they are done.  These are drumsticks....not actual chicken.  Sounds strange doesn't it?  We don't really tell him that something came from an animal....he's an animal lover.....and that just might cause problems.  We keep things vague to ensure some sanity is maintained in the house.

"Here little man.  Here's one.  Be careful - it's really hot.:

"Okay.  I will.".  And he grabs his plate and heads off to his computer.  Some kids watch tv while eating.  Ours watches YouTube (which in part explains why 65 gig a month is still not enough bandwidth.).

I grab a few drumsticks as well (yes.  It was lazy chef night...I didn't make anything else - just drumsticks) and head off to my computer to watch Mad Men.

A few minutes later I heard some foraging sounds up in the kitchen.  I don't bother to investigate.  The elusive and wily child is on the prowl....and he's hunting drumsticks.

Upon investigation - I discover that he scored himself 3 more.  This is great news!  Another food item has been added to his repertoire!  And it was homemade stuff too!

Take that Colonial Sanders!  My stuff is finger lickin' good too!

We Used To Have Nice Stuff

Today's post takes a darker turn.  If you want fun, happy and light - please move on.  This post isn't any of those.  This post is about why we don't have nice stuff....or at the very least - why our once complete set of awesome dinner wear is nearly extinct.

Autism is a neurological disorder that effects different people in different ways.  Some autistics can't speak.  Ours does.  Some autistics are shy.  Ours isn't.  Some autistics are occasionally aggressive.  Ours can be.  For the most part - our son is a happy, lovable, and sweet child....but every once in a while his 'demon' pays us a visit.  And his demon's name is "El Destructo".

For reasons we are not always able to figure out - there are time when "El Destructo" visits us - and literally makes our life a living hell.  How is that you ask?  Why Paul....from what you've described of your son....he sounds like a good kid.  He is.  Most of the time.  But there are times when things don't go Nicholas' way....there are times where even the smallest thing just sets him off....and there are times when even I have a hard time liking him (loving him always....but liking him?  Well...that can be a challenge at times!).

"El Destructo" is a prick.  We don't like him.  My son doesn't like him.  And the contents of our house certainly doesn't like him.  Allow me to elaborate for the uninitiated.

When "El Destructo" stops by people (parents) are going to hit (hard), things are going to be thrown (typically glass items) and treasured items that my son typically treats with respect are going to get messed over.  Here are but a few examples of "El Destructo's" less than lovable moments:

• whipping a CD case at the back of Daddy's head while Daddy is driving the car.  That's not fun....and now I just leave the radio alone to whatever it is he happens to be jamming too.  My CDs no longer reside in the back of the car anymore.

• taking a glass jar that used to have coins in it and smashing it all over the kitchen floor.  We have two vacuums in the house for a reason.

• banging into the hallway wall so hard that the drywall is broken.  Not sure how I'm going to fix that one without ripping out a 2" by 3" of drywall.  

• ripping off the front of a drawer in the bathroom.  That one I can fix.  Just wish I didn't have to.  But in his defense....it was really poorly made - and anyone could have done that one.

• hitting Mommy or Daddy.  He hits Mommy more than me.  Not sure why.  He just does.

• being so angry about something that he stomped on his glasses - and then getting even madder when I wasn't able to fix them.  There are some things I just can't fix.

• destroying the contents of his room.  Well....I'm actually ok with that one.  It's his room.  And it's his stuff.  If he wants messed over Ikea dressers....well....that's his business.

• frequently tipping over the recycling bin in the kitchen and generally making a mess of the place.

• the grabbing and smashing of plates on the kitchen floor.  We used to have a really nice set of dinner wear.  Now?  We still have some of the nice stuff....but not enough for a complete table setting.  If you come to my house for dinner - please don't be dismayed that not all the plates match.  They used to.  But now....well...whatever the dollar store has is fine.  It's cheap.  And I can replace it easily enough (who knew the Mikasa set we currently have/had would be so expensive,  $60 for a single plate?)

• And so on and so forth....

Now this isn't to say my son is a bad kid.  He isn't.  But there are times when his autism just takes over his personality - and he does one of those Hulk maneuvers....only he turns red, not green.

This behaviour worries me quite a bit.  Not because I can't handle it.  Things can be fixed or replaced as needed.  Apologies can be made.  And I know my son isn't taking his anger out on me per se.  I can deal with all that.  What worries is that at some point - my son will be 'out in the world' and on his own....and he may have one of these moments that other people are not going to know how to handle, nor have the patience to deal with.  And then?

And then someone is going to call the police.  That's the biggest fear right there.  There have been numerous examples in Toronto over the past few years where an individual with mental health issues has found themselves at the business end of a taser or a gun....and the next thing you know?  There's another person sitting in the back of a cop car - or worse....in the back of the coroner's wagon.  The police and their "I'm above the law" use of authority and brutality against society's most defenseless causes me a great deal of concern.  For the most part - I trust the cops to act in a professional manner (G20 nonsense aside)....but I do not trust them when it comes dealing with individuals who have mental health issues - their track record as of late just hasn't been all the reassuring.  Sure - I can understand the need for force when there is a weapon in play....but I just don't see my son ever doing that.  

He's a good kid.  I hope he'll be a good adult.  I just hope that society - and the police in particular demonstrate more understanding and compassion than I currently see.  I'm getting tired of reading reports in the Toronto Star or The Sun (which I rarely read) where the police have killed yet another person who didn't need to die.

Aren't you?

I also wonder why Toronto - the largest city in the country (and one can assume the largest autistic population as well) does not have an autistic registry to help the police do their job properly?  Seems like a no brainer to me.

But then again - we have Rob Ford for mayor.

Comments?  Criticisms?  Kudos?  I'd love to hear them.   See that comment box below?  Use it!  :)

The Kid Has Cash! Lotsa Cash! Seemingly An Endless Supply!

The mail man came today.  Actually it was the mail woman.  Let's just go with Canada Post employee shall we...much easier that way.  The "mail person" comes pretty much everyday (bur rarely on Fridays it would seem) with an assortment of stuff that generally doesn't even make it into the house (and goes right into the Blue Bin).  Today was an exception.

Today is Valentines Day by the way...the day of the year when men traditionally go out and buy over priced roses and trashy lingerie for their loved ones....or at the least the ones they'd like to love.  I'm taking a pass this year by the way - I don't need a Hallmark moment to express my love for my wife.  (Hope she reads this!  Because....really?  I kind of forgot....again!).

My son...on the other hand is much too young for that stuff (which is fine - I'm not ready to have 'that' conversation).  He did however get something in the mail today.  It was red.  It felt like a card.  It most definitely was a Valentines Day card.

This particular envelope was post marked Guelph.  A lot of nice people tend to live in Guelph (I'm pretty sure most of the nice people currently in Toronto were also born in Guelph).  Guelph is a nice place by the way - trust me....I've been there.  Pretty sure I was even conceived there.  But again - that's another conversation I'm not ready for.  But I digress....

So...there was an envelope addressed to Nicholas.  I knew who it was from - and I even knew what was likely in there - so I just put it on the table for Nicholas to find when he returned home.

About an hour later - Nicholas arrives.  I can hear much yelling and screaming about "the mail!!!".  This is excited screaming....so I'm pretty good with that one.  The "Daddy you suck" screaming I could do without.

I wonder upstairs to soak in the general vibe and excitement:

"Hey dude!  What did you get in the mail?"  All I can see are the remains of a red envelope on the floor...and a card that I doubt he read.

"Money!"

"How much money!"  Never mind the card from Grandma...never mind the sentiment....its all about the cash?

"All of it!"

"Really?  How much is that?:

"10 dollars!  See!  Look!  Check it out!!"....as he starts to madly run around looking for his money jar (it's plastic now by the way....we had an...."incident" a few days ago....maybe I'll write about that - maybe I won't).

"!0 dollars is all of it?"

"Well.....maybe not all of it.  But it sure is A LOT of money!.  See.  Check it out!  You can touch it if you want....but you have to give it back!"

"I've seen $10 bills before man."

"Yeah....sure.  But you've never seen mine!"

"Ok dude.....hand it over!"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"You're gonna steal it!".

I know I should be hurt at this point....but I'm not.  I'm pretty sure he's not serious.

"So. What are you going to do with your new found wealth?"

"Buy Moshis of course!"

"How about saving some?"

"What?"

"Saving some.  As in the reason we went to the bank the other day.  Remember?"

"Oh.  Yeah.  That."

"How about we put $5 in the bank....and the rest you can waste...err....invest in Moshis?"

"Works for me!  Now if you'll excuse me....I have to go on eBay to find an ultra rare Moshi!"

"Ok dude.  Have fun finding one for $5."  Plus the shipping.....and all that crap.  I have a feeling this $5 Moshi is going to cost me more than that....we'll see....

Something Nasty This Way Comes

It's Valentines day.  Oh joy!

How do I know this?

It's not because I'm reasonably intelligent and can read a calender.  It's not because Facebook is full of people wishing sentimental sentiments to each other.  And it's not because I have anything special planned for my wife (maybe we'll go out for breakfast in a bit....we'll see.).

It's because at 5:30AM I was woken up to the sounds of chocolate delight - and my light being turned on much too early.

Act 1, Scene 1:

Lights go on....

"Hey Dad!  Wake up!"

parental grumble sound here

"Dad?"

more parental grumble sounds - with blankets pulled over said parent.

"Daaaaaaaaad!"

"Yes Nicholas?"

"Do you want the rest of my chocolate heart marshmallow?  I can't finish it."

"Oh yes indeed I do!  If I eat it - will you let me go back to sleep?"

"No.  You need to get up!"

"Ohhhh."

"And while you're doing that - I'm going to go wash my hands....they're all sticky now".

And that leaves me wondering....just what exactly did I eat?  And did he wash his hands before he gave it to me?  And why doesn't he give this stuff to Mommy?  She's right beside me...

I don't even like chocolate marshmallow crap.  But today?  It wasn't all that bad.  Just too early.

Go figure.

McRiot 2.0 - Cancelled Until Further Notice

Just a quick follow up to my previous post.

After much discussion (and a complete lack of input from my reader(s)) - we decided to not attend the birthday party at McDonald's.  Not because we don't enjoy a good riot...and not because we don't enjoy the fries - but rather we wanted to spare our son the indignity of having to put up with one of the other invitees crap.

Yes.  Sounds strange doesn't it?  There is another little boy who was also planning to attend (who is also on the spectrum) who is nothing but mean and nasty to our son.  They used to be in the same class - and I'm quite sure there are times when Nicholas has egged him on....but this kid is really nothing more than a bully.

And I find that quite odd.  An autistic bully?  Who ever would have thought?  But its true.  I've experienced this child on many occasions - and I just don't find him to be pleasant at all....in fact....he's actually quite mean (and not at all shy about expressing his utter disdain for my son).  There's never anything physical about the bully's behaviour - but he really has no filter whatsoever about what he says.  He gets me pretty mad....and I always have to bite my tongue about speaking my mind.  He's on the spectrum too - so I try and understand the why....but I don't like it.

So.  In light of the fact that Nicholas had a really good session the previous day at this social skills session....we elected to not put him in a situation where another kid would try and undermine the progress he's been making with socialization and all that entails.  And this child would definitely go out of his way to share his nastiness....I've seen him do it many, many times.  The odd thing is - my son actually kinds of likes the kid (who I'm not mentioning by name for obvious reasons)....guess Nicholas doesn't quite understand all the facets of human behaviour just yet.

So....things brings to mind a question that I'd like to throw out there....and I'm sure it can only really be answered by those in the know.....have you ever experienced an individual on the spectrum who demonstrated behaviours that are best classified as bullying?  I'm curious.  Please use the comment section below to share your thoughts.  Thanks in advance!

An interesting aside....it sure is easy to find interesting images on google when you use the search terms ":McDonald's" + "Riot".  Strange world we live in....people sure do have a hate on for McDonald's at times. Silly people....the fries rock!  :)

McRiot Round 2? Let's Put It To A Vote!

If you've been reading my blog...and I know at least 12 of you have - you're well aware of the mayhem and madness that I experienced last year at a McDonald's birthday party.

Long story short (and hey...you can always go back and read it) - my son was one of 6 or 7 other autistic kids who rocked the McDonald's on Dixie. For the most part - it was a good time. Ok....time heals most wounds. But it was a terrible time. And I'm not sure all that much fun was had.

 Not more than an hour ago - my wife happened to mention that we got another invite, to another party....at the same McDonald's location. This concerns me. I'm not sure that I want to take my son (who I'm sure if we asked would be delighted to attend) again. It didn't work out all that well last time. My wife is totally on the fence about this. It's not as if my child was particularly bad or anything - actually....he was quite good (until some other nameless child...ok...I know his name....but I won't mention it here...threw the air hockey puck at my son's head)...but not all the other kids where.

I guess my main concern (other than my son's overall well being and safety) is that there will be acts of violence...and there will be other parents there - who again....will do nothing to intervene when their own little hell spawn decides to act in an inappropriate manner. Yes - of course, my son was really well behaved (honestly!)....but the other kids? Not so much. I can't really fault the kids for getting all riled up. Most of them have sensory issues - and when you jam a bunch of easily stimulated kids into an enclosed area....well...the volume gets up there - and voila! Another McDonald's location makes it to the 6 o'clock news when a bunch of hoodlum 11 year old tear the place apart. So....as you can see - I'm on the fence. And as far as I know....I have no vested interest in whether a McDonald's is spared the destruction (I didn't buy that stock when it was a good deal....wish I had though...)

Do we go - and experience the joy and wonder of over stimulated kids? Or do we take a pass and enjoy a quiet and peaceful Sunday?

 Let's put it to a vote...use the comment section below to share your thoughts on this pressing matter.

Here Daddy!! Drink This!

I was just handed a rather foul looking 'cocktail'.

It looked rather nasty....and brown.

"Ummmm.....thanks dude!  What's in this?"

"LSW!!"

"And that would be what exactly?"

"Lemon juice!  Soya Sauce!  And water!  Drink up!  It's awesome!"

"Um....I think I'll pass....I'm not thirsty right now."

"Oh...okay.  I'll go make you something else..."

And right now....I can hear him up in the kitchen mixing 'stuff'.  I just heard "and what should I add next?"

If you never read another post - it's because my son has poisoned me.  I'm going to hide the bottles of booze now....

Oh....just been handed something even worse.  Corn chips mixed with apple juice.....WTH?  Sure wish Mommy was home right now....

Someone is Richer Than They Think! Or Are They?

Greetings!  Howdy!  Salutations!  And all that happy stuff.

Yes...yes...I know I post far too infrequently for you people.  It's not for a lack of material mind you....it's really a lack of time.  It takes a lot of time to apply for dozens of jobs that you know you're not likely going to hear back about....but I try anyways.  I'm sure there's a job out there that was meant for me....just haven't found it yet.  If by some chance you've seen it - please let me know?  :)

Ok...were where we?  Oh.  Right.  We aren't anywhere...but the title of today's post should give you an idea as to where today's post is headed.

That's right.  Money!  Banking!  Finances!  Or....how Daddy apparently is made of money - and how someone has no concept of what it really means?

Let me rewind a bit - and put things into context for you.  My son like eBay...and Amazon.  You see there's a new fad toy out there that he's totally into.  They are called Moshi Monsters....and he thinks they rock.  He likes to browse the web looking for Moshi creatures to add to his collection.  He has quite a few already....but honestly?  I'm getting kind of tired of being pumped for coin to buy the latest fad.

So....what's a parent to do?  Why work 'em - that's what!!  There are chores that need to be done....and trust me - nothing gets a kid moving faster than the promise of a loonie or twoonie to do some inane chore.  I think my son is overpaid by the way....but what can ya do?  Nicholas is pretty good with doing the stuff we ask him to do....he'll even do it without the promise of money - but he moves faster when there is.

So at least my son is learning that you have to work in life to get the money to get the things you want.  That's all well and good.  Problem is - he doesn't understand the savings part of it.  And that's what I'm working on right now.  I happened to mention that he should save some of his money for a rainy day (or at least the next time Daddy's car needs another round of expensive repairs)....but this kid is super literal.  "You  mean when it rains - I can spend my money?"

"Um....no.  Not exactly."

The other day (he was home from school)....he announced that he was bored and that he wanted to go out somewhere.

"Well....where do you want to go?"

"I don't care....just out!  This house is boring!"

I tend to agree....hence the increased effort in finding employment outside of the home

"Ok.  Let's go to the bank and open an account for you."

"Yeah.  Sure.  We can do that.  Anything is better than hanging out here all day!"

You're welcome to move out just as soon as you're 18.  I don't voice these thoughts....like I said - the kid is literal.


After much debate about which shoes to wear (me...not him for a change)....we pile into the car and head down to the local TD Bank branch.

Upon arrival - my 10 year old little dude marches up to the front desk (money jar in hand) and announces to the three ladies who were standing there that "I'd like to open a bank account please!  Can someone here help me?".

A nice lady - who's name I don't recall (she was Persian I think) says that "Yes indeed!  I can help you with that.  Would you like to come into my office so we can get you started?".

"Sure thing!  Let's do it up.  I have lots of money!  See!!  (coins jangling in jar noise here).  I'm rich!  But Daddy says I need to save some of my money".

For the record....he had $8.50 in his jar.....I guess rich is a relative thing.  I didn't have that much on me....so I guess the kid is loaded?

"Well alright then.  Let's do it up indeed!  And get you started!".

So we go into her office - take out seats and begin to fill out forms.  Actually....all we had to do was sign a few things, show some ID.....and voila!  Instant No-Fee bank account....with a GreenCard to boot!  My son seemed to enjoy "writing" his name on the forms....and on his bank card (which only really says Nicholas L. - he seems to prefer just going my the initial L.....none of this full surname stuff for him).

On our way out of the banker lady's office....my son grabs one of her business cards.....and then announces that she is now his personal banker....and that he only wants to deal with her from now on....and would appreciate not having to wait in line with other people.

Well....he certainly acts likes he's rich anyways.....

We leave the bank - head over to McD's for ice cream sundaes and are happily digging into our so called ice cream when I am informed of the the following:

"Daddy!  I know you're going to post this on your blog.  You always do.  I think I should be getting paid for this stuff you know.  If that Justin Bieber guy (he pronounces it Justin Bye-Ber) can make money singing....I should be making money for allowing you to write about me.  I'm totally worth it you know."

"Ok Nicholas....let me mull that one over - and see if there is anyway I can monetize your blog.  You want me to solicit donations or something?  Perhaps add a Donate Now button that links to my PayPal account so that people can kick coin into your bank account?"

"Yes.  That sounds like a great idea.  Make it happen please!"

Here Nicholas....I made it happen.  Let's see what happens now....

(Oh...and don't mind the banner image for my eBay store....seems that PayPal has integrated that into their interface).  If you got here via Facebook - close the little 'X' that appears in the top right hand corner within the gray bar....it'll work.  Trust me.  I tested it.  :)