A New App May Help With Early Diagnosis of Autism

A new video analysis tool may help spot early signs of autism. The software, which is currently under development as a tablet application, tracks and records infants’ activity during videotaped autism screening tests.

Results show the program is as effective at spotting behavioral markers of autism as experts giving the test themselves, and the software performs better than non-expert medical clinicians and students in training.

“We’re not trying to replace the experts,” says Jordan Hashemi, a graduate student in computer and electrical engineering at Duke University.

“We’re trying to transfer the knowledge of the relatively few autism experts available into classrooms and homes across the country. We want to give people tools they don’t currently have, because research has shown that early intervention can greatly impact the severity of the symptoms common in autism spectrum disorders.”

Read the full story here.

Photo Credit: Tia/Flickr

Autism looks different in female brains

The results, from brain scans, also suggests that a controversial view of autism, as an extreme version of the male brain, is only half correct
AUTISM seems to cause female, but not male, brains to look more masculine. This suggests that one controversial view of autism, as an extreme version of the male brain, may need rethinking.

Simon Baron-Cohen at the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, UK, has found that men tend to be better at systematising tasks and females better at empathising ones — though it’s unclear whether these differences are innate. As people with autism tend to be good systematisers and below average empathisers, he has argued that autism may be an extreme version of the male brain, or EMB.

Baron-Cohen’s team used MRI scans to look for differences in the volume of various brain regions in 120 adults, half men, half women, half with autism, half without. Differences between females with and without autism were similar to the differences between ordinary male and female brains, supporting the EMB theory. However, the brains of males with autism were no more male than those without (Brain, doi.org/nff).

“This is unexpected and will lead to a modification of EMB theory,” says Uta Frith at University College London, who was not involved in the research.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Autism looks different in female brain” New Scientist Magazine

New Study Offers Hope for Rebuilding Synapses in the Autistic Brain

Following up on my previous post on Temple Grandin‘s brain scan, I researched other sources and found this study, that I think is ground breaking in the decoding of autism. 

There are people who say Autism is NOT a disease for it to be cured. And I completely agree, it’s not a disease, and our children are far from sick or disabled. But wouldn’t it be simply amazing to be able to meet them… to really meet their personalities, if this treatment really works. 

I welcome comments and suggestions!

English: A “puzzle” ribbon to promote Autism and Aspergers Awareness. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A new experimental treatment of autistic children gives hope for reconnecting of impeded links between synapses in the brain. A double blind randomized controlled trial bumetadine with 60 autistic and Aspergers children showed some promising results.

An abstract of the study is below. The full article was published in Translational Psychiatry (2012).

Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated synapses and the oscillations they orchestrate are altered in autism. GABA-acting benzodiazepines exert in some patients with autism paradoxical effects, raising the possibility that like in epilepsies, GABA excites neurons because of elevated intracellular concentrations of chloride. Following a successful pilot study, we have now performed a double-blind clinical trial using the diuretic, chloride-importer antagonist bumetanide that reduces intracellular chloride reinforcing GABAergic inhibition. Sixty children with autism or Asperger syndrome (3–11 years old) received for 3 months placebo or bumetanide (1 mg daily), followed by 1-month wash out. Determination of the severity of autism was made with video films at day 0 (D0) and D90 by blind, independent evaluators. Bumetanide reduced significantly the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) (D90−D0; P<0.004 treated vs placebo), Clinical Global Impressions (P<0.017 treated vs placebo) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule values when the most severe cases (CARS values above the mean±s.d.; n=9) were removed (Wilcoxon test: P-value=0.031; Student’s t-test: P-value=0.017). Side effects were restricted to an occasional mild hypokalaemia (3.0–3.5 mM l⁻¹ K⁺) that was treated with supplemental potassium. In a companion study, chronic bumetanide treatment significantly improved accuracy in facial emotional labelling, and increased brain activation in areas involved in social and emotional perception (Hadjikhani et al., submitted). Therefore, bumetanide is a promising novel therapeutic agent to treat autism. Larger trials are warranted to better determine the population best suited for this treatment.

Halloween “Gangnam Style!”

Sam’s been waiting for Halloween anxiously this year. It was 2 days before Halloween and he still hadn’t decided on his costume.  Years past, it’s been much easier, as his interests have been very concentrated into pretty much one thing. We can go

Captain Jack Sparrow (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

back and name every Halloween we’ve had: The Jack Sparrow year, The Darth Vader Year, The Year of Megatron, and so one and so forth.. This year was a hard one.
For the first time, Sam began expanding his interests, and not completely cutting all ties with his previous interests. It was also the year he began being interested in fiction – both books and movies. We had the hardest time in language/ arts when there were books with stories he had to read and analyze, as he had no interest whatsoever in a made up world of characters. He wanted to read about planets, stars, and American Presidents. But this year, after much deliberation he started embracing fiction characters.
Thus, the choice of costume… he wanted to be Blu… you know.. the bird from Rio. Oy! good thing I suggested, Psy, the Gangnam style dude. Toned down much? Not really. Easier to achieve as a costume – yep! As Psy says – “Dress classy, dance cheesy!” – it was a perfect fit for him.
So on Halloween morning we are all gelled, fly-ed, button-ed down in a purple silk shirt, cerulean colored blazer (we had to keep some of Blu’s characteristics) and Blues Brothers type of shades, and “Opa Gangnam style!” we are all ready to go.

We played the song in the car, to really get in the mood… 10 minutes later, arriving at school. And it’s not looking very festive. Kids coming out of their parents cars, dressed just as on any other day.. Hmmmm, something’s fishy.
I decide to walk inside with him, to make sure it is Halloween, or have I confused the days. The lady at the front desk says, with the straightest face possible: “Halloween is forbidden in Middle School!”
Ooops! So now what?!!!?!?
I look at “Psy” who is so cool, he hasn’t even taken off his shades and smile off his face, and then back at the lady..
“Sooooo, should I take him home to change? or bring clothes?”
She gets up and gives him the up and down look a few times, purses her lips left and right a few times.. (i was feeling the “American Idol” jury pressure right then..) And after much deliberation, she announces:
“He’s fine to stay like this.. it’s actually almost an uniform look.”
Phew! We passed that test, but I immediately started thinking about all the laughing and making fun of, he may have to endure from the other kids.. So, I asked him:
“Are you sure you will be ok staying like this today? Even if all the other kids are dressed in regular clothes? Would you like me to take you home and change, or I can bring you clothes to change in here?”
He pushed his shades down to the tip of his nose and looked at me from above, and with the calmest possible voice said to me:
“Mom, it’s time for school and I’m already late. Gotta go now.”
Flicked his shades back up, turned around and left with a confident stride.

My mouth stayed open for a second. I turned around, looked at the lady at the front desk, shrugged, and left.
From the car, I emailed his teachers, “warning” them of possible “gangnam style” dude dropping a dance on them today.

Then a took a deep breath, started the car, and drove off.

Lesson #8674: Sam’s fine! It’s Mom who has the fear, and everyone else who may have an issue with his appearance or dancing can just kiss his @#*^!

Thus my decision to sign him up for cotillion…

To be continued

Field Trippin’ (A Lesson from a Confident Aspie)

Acceptance. Why is it so important to us, neurotypicals? What difference would it make if Suzy thinks that I am a fabulous person and that I’m someone to hang out with.. Or why is it depressing if are left outside a circle, or if we hear gossip about ourselves, or when we see giggling groups at the office… Most people say this doesn’t bother them, but I’ve seen people fall to pieces, after being fired from their jobs or having been rejected by a girlfriend or a boyfriend… For children this can be magnified tremendously, to something that stays with you your whole life. I still remember how some classmates of mine isolated me while they played a game that somehow couldn’t involve one more person. They laughed… It hurt. Eventually, some of us grow out of this need and some just can’t find that one point of balance, or one person who would have their best interest at heart and then it won’t matter.

When I first faced the possibility of a life with Asperger’s syndrome, I was in denial, I was embarrassed, I thought it was definitely my fault. Most of all, I was ready to protect my boy (and his neurotypical brother) from any and all harm, bad word, or a fight.

But as the years passed and Sam grew into his big preteen self, I realized… when one door closes, another one opens, and somehow the balance is there.
Quite early on, Sam has already learned that acceptance is what you give to yourself, so that everyone else sees in you what  you see in yourself.

Yesterday, my angel was on his first ever sleep over field trip! I am so excited and nervous to greet him back!

He’s been literally attached to his iPad and his guitar day and night, so to see him voluntarily relinquish his favorite things in favor of going on a bus to a place he’s never been to before, with no family members….. I don’t know about you, but for a Mom of an Aspergers child , this is one huge deal! He was so excited about doing such a “grown-up thing” with all his new classmates, that I had a feeling, I am going on my first field trip.
One thing about Sam is never-failing! His enthusiasm is infectious! He just can’t hold it back!

And boom, here we fall in the #1 pitfall of Aspergers – social nonacceptance. And why may I ask, is it inappropriate to act anything else but jaded, if you are to be accepted as a “popular” kid or adult for that matter?
We arrived in the morning at the crack of dawn at the school, all packed, bright eyed and bushy tailed. Well, at least one of us… No copious amounts of Starbucks can bring my brain in its original location at 5am, but I was there going through the motions. We did a final check of his items and entered the school, being one of the first ones to arrive.
I sat with him and told him I will wait for as long as he needs me and I can also wait to actually put him on the bus. He looked at me, took a breath, and said: “We’ll see how it goes..” I said ok.
We sat there, in silence, while he was observing all the other kids arriving, greeting each other, finding each other in the crowd, giving each other the bump or the high five, or the shoulder nudge… They all have these “secret” greetings, the cool kids. But no one came to say hi to him. Except one boy and .. surprisingly 5 girls!!! (Go Sam!!) He was beaming with pride and a bit of embarrassment, especially when the girls came around and cheerfully said “Hi Sam!”
So i thought, he’ll be ok. He doesn’t need to be with all the popular kids. God knows, I wasn’t and I turned out ok and best of all, my self esteem wasn’t a direct function of whether the group accepted me or not. There are certainly good things that come out of being the nerdy, dorky, quirky or any other synonym of “weird” kid, growing up. And I believe Sam’s making the best of it.
What I wish is that I could turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to some of the nasty condescending remarks I overheard from a group of boys sitting close by…. I am so happy he has that ability – to switch off negativity and focus on what’s important to him!
What could I have done? I could have sat with the boys and asked them why they think it’s ok to talk about others or laugh at them, I could have asked a teacher to interfere, I could have asked the boys if their mothers were there and have a talk with them…

Would any of this have helped? Perhaps… But will they be the last ones to misunderstand uniqueness for weirdness? I don’t think so. Would their parents agree with me? Probably not. As parents of only neurotypical children, they probably have no interest in discussing something that would be in their eyes a “hearsay…” So I looked at Sam, saw that he was completely happy waiting for his great adventure to start, and had chosen to stay focused on the positive!

I live, I learn, I love! Every day, I become more positive and focused on what’s important. And I know this is because of Sam, and his patient and beautiful older brother (whom I will address in another post.. Or may be not.. It  would not go over well..)

Population Genetics, Autism Research Centre to Study Asperger Variants | GenomeWeb Daily News | GenomeWeb

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Population Genetics Technologies said today that it has partnered with the University of Cambridge’s Autism Research Centre to study variants in two genes that previously have been associated with Asperger syndrome.

Population Genetics will use its Reflex technology to conduct genetic analysis of mouth swab samples collected from 1,000 people, with half of the samples coming from people with high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome, and half from a control group.

Under the collaboration, the Cambridge, UK-based company will retain the rights to commercialize any biomarkers discovered during the project, the results of which are due this year. Further terms of the alliance were not disclosed.

“Most genetic studies have focused on classic autism but the genetics of high-functioning autism may yield valuable insights because these are individuals who do not have associated learning disability or language delays,” ARC Director Simon Baron-Cohen said in a statement. This project will enable the researchers to test previous findings about how these genes are associated with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome.

Population Genetics said that the ARC is currently conducting a number of studies focused on finding out if these SNPs in candidate genes differ in frequency between patients with Asperger or autism and control groups.

 (Source)

Who Can We Trust?!

Today I saw a woman post on Facebook, how her neighbor’s 13 year old Autistic son likes to jump on a trampolin… entirely naked.. She shared how she likes the boy and the family and all, but she’s not really into watching him “flap his private parts..he’s not 3 .. you know what I’m saying.”

I had the almost irresistible urge to post a comment, but I sat on my hands and decided to just leave it. Then I sat and watched as the responses to her post started pouring in.  Ninety percent of the people who chose to respond to this, were LMAO-ing.. or ROFL-ing.. One mentioned that he is a foster brother of 3 autistic boys and he found this to be “totally inappropriate.” Ultimately, it did seem that all this post came to do, was to awkwardly entertain people on their lunch break.

When did that become appropriate?? Laughing out loud, rolling on the floor laughing, at the symptoms of a condition that doesn’t make a person less worthy than any of the laughing facebookers…

I am quite patient when it comes to all sorts of judgements, critique, advice and further “infringement” on my parental rights, as I deem it none of anyone’s business, thus not worthy of engaging in arguments about what I feed my child, if he’s spoiled or not (I do get a lot of these from usually women who have no children.. ) or if I should take him to this or that therapy.

My point is, the laughing ignorant people on facebook, have probably much worse “handicaps,” that they wouldn’t want seen in public, but they are quick to laugh out loud on something that is not even funny!

I feel I’m picking up steam, even though I started this post with the benign intention of bringing awareness to this not so rare “symptom” of overstimulation followed by undressing, in an autistic child/person. Getting rid of clothes is obviously not the most appropriate behavior in a world of paranoid neurotypicals, but I’d take it any day over self inflicted pain, or wounds, as I’ve heard of kids who do that to themselves in the worst possible way….

There have been many instances when I had to bite my tongue really hard to not snap back a nasty comment to a neurotypical child’s parent who thinks that no one notices how she removes her child from interaction with my son, thinking he may be contagious and autism may be a virus… I have sat on my hands and I’ve squinted my eyes, and I have inhaled and exhaled deeply and I have held my elbows, giving myself a tight hug.. oh yeah, all the techniques I’m trying to teach my son on how to handle anger-inducing moments – I’ve tried them first on myself.

One day we were at a pool in a beautiful hotel in a foreign country where we went for a week long trip. Sam found this little girl on a float and they started talking about .. I have no idea – toys, games, whatever. He was in the water and was pulling her float gently, giving her a ride across the shallow end of the pool.  The whole time they were talking about their important topics. I got so emotional watching him make a little friend, that I started get teary eyed under my huge sunglasses… I decided to just stay in a very close proximity, but not engage. Just wanted to see how they will interact. They were doing great! Until the parents arrived. They pulled her away, and asked him – quite aggressively I might add – what’s his name and where are his parents. He turned and pointed at me. I waved. They didn’t wave back…

At that time he was obsessed with geography. So he (appropriately) asked them where they were from. They told him the state and city. He immediately pulled all the statistics about it. He was telling them how big their city was, how many people live there, what sister cities in other countries their city has.. Their eyes were turning bigger and more worried, and they started backing up, pulling the daughter’s float faster and faster away from Sam. He kept telling them all he knew about their city and state, and walking after them, hoping to strike a chord of mutual knowledge, hoping he will be liked because he knows all these facts about their home town…

I realized that a problem is brewing as they were stepping further and further away.. I got inside the pool, walked over to him and hugged him, saying that they are in a hurry to go get dinner, but I am here, so he can tell me all he knows and I’ll gladly listen…

I kept my sunglasses on for a while, because now my tears wouldn’t stop.. And they weren’t the happy tears from before.. they were the black, sad, angry, roaring, infuriated, powerless, white-knuckled tears.. that nothing can stop, except an hour of punching a boxing bag…

How do I explain to the whole ignorant world that he is not “weird” “awkward” “scary” “suspicious” or any other sort of adjective they want to attach to my son and others like him… How do I tell them that the fact that they don’t know there is country Georgia, and my 10 year old does, speaks volumes… How do I tell them to just shut up and if they listen to what he has to say, they may actually learn something..

Now I feel the same kind of fury and compassion for the boy who took his clothes off, and for his parents.. They probably thought they can trust this woman being a close neighbor, who likes their son and spends time with him..

That same woman, who blatantly abused their trust and posted their daily pain for everyone to see and laugh at! They probably felt so relieved that this one person next door is someone who “gets” him… Aaah my heart just pains for them and how betrayed they are.. I don’t know who they are or where they live, and it certainly is not my place to tell them..

I am feeling that one hour boxing urge come again.. So I’ll leave it at that, and go to the gym. In the words of one of my new favorite bloggers from laughingtotears “We (Parents of Autistic Children) are already angry, sleep deprived, not socially well-adjusted, we know how to fight.” Do you really want to pick a fight with us?! 

I will reblog Erica and Lisa’s post just because it makes me laugh and cry and most of all because it makes me feel like I am not the only person in the world feeling that way.. and that’s ok!

Georgia Senate passes virtual learning mandate | ajc.com

This is great news for parents who have chosen to educate their children at home and to use online educational systems. This IS the future of education, and  happy to report, that Sam is already ahead of the game with his online proficiency!

 

Atlanta, GA Feb. 23. Starting next year, Senate Bill 289 would require school systems to allow all students access to online instruction from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Ninth-grade students starting in 2014 would have to take at least one online course before graduation, according to SB 289. The bill would also require schools to give all end-of-course assessments online starting in 2015.

Schools could use private online education providers, courses offered online by other public systems or by colleges as well as the Georgia Virtual School, which is run by the state Department of Education. Districts would have to pay the department as much as $250 per student for tuition, materials and fees if a course is taken through its virtual school. Read full article here Georgia Senate passes virtual learning mandate  | ajc.com.

Happy Birthday!

So Sam is now officially 12. One more year of pre-teen-hood.. officially, because unofficially he’s already there. He was so excited he could hardly sleep for days.

He wrote his list of presents he “needs” and just to make sure I don’t forget, he also emailed me his detailed list. With prices and possible places where I can find them. His number one wish was to have a NintendoDS 3D.. I have refused to get one for him every since they came out. So now, the guilt really got me, and I succumbed to yet another digital mind numbing device. He’s been so attached to his iPad lately, that I figured, he will get the 3D and forget all about his wonderful science apps that he is using now. But I couldn’t not get it for him after he asked and begged since Thanksgiving last year.. Then followed the numbered and alphabetically organized Hero Factory and Star Wars lego sets.  The list was fairly long, but I couldn’t help but aplaude the fact that he knows exactly what he wants, and has spelled it out perfectly!

So, one day of shopping and a couple of hundred dollars later, I had checked everything off the list, plus my own list: Balloons – check, Cake ingredients – check, a bottle of carbonated apple juice in a fancy champaign looking bottle – check. Yes, I did make him a Vanilla Cake with Vanilla cream filling and sliced almonds on top…

The morning of his birthday, I took one of the balloons and went to wake him up. He shot out of his bed, unlike other mornings when he takes his time to wake up… He grabbed the balloon, said “thank you!” and rushed downstairs.. I was running after him to tell him that he doesn’t have time to open presents now, as we had to leave very soon to get to an appointment. He turned around and said “I know I just want to check if you got it correctly…. ”  Wow, no pressure.

He peaked carefully in every bag, nodding in approval, and mumbling. .”uhum.. yes.. ok.. yeah..that’s it..” and then he said, “You are missing two..but that’s ok, I love you anyway..” He was about to rush upstairs again to get ready, but I stopped him. I said “Sam, aren’t you going to say something?” “Oh, Thank you!” he said.. And rushed again.

If he were your neurotypical 12 year old,  he would be considered selfish, inconsiderate, bad mannered… But Aspergers and Autistic people don’t think like you and I. And there is nothing wrong with not using the generally accepted rules of courtesy.

The funny thing is, that sometimes, Sam would blow your mind with courtesies – he would introduce his grandmother to people we meet outside of home, he would open the door and hold it for other people, he would ask his tutor how her weekend was, and if she would like something to drink. It inevitably makes me ask myself, whether it’s family members that he considers unworthy of his effort to be courteous. Or is it may be the fact that he thinks, ah well, they know I love them, and they love me, so why should I keep telling and showing them something they already know..

But also, people easily forget that children and adults with Aspergers are not as tuned in to other people’s emotions as neurotipicals are. They don’t understand why they need to say all these niceties when they’ve made a logical request, they’ve calculated everything, they’ve asked you, and you’ve delivered. So the logical thing would be to check if everything is in place, and oh, yeah, some things are missing, but “I Love You Anyway!”

That last statement for me was more than enough to show me that he appreciated the presents and he loves me. I will take anything and understand and encourage him to be more sensitive. But unless I actually give him specific examples, feed him lines in certain situations, he will not voluntarily come up with it. And it’s not something that Sam or any child like him should be punished for, if they don’t do. Their brains are wired differently, and unless caretakers, teachers, parents and relatives, understand this, the children will suffer, and they will not know exactly why. There is no need for the “consequence” route. It will not sink it! It will not have the desired effect, and ultimately it will make them more resentful, because they don’t understand WHY they are being punished!

I love the fact that he built all of his 6 lego kits in less than 5 hours… A task that would probably take me 5 days… And I don’t guarantee success..

He may not be always on the ball with other people’s emotions, but boy, is he focused, smart and skilled!

Happy Birthday Sam!!! I love you too!

–Mom

Rock and Richmond

Have been too busy to blog lately.. One of the reasons is that we made a little 2 day trip to Richmond Virginia. I had to go there for work, and decided to take my mom and Sam along with me. They haven’t been away from the city in a while, and both of them have birthdays this week. So, off we went to the airport to catch an early flight to Richmond. Sam was very excited. He loves traveling and although he may seem at times disconnected from his surroundings and entrenched in his ipad, he sees more than you would give him credit for. We seemed to hit it off right, because as we arrived for check in, they offered to bump us up to First Class. I personally have no preference when it comes to domestic flights.. First or Economy, who cares, it’s an hour flight, and you don’t get anything besides peanuts and pretzels anyway.

Sam was excited though. He plopped himself in 2D window seat, immediately put his headphones on, buckled up, and ordered a juice from the flight attendant. Yep, he is quite the social charmer and knows exactly what he wants and how he wants it. I think this alone puts him in three categories higher than many neurotypical folks and kids, who spend their entire lives, not sure what is it exactly that they want of life. His methodical planning and precise list of needs, wants, goals, and places he wants to see, could make a professional travel agent, or organizational coach, jealous.

We landed in rainy Richmond much earlier than scheduled. Got into a cab and headed towards the city.
As we were driving down the freeway, Vanni says: “Target! We have to go to Target!” Of all things on the side of the road, he notices the bright red Target sign, and of course with his birthday approaching, he was already planning what he wants.
Alas, we didn’t have time to stop at Target, and that was the source of his frustration for several hours that day.
Whenever he gets that upset about something so minuscule, I always try to overanalyze the situation, compare to other similar situations before, was there a Target involved, is it maybe the unfamiliarity of the new place, and the fact that Target feels like home, or is it because he is tired, or hungry.

I ultimately think it’s the familiarity aspect. He likes how Target feels, the sense of order and orientation that the place gives him is probably something that he needs to find equilibrium in his new space.
Note to self: cancel reservations for Kenya safari, Vietnam culinary tour, and the Greek Islands tour.
Somehow, i was able to distract him off of the Target obsession.

It takes incremental bits of patience to move him away from a very strong denominator in his life.
I start by ignoring his pleas to go there. We manage peace for about 5 minutes.
He starts nagging again.

I say:  “Target is very far.”
He says: “NO, I saw it on the way here.”
I say:  “Precisely. .”
You read it and you got it. But for someone like Sam, “Precisely!” as a response, means absolutely nothing! It has no context, it has no additional tangible information, thus no meaning.
I realize that, but I still say it. It takes him by surprise. He is unprepared and now he’s thinking (you can almost hear the wheels turning, and see the thought bubble above his head..)
I’ve scored another 5 minutes of confusion and formulating a comeback.
And he strikes: “We can get a cab, just like we did before. I can even show the driver where it is, because I remember! I saw it.. ”
I saw this one coming..
“Well, we can’t really because by the time a cab comes and we get ready and go there, the store will close..”

At this point, he says “May I use your phone for a minute?” Of course I give it to him. Two minutes later, he turns the phone to me, showing me a map with Target in our vicinity and its opening hours, and victoriously says “No. They will not close until at least 10pm…”

So now, that he’s beaten me on my game, I decide to just stand my ground, no matter what. He was not exactly happy. But it’s a game I’ve decided to play and win this time. As long as I play it cool, and nonchalant, he fizzles out, like a soda bottle you’ve accidentally dropped. Then you let some of the bubbles out, and he’s calm again….  We live, we learn..

We passed the Target test. Onwards with the activities.

I was invited to a film festival, so I took them (My Mom and Sam) along for the red carpet and award ceremonies. My Mom was very happy and enjoyed every film. Sam… actually loved the films! I was so surprised! Every time I’ve tried taking him to the movies before he’s refused, saying it’s too loud, too dark, too fast, too this and too that.. Now suddenly just before his 12th birthday Sam became engaged in documentary films about orphans in Kenya and Uranium-poisoned water in New Mexico, affecting the Navajo Nation. I couldn’t watch the movies so carefully, as I was really observing his reactions and if he follows these stories. And he did, and he commented after every film. It was quite an epiphany that he really IS growing into his skin.

After the festival, we realized we can’t really take a stroll back to the hotel, as it was snowing violently and covering up the ground quite rapidly. We took a cab and decided to stop over for dinner at a nice steak house to celebrate my mom’s birthday which was the day after.

The Tobacco House was unexpectedly lively – full of young people, live music, on three distinct levels and with  great view of the stage downstairs. We enjoyed a beautiful meal, had the cake with a candle and went downstairs to wait for a cab. We were told wait times could exceed an hour, so we cozied up by the fire place and decided to enjoy the live music while waiting.

Sam has picked up guitar recently and is taking lessons once a week. He also knows pretty much every great guitar player in the last 100 years. He recognizes bands, that a child his age or even older, would be clueless about – Black Sabbath, Jimmy Hendrix, Johnny Cash – you get my point..

We are sitting there, and watching how the band is prepping for their appearance on stage. He suddenly walked up to the band by himself and asked one of them if he can have a look at their guitars. They said sure!
One of the guitar players approached us. He asked Sam: “So, you like guitars and rock music?” Sam’s eyes lit up “YES! I do “I immediately jumped to intervene or help him express himself (I know! I should stop doing this!!!!) But he was doing quite fine, and had no need for my help.

“In this case,” he said, “here is a guitar! You can take it to town man! You can jump on it, and break it! Do whatever you want with it…”

“Whoa!” I said “Don’t give him ideas now!”

Aaron (the guitar player) says “No, I mean it! He can have this guitar! It’s my training guitar! And I hope it brings him a recording contract when he grows up!!”

So there, long story short. We went to Richmond and got our Rock&Roll on! 🙂

Now, I’m not sure if it’s because of luck, the crazy weather, one too many beers (for Aaron) or just because he is really a charmer!

Perfect timing with his birthday also!

It’s today!

Happy Birthday SAM!!!