My Autistic Boy And Other Adventures In Fatherhood

Demetrius’ Jack-O-Lantern

Maya’s Jack-O-Lantern

While you can’t get into your Christmas Gifts early (or you are not supposed to), you can get into your Halloween costumes early.

A scary Maya witch and Demetrius is Green Lantern

Maya doing her scariest witch face

We didn’t get alot of pics last night from Halloween (bad parents!) so I thought I would share some pictures from the build up to Halloween over the past month. So here we go:

I’ll start with my favorite.  I call this ‘PainfulPumpkinPatchPicture’ (say it 10 times fast).   Beautiful early Fall afternoon where the Grasso kids and the Seibold kids went out to the Pumpkin Patch to pick out some pumpkins.  As you can see, the girls are having a good time (left to right, Jessie, Maya and Janie). However, Demetrius was either shot in the back by an assasian with a high powered rifle, is having an autistic fit, or is just sick and tired of hanging out with girls.  You get to pick which one.

Pumpkin Patch…Demetrius behaving

This is a great picture of Nonni & Grandpa.  I dunno, I just like it.  Grandpa is talking about something.  Nonni seems to be pretending to pay attention to him. Probably ignoring him.  I also like to think this what Captain and Tenille look like today. My Dad just needs that Sailor/Capitan hat.  I think that last statement probably gets me off a Christmas list.

Onto the Halloween party.  As you can see, the girls are doing crafts.  From left to right: Maddie, Emily Sellers, Maya and Kennedy. Notice the lack of boys involved with the crafts.

There were also a table full of snacks to be had at the Halloween party.  L2R: Harrison, Maya, Emily Sellers and Skye Zana.  Notice Maya and Emily together in every picture ever taken of the two of them in the same room together.

Very important Cub Scout activity…..Demetrius and Ethan have flag duty this past Monday (I’m not sure either of them actually care from the looks on their faces….)


Maya at yesterday’s ’storybook parade’ (schools can’t celebrate Halloween anymore) in her Dora Fairy Princess outfit with Dora 1st grade reader…..

Kim’s decided enough with the waiting around. She took the initiative. Earlier in the week, I get an invite to a Halloween party from the wife in my email inbox. I assume we’ve been invited to a Halloween party and she’s just forwarding it to me. Nah, if no one is gonna invite Demetrius to a party, then we are having a party and inviting other kids. Neighbor kids, school friends, long time friends, and……other autistic kids. Kids that don’t get invited to birthday or holiday parties. So why sit around and have your heart broken or feel sad.?Throw your own party!

Like any last minute party, some can make it, some can’t. But Demetrius has been talking about it ever since Kim came up with this and acted on it. “I’m having a Halloween Party!,” he’s been yelling to anyone that will listen. “It will be spooky….” (I don’t know about that…)

But I tell you this -

It will be enjoyed by a few little boys, and those little boys Moms & Dads.

You go Kim Grasso! Well done.