Well, from the moment we got there it was raining but we stuck it out as long as my parents stuck it out and Doodle was at her best behavior. Though there were children around that were not. One little girl ran up to Doodle and stuck her tongue out at her. The confused look on Doodle's face really said it all. I didn't know why the kid did that either. But like a little trooper, Doodle just went about following where ever my mother went.
And then we came towards the end of the event. Doodle needed to use the rest room. No big deal. When she left there she wanted to scope out the cookie tent. She had been very well behaved and I thought a treat was in order. So we went to my car across the street to gather a $1.00 from my purse and headed back to the tent. The moment we walked back into the fence posts a gentleman screamed out don't you dare! Which caught both Doodle and myself off guard. We froze for a moment and he laughed and said we weren't the problem.
So we went to go check out the cookies and I told Doodle to pick two bags of cookies. At that moment I heard the sound of tinging and pinging. That was the sound of small rocks hitting cars. I turned to look and there were 5 kids in the closest parking lot throwing rocks at one another. At this point the gentleman who yelled when we walked up was trying to get these kids under control. "Ya'll stop doing that! Where are ya'll's mothers? Whose kids are these?" Those kids continued on with throwing rocks and never paid that gentleman any mind. Can you see my Southern coming out?
Doodle got her cookies and on we went back to the tent, where my parents and their friends were taking down everything they had put up. Well, we were in the path of said kids who had "lost their minds" as I like to put it. Rocks were flying everywhere. These kids were so happy with not a care in the world.
It was at this time that I loudly said, "Ignore them and don't mimic! These are very bad children and you are a good girl. Do not act like them." Doodle has been known on occasion to act out other children's behavior in public. It's frustrating but its a way for her to learn. Unfortunately, for me it's always bad behavior that she wants to mimic. Kids screaming out vulgar things to their parents she mimics. Children throwing tantrums in stores because they aren't getting what they want, she mimics. Toddlers crying in stores, she mimics. She mimics what she sees and what she hears. That's how children on the spectrum work. We walk pass the kids and go back to our spots. She did very well and I praise her for being such a good girl.
I guess what I said loudly for all to hear made a difference because the children throwing rocks stopped. It was at this time the person that was in charge of them had them follow him around the rest of the tents like baby ducks following their mother. When they got over to our tent, the children all screamed out oh look candy. There was a candy bowl at our tent for anyone who needed a peppermint. Doodle had already raided it for the one piece of chocolate that it held earlier in the day.
When the children looked at me and realized who I was they ushered their grandfather that it was time to move on. Now how do I know it was their grandfather? Because I recognized the man. It was the step father of the girls that I used to hang out with. I was best friends with his oldest step daughter and once she married a man in the Air Force she thought she was too good to have friends that were still in high school and not military base related. She had no room to think that considering she dropped out of high school to marry the guy.
The middle sister I hung out with after that and she got pregnant in school and she too dropped out. I had graduated from high school and from college by this time and every time the middle sister came around it was to go out and "window shop" and conveniently left formula, diapers and wipes at home every single time. I think I bought more of that baby's things then she did and I worked hard to pay my bills. At the time I was working 4 jobs, paying off student loans, a brand new Jeep, gas to get back and forth to all these jobs and rent to my parents.
The youngest daughter out of all the daughters was a little more grounded. She was a little slow mentally and just wanted to have the exact same experiences at life like her sisters. I really don't think she was mentally challenged as everyone said she was. She spoke like a baby because her parents treated her like one. And neither of their parents really punished the girls for anything that they did. I will never forget how all the girls always bragged about lying to their parents. And only because it "afforded them more luxuries". Yeah, your parents are barely scrapping by, still paying for everything for all their children and their children not wanting them to have to lift a finger while taking care of a woman who was terminally ill and that woman's two kids. So it's no surprise that these children would be so badly behaved and not giving into regards of other peoples property.
Which leads me to this little rant. There are people out in this world who want children on the spectrum locked away and/or put to death. Why? Because according to them our children have no quality of life. I can say all sorts of things on that. But you have parents like myself who raise a child(ren) on the spectrum and are helicopter moms. Always insuring that our children are as well behaved given that we are out in public in events that are out of our control because our kids want to be like other kids. And yet, there are children out there that act purely wicked and it's okay for them to be out in public and we have to be the ones that are shut ins because of something that is out of our control? Get outta here with that noise! Doodle is on no medications except for her asthma. I use nothing but essential oils to help with her moods and behavior. And the biggest complement I always get about her is that she is so well behaved. The lady at the bank said that she never would have even known that Doodle had autism. She's more well behaved then some of the kids that come into the bank and head straight to other peoples office and destroy awards, their desks and other belongings.
I don't play that way when it comes to Doodle. If I'm in there to make a withdrawal and not in there for a meeting we have no business even making a break for someone's office. And yes, Doodle tried that once and she was snatched back quickly and correctly immediately. I use the "vampire" approach. We don't go that direction unless we are invited and that includes other people's offices.
And now that my little rant is done, enjoy the pictures from that event. Bad kids not included.
As you guys can tell I never did get to put my stamp on. Mother's Day is fast approaching and Doodle and I have tons of crafts to finish up. Stay tuned for Wednesday as Doodle is in the kitchen! Have a great day!
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