THE OPPOSITE OF THE MIDAS TOUCH

Having "things" isn't important. We've learned this the hard way.

Between Hunter and Ryder and sometimes dear hubby, objects around here don't get to enjoy their full potential.

Hunter has the opposite of the Midas Touch. Since he was old enough to grasp something he has had the ability to destroy it. Sometimes it is just by curiosity. Sometimes it is by carelessness. Sometimes it is because it was "Made in China" as he puts it. Hunter's 11th birthday was last week. I've learned not to spend a lot of money on him for his birthday because 1) He'll break it without meaning to, 2) he's perfectly happy with things from the dollar store. He is beginning to get very frustrated with himself however, and asks, "Why do I always break things?"

With Ryder, you learn to keep everything out of reach. Just when I think he can't reach that, he proves me wrong. This morning, lamps were on the floor, chewed up baby wipes were all over, and he destroyed a new crafty thing I bought. (luckily it was only $1.)

They say living with Autism is similar to a soldier on the battlefield. I'm always in a constant state of alert. Every ten minutes, "Where is Ryder? Where is Ryder? Who knows where Ryder is?" He can be very sneaky.

And now, for Dear Hubby's Midas Touch. Hubby is very accident prone and can look at something wrong and it will break, or not work, etc. Then out of frustration he'll talk to it as if it were a live person. "Stupid piece of dog meat!" is his favorite. I have yet to hear the object talk back, but when that day comes, the state hospital is only 30 minutes away.