We Eat Lunch at 12:00

Gary has been visiting with Andrew in Indianapolis for nearly a week.  He got to go to the NHRA Summer Nationals and watch Andrew work, see all the fun races, and spend some quality time with Andrew.  I stayed home with Aaron.  He went to his day group for three of those days. Then over the holiday weekend, we went on walks at home and at Swanson Park; we went shopping a little; we watched Wheel of Fortune and played Skip-Bo; we took Jackson on walks; we went out to eat twice; and I got to listen to Aaron talk……a lot, as usual.

Yesterday and today I watched several hours of racing on ESPN.  I did things with Aaron in between races and at the end of both days.  I always feel guilty if I spend too much time telling him that we’ll do something later as I sit there doing my own thing, but he was happy with his games and his movies, and also sitting out in the mulch relaxing.  He stayed outside quite a long time today, consumed with his thoughts as he broke mulch in the unique way that he does.

 

Yesterday there was a two hour break in the middle of the day, from 2:00 until 4:00, when there was no racing being broadcast.   I had walked into Aaron’s room the night before and found him finishing one of his Lord of the Rings movies.  He was watching the credits……he always watches the credits to the very end…..because credits ARE a part of the movie.  I asked him if he wanted to go out to eat the next day during that break, and he happily said yes.

 

The next morning, I let him choose the restaurant and he immediately asked if we could eat at Chili’s.  I said yes, and then told him that we would leave a little after 2:00.  He just stood there thinking about that fact. 

It wasn’t long before he found me in my bedroom.  “So if we go to Chili’s,” he asked, “what time would it be?”  I repeated that we would leave shortly after 2:00.  He was pondering my response as he walked away.

Soon he was back.  “Mom, I wondered if you’d want to go sometime after 12:00.”

“Why?” I asked…….although I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

“Cause that’s when we do lunch here at the house,” he answered.

So I explained once again the fact that I had a two hour break in the racing schedule, but it was from 2:00 to 4:00. 

12:00 was not a good time for me to go eat lunch, I told him.

And once again he solemnly pondered my answer, then turned and walked away.

But not for long!  I was fixing my hair in the bathroom when he walked in, his face serious.

“How ‘bout we go at 12:00?” he asked hopefully.  “That’s lunchtime.”

I reminded him that I could only go after 2:00, and I also assured him that lunch after 2:00 would work out just fine.  I could tell he wasn’t convinced, but the thought of eating at Chili’s was too good to pass up……even if it WAS at the weird time of 2:00 and not 12:00, like lunch should be.

And Aaron, with his rigid sense of schedules, did go with me to eat at Chili’s just after 2:00……and he survived quite well.  He seemed to forget all about the time as he chowed down on his salad and his chicken enchiladas, and bemoaned the fact that I said no to chips and salsa.  

This picture was from our dinner today at Chili's, where I DID let him get chips and salsa.  

And Aaron, with his rigid sense of schedules, asked me soon after we got home what we were having for supper.

“Supper?!” I asked.  “I’m stuffed, Aaron, and I know you are.”

He agreed……but he said that supper was usually at 5:30 or 6:00, and so he was just wondering. 

Good grief!

Later we were playing Skip-Bo when Aaron asked what day Dad was coming home.  I told him that he would be home on Tuesday evening.

Silence.

Then it came…..

“Mom, what time will evening be?  10:00?”

And then he asked why I sighed.  Ha!