Maybe 16 Will Be Better

Remember how I wrote yesterday that despite what I think or say, I would not trade The Boy? Well, I am having second thoughts!

The day started out well enough. Matter of fact, it didn't start going bad until the sun went down and it has carried over into today. What happened? Autism. It sucks.

I picked The Boy up from school and we immediately headed into town for him to take the written portion of his driving exam. In the state of Missouri, once a kid turns 15, they may take and pass the written exam to get a learner's permit. They have to have it in their possession for a minimum of 6 months before they can take the driving portion of the exam when they turn 16.

I go with him inside to give them his birth certificate and that sort of thing and then I sit in the waiting area while he takes the test. After about 15-20 minutes or so, out comes The Boy holding his birth certificate and a piece of paper with his picture on it. HE PASSED!!! He was officially a permitted learner! I am so proud!

He tells me that he passed "but barely." I reassure him that passing is passing no matter how close it is. We head to the car, but have to stop to take a couple of pictures of course! He is all grins until I point the camera at him.

We head across town to the license bureau where I pay $3.50 to get him what looks like a driver's license. As we get into the car, I pull out my camera again and get this picture:

He is really trying not to smile. Don't mind those little black marks on the license. I decided to black out the license number and a couple of other identifying things just in case someone has more sophisticated equipment than I do (which wouldn't be difficult to accomplish) and want to steal an identity. Can't be too careful, ya know?

So, things are going fairly well at this point. I call Crazy Man who is already back in town from his day of driving. We go to meet him at his mom's house where The Boy receives hugs from his grandma. We then head out to my mom's work where he gets more hugs. It is then off to Arby's (his choice) to celebrate.

Again, things are still going fine. I ask Crazy Man to go to a local store to pick up a new wallet for The Boy while we go to Wal-Mart for me to pick up the birthday present that was to be waiting for me to pick up. When The Boy got his permit, he said it didn't fit well into the wallet he has. So, since what we had picked up for him because the thing we ordered was not in for his birthday didn't work (following me here???), I thought the new wallet was a great idea. And I knew of the perfect one. It is called a Bacon Wallet. It looks like someone took a slab of bacon and just folded it in half to make a wallet. I figured he would love it because it is fun and he loves bacon.

Off we go to do the errands and head for home. I get a message from Crazy Man that he has the wallet before The Boy and I ever make it to Wal-Mart. I leave The Boy at the pumpkins to choose one (because the really expensive one we bought has rotted before he could ever get it to school to carve), and head back to pick up his present.

I had taken a picture in to the photo lab to have made into a computer skin for him. I tell the girl that I am there to pick it up and she just looks at me funny and says "but I know I didn't call you to come get it." What?! I hand her my receipt which says it would be available for pick up after 5pm on October 26.

She takes the receipt, looks again and picks up the phone to call whoever. She comes back to the counter and tells me that it is not in the store. And she has been told that it may make it in on Wednesday after 5pm. She says she was told that it was sent out on the 23rd and if it isn't in the store yet, then they aren't quite sure where it could be.

This is where it all starts to fall apart. I am nearly in tears. The Boy was nearly in tears on Sunday when he didn't get his present and the one we did get him (a laptop case) was the wrong size. Now what am I supposed to do? They give me a coupon that says my order will be free when it finally comes in. Nice. But it doesn't fix the predicament.

I get The Boy who has found an awesomely huge pumpkin for under $4 and off we go for home.

I tell him on the way that his present may or may not be in on Wednesday. I was wanting him to get it without my telling him what it was, but decided that I would go ahead and tell him since we have no idea when it will arrive. He just looks at me and says "if we have to re-order it, can we pick out a different picture?"

Great. First it isn't here for his birthday. Then it isn't here when they say it will be. Now, he doesn't like it anyway. What else can go wrong?

Well, I'll tell you.

We get home, get settled and give him the new wallet. The Boy is all smiles putting his permit into it and looking at it. All of a sudden, he takes his permit out, looks at me and says "I don't like it and I'm not going to use it."

What?! He was just all smiles and happy about it. What could have possibly changed in the past one and a half seconds to make him hate it? He decided that other kids would make fun of him for having it.

I can't win for losing. I cry, he gets upset because I am crying. Crazy Man hugs me and tries to explain to The Boy why it is that my feelings are hurt. The Boy still doesn't get it. And I am pissed off at Autism.

Makes no sense, but it is true. I feel like without it, most other kids would have just told me with more tact that they were afraid others would laugh at them or whatever. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I should be pissed off at teenagers in general. I don't know.

This morning, we get in the car to head to work/school. Before we get all the way down our lane, I ask The Boy if he has everything in his backpack and he assures me that he does.

Nearly 20 minutes later, we show up in front of the elementary where he gets out to get his stuff and catch the bus to head to the high school. As I shut my door, I hear the word "oops" come from the mouth of my most favorite 15 year old child.

He had left his backpack at home. Evidently I had asked the wrong question earlier. What I should have asked him was if he had everything in his backpack and was the backpack in the car. Silly me. Guess I should have been more specific.

We load back up into the car and speed (literally) home to get the darn thing. I get him to school just in time for him to walk into his first hour class without being counted tardy. Or at least I am hoping that is the way it happened. I, on the other hand, am 20 minutes late officially and nearly 45 minutes past the time I am normally arriving.

Needless to say, I am questioning my ability, and my desire, to be a parent of a 15 year old child.