Health care is a basic human right, not a privilege. For some reason, we’ve allowed ourselves as Americans to be fooled into accepting that one must be blessed with “means” to actuate appropriate health care. As a nation we have failed to realize that our health care system is a barometer of our society’s value for human life.

-Me

Sunday, February 25, 2007

The Art of Perseveration


It is an art. It is perhaps not an art very well grasped by us neurotypical folk, but nonetheless, it is an art. If you let things go too far, sometimes you find yourself in a perseveration quandary. And, sometimes, you are in a perseveration quandary regardless.

I bought a new movie for the children this weekend. Shark Boy and Lava Girl. Haha, it is the new age never ending story, or something. Good movie, requires 3D glasses, and has kids who are superheros in it. Fabulous.

Do you have any idea how many times we have watched this movie the past two days? (Especially in light of like six feet of heavy wet snow that is immovable). Not only has the movie been watched upwards of six times this weekend, I am also garnering verbal responses from Sandis that are primarily drawn from this media source. Half the time I have no idea what it is he is trying to convey.........Case in Point:

Me: It's time for dinner! Come sit down at the table!

Sandis: Land of milk and cookies? I'm losing my train of thought.....

Me: What?

Sandis: We have to pause the movie! MOmmyyyyyyy!! Pause no stop! We need to pause! MOmmmmmmmy!

Me: What? Land of Milk and cookies? What? Pause? OK, it is still time for dinner. come eat and no we aren't having cookies......

And I leave the exchange slightly annoyed and thoroughly confused. It may be slightly different if Sandis weren't so fabulous at communication with me normally. This is so far off the norm I don't know what to make of it. We went to the store and Sandis literally hopped and re-enacted scenes from this movie the ENTIRE time. Some guy had the audacity to tell me I needed to take care of my kids , and after dealing with persistent hopping and lava girl scenes for an entire hour at Kohl's, I wasn't feeling very gentle. I told him that I didn't need anyone to tell me how to take care of my f****ing kids thank you very much. I can stop Sandis from hopping like I can stop a train with my bare hands.

So now we are back home. Sandis pretended to be lava girl melting the snow while I was shoveling, and now he is glued to the TV (guess what he is watching?), and I'm making dinner. And no, we aren't having milk and cookies for dinner.....But If I can just lure him away from that tv, I'll enjoy listening to Sandis recite his favorite scenes while we chow.....On blue cheese steak.....Sandis can have his perseverations, and me, I'm going to enjoy his innate ability to allow one thing to infiltrate EVERY SINGLE aspect of his life. Until he finds something new he'll love just as much.

4 comments:

Jonah said...

Have you ever read Elijah's Cup by Valerie Paradiz? This post kind of reminded me of that book.
Land of Milk and Cookies might just have been a free association- dinner->food->land of milk and cookies.

BetterCell said...

The Land Of Milk and Cookies for Sandis is a metaphor for the Love that you provide for your children.
For what is comfort and warmth for children but an actual land that has unlimited amounts of milk and cookies that are always available, so that hunger and need are always satisfied.
Sandis has expressed how he feels in your presence and that is a Land of Milk and Cookies(Love).

Scott K. Johnson said...

Oh man - I feel for you a bit! That is one of my kids favorites too, and yes, it was on CONSTANT repeat!

My son had to learn how to control the "previous" button on the DVD remote so he could watch his favorite parts over and over again, then over and over some more! Man oh man...

Amberthyme said...

It sounds like a movie my kids would love! Too bad people feel the need to comment on children's exuberance. As if anyone can really "control" a child.

I love the comments about what "milk and cookies" could be communicating. If you can you should video tape this so that you can all remember it together (on a day years and years from now when you've almost forgotten the words to the movie).