You toot!

The past two days have been really good ones for Jack. As some of you know, he suffers from some developmental problems, though at this time we lack a formal diagnosis (but the doctor's are leaning towards Aspergers Syndrome). Jack is quite smart and catches on very quickly. His vocabulary has recently blossomed, and he has a list of at least 50 words that I can think of off the top of my head. However, he does lack certain social skills- he usually avoids any social situation and strangers. He has rituals and routines that must not be broken. One of his new routines is going to get the mail. He LOVES getting the mail. He will ask for it, even if we have already checked the mail. In our neighborhood, we have central mailboxes on each street, so we walk there to check them daily. Yesterday on our way over there, I saw that there was a man who had driven to the mailboxes and was listening to his music as a loud volume. Well, we walked up to the mailboxes, and I'm sure he didn't hear us over his music, because he passed some gas (though not very loudly), and Jack pointed at him, and yelled "YOU TOOT!" and cracked up. Jack and I BOTH think gas is funny. Well, because it was funny, and Jack's reaction was hysterical, I started laughing. This poor man was so embarassed that he turned red and scurried back to his car and zoomed off very quickly. I'm sure we scarred him for life, and he will make his wife check the mail from now on! However, this marks a milestone for Jack. He did not cry at having a stranger in his "space", and he spoke to them and even laughed. He conveyed a sense of humor and understanding, and while it may not be the most appropriate situation, I have to be grateful for the small things. Plus, it was just damn funny.