Four mini-posts in one

Sometimes I have something I want to write about Janey that is too long for the Facebook page but too short for a blog post.  So here's four of the those middle-sized stories....

1.  In the car today, out of the blue, Janey said "J-A-C-K...that spells Jack!"  I was quite surprised.  I do know where she learned it.  A few days ago, I watched a video about Soma Mukhopadhyay and her rapid prompting method of teaching children with autism.  I don't know enough about it yet to really talk about it, but I was intrigued with the idea of teaching Janey how to spell words.  I started spelling random words I was saying to her.  She was singing "Hit the Road, Jack" the other day, and I spelled out Jack.  I've spelled out about 100 words since then, and she showed no signs of even listening, but obviously, she was, and it's something I'm going to keep doing, because, well, why not?

2.  Tonight, Janey started humming the theme to "Star Wars", perfectly, of course.  I had no idea where she learned that one.  She's never seen Star Wars.  I wasn't even sure, but I checked my 2,000 at least long song list of songs I play randomly in the car, from my iPod, and it was on there, and showed it had been played once.  I think that was at least 2 years ago.  I've said Janey knows by heart every song she's ever heard, but I always wonder if I am exaggerating.  I don't think I am, and this helped convince me.

3.  Among some great moments like the ones above, there have been some very tough ones lately.  Janey's screaming has been truly epic over the last week.  It's not all the time, it's probably overall shorter in duration than it used to be, but it's certainly more intense.  A few nights ago, I was trying to talk to my sister on the phone when Janey woke up and started screaming.  I tried hard to keep talking.  I hadn't talked to my sister in a long time, and I very much felt the need for a conversation.  But Janey got louder and louder and more intense and more intense, until I finally hung up.  I lay down next to her to try to calm her, but by that time she was in such a state that she lashed out at me, in a scary kind of way.  I walked away and cried, as she kept screaming.  She screamed about five more minutes, and then went back to sleep.  I didn't sleep, for quite a while.

4.  I took Janey to her "old" school after her half-Friday at her new school this week and last week.  Each time, as they did the first time, almost her whole class comes over and gives her a huge group hug.  This time, Janey was waiting for it, and had a very, very satisfied and content smile on her face as they hugged her.  She isn't at all overwhelmed by all the fuss.  I think she sees it as her due.  It's wonderful to see.  There are only a few more Fridays left in the school year, and next year, her schedule will not include a half Friday.  I think that is when it will really feel like she is no longer at all a student at the Henderson School---for now!  She will return for high school at least, to their brand new Upper School.  I tell myself that, because it keeps me going, and I do think it will happen.

So there's a few stories.  As always with Janey, there are amazing moments and amazingly tough moments, mixed together.  Tony and I have said often, half as a joke and half not, that we wish that out of three kids, we had gotten one boring one, but that is not what fate had in mind for us.  We live in interesting times, always.