Life with Mal

Have you ever heard of the term "twice exceptional"? I am pretty sure both of my children qualify.

It's always an adventure, and I thought I'd give you a couple of examples from the past three days.

Sunday night, Mal had tried several times to go to bed, but just had too much energy. At some point, around 9:30, he said that he wanted to watch "Mater and the Banshee." He'd been talking about the banshee all day, so I figured it was something he'd already watched. I looked it up on YouTube, but the only videos I could find were homemade. Mal said, no, it was an actual Cars video.

I Googled that and found references to "Mater and the Ghost Light," which was apparently a video short. I found one on YouTube that was about a minute and a half, but that was only an excerpt, and he cried mightily when it was over. I found a place where it seemed like I should be able to purchase (or rent?) the whole 7-ish minute thing for $2, but after I clicked on the video, it didn't have an overt place to buy it.

At this point, Mal was inconsolable, explaining details to "help" me find it.

Finally, I located a playlist where someone had posted three separate videos that comprised the entire thing. Mal watched the first video twice, then watched the second and third... and when the credits rolled, there had been no banshee.

He BAWLED.

I snatched the tablet and was trying to decide what to look for next when he said, "That's it!" as the video was still playing in the background.

I closed out the search box and there was a six second bit after the credits where this giant Frankensteined tractor monster thing was standing menacingly behind and over Mater. Mater says, "What was that?" then slowly turns around. He sees the banshee, his jaw drops, and he says, "You'd better be careful. I heard there was a banshee out here tonight. You might want to head home. Night!" and happily drives away.

Mal said, "That was it! I told you!"

I asked, "That was all you wanted to see?" "Yes." "So now you're happy?" "Yes. Deedees!" And he went to sleep. The end.

Mal dancing at McDonald's. Wearing headphones because that's the only way he can handle the play area.

Today, Mal wanted to go to Altitude Jump Park, way down in south Austin. It takes 45 minutes to get there, but I'd told him this weekend we could go and make a day of it.

We got to the park, and Mal jumped for a solid 15 minutes, then was ready for a break. I asked him if he wanted a snack or some juice, and he said, "No. I want soda." I hadn't brought "his" soda (which is caffeine-free soda, definitely NOT Sprite or 7-Up or root beer), and... that was it. He wanted to go home. I offered to stop at Wendy's, which has a Freestyle machine, to get him a drink, but he was not having it. He was done with the day.

On the way to Altitude, I'd pointed out the aircraft at Mabry air field, but I forgot to mention it on the way home. Mal had calmed down from his soda disappointment, then about three exits past Mabry, recognized the general area and said, "I want to see my airplanes!" When I explained that we were already past them and would have to see them next time, that was enough fodder for crying all the way home.

About Lakeline and 183, though, it was clear he wasn't actually sad anymore. He just wanted to cry and "be sad." Sometimes, as when he was a baby, he just needs to cry a lot. And often, he'll get over one thing and think of something else (like, seriously, that he wants Shelby back; we had her six months and she's been gone 10 months) to keep weeping over.

Sunday night, before the banshee thing, Mal ran into the bathroom wailing. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "Daddy won't take me to Las Vegas!" I said, "You'd have to take an airplane!" Mal said, "You'd have to take an airplane, Daddy."

At first, I suspected this had to do with Blippi videos, since there are a couple Mal has watched where Blippi goes to play places like Catch Air in Las Vegas. After talking to him, though, I think he meant Lago Vista. He wants to go visit his friend, Alexei, who lives in Jonestown, but you do have to drive into Lago Vista to get there. At least I can understand his abject disappointment about not being able to see a friend. He has made it very clear that he hates airplanes (and trains, and probably buses) so I don't think he'd relish a jaunt to Sin City.

You can only play Cars at home so much. Sometimes, you have to go play with cars at CVS.