It has been a laid back Sunday.

There is a tonne of stuff I probably should have been doing… like cleaning, or dusting, or some other kind of household chore…

We threw that off…

We had a laid back Sunday

H and I painted.

I encouraged him to explore with colour and touch and to experience the paint and canvas in a sensory way.

We painted and talked, and painted and talked some more.

And then, when he was done, H abandoned me to build a TARDIS in Minecraft.

He said he was making it for me… which may be trifle suspect because I don’t actually play Minecraft.

I love his painting.

Inspired by H’s picture and the Vincent van Gogh episode, I painted a Doctor Who themed image as well. You can see the TARDIS and a wee bit of a Dalek hidden in there amongst the swirls.

And now we are watching Doctor Who while dinner is in the oven.

I treasure these times because I am very aware that H is perched on the edge of adulthood and I notice that time seems to be zipping by at close to time-warp speed. I expect and understand that soon he’ll be busy with other stuff and that spending the afternoon hanging out with me may become a rare thing indeed.

Sometimes the pace choses me… but not today.

Today was a day to connect – to hang out – to share in and explore H’s current interests.

So the house isn’t as tidy as it could be… and tomorrow I am back to work, but I can’t imagine I will ever regret spending a laid back afternoon doing Doctor Who related things with this wonderful young man.

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30 Days of Autism is a project designed to fight stigma, promote civil rights, and increase understanding and acceptance for those who process and experience the world differently.

© Leah Kelley, Thirty Days of Autism (2014)