The Mom Museum

Even though the Mom of No's younger kid is on the autism spectrum, he has learned one social skill quite well:

The art of flattery.

He is a master at re-directing your attention when he thinks that re-direction is in his best interest.  And sometimes he does it just because he can. For example, this weekend we went to the the local Y to swim.  When we pulled up in the parking lot, it was obvious they were doing some construction project.

"I wonder what that is?"  I said, mostly to myself.
"It's the Mom Museum!" my son said.  "It's a museum for awesome moms like you!"

I've actually heard that one before- but he knows that even though the Mom of No is a cynical meanie who lives to make her offspring suffer, that one still warms the cockles of my heart.  What mother wouldn't want to have tribute paid to her spectacular mothering skills in a Mom Museum?

Every now and then, I'll go to open his backpack after school he'll look at me and say,

"Mom, you are pretty and beautiful!"

That's when I know that  I will be having a conversation with a school administrator in the next 24 hours, because there is something in that backpack I will not like.  "Pretty and Beautiful" also gets pulled out when he wants something at the store. 

My final favorite is this one:

"Mom, you are a great cooker!", or "Mom, you are the best cooker ever!".

That one usually gets pulled out when he wants me to cook or bake something he likes, like lasagna.

When one of these phrases gets pulled out, and my older kid is within hearing range, she'll usually roll her eyes and say "MOM! He's just buttering you up!" Obviously, the Mom of No knows this.  She didn't fall off the Mom Truck yesterday.   However, it is really hard to be mad at a kid who is looking at you with his adorable face, telling you that you are pretty and beautiful AND a good cooker. 

That's why when I get depressed about what his future holds, given all his challenges, I try to keep in mind the Mom Museum- if a kid can dream up a Mom Museum, who knows what else he'll surprise me with in the coming years.