#3's world, and welcome to it

[hadassahchana[$]]

#1 and I were discussing the fact that I so rarely write about #3. He doesn't march to a different drummer so much as he runs away from any drummer, and sometimes seems bent on tripping him, too. He's a wonderful child, and I really love getting to see how he perceives life compared to how everyone else does, but sometimes he startles even me.

Whenever I've started to blog about him, I always end up backing off. The things he says and does are usually side-splittingly funny. To us, anyway. To outsiders, his take on life might be startling or even heartbreaking. People ask how we can laugh at things. The short answer is "Easy: ha haha ha!". The longer answer, though, is that I'd much rather laugh cry, and to teach each Horseman to be able to do the same.

#3 was diagnosed with Nonverbal Learning Disorder when he was 6. Since then, we've had to learn how to understand his world and its decidedly different slant. NLD may be closely related to Asperger's, and in our case, the additional diagnosis of Asperger's was made later. Whatever his exact label is, he is a quiet child who occasionally lets loose with something that leaves us either roaring with laughter or going

Ok- after the lengthy explanation, here is his latest odd developemental milestone. He has had to learn what is funny and what isn't, because a sense of humour is hard to understand for people who take things literally. However, since he lives in our family, he's been able to learn from the best. He is a huge fan of The Simpsons, and Homer saying,"Woo-hoo! Free beer!" is one of his favourite Simpsons moments.

He has taken the "woo-hoo!" and made it his own just recently. The really funny/awful thing about the way he uses it is the fact that he doesn't always get what is funny and what is probably better left unsaid. Which, of course, makes his punchlines even funnier, at least to his brothers. And me, I have to admit. His version of this joke is delivered just lightening-fast, too. He literally doesn't miss a beat when replying to something someone else has said with his "Woo-hoo!" plus odd punchline. Here are examples:

#4: "Ouch! I just sat on a sword you left on the couch!"
#3: "Woo-hoo! Anal fissures!"


radio weatherman: "Snow on Saturday, freezing rain on Sunday, freezing drizzle on Monday morning just in time for your commute".
#3: "Woo-hoo! Natural disasters and painful death from freezing!"

Oh dear.

#1: "I almost hit a squirrel on the way home from the store!"
#3: "Woo-hoo! Fur and entrails everywhere!"

#2: "I think the milk I used this morning has gone off."
#3 : "Woo-hoo! Stomach cramps and -"
me: "That's enough, #3!"

See? There are times when we have to gently guide him.



#4: "Dixie must have eaten something nasty, she's really farting a lot!"
#3: "Woo-hoo! Non-lethal IED!"

On Thursday, I had to take the three younger Horsemen with me to get a new pair of shoes. I explained to the store clerk that I was hard to fit, since I have large feet.
#3 : "Woo-hoo! Godzilla gets new high heels!"


These come just so fast, we literally have no time to say a word before he's gotten one out. I know it's an NLD thing, and it's his way of trying to figure out how to act in our world. Still, there are times when I would like to go and hide under my chair:

On being told that a friend was having a birthday:
#3: "Woo-hoo! Liver spots and wrinkles!"


There are people who tell me that he should know better. Others have said that he'll never truly understand things like humour, sarcasm, and good social skills. Maybe he won't, but he's going to make me have a nervous twitch while trying his hardest to figure out all of those things. Woo-hoo! Kid falls down a lot in order to learn to run.

[pippadaisy[$]]

I thought all of them were hilarious.

[hadassahchana[$]]

Somehow, this doesn't surprise me.

[taurusmoon]

Oops.

Woohoo! Incontinent biddie.

[conradd]

ROFL!! I'm with Pippa - what a hoot! Or a Woohoot!

[emeleel]

Oh, dear!

Sean has had trouble with humor from time to time, too, but in our family he's picked up a lot.

TG we don't watch the Simpsons.

[pippadaisy[$]]

How about you send #3 to live with me for a while and I'll send three of mine to you to make up for it?

[emeleel]

Ya know, I followed your link, Cindy, to refresh my memory on NLD (I remember coming across it when researching about Sean a few years ago. I had to go at tthis one under Asperger's:

Lack of spontaneous sharing of enjoyment and interests with other people.

Um, okay, Sean's not officially diagnosed, but from what I know of Aspie kids, that's about the furthest thing from the truth. Oh boy, are they willing to share - in minute detail, of course - every aspect of whatever they enjoy and are interested in at the moment. To the point of causing glassy eyes in their audience. Yes?

[cristina1]

Cindy, I was roaring reading that. Woohooo! LOL

[pippadaisy[$]]

Melanie, they mean being able to spontaneously share in OTHER people's interests.

[lynnzop[$]]

I thought #3's observations were hilarious.

[hadassahchana[$]]

Melanie, I agree . #3 fortunately has learned to temper his enthusiasm, but only because we've explained that if people start to yawn, look away or feign death, that means they are no longer interested.

[emeleel]

[mtomm[$]]

That absolutely sounds just like my nephew who is not officially Asperger's but might as well be. What is with their attraction to the Simpsons.

"MOM! It is 20 min to 5, we HAVE to leave right now or I'm going to miss the Simpsons. We must leave NOW!!"

[emeleel]

At age 6, it was Wheel of Fortune here.

Simpsons has never been allowed here, and I want to choke DH on the occasions when "there's nothing on" and he leaves Simpsons on for more than 3 seconds.

[jgibson2[$]]

I nearly hurt myself laughing, but then my oldest (diagnosed ADHD) had a very hard time learning to read other people. At nearly 26, he's gotten to be pretty good at it. He has also learned to play well with others and has developed some truly amazing negotiating skills.

I learned that last one yesterday listening to him negotiate with a lying scum-sucking employer who didn't want to pay him for time worked and didn't want to send him a pay stub. Said employer hasn't agreed to send a pay stub to his other tech in 4 months of employment. He may have been lying to get off the phone, but my son made him back down without raising his voice or even getting sarcastic. Point being, they grow up and some of the things that seem like disadvantages in a child may prove to be advantages as an adult.

[emeleel]

I keep telling myself that - his stubbornness will be a good thing with peers, his stubbornness will be a good thing with peers......

[theworm[$]]

OMG, Cindy! You jsut heart me! I'm seriously in pain.
I was reading along just fine when I got to the "Woo Hoo. Anal Fissures".
At that point I started to snort uncontrollably which lead to uncontrollable spasms and hyperventilation.
Brian - seeing my reactiong began reading the post over my shoulder. He got a really nervous look on his face and kept glancing at me wondering if I had had some sort of stroke or brain damage. IN between snorts I assured him that he would get to the funny part. Finally he did. His reaction wasn't quite a violent as mine, but he laughed pretty darned hard. He especially liked the "Woo Hoo. Godzilla gets high heals".

Thanks - I needed that. I hurt, but I needed that.

#3 is quiet and sweet and very very handsome and has an amazing sense of humor!

[mtbat]

#3 is funny those had me laughing hysterically

[Kalynda[$]]

I get it...liver spots!! Woo hoo!

On my last b-day, Jared thought it was VERY funny to call me "the birthday hag", meant in the nicest possible way, of course.

I told him I would only ever tolerate it from him, and only on my B-day, as long as it was said lovingly. ;D

#3 is a riot!

[hadassahchana[$]]

The birthday hag??!


So, you're saying that his new chores include cleaning the bathroom, taking out the trash and washing the kitchen floor till it squeaks? I hope so!