I had a totally brilliant idea for a post as I was falling asleep last night and of course I completely forget what I was going to write about. I’m a genius like that.
J has been stretching his acting skills the past few days. He works up this convincing to strangers but absolutely unconvincing to those who see him daily fake crying business. Once in a while there’s even fake tears that go with it, it’s pretty impressive..ly bad. Like, really bad. He’s one of the worst actors on the planet as he is blessed/cursed to have a face like glass. A poker player he shall never be, that is for sure.
One of the sure ways I can usually bring him back from the depths of his threenage angst is to make a fish face. You suck your lips in and look a total fool pretending to be a fish and all that.
Only J thinks fish faces = kissy faces. He turns around immediately to come over and get a kiss. He also finds it to be the funniest thing ever. If you ask for a kiss otherwise he either turns his cheek to you in offer for one or he makes a loud smacking noise from a distance. If I bust out the fish face though he’s Captain Kissabug.
And it’s hilarious.
The first thing strangers seem to believe when I mention J has autism is that he is cold and distant. This is such a dreadful stereotype. Sensory input on any level is a different animal to a person with autism than it is to a person without it but that doesn’t mean they do not crave affection. This does not mean they are not warm and giving. It just translates in a manner we might not expect and sometimes, as in the case of fishy face, in a manner most delightful. My son is far from cold and distant. In fact, he’s quite the snugglebug to those he feels most comfortable around.
I wonder how old he’ll be before fishy faces are just not the done thing. I hope it’s not anytime soon, it’s too cute to wish it away.