Be careful what you ask for

The kids have a little plastic step stool from Target that has been around for years. My daughter used it to stand to reach the bathroom sink when she was a toddler. Now her little brother uses it to do the same thing, though he has to stand on his very tippy toes to do it.

Yesterday she wanted more chips for a snack and I told her she would have to wait. They were on the top shelf of the pantry and I was busy doing something else. Continuing to ramble to myself about it as she left the room I said, "Besides, you shouldn't have anymore chips now anyway, you should eat a banana if you are hungry.....blah, blah, blah, other mom stuff, blah." Just as I realized she was gone I turned around to see her carrying the plastic step stool into the pantry, placing it in exactly the right spot on the floor, step up, grab her bag of chips, step down and gleefully run over to the kitchen table with her booty and dump them all out on a paper plate. And she chowed down.

This was one of those moments I hear oft described in books about the challenges of disciplining a child on the spectrum. We have been waiting YEARS for moments like this--Moments that demonstrate problem-solving and physical ability skills (that some had said she would NEVER have) that just seem to pop up one day, like she has always been doing it and we just haven't been paying attention or something.

I was stunned. By the time it occurred to me that this called for some discipline, the chips were almost gone. She knew she was being somewhat naughty by the devilish little giggle emitting from her mouthful of chips so I figured we would address it later and now I have to find a new "top shelf" on which to hide things.

I had never seen her move that step stool that far, that quickly or decisively. Her 2 year old brother does it, which I am guessing is age appropriate, but she has just lately begun to utilize things in this way. And she usually does it when there is no one around. Seeing it firsthand made me so happy and so proud.