No! No! NO!

This is Ben's new mantra. yay for me.

kids with Autism develop a little slower than others, so it turns out all the joyous things typical kids go through in their 2's & 3's are currently entering Ben's repertoire.  awesome.

A recent conversation:

mommy:  Do you want something to drink?
Ben: (screaming)  NOoooooooo!  Goodbye mama!  goodbye mama!
Mommy:   (grumbling) ok.  nothing to drink then.  (leaves the room)
Ben:  More milk?  Milk, mama?
Mommy:  (sigh) Ok.  Let's get some milk.  Grab a cup.
Ben:  NOOOOOOOO!  (crying and incoherent screaming)
Mommy:  WE can't drink the milk without a cup.
Ben:  NOOOOOO!
Mommy:  Ok then.  When you decide what you want, come and get me. (leaves the room)
Ben:  *sniffle* (rummages around in the "cup drawer", grabs a cup and the milk and walks out to the living room)  More milk, mama?

aaaaaaand Scene!

This conversation, happens more times a day than i can count--not all about milk, mind.  Just insert whatever it is he wants to do, and that's the Ben/Mommy interaction.   It's a good thing i know my lines.

NOOOOO!  am i allowed to scream too?

And before you offer unsolicited advice commiserate, let me tell you kind reader, that i have recognized that this is his "i wanna do it" phase, and i am very pleased we have hit it, because it means that he is continuing to grow and develop.  I just wish it came with some noise cancelling headphones and an extra liter of rum.

He has lately also taken to a little more violence--hitting and kicking and the occasional head-butt.  awesome. So, of course he's hearing NO!  from us a little more as well.

It made me think of the people to whom I'd like to scream no! :

• Anyone who sends us an envelope with the words "total due"
• the creepy bagger at Ralph's that just skeeves me out with his intense eye-contact
• Badwig McMantits down the street who hollers at people to slow down, even if you're driving the speed limit
• Sarah Jessica Parker
• the makers of Elephun and Play-doh  and any noisy fuckin' toy that doesn't have an off button!
• Weight Watchers
• Mommy & Me 
• and lastly, the jackass who didn't know where they were driving this morning on Camarillo and was going 20 miles and hour with 5 people behind her and sporadic stopping.

You know, I would feel immensely better if i could just shout NO! at people.  No wonder Ben does it.