Well, Sean has begun the huge transition to adult life after
graduation. He begins trying a full time job next week while we try to
work out some sort of training or schooling. He's already been working
this job for a couple of years part time, so it's not a huge transition
but we've still run into some obstacles with him. But getting him into
training or something? Yah, not going so well. But things have really
calmed down from the updates that I gave over the spring. I've noticed
he is not spending a lot of time with Pharos and the ferrets at all
now. I guess he can keep up with only one or two things at a time?
Right now, that's the new work and texting with girls.

Graduation day, yah, that didn't go so well lolol. He woke up all
excited. His brother had brought home things for breakfast the night
before. And Scott cooked it all up when Sean woke up. We all watched a
great new Mel Gibson movie while we ate. Things were going along really
nicely, until the movie ended. Before we could work out what was going
to happen next, he disappeared into his room. We shrugged and gave him
that time because autistics need lots of alone time. But man, the hours
ticked away. Next thing we know he's in a terrible mood and didn't want
to come out at all. Not for anything. Brother finally got him to get
moving by promising him eating out and shopping. lol. Even then,
another hour went by. And so brother picked up a guitar and started
singing to him Adam Sandler style, "Sean, Sean ... ahhh, Seaaaaan.
Sean, Sean ... come out of your rooooom. Its time to go, time to eat,
time to shooooooop. Oh Seaaaan. Sean, Sean ... brush your teeth and
brush your haiiir..." You get the point. Well, the outing just went
so-so, so we came right home. Sean got dressed in his gown. And then
Chet sang a rendition of Amazing Grace (with words fitting to the
situation) to get him out of the house a second time. It was very
exciting. I couldnt' believe it was happening. It felt like one big
emotional dream. There were lots of silence. Lots of outbursts. With
Sean that is. But he did it. He did walk. His little cap was pushed all
the way on the back on his head (he didn't know how to wear it), and
he marched on down that isle with a huge grin lolol. And he really did
enjoy the actual ceremony and had fun with the kids around him. Yah,
well, the rest of the night went badly. But we all survived. Brother
ended up taking a very tearful dad who was an emotional wreck, both
from happiness and disappointment and anger from all of the outbursts
among other things, out to a Mexican place and got him feeling pretty
darn good on Margaritas.

Meanwhile, all of your cards and good wishes came in the mail both
before and after the event. Which worked out awesomely for Sean. It
really helped with the whole transition being that everything didn't
just end on that day. I took the opportunity to teach him about thank
you notes. I taught him how to keep track of gifts, cards, people and
addies. Later I took him to the bank for him to withdrawal money,
then on to Target for him to buy Thank You notes. I showed him how
to address the envelopes and set him down alone with his project. I
expected a terse, "Thank you, Sean" in each card. I didnt' see them,
but people who received them told me that he didn't just write sign his
name. Some notes actually included really nice things from him. That
made me so proud. I hope they all got to you. If you sent something to
him, know that he DID send you a thank you note. It just may not have
got there because his handwriting is very poor and difficult to
understand. So I anticipated that some may not arrive.

Okay so, I have a link here for you if you want to take a peek at the
graduation pictures. I'm afraid they are awfully boring. With all of
the upset, he would not pose for pictures, and most of them were just
snapped on the fly. I'm really sorry that there are no ferrets in the
pictures for you to see. He withdrew from everything and everyone that
day. First time he did not celebrate a major thing with Pharos. That
felt very weird for us personally. The first half of the album is his
brothers graduation. Sorry. It is a curious thing to see both boys
graduations side by side though. Chet is "normal", so the pictures are
normal and gleeful. Sean is not, ya know? Whole diff set of pics and
a whole different tone. I have shots of all of the gorgeous cards,
carefully and thoughtfully crafted gifts, and so on, that were sent
in there for you to see! I would love to share a list of what we saw
because things were so awesome. But I just feel weird because I dont'
want to "itemize" the beauty and love that was shared or make anyone
feel left out, ya know?

Just know that you all made a difference. Especially to my little
family as a whole. It helped keep our spirits up when things didn't go
as planned. And it helped us in that we never felt alone that day.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8Ectmbdo1cMM8

Shew, almost had a woofymoment and barely remembered to put the link
in!!! lol.

Wolfy, who is not Dory OR the Donkey!

ps, Please put it on slide show ... so you can really see them. Its so
much better. yes, Sean played in the orchestra at Chet's graduation in
the beginning

[Posted in FML 6714]