Everything is Mad with You

Back a few weeks ago, I "snapped," at Dominic. Lauren used to call it "barks." I typically reserve my louder, "bark-like," voice for when I think the situation calls for it.  Dominic didn't really do anything, I was stressed because I was running late and he kept repeating the same thing over and over. You could say, I lost my patience. Anyways, he got upset. After I calmed down a little I said, "I'm sorry, do you forgive me?" He said, "no." I was like, "excuse me?"  I repeated my apology again and he said, "no." This went on a few more times and then I let about 30-40 minutes go by before I repeated my apology again. This time, he accepted my apology. When I retold that story to my dad, he said, "does Dominic understand the concept of accepting an apology?" I was like, "yes, he most certainly does!" This past Sunday afternoon, I was resting on the couch in our living room. I have told Dominic he is too heavy to be sitting on me numerous times and half the time he listens to me and the other half of the time he doesn't.  Well, this particular time, he came and stood next to me, jumped up in the air and sat squarely on my stomach. It hurt and I said, "ow!" He immediately jumped off. I told him that he had hurt me and he got flustered and then proceeded to have a half- hour "meltdown." When he had composed himself, I said, "you hurt mommy, please don't do that again." He seemed to understand and the rest of the evening was uneventful.  Monday, Tuesday and today, he told me, "everything is mad with you." I think what he has been trying to tell me is, "everyBODY is mad with you." When he said it today (right as he was getting off the bus after school), I said, "are you still thinking about that??" He said, "yes, mommy." I said, "how did that make mommy feel when you sat on my stomach??" His response, "sad." I told him it did make me sad. Wow, for Dominic to be able to express how he felt (thinking everybody was mad at him) and how it made me feel is DOUBLY HUGE for a child with Autism!  Hopefully, the next time he is able to recognize his own feelings and mine, my stomach won't be involved! He is five feet tall and almost 150 pounds!!