The Art Of Constant Motion

    My house is immaculate almost all the time. Most people who know my autistic son ask me how I keep things in order. The simple answer is that everything that is important to me has a place, a very particular place where it can be found when I need it. When I do the dishes I need the scrub brush to be in the sink, when I need the scotch tape it had better be in the drawer. I find that the boy takes a fancy to ordinary items which are crucial to my function as a mom. He takes stuff, plays with it for 2 seconds and then goes on to other stuff. Before I know it the scissors are buried under the cushions, his toothbrush is in the fireplace, his DS card is in the heat vent, and my scrub brush is in the basement.So while Tanner is in constant motion with his ritualistic circling of the kitchen, I too, am gathering the debris and putting it back in it's usual place. I don't do this all day long though. I only do reconnaissance when I am missing something. In my attempt to find what is lost I happen to straighten the house and find all the things which I didn't know were missing. Sometimes I may find a piece of pizza under the couch while I am looking for a remote control or I notice a sipper cup in a drawer while I am looking for scissors. It all works out as long as I keep busy. What always surprises me though is to find jelly beans in my bed. I usually don't look there.