Chip, Chip, Chip...

How do they do it, autistic kids? That endless patience when it comes to something that entertains them, or something they want.

Since the Super Mario in print idea came to light this afternoon, it's been a steady chip, chip, chip from Bobby to see if I can print out more super Mario levels for him to play with in paper. Somehow he's aware that there are 32 of these levels, four levels and 8 worlds...I could hear him doing his four times table quietly to himself. There was no escape. You can't just palm these kids off with flippant excuses. They know the score. They know when you're fibbing. My job wasn't complete.

I've just come back from a marketing meeting at Bobby's school (I'm a governor because they've been so good to him). It's 10.20pm and I've just written up the minutes. By rights I should be watching rubbish TV now. What am I doing? Cutting and pasting Mario worlds, the most obscure job in the universe. All so that I can see his happy little face in the morning. Oh, and to stop the chip, chip, chip effect of him mentioning it 40 times in an hour.

So yeh, I know what you're thinking, little pain gets his own way because he's autistic. Yes he does, you're right.  This isn't because I feel guilty that I've somehow failed him if I don't obey his every whim. He doesn't get past strict parenting because he's autistic, no - that's not it.

It's because if you have autism, there are enough tough things to face in life without your mum refusing to do the odd late night cut and paste. And although the things that make him happy sometimes make no sense to me, the happiness is very real indeed.

Plus, this happiness isn't Mario 3D Land and therefore won't set me back 30 quid.

Alec meanwhile is on loud week. He hasn't been loud for some time, but boy is he making up for it. Loud week means that Alec's usual happy little chirps turn into high pitched squeals, the type that could shatter glass. Maybe it was the chocolate? Maybe it's springtime? Maybe he has just been adorable for so long that he's decided we needed a bit of eardrum bashing to wake us up a bit? Earplugs for me tomorrow morning.

Right, back to the Mario job. There wasn't anything good on tely tonight was there?