I think it's very good for our children to get to know other kids who are "different" than them (physical, emotional, disabilities, etc...) so that they get past the exterior and accept people for who they are "inside". My kids were homeschooled for the first several years of their schooling, but they were exposed to all kinds of people and have learned to look past the differences. One of their friends is in a wheelchair, one has severe emotional disturbances (that's really a challenge!), one has a severe hearing deficit and speech defect, etc... and to my kids, these kids are "normal", they just have a few more challenges than them and need to be understood, not shunned or ignored. These are difficult lessons to teach, but they pay great dividends. I admire the effort Mike makes with his kids, he'll be proud of them as they grow into the kind of person we all wish we were...

I believe the genesis of the quote is:

"dance with the date that brung ya"

JIMCRY - I may be off with my discripion and understanding of Autism. I saw an Autisic women on the Discovery channel. She works as an animal behaviorist. She actually also helps make kill plants a better environment for the soon to be slaughtered because she "sees" what the animal sees. Actually makes them less stressful. I may have gotten the message wrong.

Add the tomatoes in last and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add a little red wine if you like, boosts the flavor.