The Holiday's....

I think the times that are hardest for a parent of a child with autism is at Christmas and their birthday. I remember my boys as young as two making plans for what they would ask for on their birthday and at Christmas. They'd spend hours looking at a catalog circling things. Christmas was always so fun for me because it is such a time of teaching. A time to help them understand that Christmas was about what God did for us and watching as they discovered the joy of giving. Every year we'd go through their toys and we'd bag up some to give to charities. We'd often go to the angel tree and pick out a child to buy a toy. They were always so excited about it all.

Hannah never asks for anything. She makes no plans about what she'll have in the coming days. I go through the catalog with her and she could really care less. They are fun pictures to look at but it doesn't register that she can ask for any of those things. She doesn't even know how to play with most of them. So, I go through her toys and I bag up all the stuff she got last year that she didn't even touch to make room for stuff she'll get this year that she probably won't even touch.

I always imagined what having a little girl would be like. It's nothing like I imagined at all. Hannah's precious but she is not girly. Shorts are her favorite clothing. I'll let you imagine how that goes over. She enjoys spongebob, scooby doo, and super why. She does enjoy some Strawberry Shortcake so we tried to make Strawberry shortcake a "thing", but it never was exclusive. She's just not into the girly stuff. Except bracelets. She loves bracelets. The beaded or chain type. She'll take them off people if they let her.

There's this kind of depression that sets in when you dwell on all the typical things she doesn't do, but this year I am not going to let it have any place in our celebrations. Today I had a little time and just went around the toy store and tried to look at things from Hannah's eyes. Not mine. It was amazing what I could find that she would actually enjoy. I think it's the first time I walked out of a toy store without feeling depressed in a long time. Even though I didn't buy a thing! LOL!

I was at an autism conference in Arlington Thursday through today and I got alot of information. It'll take me a while to sort it all out in my head. Overall it was encouraging. I gained alot of knowlege and some new tricks for my box. :<) It'll be fun to implement some of these new things in the house we're moving into soon. Mrs. Mobley (Hannah's teacher) is going to help me with some of it. Did I tell y'all I LOVE Hannah's teachers. She had great ones last year and she has great ones this year. I really feel blessed.

I guess I should get busy and finish the project I started while ago and quit. LOL! I just felt like sharing. If any of you other moms with children who have autism are reading this, I love ya! Go to that toy store and go in with the eyes of your child. You'll be amazed at what you'll find and how fun it will be. Our kiddos can enjoy Christmas too!