It Was a Beautiful Day

The words of Bono and U2 couldn't be more apt for the Walk Now for Autism Speaks event this past weekend. From the weather, which was double the temperature from last year, to the turnout of walkers and volunteers, it was a great day at the Kansas Speedway.

Of course even great days with Elijah can have some stress to them. I had left early to help the committee get things ready at the site, so I was unaware that Elijah had informed Sarah he wanted to finish the Microsoft Word project (probably recreating some signage he had seen) he was working on and didn't want to go anywhere for the foreseeable future, even if it was an outdoor party. However, after some arm twisting (verbal, not literal), the little guy and Sarah were on their way.

While all of this drama was occurring, I was helping the volunteers get situated and seeing if the vendors needed any help getting set up. It was a nice feeling to see a constant flow of people coming to the main area, all of whom volunteered to help Walk Now for Autism Speaks. Yes, I knew that some did it for community service credit at school, while others had been asked (coerced) by their company to be there, but whatever the reason, they all seemed happy and eager to be part of the Walk experience.

When Sarah and Elijah arrived I could tell it had been a stressful ride. I told Sarah to go relax and have something to eat, while I took the little guy around. Our first stop was to see Miss Tiffany, who ran the summer camp Elijah enjoyed so much and was a vendor at this event. The second he saw her, a huge smile ran across his face (and hers too!) followed by hugs and even more smiles.

Right after that we ran into two of the employees of the children's center at our health club, Ali and Christian, who had signed up to walk with us. That brought another big smile and a question for them from Elijah: "Where's Kelsey?" Kelsey was the third member of health club contingent, the first one to sign up to join us, and to be honest, Elijah's favorite. (Although for the last few weeks, Elijah has been telling Katie, who works the front desk, that she looks beautiful and he would like a hug from her. When I reminded him that he had told me that Kelsey was his favorite he replied, "I like Kelsey, but I love Katie P.")

After being delayed by traffic, Kelsey arrived, and that brought the biggest smile of the day from Elijah. After the girls made Elijah a bracelet with his name on it (more on that later), we set off with about 8,000 others to Walk for Autism Speaks. All during the walk Ali, Christian and especially Kelsey interacted with Elijah so much that not once did he ever whine or complain about walking. What makes events like these so special for me is to see such a large crowd and know that no one is judging your child as if they were different, but instead understanding your family and what they go through on a daily basis -- that there is a community out there for support. Yet, as wonderful as that feeling was, for me that wasn't the most memorable part of the walk. What I found extraordinary was the number of spectrum kids and their parents who knew and greeted Ali, Christian and Kelsey and the genuine affection that both sides shared for each other. What a wonderful sight to see! It made me very proud to have those three on Elijah's team.

Once the walk was over, Sarah took the little guy home and I helped volunteers and committee members clean up the grounds. Little did I realize a crisis of major proportions was brewing at home. The bracelet that Ali and Kelsey had made for Elijah, the one he had proudly worn all throughout the walk was, as he discovered later, missing two foam letters from his name. The magnitude of this trauma was expressed to Sarah through teary eyes and breathless crying that was more intense than when he got his first shot.

Upon my arrival home, I was instructed by Elijah that I needed to immediately go back to the walk area, find the missing yellow "L" and "H" and bring them home. Obviously that wasn't going to happen, so a "plan B" was devised. A trip to Hobby Lobby to buy a bag of foam letters (along with a chocolate chip cookie) turned out to be our solution. The bracelet was made whole again and the memory of the happiness and joy of the afternoon festivities was quickly restored.

Any day that can have as many hugs and smiles as this one did is truly a beautiful day and one I hope we can wander through again.

Monkey See....

As you can see by the picture to the left, taken on the first day of class, Elijah is happy to be back in school. Outside of a couple of problem days early (without going into detail, let's just say I curse the person who thought automatic flush toilets were a great idea for children under 10!), he seems to be moving forward. At the two birthday parties that have taken place so far this school year, he has recognized and greeted classmates, laughed and played WITH them and has been asked by a female first-grader to "tell me I'm gorgeous." Pretty typical behavior, and that's all one can ask for.

Those of you who bought wrapping paper, cookie dough or something else that you probably didn't need are aware that the major fundraising event of the school year is now over. And yes, Elijah did qualify (thanks again to all those who sacrificed) for his backpack monkey, but the story doesn't end there. From the very first day he saw it, Elijah wanted the "big monkey with the blue eyes." I knew that the backpack version of Max was a gimme, with grandparents and aunts willing to contribute, but the "big" monkey was given only to those who sold at least one hundred items. Needless to say, that wasn't going to happen, yet every day, Elijah would ask if I had brought the big monkey home.

So, being the manipulated father that I am, with Elijah's happiness my only concern, I contacted the company that was running the sale and got the local representative's name and number. I then called her, explained the situation and asked if I could buy a large monkey for my son. Yes, she did have a monkey available, and she would be happy to sell it at cost. For a mere $8.50, Elijah could reach the nirvana that only a large, blue-eyed monkey could bring. When I told Sarah what I was doing, I was somewhat surprised she didn't put up more of a fight, but instead agreed that this was a small price to pay for childhood bliss. A check was sent and arrangements were made to have Max delivered to Elijah's school.

It turned out to be a HUGE success. When Sarah went to pick up Elijah at school and presented him with the monkey, his smile was truly from ear to ear. When he walked out of the school with the "big" monkey, other kids were in awe: "Elijah got the big monkey! Elijah got the big monkey!" Of course, the little guy was oblivious to this adulation, as he doesn't have the gloat component in his DNA, but Mom made sure that the truth was known as she told the other mothers that Daddy had bought Max. But the little guy didn't care. He had his big monkey with blue eyes, which he now has named George, and it has been his constant companion since he brought it home. I guess money can buy happiness, if it comes dressed up as a four-foot monkey with blue eyes.

Elijah's Take on the Prop 8 Battle in California

Actually, as you can see below, Elijah re-created an illustration from a new book he received entitled "Library Mouse."

I guess I'm just being, as Sarah puts it, squirrely.

We not only survived, but actually thrived and had a great time

Though it may not be what it advertises itself as (the Magic Kingdom), for three days in August, Disneyland was a joy for Elijah and fun for Mom and Dad as well. From our first ride (Nemo's Submarine) to our last (zooming above California as though we were hang-gliding) a smile or sense of awe were Elijah's constant expressions.

When we arrived at Disneyland we immediately made our way to "City Hall" and received a special pass that allowed us, because of Elijah's autism, to avoid most long lines at rides. This brought down the anxiety level tremendously (except when I was asked to go on roller coaster-type rides) and allowed us, over our time there, to hit every ride we wanted to, some of them multiple times.

My anxiety over Sarah taking Elijah on Space Mountain (an intense indoor roller coaster) was completely unfounded, as the little guy bounced down the runway at the end of the ride with a smile from ear to ear. (I'm guessing now that all the children I saw crying by the exit were emerging from the Captain EO 3-D movie theater nearby -- Michael Jackson can be pretty scary, especially in 3-D). Insisting he wanted to go back on the "indoor spaceship," Elijah rode Space Mountain three times during our visit, which made it, along with Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, his favorite.

Notice I said Sarah taking Elijah on Space Mountain. She also took him on the Bobsleds, the Rolling Thunder Roller Coaster, the Indiana Jones ride and the Soarin' Over California (simulated hang-glider) rides as well. Daddy does not do heights and fast rides. (I did go with them on the simulated hang glider ride the second time they went on it, with Elijah holding my hand and telling me not to be scared.) But I was along for all the tame rides (and over the three days that meant just about every attraction) and had a great time.

The only sour note (at least for Sarah) occurred when we went on the "Cars" ride. (Oldtimers will remember it as the Autobahn ride.) The "little guy" loved getting behind the wheel, with Daddy controlling the gas, and driving his sports car. Unfortunately, near the end, the car in front of us died and left us stranded in a traffic jam in the hot sun. As Sarah so aptly pointed out, why would anyone fight gridlock to drive to Disneyland, then get on a ride to sit in stalled traffic? I couldn't argue with her logic, but the smile on Elijah's face made the wait tolerable.

Besides the rides (and the daily chocolate-chip cookie), a major highlight for Elijah was meeting Pooh and his friends. Two trips on the Pooh ride wasn't nearly as exciting as getting a hug from Tigger, Eeyore and Pooh himself.

The California Adventure Park was fun as well, especially for Sarah, as she got another roller coaster ride under her belt. (The large loops even scared off Elijah, who told us he didn't want to go on that with Mommy.) The 3-D ride of Toy Story and the aforementioned hang glider movie/ride were the highlights, but for Elijah, perhaps the biggest sensory delight was the large letters spelling "California" at the park entrance. In fact, days later, he wrote the word California (spelled correctly, which I couldn't do until I was much older, and I lived there!) using the same color scheme that was at the park entrance.

Add to the mix a fun (but cold) day at the beach, the incredible hospitality shown to us by Aunt Kathy and Uncle Marv, the generosity and love given to us by Grandpa and Grandma Nessel, and one would have to say that, for about a week, we were at the "happiest place on Earth."

Nemo would have been proud

As devoted followers of this blog (the handful of family and friends out there) know, Elijah has been hitting certain milestones these past 12 months, and we couldn't be happier about it. Last month we were informed by his camp (a big shout-out to "Miss Tiffany" and Successful Sounds for a great summer of fun and growth) that the little guy jumped off the diving board at the pool during the swim lesson portion of camp.

Today I saw for myself that yes, that was true, as he took a flying leap off the city pool's board, came up with a smile on his face and swam to the side of the pool. As an added bonus, one of the lifeguards at the pool who was involved in trying to teach Elijah how to swim a couple of summers back, was there watching. His smile (though not as large as Daddy's) spoke volumes, and while he gave Elijah a high-five as he climbed out, his statement to me -- "that was awesome" -- summed up my feelings as well.


As I mentioned earlier, camp was great this year. The scrapbooks we received for each camp session show not only a smiling Elijah (especially when music is involved) but also an Elijah who interacts with the other kids and actually enjoys having his picture taken (in contrast to the photos that we get from school, which look more like hostage videos).


So, as we get closer to our initial family visit to the "happiest place on Earth," I already think this summer has been special.

UPDATE

Since this entry was written (but never posted) we have been to Disneyland and had a great time. Furthermore, Elijah attempted to give both Mom and Dad heart attacks by doing flips off the side of my sister's pool. What happened to the little guy who wouldn't even jump into the shallow end of the pool? Blog entry about Disneyland (with photos) will be up shortly.

FURTHER UPDATE

Without any hesitation Elijah jumped numerous times off the high diving board at the pool yesterday including one attempt at doing a flip which caused shortness of breath in both Mom and Dad.

Summer's Here and the Time is Right

Summer has flown by so quickly this year that I can't believe Elijah only has one more week of camp left. It has been a good summer (OK, the weather has ranged from monsoons to steam-room temperatures, so it hasn't been perfect), with the little guy really enjoying himself, be it at camp, the pool or going to a movie. Sarah has done a great job shuffling him from camp to therapy during the week, all the while moving her new business forward. I have seen some real growth in Elijah, both in his verbal abilities and in his behavior.

We have been told that he has tried, and on occasion completely eaten, his prepared lunches at camp, which have included all sorts of fruits and vegetables. He has engaged people in conversations and now talks on the phone with both Sarah and me. He loves the water and constantly wants to swim to the "red line" that is the depth marker for 5' 2." (I have to explain to him that he can do that only when Mommy is with him, not Daddy, for obvious reasons.) He now enjoys 3-D movies, keeping his glasses on the entire time while commenting "this is cool." Popcorn, both at the movies and at home, has been added to his food list, along with watermelon.

Some of his quirkiness still remains. He still is fascinated when he hears or sees children crying, trying to get as close as he can to them with a huge grin on his face. His rote speech of songs, movies or TV shows continues, but he at least now tells us where the words and phrases originated. And, to Sarah's chagrin, he loves to emit all sorts of bodily noises -- but isn't that what little boys do best?

With Sarah trying to get work done, weekends have been Daddy time, but I'm not complaining. It has been, for the most part, a joyful ride with enough ups and downs to equal an (and I'm dating myself here) E-ticket at Disneyland. Which reminds me that it's just two weeks until we take Elijah to the Magic Kingdom for the first time. Stay tuned!

7th Inning Stretch

I cannot believe that Elijah turned SEVEN years old this past week. It has been an incredible journey, and we barely have left the dock. The party went off without a hitch, and everyone seemed to have a good time. The day of the party, there were three occasions when a meltdown by the little guy could have occurred, but I am happy to report he never even frowned.

Early in the day I picked up the cake and it had chocolate frosting, not vanilla, as the birthday boy had requested. When I showed him the cake, the frosting was not nearly as important as the musical notes he had requested on the icing. Frosting color debacle avoided!

Crisis number two involved the guests just showing up. In past years, the arrival of lots of kids asking for him would have driven Elijah inside the house as he insisted, "I want them to go." This year he watched, approached and actually had eye contact with some of the partygoers (admittedly most of those he interacted with were adults, but it was a start.)

The final and I thought the most likely chance for a cataclysmic disaster was when, after some boys played with his mini basketball goal for awhile, Elijah informed me the backboard was broken. As I viewed the cracks on the backboard I knew the crying was about to begin. Instead the little guy asked if I could tape over the cracks, which I told him was no problem, and he was happy. Now THAT was a breakthrough!