Spreadin' a lil autism awareness at Costco!

Costco is off the chain crazy right now! (Sorry…was that not hip? I'm so out of it…)

My boy and I had to go though…as we were waiting to get paid before the big haul for the holiday weekend….apparently….just like everyone else?

I could have done without the stares….he's a great shopper, my son,…which makes him sort of hard to keep track of.

So…to avoid the constant calling and searching and heart palpitations…..I get one of those big flatbed carts…and ask him to sit on it.

This isn't exactly my first rodeo….

No one has ever really taken any notice of this before….or maybe I'm just that self involved that I didn't notice?
But….push a 13 year old boy thru Costco with an air cast on your foot….and people are all kinds of staring!

Seriously….everything from smirks to condescension to flat outrage!

Not sure if he noticed….we apparently had an unspoken agreement to not care.

Which seemed to just piss some of the people off even more!
Sheesh! Switch to decaf friends!

The visit was saved by a sweet Costco employee I met wrangling carts in the parking lot.

He asked about my cast and then full on accused me of being in my 20's!

No joke!

I asked him to stand still so I could kiss him square on the mouth!

I fully recognize this poor man is a bit older than I am…and had been working at wrangling carts in the 90+ heat for who knows how long….so therefore was more than likely suffering from heat stroke…

But…with the week I've had….I'll take it!

Rube says I'm officially impossible to live with now…and that I should quit telling everyone about it…including strangers in the checkout line and people stopped at a red lights with me! 

Killjoy!

This epic visit was topped off at the gas pump…where an older dude pulls up behind me and proceeds to take out multiple red gas cans from the back of his truck…no big deal…right? Just filling up for the mower or boat or whatnot….

Nope!

He then proceeds to fill his TRUCK with them! What the heck?

I watched him empty 3…and go to the back for more….no idea if he was planning to refill them or what? 

Maybe he just likes all things in order…you can't put gas in your truck in the driveway…you gotta go to the gas station!

I'm sure the kajillion people in line behind him didn't appreciate his sense of orderliness as much as I do….but who cares? Judgers!

You keep on doing what you gotta do my friend….haters gonna hate….and they can do it from the back of the line!

Sand Diego Zoo with a side of Autism

Day three we decided to take a bit of a break from all of the Disney joy and headed on down to San Diego.

What many don't know…is that it's actually cheaper to buy what's called a City Pass than to buy entrance fees to Disneyland.  Well, it is if you plan to go three days….you can't get one for less…but anyway…

We got So Cal City Passes which included 3 day park hopper passes - so both Disneyland AND California Adventures - as well as Universal Studios.

The pass also includes Sea World and you can add on the San Diego Zoo.

We didn't want to go to Sea World as we had heard how crowded it can get and with everyone trying to view at the same tank windows….I don't know….just didn't sound like a good idea with all the anxiety we were facing…enclosed spaces…heavy crowds….best not try it.

The zoo seemed like a better idea as even when busy…it's HUGE so you don't really notice!

It was probably the warmest day of the entire trip.  Great for loads of walking - NOT!

We spent a fair portion of our time attempting to figure out where we were…and how to get to some particular animal.  I feel the map and the path markers were designed by two different monkeys!

We started with a little Hippo action….we got to see the new baby hippo later on…but alas…failed to get a picture.  Probably because it was nursing and wouldn't pull it's head out from under mom!

We also saw the new baby gorilla!  He was SO cute with all that hair sticking straight up!

Seems like there was an extraordinary amount of Aviaries!  Or maybe we were walking in circles…??

Our Monkeys!

Taking a break from walking!

We finally talked our Sweet Boy into getting on the guided bus tour.  I highly recommend seeing the zoo this way…Much easier than doing all that walking!

That poor Polar Bear!  He looked so hot!

 Baby Giraffes! 

 Are we there yet?  Behind them is the line for the Pandas……we decided to skip 'em……..just couldn't face it!

Some bears……

 Some Macaws….just out walking around…nobody was watching them….until a guy tried to pet one…then they came out of the woodwork like SWAT!

Our beautiful flower posing with another beautiful flower!

 Little Man watching the flamingos….

A little ballet at the zoo?  Don't mind if I do!

 Sweet Boy's favorites!  The elephants!

We walked to the other side of the park to see that doggone Polar Bear again because Little Man wouldn't get on the Sky Train…a gondola type deal….so the way back - through the elephant exhibit was a rough one!  Pretty cool cacti on the way tho!

 Sweet Pea almost vaulted over the fence when she figured out these little guys had babies!

She said, "I just want to jump over there and love them firmly!"  

We're looking into some counseling! ;-)

Look at the size of these aloe plants!  I kill these suckers in weeks….can't imagine how old these are!

The zoo was a good choice to break up the commercial joy at Disneyland.  Despite all the walking...there was a long car trip at either end…and our Sweet Boy loves car trips!

So…I'm' going to call it a win!

Disneyland with a side of Autism day 2

Day two!  Back to Disneyland!  

We spent 45 minutes to an hour battling anxiety….poor Little Man didn't want to eat or get dressed or anything….he threatened to throw up for about a 1/2 hour or so….but finally was able to master it and get started….

 Taking the Disney bus to the park!

We added a few comfort items to help with the anxiety, the Pooh ears were incorporated quickly, in addition to the green sweater we added an "Are you my mother?" book and a DVD copy of "The Lion King."  

These seemed to help…he held them in the car and on the bus…but generally Dad carried them the rest of the day.  We also had along a Matchbox size "Lightning McQueen" and his blue strap for emergency flapping.

Sweet Pea was seriously sporting the 'tourist' look…we added shades and the laniard with pins for trading with cast members…although she never could part with any of them!

Right of the bat we met up with Minnie Mouse!  She was super sweet!

 Just look at how she greeted our boy!  

He rewarded her with a little hug!

We decided to reward her with some love as well!  Being kind to our boy is the number one way of earning some love in our family!  (Works with Sweet Pea too…just saying'!)

Next we ran into Cruella Deville!  He wasn't so sure about this one!  I think she did great!

Dad was always taking video!  We felt like the Kardashians - only…better looking! ;-)

 A little ballet in the Magical Kingdom?  Yes please!

Next we laid out the big bucks for some face painting….sheesh!  I remember this being $5…just shows how old I am!  Thank goodness you can't tip!

The boys decided to chill out in a quiet spot while Sweet Pea and I stood in line to meet Tinkerbell.  We met Iradessa first…. 

Then finally Tink herself!  She was lovely…it's amazing how well they stay in character at all times!  I was very impressed…especially considering how many kiddos they were meeting!

She asked Sweet Pea if she was a water fairy due to the dolphin on her cheek!

Next, we went on the Finding Nemo Submarine ride.  

We were a bit nervous, as it's very cramped quarters…and once you're on…there's no getting out.  We were praying no one brought a crying kid on board.  

We got lucky and it was smooth sailing….he seemed to enjoy it…especially since Nemo is one of, if not the only, favorite movie he owns.

Sweet Pea was a bit scared, as it gets pretty dark at times….it was really cool how they projected scenes from the movie underwater!

Afterwards, little man needed a break, so I took Sweet Pea on the Autopia ride - and even tho I explained to her my grave disappointment as a child in not being tall enough to drive….she insisted!  And what a crazy driver!  We finally worked out a system where I ran the gas and she steered!

 We finally made it over to the famous castle for a quick tour…and to make an appointment at the Bippity, Boppity Boutique!

On the way to the castle, we met up with the Fairy Godmother! 

 We finally decided to pack it in and call it a day….we watched the Submarine ride as we waited in line to take the monorail back to the front of the park.

As we were walking out….we found ourselves swept up in a parade….we finally got out in front and waited for it to catch up at the gates….

Sweet Boy was a little unsure of how loud it was…but he definitely recognized the characters and seemed to enjoy watching the whole thing!

 All in all, day two was a success.  Poor Sweet Boy was dealing with a lot more anxiety…and we almost called it quits at lunch….but by splitting up and taking turns…we were able to stay at the park and stay together.

After Autopia, Dad and Sweet Pea went on the Star Tours ride while Little Man and I chilled out and did some people watching….

We found that after he'd reached his limit…if we promised 'no more rides'…and honored it…he did just fine.
This was a HUGE part of our trying to let go of what we thought this vaca 'should' look like and embracing what it was going to need to be…..

And he did great.

Disney with a side of Autism

Day two of our Epic Spring Break trip to California …..

We went to Disneyland!

Turns out a lot of other people did too….it was Spring Break for the local schools….which made for some enormous crowds….

Little Man was anxious…but not knowing exactly what it was going to be like…he trusted Dad and Mom, got in the car and took a chance!

We discovered quickly that although we had rented a car to maintain as much autonomy as possible with our comings and goings from the park….we were expected to park it in one of the multiple Disney lots…and catch a Disney shuttle bus to the park!
This actually worked out as our little man really likes to ride busses!

And yeah….you're going to see a lot of the green sweatshirt..!  He refused to take it off….. we decided to let go of as many preconceived notions as possible this trip……we wanted to let go of whatever we had in our head that it was supposed to look like…or how it was supposed to go….and just run with it.

If he needed the sweatshirt to feel safe….then by all means!

The first line we hit was the bag check.  It was way less invasive than I was expecting….really more of a glance than anything.
After that…..since we already had tickets…we proceeded directly to the next line…the line to actually get into the park.
This line was pretty long…but judging by the size of the courtyard and number of turnstiles…not as long as it could have been…we waited for maybe 5 to 10 minutes….

Once we got into the park…first stop was some commercial joy!

She was bound and determined to collect as many autographs as she could!

Our next stop was the Disney Town Hall where we were told we could get a Disability Access Pass.
We waited in another line….sensing the theme?….then had the opportunity to briefly explain to a cast member how Disneyland could help accommodate our little man.

They didn't ask for a diagnosis…they just wanted to know what his challenges would be at the park.
I explained his severe anxiety exacerbated by crowds and confined spaces…..and the amplifying effect of waiting in lines for events he's unsure of the outcome….

The very polite and kind cast member scanned all four of our city passes…activating them for the next 7 days….briefly explained the system, signed us up for a return time on our first ride…(Pirate's of the Caribbean)…and we were on our way!

The Disability Access System (DAS) seemed confusing at first…but after using it a couple times…we figured it out ……

In a nutshell….it's very similar to the Fast Pass system…which, I had read online was something you paid for…this is not true.
Fast Passes, near as I could tell, were free…the trick was getting one within the time frame you were planning to be in the park…as often the FP times were for quite late in the evening….also, Fast Passes were limited each day…so if you didn't get one early…you might miss out.

The DAS system is something you sign up for by doing as we did…getting your tickets 'registered' within the system….once you're registered, you simply visit an info desk - there's one in each 'land' - tell the cast member what ride you would like to try and get a "return time."

The return times are based on how long of a wait the ride is experiencing at the time you schedule.
For instance: The wait for Pirates was 60 minutes, therefore we got a return time for 60 minutes from when we scheduled.  An added bonus was that our return time was good for the return time as well as any time AFTER the return time.

The difference is that we didn't have to rush early to get a Fast Pass…and we didn't have to stay in line to wait…we could go about the park and do whatever we wanted instead.

The only hang up with the DAS is you can only have one return time at a time.
I feel it would have made my day even easier if they would let me schedule all of my rides at once.
However, my husband reasons that they don't know what the wait times are going to be….my retort is then why are return times good for the exact time…AND any time after?
We'll never know.  Probably just a hoop Disney wants to make sure people aren't abusing the system as I'm told they were with the old way.

It turned out to be super easy and not terribly inconvenient.  All of the Disney cast members we encountered were super accommodating, helpful and just plain nice about it.
Of course, our disability was pretty up and front the whole time…there was no doubting we were dealing with some serious anxiety and stress.
We just love spreading awareness!

Waiting for the train around the park.  Lucas actually really enjoyed riding the train.  It was very low key and usually meant we were wrapping things up!

Winnie the Pooh ride….super loud…and apparently Pooh took acid before falling asleep?  Crazy!

Each ride has it's own commercial joy store at the end…Little man finally joined the fun and chose some ears….Pooh ears of course!  That's our boy…always marching along to a different drum!  Made it easier to keep track of him - that's for sure!  There was a sea of Mickey and Minnie ears…but very few Pooh….!

After Pooh we did Splash Mountain….and got pretty wet! 

After that fun…. sweet boy needed a rest so he asked to go on the canoe ride.  This is waiting in line….

Since we haven't mastered the skill of swimming yet…we strapped him into a jacket!  Couldn't believe how cooperative he was about the whole thing!  I think he was just relieved to chill out and be mellow for a bit….he woulda worn just about anything!

The next ride we did was Indiana Jones….It looks empty because we got to go through the Fast Pass line.  We walked past hordes of people that had been waiting upwards of 90 minutes!
I mentioned that I felt kind of guilty waltzing right in like that….my darling husband looks at me and says…."One word, ….Applebees!"
Enough said!
For those of you that know us…you're probably familiar with our sorry tale of having to leave our local Applebees after suffering the crushing disappointment of them removing the Gluten Free steak from their menu!  Not our best moment as a family.
Again.  Spreading awareness wherever we go!

Tarzan's tree house!  I had to stop after and stretch out my Quads!  What a lot of stairs!  But a great view of the park!

We watched a parade as we were waiting in line for the "It's a Small World" ride.  Both kids really enjoyed the music and seeing so many characters!

Our ballerina princess posing in front of "It's a Small World!"

We did wait in line to meet the big man, Mickey Mouse.  I was disappointed that it turned out to be the Mickey from Fantasia as I had spotted him around the park in a tux….but the kids didn't seem to mind!

More ballet at Minnie's house….not her best…she was complaining about the shorts jacking her style!

Little man was loving being inside Minnie's house…but was surprised that all of the furniture was hard…!

Missy was taking full advantage of the lifting of the candy ban with some cotton candy!

We rode the train back to the front of the park as our good friend anxiety was threatening to overtake us!  Dad and I got really good at recognizing regular stress/anxiety that we could soothe him out of…and getting ready for a nuclear meltdown stress/anxiety!

We were all pretty hot and tired…so we decided to pack it in and head back to the car.

We had enjoyed a very full day….and he had exceeded all expectations with keeping it together as well as how many rides he went on….so nobody was upset...

On the way out….who should we run in to?  Our good pal Goofy!

He wasn't sure about all the characters…but was a pretty good sport!

All in all…day two at Disney went so much better than we possibly could have dreamed!

I forgot to mention in my first blog….we brought Harrison the hermit crab too!  Everyone we knew that might take care of him while we were gone…had traveling plans as well….so we packed up his tank and brought him along!  He chilled out on the front dash the whole time…happy as a….well….crab!