Celebrating Independence...in a therapeutic sort of way
Holidays always bring a fair amount of anxiety in our house. The anticipation, the excitement, the change...the same type of reaction that Hunter has for birthday parties. His playgroup for the last week had focused on the celebration of the Fourth. They read a book about Fourth of July mice, made shakers, flags, and other cute projects. I felt that Hunter was prepared, but we still experienced some difficulties.
Festivities started on the 3rd at a friend's house for a cookout, bounce house, water slide, and a LARGE group of people. I had to work till about 6, so we were late getting there. Peter was still at work, so I decided to brave it on my own. I thought we would make it until 7:30, when everyone had planned on heading to the fireworks. WRONG! We headed to the backyard when we arrived, so the kids could bounce and jump for a bit. The water slide was still set up, so a few minutes after the kids had started jumping, a little boy ran from the water slide to the bounce house, and accidentally bumped Hunter and he fell in a water puddle. As we have experienced before, Hunter does not like to have wet clothes....so the perfect solution was to just take his shorts off in front of the 30 people in the backyard. He would not put his shorts back on, so we walked, hand-in-hand, Peyton on my hip, to the car (with Hunter in his undies). I was praying I had an extra set of shorts in there, but no luck. I called Peter to meet us with a pair of shorts, but just as I hung up the phone, Paige had come to the car with a large red snow cone and proceeded to spill it down my entire front. At that point, I decided to wrap it up. Game over. :)
I brought the kids home and we had planned on taking them all back to the park for the fireworks- however, Hunter had so much anxiety about the noise that we told him he didn't have to go, and I would stay home with him and watch from Paige's window. We had his headphones ready for him and packed a distracting snack, but he went to his room to play McQueen when Paige and Peter started to get ready to leave. At the last moment, he came running down the stairs, crying, and said, "I want to go! I want to see the fireworks!"
Daddy put a smaller set of headphones into his phone and turned on music for him, and off they went. Peter said he started to grind his teeth and put his hands to his ears when they started, but then calmed and actually enjoyed watching the fireworks.
Festivities started on the 3rd at a friend's house for a cookout, bounce house, water slide, and a LARGE group of people. I had to work till about 6, so we were late getting there. Peter was still at work, so I decided to brave it on my own. I thought we would make it until 7:30, when everyone had planned on heading to the fireworks. WRONG! We headed to the backyard when we arrived, so the kids could bounce and jump for a bit. The water slide was still set up, so a few minutes after the kids had started jumping, a little boy ran from the water slide to the bounce house, and accidentally bumped Hunter and he fell in a water puddle. As we have experienced before, Hunter does not like to have wet clothes....so the perfect solution was to just take his shorts off in front of the 30 people in the backyard. He would not put his shorts back on, so we walked, hand-in-hand, Peyton on my hip, to the car (with Hunter in his undies). I was praying I had an extra set of shorts in there, but no luck. I called Peter to meet us with a pair of shorts, but just as I hung up the phone, Paige had come to the car with a large red snow cone and proceeded to spill it down my entire front. At that point, I decided to wrap it up. Game over. :)
I brought the kids home and we had planned on taking them all back to the park for the fireworks- however, Hunter had so much anxiety about the noise that we told him he didn't have to go, and I would stay home with him and watch from Paige's window. We had his headphones ready for him and packed a distracting snack, but he went to his room to play McQueen when Paige and Peter started to get ready to leave. At the last moment, he came running down the stairs, crying, and said, "I want to go! I want to see the fireworks!"
Daddy put a smaller set of headphones into his phone and turned on music for him, and off they went. Peter said he started to grind his teeth and put his hands to his ears when they started, but then calmed and actually enjoyed watching the fireworks.
Late to bed, early to rise....and off to the parade! The lack of sleep, the large amount of people on the streets, and the noise all contributed to the lovely behavior we experienced at the parade. He didn't want to sit, and then he didn't have a chair, and then it was too loud, and then he was too thirsty, and then he didn't want a flag, and then he didn't have a bucket to collect the candy the people were throwing...the list goes on and on. However, he did semi-smile for one family picture and a couple sibling pictures.
After the parade, we headed to our sweet friends' home to swim and have lunch. The kids had a great time splashing and making water balloons. Hunter had great behavior, although seemed to be a little tired- actually laid on the ground next to the pool as our friend Miss Jen rubbed his back- he was ready to take a nap right there! We headed home after lunch and Peyton did not even last the five minute drive- he was exhausted!
We let Paige and Hunter have a movie day to relax- sleeping bags and Cars 2. Hunter was in Heaven!
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| Yummy! GF dirt cake! Complete with worms. |
At the end of each day, for the last month, I have started to tell each of the kids three reasons why I am proud of them (different for every day). Tonight, Hunter wanted me to mention the fireworks again. He was so happy with himself for attending, even when the noise could not have been greater. It reminded me of one night, three months post-virus, in our old house. I laid him in his crib, and he said, "Mommy- I am so proud of you." I remember posting it on Facebook, because I was so amazed at this statement from a two year old. Recalling it now brings tears to my eyes, because even if it was scripted, even if he must have heard me say it to him several times, over and over again, not knowing what lay ahead in our future, it melts my heart and allows me to wake each morning with the attitude that today is a new day. Today I will make a difference in his life. Today I will make him proud---of himself.
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| The first bang |
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