Halloween Party 2011

Today was our 3rd annual Halloween party for the kids from our usual playgroup.  As I was preparing the food and setting up, Bobby took me by the hand into the dining room and put my hand onto the hutch as if he was saying, "Hey Mom, you know that I like to eat with the good dishes at the dining room table!!"  I had to let him down this time.  A party for 4 kids with autism and 2 younger siblings didn't seem like the best time to have a "formal" sit down meal in the dining room.  Sorry Bobby, next time!!!

Doesn't really scream "formal dinner" now, does it??  So the kids had to sit at the kitchen table and eat their pizza and chips off of paper plates...

Isabella, Andrew and Joey eating pizza, chips and cookies. 

Bobby ate his pizza before the kids came over so that he would actually sit and eat and not just eat chips and cookies throughout the whole party. 

Bobby didn't wear his costume, but did wear his Batman pj bottoms and a Steelers shirt in honor of the new Batman movie being filmed in Pittsburgh.

 Last year we learned that the kids have zero interest in decorating pumpkins. We didn't have them carve the pumpkins, all that they had to do was stick on pre-cut decorations and still the moms ended up with the activity. No pumpkin decorating this year!!  We did, however, play some new games and all of the kids participated, like it or not.  You will have to check out my friend Noelle's blog for much better pictures of the kids playing (she was the official photographer of the party). 

Noelle helping Natalie throw the bean bag through the pumkin mouth.

Princess Isabella taking her turn, while Sonny enjoy a movie from the couch.

Ninja Joey was busy showing off his ninja moves in the trampoline.



Inviting a group of people over is not high on the list of Bobby's favorite things so we keep our guest list very limited and try to keep the same group of kids so that Bobby knows who and what to expect.  Bobby also does not participate in games or activities unless I make him.  We had the perfect opportunity to use some of the techniques that Bobby is learning in his ABA therapy to take his turn and play a game.  He did better than I had anticipated...

(I'll try again tomorrow morning to upload the video clip, too tired to wait tonight!!)

When it was time to leave, Joey and Isabella hugged good-bye...

I love seeing these two kids together and hope that they remain friends throughout their entire lives because they share one commonality that will be huge in their lives, they both have siblings who have autism.  I know how important it is for me in my life to have mom friends who also have children with autism, they just "get it" and we don't have to explain our feelings, we just know.