Swimming party

 Bobby was invited to a swimming birthday party.  Since he didn't help me shop for the gift I had him help me wrap the presents.

In this picture he looks like he is actually wrapping the present, when in fact, he is unwrapping the present so that he can play with the wrapping paper.  Funny thing about going to a birthday party for a kid with autism...I asked his mom for some gift ideas.  The list included laserdiscs, used VHS tapes, books of artists prints...only our kids, gotta love them.  Bob used to have a laserdisc player and sold it a few years ago at a flea market.  He checked through his record albums and there was a prized laserdisc hidden in the pile (the rest were sold with the player).  Yeah, we have a coveted laserdisc birthday present!!  I did buy a couple of things to go with the disc, but as an autism mom, I know that the child could care less about how much you spend on them.

Still looking like a champion wrapper but he is still trying to get the paper for himself.

Classic Bobby...checking out every angle of the wrapped gift.

Some ribbon for the gift, some ribbon for the Bobby!!

Oh my goodness, a lot of ribbon for Bobby!! 

We were off to the Health Plex in Fairmont, a place that we have never been before.  Bobby knew he was going swimming since he was wearning his swimtrunks under his pants and Mommy had her bathing suit on under her clothes.  We picked up Grandma to come with us to help (Daddy finally caught Mommy's awful cold and he feels yucky). 

There are 2 pools in the Health Plex, a lap pool and a therapy pool.  Everyone told us to go into the lap pool first because once you go into the theapy pool you won't want to get out (96 degree temp!!).  Bobby got right into the lap pool and was happy because there was only one other kid in the water.

Bobby let me hold my arm under him while he practiced swimming.  Bobby got out and decided that he wanted to go into the theapy pool, which was alright with me!!

Nothing like walking into 96 degree water and standing in it up to your neck.  I'm sure that there are many therapy pools in heaven!!  It gradually got deeper as you went to the right. 

Bobby walked up and down the stairs.  I stayed in the pool with him and Grandma redirected him back down the stairs each time he came back up.  Eventually more and more kids came and everyone got into the therapy pool.  Too many people for Bobby so he wanted back into the lap pool. 

The ends of the lap pool are 4 ft, then gradually goes to 4 ft. 6 in., then to 4 ft. 11 in., back to 4'6", and finally back to 4'.  So Bobby could touch on the ends but he kept trying to get to the middle.  I had my arm under his middle and I finally just let go and he didn't sink!!  He did a lot of treading with his upper body and I had to pull his legs back up behind him, but he went across 4 laps without going under.  I kept saying "kick" because he was wanting to just use his arms.  The times when he was kicking in unison, he was swimming great.  A few more times and I think that he will be a pro.  In our pool he can touch the bottom and doesn't have the need to actually swim.  Bobby is not a kid who lets you help him, he has to figure it out on his own. 

When you have a child who has to wear a tracking device because he "wanders" (which now is a medical diagnosis), teaching them to swim is high on your priority list.  If Bobby did wander from home and found water, he would be right in without hesitation.  Things like this are the thoughts that keep us up at night.  So beyond excited that he was swimming!!!