Sensitive Santa events are popping up in malls across the country and I am so glad that the Morgantown Mall is participating in the event for the 2nd year. They open the mall from 8-11 am on a Sunday morning for kids with special needs. They keep the lights dim and keep the overhead music off for the kids who have sensitivities to these things. Fortunately lights and noise don't really bother Bobby, but he is heaven that there are no other people there to contend with. We got there a couple of minutes after 8 this morning, before even the people for the Sensitive Santa event started showing up.
We practiced standing and taking pictures before we left...
When we got to the mall, Bobby had to walk by Sears before he could even think about seeing Santa. (I have no idea what his Sears fasination is, but it is always the first place that we MUST go when we enter the mall.)
Bob walked with Bobby to Sears while I filled out the form that they have prepared to make the Santa process a little easier. This way Santa knows the childs name when they get up to him. Santa also already knows what the child would like for Christmas so that he can try to engage them without having to ask questions. Since we were there so early, Bobby was number 2 and we didn't have to wait.
He went right up to Santa but wasn't interested in sitting on his lap. Santa moved over and let Bobby sit beside him. It took a couple of tries but Bobby finally sat for a second, long enough to get a picture.
They offered to take the picture again since Santa was pointing. But I like the picture especially since Bobby is looking in the direction that Santa is pointing. We said that Santa was showing Bobby where the reindeer were. Bobby got up and ran out the entrance to walk around the fence that encloses the Santa area. When he got around to the exit side, Santa encouraged him in to get his candy cane.
Santa looks pleased that Bobby actually took the candy cane.
Next I tried to get Bobby to go play in the area that PlayWorks had set up. He wasn't too interested in playing with their things, after all he has gone there weekly for therapy and played with these items since he was 3. So no big thrill, after all we are in an mall with barely any people. So off to the play place we went. I had second thoughts about letting him play there, since he is too big for the area. But it was empty....so he got to play in the play place all by himself for over half an hour. Bobby paradise, no other kids running around!!!
When he was "all done" playing it was time to walk the mall without all of the holiday shoppers in his way...
One more visit to Sears...
We stopped to say hi to our friends Sonny and Joey. More families were showing up to see Santa. Again we had perfect timing. We got there before the crowds and didn't have to wait!!! So proud, he did a great job.
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