A PERFECT DAY

We loaded Bobby up in the car to take a ride!!  Score Bobby!!  He loves, loves, loves riding in the car.  He doesn't care where we go, but the longer the ride, the better.

He knows immediately when we turn onto a road that he has never been on.  This brings great excitement to Bobby (which isn't captured in this picture in which I held the camera up and hoped for the best in actually getting him in the shot.)

It was such a beautiful day for a drive to the Laurel Highlands in PA.  The temp was 64 when we left home so I put Bobby in shorts because he was going to get a workout later.  The sun was shining and the leaves were pretty.  When we finally turned off the main road, Bobby was so super excited and so were Bob and I.  The Nemacolin Resort golf course is beautifully landscaped.  I didn't get the best pictures since we were in the car...

 Bob was salivating at this point!!

Our directions said take a Left immediately after the buffalo.  Well, I assumed that this was the buffalo...

But no, this isn't a buffalo, they meant after the real, live buffalo!!  Oh my goodness, there is a zebra!!!

There were many other animals, but I didn't get any pictures.  We were on a mission, we had a birthday party to get to!!  I did get a pic of this cute fisherman at one of the ponds...

We arrived at our destination!!  The Hardy Girls Gym at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort!  Bobby didn't want to walk in the building, but once he finally got in and looked around...the angels sang!!  We have arrived in Bobby's heaven!!!!  He immediately started jumping...

Going to a birthday party for another special needs child is just so, so, so, so much more relaxing for us than trying to go to a typical child's party.  No party games with prizes here, just go jump kids!  Have fun.  No we are NOT going to try to make you all sit and have cake and ice cream.  We are NOT going to try and make you sit while we open gifts!!  Just go play!!!!!

At the very beginning of the party, we sang Happy Birthday to Lucas, he got a cupcake to blow out the candle while the adults took some pictures and the rest of the kids continued to play.

There were snacks, cupcakes, drinks if anyone wanted them.  Just go help yourself.  Otherwise, the kids can jump and play until 3:00.  Perfect!!

 Confession time....I am in love with this boy/man jumping with Bobby.  Not a romantic love, but a love of his ability to jump with our boys for 2 hours.  I asked him to move next door to us so that he could jump with Bobby in our trampoline every day.

 Bobby would wander off, find him, grab his hand and bring him back to the trampoline.  "You jump!'

For a lot of kids with autism (especially those who are "sensory seekers," a type of sensory processing disorder) jumping is much more than play, it is really a type of therapy.  You know how good you feel after a massage?  This is how Bobby feels after jumping.  He is so much more relaxed.  Bobby does not like crowds at all, he prefers to be alone.  After an hour of jumping, he is sitting on the trampoline full of kids and he is having fun.  Bobby did NOT hit, push, shove, kick once yesterday.  He was in such close proximity to all of these kids and had ZERO negative behaviors!!!!  Bob and I were on cloud 9!!!

 Bobby learned to levitate...

The other autism moms and I sat and planned out a new community for us.  We are going to all live on the same street, build a building like this that is 1/2 gym/trampoline room, 1/2 indoor swimming pool.  We are going to hire the guy in the green shirt to work there full time to jump with our kids whenever they want.  Ahhh, when we win the $300 million lottery, we are going to implement this plan :)

 The happy birthday boy.

Wesley is flying high.

Bob and I were making up a conversation between Bobby and Wesley for this picture.  It always starts with Bobby saying, "hey, no one's looking..."

and ends with Wesley saying..."hey chicks, here I am!!" 

Yes, I know, we need a new hobby!!!  I got into the jumping action with the boys.  I look like I am yawning, but pretty sure I am laughing...

Daddy didn't jump this time because his back is hurting.  He was banished to the car seat (you had to be there to get this!!) because it was the only seat with a back on it.  

The only hard part of the day was getting Bobby to leave!  At least we still had a wonderful car ride ahead of us.  Bobby had an awesome evening.  He played extremely well and was in a good mood.  So to recap...this was A PERFECT DAY!!!!!  Happy Birthday Lucas and THANK YOU for the invitation!!!!