Bobby's World: Christmas Through Bobby's Eyes

Bobby is excited about this Christmas season. He began asking for Santa Claus when the decorations began appearing in the stores. We are beyond thrilled that we have actual proof that Bobby has Christmas spirit! The thing about Bobby, however, is that making a Santa list is not on his agenda. He is excited to actually see Santa but he doesn't tell Santa what he wants for Christmas. He isn't memorized by all of the toy catalogs that fill our mailbox everyday even when I make him sit down with me and look at each page to see if there is anything that he would like. I was thrilled when he went to the toy department at Target with me and actually picked out a few toys that he would like and put them in our cart. Yet he was not at all upset when I put them all back on the shelf. To Bobby, Christmas has nothing to do with the gifts that Santa, Mommy and Daddy, Grandma or anyone else get for him. He would be 100% fine if he didn't get any gifts at all. He just does not care about getting new things. To Bobby, Christmas is about all of it.....the decorations, lights, Christmas tree, traditional parties, seeing Santa and he loves all of this.....with a pure innocent heart.

Because of this, I decorate earlier than I did in the past. The Saturday before Thanksgiving we put up our Christmas tree so that Bobby could enjoy it over his week long break from school. His eyes light up when Mommy opens the storage area door and drags out the first storage container.

He immediately begins to help.

That is until he just gets in the way!!!

When I put up my tree, I do one row at a time. I put on the branches and then the lights before moving on to the next row. After three rows were on Bobby and Zoi both came to make sure that enough lights were on the tree!! They are so helpful that way!! Ahhh, the extra challenge of stepping over a child and a dog while putting the tree together.

My view of Bobby while I was assembling the tree. He looked up at me most of the time. After the tree was finally completed, he ran to get his iPad so that he could relax and spend time in the best space in the house....under the Christmas tree!

The final product.....

He spends a great deal of time sitting here to watch the lights.

The weather this particular weekend was close to 70 degrees outside, the perfect time to go outside and put up the outdoor decorations.

Bobby didn't offer to help with these decorations this year...it was too nice of a day and he had his playing to do! But he was front and center to check them out as soon as it started to get dark.

It was finally time for Bobby's favorite holiday party of the year....a VIP Autism Christmas Party hosted by the charity (The Lucas Fund) that is run by one of our good friends. As always before we leave for different events, I have Bobby stand in front of the tree to get a picture!!

Previous years the party was held at Nemacolin Resort but this year it was right here in Morgantown at CTA. A new place to check out!! Fun!! When we got there we went upstairs to the party room for snacks. Bobby sat down beside Lucas to wait until time to go down into the gym.

Oh what a long, long, long wait time!! Bobby finally just turned his chair around so that he could look down over the gym.

Finally time to go play!!! What.....two bouncy houses....this place ROCKS!!!!

I can't even begin to tell you how happy all of the kids, and parents, were. Especially because we had been going through a couple of rainy, grey, blah days and the kids were bouncing off of the wall at home. Finally, getting some energy out!!

Bobby went and picked up a "soccer ball" and sat down in front of one of the bouncy houses. He then rolled it to me so that I could kick it back to him. This went on for a while!!

Sonny came over to see what was going on and the boys had a little brotherly wresting match.

Bobby finally discovered that there was a tumble track and started jumping. After jumping he wanted another "soccer ball" so that he could throw it into the foam pit.

Bobby and Lucas became drawn to each other at this point and they rolled around and played for a while. Bobby kept trying to push Lucas into the pit and apparently Lucas didn't mind because he kept coming back for more. They were super cute together. We were just excited that they were paying attention to each other.

We tried to get a picture of Jen (the hostest with mostest) and some of the kids from the party. There were many more kids there, but this was all that we could wrangle together.

We got up and ready first thing Sunday morning for Sensitive Santa at the Morgantown Mall. We love, love, love this event. So.....obligatory pictures in front of the Christmas tree. This time Zoi got in on the action too!!

Cheese.........

We love this event so much. It is much more than just seeing Santa. The kids all get to ride the train and we see all of our friends. First we had to get in line and wait. We really didn't have to get in line, but this was a perfect place to work on waiting skills.

Then Elder Beerman opened their front doors and Bobby was memorized watching this process happen.

Finally Bobby's turn. He sat right down with Santa....who, by the way, is the same Santa he's been with for every Sensitive Santa event.

As you exit from Santa, the kids could get right onto the train if they wanted. Of course, Bobby wanted!!! We met a new friend on the train!

After the train ride Bobby got to go "slide" as he calls it.....playing in the play area is what the rest of us call it!!

He didn't get to play alone this time, it was full of boys his age with autism. They all ran around and played all while not acknowledging each other in any way! After he played it was time to ride the train again. Our friend Andrew was already sitting on the full train, so his mom and I decided to let the boys ride alone while he walked close by.

Here's the crazy mall train that Bobby dreams about and adores!!

He had a wonderful weekend with these two fun traditional Christmas events. My indoor decorating is complete and I'm excited about something. Bobby has left all of the Christmas tree ornaments alone this year. So I'm thinking that this is probably the last year for the Bobby safe decorations on my big tree and I can get out the one's that I have kept in storage for the past few years because he had been breaking so many. I put some of them out on this little tree in the dining room and he hasn't bothered them at all!! Whoo hoo!!