What A Weekend!!!

Weeks and weeks ago, I received a message from my niece saying that she wanted to come in to visit and surprise Grandma (my mom) for her birthday.  Of course I said that I would help her to pull off this surprise.  She flew in to Pittsburgh on Thursday morning, so I dropped Bobby off at school on Thursday and drove straight to the airport to pick up the big birthday surprise.  Please don't tell Bobby that he missed an opportunity to run around the luggage carousels!!!

Earlier in the week I asked my mom to an early birthday lunch, because this seemed the perfect way to pull off "Operation Surprise Grandma."  She said yes that she would love to go to lunch.  I told her that I had "a meeting" earlier that morning and that I would meet her at the restaurant at noon.  

Thankfully, everything worked as planned.  My mom's sister, Mimi, also came along for the birthday lunch.  I fibbed and told my mom that my friend Noelle wanted to come along too and to please get a table for four.  Mom and Mimi were already seated when I arrived and perfectly my mom's back was facing out into the restaurant so she wouldn't see the surprise before she was supposed to.  I sat down and got out my phone acting like I was doing something, but oddly enough I was holding it up in the air....I wanted to videotape the arrival.  My mom's expression was priceless, you could tell that she was 100% surprised!!!! (I will keep trying to upload the video, but right now it won't let me.)

  You couldn't get the big smile off of Grandma's face!!!  After lunch the girls went home and I picked up Bobby from school.  Later that evening I took Bobby to Grandma's so that he could see his cousin.

On Friday, again please don't tell Bobby that we had more fun without him, we went out for another fun lunch.  The girls experienced their first Primanti Bros. sandwich.  

Is she going to be able to eat this huge thing?????!!!!!???  You just have to give it a big smush down.

 Ashley's sandwich is larger than her head!!!

Bob won't have any problem with his sandwich, he's an experienced pro!!  Striking a pose to show off!

I wimped out and got a hamburger.....

Still huge, you just can't go wrong at Primanti's.

Don't feel too bad for Bobby that he missed out on the fun.  He had his last day of swimming at school.  Given the opportunity, he would choose swimming over sitting in a restaurant anyday.

He was up and ready for school in his swim trunks almost an hour before time to leave for school. Wow, what a long morning.  The day even got better for Mr. Bobby, after school he had Tiny Tykes tumbling at the gymnastics center!!

The girls came to our house on Saturday, which was Grandma's actually birthday.  I took Bobby with me to the grocery store in the morning to help pick out the candles for Grandma's birthday cake. He impressed me with the amount of time that he spent looking at the candles and he even picked out some blue cookie icing, which I never actually used on the cake, and last but not least he searched through the sprinkles until he found the perfect one for his grandmother.

We came home and baked a cake for Grandma complete with blue/green sprinkles and the swirly candles that he finally picked out.

We had a cookout for dinner....hotdogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob.  After dinner, we got to eat Grandma's cake.  But first, she had to blow out her birthday candles.  Thankfully she had some help!!

What's a birthday party without presents??!!!???

 Currently, Grandma's favorite colors are blues and greens.  She calls them her "signature colors" so her gifts reflected her signature!!  Bracelets, glasses and candles all to match her shirt!!

While the girls weren't with us, they went to see two different movies, played games, watched tv....basically, just spent some quality time together.

Sunday finally came and Ashley was scheduled to fly home later in the day.  However, since we had her for a few more hours, we all went to the Wharf District Rail Trail and participated in an autism walk to support some of Bobby's peers and socialize with many of our autism friends.  Let me tell you something......there could not have been a more perfect weather day for this walk.  It was perfect! Not too hot and not too cold, especially when you have a group of kids who have sensitivities to these issues.  Perfect, perfect, perfect!!!

 Bobby and Natalie

Bobby, me, Noelle and Natalie 

 Bobby, me and Ashley

 Grandma, Ashley and Bobby

 Bobby and Natalie looking out at the amphitheater entertainment. 

 Bobby!!

Bobby saw Mr. Mike (his occupational therapist for YEARS) sitting in the bleachers and went over to him and took off his visor and sunglasses.  After all, Mr. Mike never wore these items when he saw him in the therapy room and I guess it just didn't look like him while he was wearing these items.  This happened a couple of more times and finally Mike put the visor onto Bobby's head.  Low and behold, Bobby wore the visor for half of the walk..... 

until someone walking behind us said, he threw his hat down!!  We gave the visor back to Mr. Mike and all was right in the world again. 

Ashley and Bobby

 Bobby veered over into the grass so that he could make it to the playground with no foot traffic.

Time to play.

 We finally made it make to the end of the walk and Bobby sat down and had a little hydration before we headed home.

Sadly it was time to head back to Pittsburgh International Airport and drop off Ashley so that she could return home and get back to work on Monday morning.  By the way, when did she grow up, graduate from college and get a job???  I still picture her and her beautiful sister running down the stairs on Christmas morning to see what Santa had brought.  Sniff sniff.

Good bye sweet girl!!  We will miss you!!  We all had a great weekend!!

Bobby relaxed with his good friend Elmo to wind down from all of the weekend fun. 

The Truth Behind A Picture

Yesterday after Tiny Tykes Tumbling I posted this picture on my facebook page....

I was so excited when I was downloading my pictures from my camera to get such a cute picture of these two boys.  For those of you who don't know us personally, this is Bobby and his classmate Sonny.  Bobby and Sonny started school together at age 3 and now that they are getting ready to turn 10, they have spent the past 7 years going to school together, going to the same therapies and doctors, and having playdates together, like it or not, for years.  It is hard to get a picture of the two of them in the same frame, let alone looking like they are enjoying each other's company.  Whoo hoo, it looks like a picture of "brotherly" love!!

And now.....for the rest of the story!

Bobby perched himself on this vault and for some reason was enjoying sitting up here, however, most of the time he was facing the other side which curves down.  Sonny saw Bobby sitting up here alone and decided that he wanted to sit up on the vault with Bobby.  Sonny was determined to climb up there beside Bobby but Bobby kept pushing him down before he could get to the top.  So, I had to intervene.  "Bobby, do not push!!  Let Sonny sit beside you!!"

I prompted Bobby to move over to the side and Sonny's WVU student helper helped him get up on the vault beside Bobby.  Then.......Bobby pushed Sonny off to the front, like a sliding board.

Bobby once again was alone on the vault, but not for long.

 Don't they look annoyed with each other!!

Getting ready to push Sonny off again.  This makes Bobby very happy.

 This went on for about 5 minutes, Sonny climbing up and Bobby pushing him down, and then Sonny's helper and I got bored with this whole process.  But pushing Sonny down this "slide" made Bobby giggle.  That loud autism belly laugh giggle.  This giggle is contagious and made Sonny smile too, which led to this beautiful picture.....

It looks like they are just so happy to be together, when in fact they are smiling because they are annoying each other!!  Whatever it is, I love these two boys and LOVE this picture!!!

A couple of more pictures from tumbling....

 Another classmate, Jacob, sitting beside Bobby.  They are waiting their turn to jump on the big trampoline.

Apparently, Bobby is very huggable today!!

This one just cracks me up.

It's Getting Easier!!!

After Bobby outgrew a stroller and shopping cart, taking him with me was.....well, exhausting.  In no way whatsoever was taking Bobby to any store fun.  At the beginning of last summer, working on Bobby's shopping skills was one of my main goals.  His behavioral therapist even came out with us to the mall to help develop some shopping strategies.

I'm so excited to say that each time that we have gone out it has been just a little easier.  In fact, the past 3 times that we have gone into a store, I have not had to hold on to Bobby in any way.  I never, ever, never, ever dreamed that this would be the case.

Because today is a snow day and the roads cleared off early, I decided to take Bobby to the grocery store to work on one of his waiver goals (Title XIX Waiver are the services that Bobby receives through the state).  Today's goal, Bobby is to locate 3 items from a list to purchase.  I didn't have picture cards with me, I wasn't really planning on this little trip today, I was planning on him being in school.  Instead, I verbally told him what to find.

First up "bananas," he went right over to the bananas, picked up a bunch and placed them in the basket that I was carrying.  Next "apples," again he went right over and found them.  I got a bag that I knew that he would actually eat.  He doesn't realize that Mommy squeezes all of the apples to find the most firm because Bobby won't touch an apple that is the least bit soft.  Next on our list, "pretzels." These are in the health food section of the store because they are a gluten free variety, he went right over and found the hole where they belong.  Someone bought all of the Snyders Gluten Free Honey Mustard pretzels, of all the nerve!!!!  He picked up the Hot Buffalo Wing flavored instead.  He hasn't tried them yet, but my guess is that he will like them, if he doesn't I'm sure Daddy will.

He already made his goal of finding 3 items!!  Whoo Hoo!!  Since he was doing so well, Mommy pressed on.  I also realized that there weren't many people in the store, so I got out my phone and started snapping some pictures.

Next on our list, "bacon."

Hey, wait a minute, that's not bacon!!!  He studied this shelf for a while.

No, you can't have the family sized Cheetos.  Try again!!!

Yes, you may have a regular sized bag of plain.  He gently placed it in the basket like it was a new born baby!!  OK Bobby, now find the bacon!

He walked right over to the bacon section and picked up a package of center cut Oscar Myer bacon, the only kind that Bobby will eat.  However, he picked up thick cut and I swapped it out for regular sliced because he won't eat the thick.  Oh Bobby, you are such a complicated eater!!!

Next on the list, "french fries."

I didn't even have to tell him which aisle, he went straight to the correct case.  I just stood back to see what he would do.

 He opened the door and pulled out the one that he wanted....waffle fries.

He walked over and put into into the basket.

He then walked to the cashier with me and stood nicely until he realized that the crackers were right behind us.  He ran over and picked up a box of Cheeze Its, I put them back and told him he already had a treat, potato chips.  He was fine and came to the cash register with me.  Waited while I paid and he carried the bag of apples to the car and I carried the other two bags.  He opened his car door, got in and we went home.

I honestly didn't foresee a future where Bobby could walk independently through a store.  Ahhhhh, it's getting easier.