SEEING PROGRESS: Halloween 2016

I daresay these siblings had a great time at the Fall festival activities!

A holiday is an easy mark of a year’s passing, and judging from our 2016 Halloween season, it has been an excellent year for Jack! One year older, one year of growing. I know it’s time to move on from Halloween, but can I just stop and bask in some progress for a moment?

No doubt about it, this year Jack performed as a BIG KID! He not only participated in holiday activities, but he enjoyed them.

Climb up, slide down, stand up, REPEAT.

Take the Fall festival for instance. Jack was running from one activity to the next. Check out this slide picture: once we found a sled and I pointed to the stairs, this kid was off and running. He waited in line properly, set himself up in his sled, and pushed himself off with no fear. He then landed in a pit of corn kernels (a larger than life sensory bin) with not one issue with corn in his shoes, or all over him. Up with a smile to repeat the process over and over. Can we say BIG KID?!

I will mention two obstacles he overcame: a haunted house and the corn maze. I was very proud of him for making it through. The haunted house was a very tame one for little kids. He almost backed out at the beginning; he was shaking and upset with the darkness and glowing things. I wanted him to try it and see that it just might be okay. He tolerated it and we made it out, happy to get back into the light. He did truly enjoy the corn maze once he made the unknown steps through the entrance.

Mario-Luigi and a makeshift Dora.

On to the church party. Once we figured out costumes, confirming that he DID NOT want to be the planned ninja turtle I assumed we had decided on, all was well. He gravitated back to last year’s Mario costume, however this year he decided he wanted to be Luigi at the last moment, so a green shirt fixed that issue.

Cake walking over and over again.

He joined in the games, again like a BIG KID. He created a great time for himself.

Mario-Luigi is DONE with the party. But he is smiling.

And when he declared himself ‘done’, he quietly laid down on the floor, scooting himself along on his back. Not so ‘big kid’, but I will take that over a meltdown any day!

All smiles at the school Halloween parade, this time as full on red Mario.

The school costume parade was darling, obviously. This is the first year I was able to go to Jack’s school to watch (see my thoughts about last year’s parade here). He reverted back to a red Mario for the big day.

Yep, our Mario is hanging with the big trick or treating kids.

And finally, trick or treating. We went around with another family with kids of similar ages. This was the first year that I was not there prompting him at the door and hurrying him along after the other kids. Jack caught on to the candy collecting ritual very quickly. He knew to say “trick or treat” and “thank you” quite consistently that night. If a house was decorated ‘spooky’, Jack commented on the smoke or skeleton stuff, but pushed through to the candy.

He’s got this figured out. Hurry to the next door!

The night ended as well as it started. The tired boy was happy to get into bed soon after getting home. Oddly enough, Jack’s not really into candy. He ate a few pieces that night and hasn’t inquired about his stash since.

I cannot complain one bit about our Halloween season this year. I’m just enjoying relishing in the progress my BIG KID has made in one year. Can’t wait to see what Jack can do next year—however, I don’t think the Mario costume will fit him again!

>> I sincerely hope that my friends in special needs parenting are seeing some forms of progress or enjoyment in their children. Sometimes there are horrible days and we are only moving backward. And then some days the rewards are revealed. I hope you are seeing happy moments among the challenges! <<