The days go slipping by.  It's funny, I've been doing this blog for so long – and so many bloggers I know have picked up and moved on – but I don't ever really think about shutting this blog down until I hit these spots where a week or more has gone by and I haven't blogged.  In fact, I didn't even notice that I hadn't blogged. That's when I think maybe I should hang it up. 

But I probably won't get around to it, just like sometimes I don't get around to blogging. :) 

Anyway, I wanted to talk about our Disneyland trip, especially as it relates to Chance's SPD and ADHD. Because our first trip to Disneyland was such a disaster, all trips after and onward have become a kind of barometer for how he's doing. On that first trip Chance had a hard time dealing with all the noise (because the place is never quiet), the enclosed rides, the general sensory overload, and then on top of that lots of walking and waiting in line. It was just HARD and we didn't really have a handle on the SPD yet.  The second time we went, he had gotten a significant amount of OT by that point and we had his noise cancelling headphones so it was a marked improvement. Not perfect but better.

This year, his thrid trip, went really well!  His default answer on trying new rides or shows is, "No thanks," and we've never been sure if that's because of memories from his first trip or just general SPD anxiety. He's better when it's a ride or show that's out in the open where he can see everything going on, but much of Disneyland is hidden inside rooms or behind mazes of lines.  However, this year, even though he was saying "no thanks" initially, we did get him to try several new rides and shows with a little coaxing. By the very end of the trip he was willingly trying new rides.  And then, AND THEN, we met up with some friends and their kids for dinner and he tried some new food too!  Not just one new thing either, but several new things. This is a big deal. Not that he's a terribly picky eater but he went through his picky eater phase, you know what I mean, and now he's pulling out of it!  Mainly because his friends were there.  Ah, the power of peer pressure!  I love you. For now. Not when he's a teenager and goes all stupid.

Anywho, those are the big highlights. That doesn't mean there still weren't a few meltdowns. I mean, Jesus, have you been there?  ALL the kids have meltdowns at some point.  And some of the parents, too.  Especially during that magic period right before dinner but before the parade and after walking all day and "Where all you going kids? We're not done yet"!  It must suck for the employees there who pull that shift. I also had one woman come up and ask where I got Chance's headphones. I could tell she was at that desperate-to-talk-to-someone beginning point of dealing with special needs that we've all been through.  I feel you, hon. And I wrote down a few websites for her to check out at home.

So that was it! Vast improvement over all and I hope the vacations just keep getting better.  Me and Keen even got to sneak out a couple of times to ride the grownup rides!  Wow, that came out sounding like an innuendo. We snuck out separately.  Um. Don't worry, Chance was always supervised by at least one of us.

            – the weirdgirl