Our holidays 2010

So, how was your holiday? Did you remember or have a way for your spectrum child to take a break or de-stress? Did you have to use any of your safeguards? Well, our holiday season has been quite an adventure.

We took a journey in an 18 hour drive to Louisiana. This made for bored 8 year old in the back seat for a very long time. The drive down there from Wisconsin was done all in one shot. Yes we stopped for breaks and gas (ha ha). To go on this trip and when I have done others, an activity center is available for my son. It involves a small bin of his favorite toys, his DS game console, coloring books, crayons, and anything else that may help distract him. Distractions did not work so well on the trip to LA. So, needless to say, it was a hard trip. But let me tell you just a little more.

We left in the middle of heavy snow and ten minutes into our journey we were in a ditch. We needed a tow truck to winch us out and that certainly made for an interesting start and an agitated child who went into anxiety land. When I travel as a passenger I have to take dramamine. It's part of my sensory issues. Well, I forgot and got nice and nauseated on the trip in the first hour after being back on the road. But I took my med and felt better in another hour. After that, except for sore legs and buttocks from driving, and a whining child, things went fine. The weather cleared and all went smoothly. We got in to our destination around 9 pm and crashed thankfully on an air mattress.

Our stay was great. My son never really needed any retreat and enjoyed playing with a boy close to his age. He also spent some quality time with dogs. My son is afraid of dogs but he got to meet dogs that were genuinely nice and did him a great deal of good. This includes a total of five dogs in two different homes. One of them was one of the sweetest German Shepherds you could hope to meet. My son got to play in a huge back yard, jump on a trampoline, and just have an all out good time. We also tried new foods, like a four meat gumbo (chicken, shrimp, crawfish, and sausage). Our holiday meal was a feast of great proportions and of excellent selections. I mustn't forget to mention that we also took a trip to the zoo in Monroe. Most enjoyable.

Christmas morning was exciting and my son was beside himself with his gifts. New games for his DS that actually worked on keeping him distracted on the drive home. He had a couple of fits, but no where near where my own anxieties dwelled.

We broke up the drive home into two days and even that still had us exhausted. It was easier on kiddo though, and us too. His DS kept him distracted along with an IPOD that my girlfriend put some apps on for him. Mostly the DS though.

I'm not saying my son's behavior was perfect though. He was way out of routine and that caused some erratic behaviors and a tough bedtime and one tough morning. But, like it said, it was better than I thought. I hope that all your holidays turned out wonderful. Best of luck as we head into a new year!