A Party

Yesterday we went to a birthday party. We have gone to many birthday parties in the past 3 years, but this one was different. We have been to indoor playground parties. We have been to parties with bounce houses. We have been to regular cake and ice cream in the kitchen parties. All of these parties involve Baduka being so very obviously, the odd kid. At indoor playgrounds, he pushes around the one Little Tikes Cozy Coupe they have. At bounce houses, he pushes around the one Little Tikes Cozy Coupe they have. At regular cake and ice cream in the kitchen parties, he finds a mirror, or the families cat.

The point is, he doesn't join in. He doesn't play with the other kids. He doesn't care about the cake (the frosting is a different story,) the presents, or the fun. It always makes me sad. No one wants to see a 3 year old, by himself in the corner of a house, while everyone else is having a party.

Yesterday's party was different. It was in our friend's backyard/kitchen. There was a bounce house set up. There were kids all over the place. Baduka jumped in the bounce house and LOVED it. He played with the kids. When they moved on to the next activity, so did he. He "sang" Happy Birthday, and tried to blow out the candles from across the room. He was the most "normal" I have ever seen him.

But my favorite part had to have been the dance party in the TV room. My friend blasted music and turned on a light machine, and the kids danced and laughed, while red and green lights twirled around the room. Why was this my favorite part? Because HE danced and laughed, too. He joined in and had fun. He smiled so big. Just thinking about it makes me tear up.

Sure, there were normal for Baduka parts to the day, too. He thought it was hilarious to hide in their shed, and pop out laughing, after many minutes of standing in the dark. He ran around screeching. He popped a balloon, and repeatedly handed it to me, expecting me to fix it. He only ate frosting. He tried to figure out what the red and green dots around the room were, and where they were coming from.  But that's okay, because for the first time since his autism diagnosis, I left a party with memories of him being just like everyone else.