So Much to Celebrate!

Declan sat on the stool, with the virtual reality mask on, looking left and then right.

Bob, Bobby and I watched on the screen as Declan perused the space terrain and the reality he was witnessing.

Suddenly, his movement stopped, and he sat stiff as a board.  I looked to the screen to see what had caught his attention.  An alien appeared in his view and was looking at Declan.

Declan continued to stare at the alien.  He raised his hand up as if to wave and put it back in his lap.

“Declan, look around,” Bob encouraged. 

Declan moved his head slightly to the left, but the alien stayed in view.  And despite our encouragement to peruse other areas, Declan stared at the alien until his time was up and we continued our journey through the museum.

But that is not where we started our Christmas break.  Our fun adventures started when the kids got out of school and we jumped right into Bobby’s birthday tradition, the Bobby Bowl.

The Bobby Bowl started five years ago.  When asked what he wanted for a birthday party he asked for his friends to come over and play a refereed game of flag football.  Each year his request has been the same, but the number of attendees have greatly increased. 

The kids continued to bring Bobby birthday gifts even though we encouraged them not to and it became too much for one child.  So this year, the party became an event and Bobby asked for donations to the Aidan’s Heart Foundation in order to secure an automated external defibrillator ( AED ) for his football team.

Our community was so generous, in the giving of their resources and time for the event to take place, but also in their donations.  This year the Bobby Bowl raised over $3,000 which will secure 3 AED’s for the football team.  Two to stay on site at the practice and game fields and one to travel to away games.  So amazing!

Once the Bobby Bowl came to the end, Bob and I looked at each other and realized we had A LOT to do to get ready for the kid’s actual birthdays and Christmas.  But we managed.

Yes, Declan threw the curve ball three days before Christmas and wrote a new list to Santa.  Thankfully, Amazon was able to help Santa send the Toony Terrors just in time.

The birthday boy had his special day.

Then we celebrated a very merry Christmas.

Cate and I love the movie Clue, so we were pretty excited to see Knives Out.  And were even able to catch Little Women.  Great shows!

And one day, we were able to take Declan to The Franklin Institute so he could see the planetarium and all the other science exhibits he enjoys.  Including some time with one of his favorite people, Ben Franklin.

On to Catelyn’s special day, which we celebrated in her way.

When Catelyn was in first grade, we invited all the girls in her class to a princess party at our house.  Only one girl showed up, and most didn’t even respond to the invite.  Since then, Catelyn writes a schedule for the day that we follow to celebrate.  So, when Bobby went out with his friends to a New Years Eve party, the rest of us were building a fort and then, putting on puppet shows.

At the end of the night, Bob retrieved the boys from the party and brought them to our house.  Seeing a new face, Declan approached.

“I don’t know you, but you are Bobby’s friend.  I am Bobby’s brother.  My name is Declan.  We can be friends too.”

I smiled and laughed a bit on the inside.  Of course, this would be how Declan would approach this new social contact in our house with his brother’s friend.

And it brought me back to that alien the popped into Declan’s virtual reality that day at the institute.  I am sure he was wondering how was he supposed to approach that social contact?  The alien just stared at Declan, and he at the alien wondering what to do next?

Which makes me realize how often I sometimes forget how Declan sees the world, sees others and the rules he follows in his brain. 

Thankfully, I have these little reminders of just how special Declan is.