We survived haircuts, barely. Christian was having a lot of anxiety over his haircut and inconsolable at times. Charlie did amazing considering how haircuts used to go for him, yay! And Easton took them up on their offer on all the bells and whistles....haircut, massage, hair wash and warm towel!
We decided on lunch at Culver's, not far from the Barber Shop. The boys like the food there and they can get a small dish of ice cream with their meal after they are done eating. Lunch went spectacularly well! We only had one awkward social interaction towards the end. As we were leaving the booth we were sitting at, Charlie stood up on the seat to walk towards the end of the booth and casually patted the man sitting behind us on the head! The man looked back at us and smiled. I, of course, apologized. Thankfully he was super sweet and said he had 5 grandkids and that nothing really phased him anymore.
On to the movie! I was really hoping things would go smooth since the rest of our morning was going fairly well. I felt since it was a Friday afternoon and other schools were in session, that we wouldn't have to hassle with a full theater. Which was one reason we wanted to try to do this today. Popcorn, check. Movie tickets, check. Let's do this! We chose the very back row because we know Charlie sometimes likes to stand up during the movie and move around. There were only a handful of other people in the theater with us, which is helpful. 5 minutes into the movie and Charlie was already bouncing in his seat, talking loudly, and moving constantly. He was out in the hallway a couple of times for a drink and to get up and move around. We rolled with it. He wasn't bothering others yet. But then about an hour into the movie and he's bouncing, moaning loudly, talking, and rolling out of his seat. So, we tried something new.....
Yep, Sunny is sitting with Charlie on the movie theater seat. She took up a seat and a half since she's so big, but since we had the whole back row to ourselves, it really didn't matter. She was marvelous and it really helped Charlie for a little while. I think the deep pressure from Sunny laying on Charlie's lap helped to calm him a bit and help him focus on the movie. But it didn't last forever. About 15-20 minutes until the end and he couldn't be persuaded to stay in the theater. Charlie, Sunny and I left to go wait in the lobby for everyone else. In the lobby he had the space to do what he needed; walk, roam, spin. I could tell you the gist of the movie, but there would be large gaps in my re-telling. Instead, the real life scenario before my eyes was what needed to be focused on. We know movie theaters are tough for Charlie. We haven't had a trip to the theater go well yet. But we plan to keep trying. We won't give up.
Since movie theaters do not go well, why don't you just plan on a movie night at home instead-a netflix movie or redbox movie? I am an adult and don't like the noise or usually other people (never been diagnosed with anything) and so I just avoid movies. That way my dogs can be with us (because I would worry if they had to stay home alone) and if I need to go to the bathroom, I don't miss the movie part. On top of all that, movie theaters have gotten way too expensive for my taste. I think it is awesome how Sunny helps Charlie. We have german shepherds ourselves.
ReplyDeleteWe like to try expose him to various activities. And we know he loves movies. We don't go to the theater often with him and he'll ask every now and then to go. As long as he's asking, we'll keep trying. Doing different activities with him helps him to try different coping skills so he can be functional in society. He's come so far from where he started. His potential is limitless :)
ReplyDeleteYou and your husband seem like really good parents. Have you ever read Carrie Cariello? She has a son with autism and does a blog.
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