sj turns double digits!

Last Saturday was SJ's 10th birthday. He was so excited about it all week. He was telling me each morning how many more days there were until he turned "double digits". On Friday, SJ took in vanilla cupcakes with orange icing (orange in color, not in taste) for his class. I sent in enough for all the other kids, his teacher, his aide and the other two aides who work in his room. I assumed he would pass them out to all of those people and then give one to his principal, Mr. Stone. (I later found out that he neglected to give one to his teacher and two of the aides that work in his room...what am I going to do with him?)


On Saturday, we had his birthday party at a local bowling alley. He had invited all the boys in his class, but only 5 were attending. He also invited a few friends and his cousins. He had a total of 11 guests at his party. This worked out well for the bowling lanes. We had three kids on four adjacent lanes. After they all bowled their two games, they were served pizza and drinks.

Next came the singing. This can be especially challenging for SJ. Sometimes if the singing gets too loud, he will start shouting for people to "be quiet". We are used to this, but a new attendee at his party may consider this "rude". (By the way, it is rude. In SJ's defense though, the loud noises REALLY bother his ears. It is a sensory thing that typical people have a hard time understanding.) We have been "whisper" singing to him (a wonderful suggestion by SJ's paraprofessional), but I neglected to say we were going to sing that way. Unbelievably, SJ just stopped up his ears with his fingers and smiled the whole time! Way to go, SJ! It is amazing how well he can adjust himself to sensory difficulties in the typical world.

We then had SJ open his presents. His presents were many cards with money and gift cards in them. SJ read through them so quickly and then asked where his "presents" were. I explained to him that the cards with cash and gift cards were his presents. He had a very difficult time understanding this. I passed out the treat bags to the guests and waited for their parents to retrieve them.

While we were waiting for the parents to come, I overhead one of SJ's classmates say something so sweet to him. He said, "SJ, you are so lucky. You are so popular and everyone likes you." Then, I watched them do a "secret handshake". I could feel a tear well up in my eye. It meant so much to me to hear that sentiment from SJ's friend. I would have loved to give him a hug for it, but that wouldn't have looked too cool to a 10 year old.

After all the kids were picked up or dropped off, we returned to our house. My sister, her husband and her kids, as well as my other sister and my parents, came to have dinner with us. The kids played while we waited for dinner to be done. After dinner, SJ opened his presents from my sister and my parents. My sister gave him yet another gift card and my parents gave him a punching bag. (SJ says he wants to be a boxer when he grows up.) He seemed so sad when he finished opening that present. He said, "Oh no, not this. I wanted more presents, not all these cards."

I felt so bad for my parents. They had just had him at Dicks Sporting Goods and he said he would love to have a punching bag. I told them that he just doesn't understand that the cash and gift cards are his presents. It wasn't as if he didn't like their gift. In his mind, he was expecting all these wrapped presents (like Christmas time). He was so sad. He cried for hours. I felt horrible! I had suggested that people give him gift cards, since he NEVER wants anything. My mistake! I will make him write down a list next year and suggest that people get him things off the list.

We went out on Sunday, so that SJ could use his cash and gift cards to buy his presents. We went to 4 stores and this is what he ended up with: 2 Mario plushies, Mario repositionable decals for his room's walls, a K'Nex Yoshi and a Wii game. We ordered him 4 more Mario plushies online, so they will be little surprises when they arrive.

When we returned home from shopping, he was right on that punching bag. So Mom, if you are reading this, your gift was a hit. It just took a little while for SJ to realize it. Happy 10th Birthday SJ!