The Zoo

So...it's been a few months since I've sat down and put up a post.  Not because my boys don't have any good stories.  I've been going through a very difficult arthritis time.  I have been battling coming off my stupid prednisone and I'm still not where I'd like to be.  I also have had a few flares that were quite painful.  I hadn't had such rough flares for several years, so it took me a bit to work through and get back to normal.  That's the excuse I'm choosing to go with.

I do have a fun story to tell that just happened last Thursday.  The day started out pretty darn nice.  It was a beautiful spring morning in Salt Lake.  The boys were coming to the end of their spring break and the weather was only getting nicer and warmer.  My arthritis was finally starting to chill out and allow me the freedom to move about easier and do something fun with the boys.  I decided we'd head to the Zoo.

Hoogle Zoo is only about 10 minutes from our house.  We have a season pass, so we go often and we don't always see everything.  Today would be our first trip this season, so I planned on lots of walking and took plenty of measures to ensure I'd be able to endure.

Braedon doesn't like to leave the house unless he knows what we are doing and he approves of it, so I ran the idea of going to the Zoo by him first.  He thought it was a great idea and was already telling me what we were going to see and in what order:  Elephants, Rhino, Monkeys, Seals, Polar Bear... We always see the animals in this exact order....never in a different order.

By around 10am, I was set to leave.  The boys were comfortably dressed, I packed a bag to carry to handle any emergencies that would arise, including bribery candy.  We were off.

Upon our arrival at the Zoo, the parking lot we normally park in was completely full.  I do have handicapped parking and even all those spots were full (they usually aren't).  I also noticed the line of people outside the Zoo.  I'd estimate a couple hundred.  I thought to myself, "What?  The Zoo opened an hour ago....something must be wrong."

I decided to head to the back of the Zoo where there is a smaller parking lot, but most people don't know about it.  Braedon did not like this idea.  We were not parking in our "normal" spot.  I stayed calm and kept reassuring him that everything was okay.  We were going to see all the animals but we had to park in a different spot.  While I was trying to work my way through heavy zoo traffic, Braedon sat in the back screaming at me to turn around.  I finally got into the back parking lot and found a handicapped spot nice and close to the back entrance.  Again, I noticed a very long line of people, but it was too late to leave.  Had I gone with my instinct to leave the Zoo Braedon and Reilly would have had a complete meltdown and I'd spend hours trying to regain control.  I had a choice to make...

I parked the car and sat for a few minutes until Braedon stopped screaming and I could quietly explain to him what we were going to do.  We got out of the car and he insisted we still go in the front entrance.  Sometimes I choose not to fight.  It isn't always necessary to fight every single thing you do, so I told him we could walk all the way around and go in the front.  We started to head out and I think he realized just how far a walk it would be.  We headed to the back entrance and got in line.

I was VERY surprised that my boys stood in line and didn't have any outbursts.  We waited about 45 minutes before getting into the Zoo.  I should probably mention that I have Reilly on his "leash".  My mother would not like me to call it that, but I do.  I can't stand politically correctness.  It's a harness that goes around his body and has a leash attached.  It just keeps him from running off without him having to actually touch anyone.  Makes everyone happy.

As we started to head to the elephants, I became aware that everyone in the state of Utah had come to the Zoo.  Normally you see a few hundred strollers and young children at the Zoo.  Hello!!  You are in Utah!!  Today it was a couple thousand.  There were strollers, pregnant women, and small toddlers everywhere you looked.  Stacked four deep waiting to see the elephants.  I had two thoughts about this time.  First, would Braedon be able to handle the volume of people.  Second, what is my best way to get my children out of the Zoo should they both loose control at the same time.

We tried to see the elephants.  We tried to see the Rhino.  We tried to see the others animals as well.  It is pretty tough when there are a million other people doing the same thing.  I had finally had enough and decided it was best to cut and run.

Braedon wanted to see the snakes.  We go to the Zoo often enough he knows where everything is, so I couldn't just tell him it was closed or it was "this way" and lead him to the car.  Instead I took his sweet little seven year-old autistic hand and headed back to our car.  Once we got past the tigers and headed up the hill, he knew we wouldn't be seeing the snakes today.  Let the meltdown begin.  I held onto his hand has hard as I could while he screamed and jumped and kicked and punched and cried.  I continued walking, knowing nothing could stop this meltdown except time and getting away from so many people.

I always appreciate the people that stop to watch an unruly child act out and his mother dragging him along.  You'd think I'd be embarrassed.  Nope.  I could careless what other people think.  I just smiled at people and kept a hold of Braedons hand and kept on walking.

Once we got to the car the boys got in, I shut the door, and stood outside and counted to 10 while Braedon thrashed and screamed.  I should mention when he does this, Reilly tries to become as invisible as he can. 

We sat in the car for awhile and let Braedon calm down enough to breathe.  I had made a bargin with him earlier if we left the Zoo we'd go to Toys R Us.  After all, how unfair to promise the Zoo only to leave halfway through.

We were now off to Toys R Us.  If, at this point, you are wondering why I still was going to Toys R Us after such a meltdown, then you just don't understand autism.

We walked around Toys R Us for awhile and I let the boys choose any toy they wanted.  Braedon found a small billiards set and Reilly found Angry Birds Star Wars Legos.  We went to pay and noticed a young woman in front of us trying to buy several chairs and get a discount.  He Prada purse didn't help her any.  After 20 minutes, I politely asked the cashier if perhaps there was someone else working today that could help the other 10 people in line?  She was a bit snippy in her reply and called someone.  We got all checked out, in the car, and headed back home.

Home.  Sanctuary.  My place of Zin.  Braedon started to play with his billiards and was very happy.  Reilly wanted me to sit down and help put his legos together.  This sounded like a great idea to me.  I spent 45 minutes putting 250 tiny pieces of legos together for him.  Once done, he smiled and was ready to go.  I walked into the kitchen to get some water and once I returned Reilly had taken the legos apart.  Was I upset or mad?  No....why.  It would do me no good to be upset.  It was his lego set, not mine.

I went to sit on the couch and watch the boys play, when Reilly wanted me to sit back down.  I did.  This times he wanted me to put the toy together without the instruction booklet and without looking at the picture.  The only catch was it had to look exactly like the picture.  I tried talking to him.  Asking if I could please see the booklet.  Trying to put it together.  Each time, he would scream at me and start to get more and more upset.  He was finally crying and yelling, so I took the legos and hid them.  This did not sit well with Reilly.

The next 30 minutes saw a screaming and crying Reilly walking around the house trying to find his toy.  Braedon came to me and told me his ears hurt.  We both went outside and climbed into his clubhouse to sit it out.  We could hear Reilly inside throwing things, screaming, and crying.  There was nothing I could do to make the situation better.  If I gave him the legos it would just start all over again.  After an hour, Reilly started to get tired and came outside.  I sat on the lawn and held him in my arms and let him sob.  This didn't last long, because Reilly doesn't like human contact for any long periods of time.

It was now 5:00pm and I was exhausted.  My ears were ringing and talking or moving seemed to cause them to ring and hurt even more.  I knew Dean would be home soon and I could rest.  I also knew school would start again Monday and I was so thankful for that.

Friday we spent the day at home.  I had no energy or ability to do anything with the boys.  They were just as exhausted and played quietly...