A Pool Party In November

I heard on the news this morning that there is a Polar Vortex of Doom coming our way before the end of November. I guess it's a good thing then, that our local park had a pool and pizza party for special needs families now, as we'd have all frozen running to our cars afterward were it later in the month.

I said to the family, everyone get in the pool so I can take your picture. Then they promptly went and got as far away from me as they could.

Jerks.
The loved it though and it was a great night for just swimming and playing with the family. I love watching my children when they are having so much fun that they can't stand it. The event was in the shallow pool for the safety of all of our special little guys. I think we were tied for loving the lazy river vs. the big slide. Louis love of the big slide was HUGE despite his initial misgivings. We laughed because he's now at that age, afraid of it - but once he does it, he's the king of it. He's going to love the water park this summer.

I had a big fail while I was there, and now I'm all regretting it and stuff. There was another family there at our table while we ate, they had what I thought was about an 18 month old baby. I kind of wondered what the babies disability was, but the whole place was full of disabilities and it seemed weird to ask "So what's wrong with YOUR kid? Let's tell disabled kid stories."
But as I was packing up, she asked me if the boy were autistic and so I said yes. She then asked me "So how did you know?"

I told the story, one I've told for years here. Then she says "He doesn't talk" motioning to the baby on her lap, which didn't strike me TOO odd as he looked like a baby still. And then she said "He's going to be three." Oh. Yeah. That's wrong.
I asked her if she belonged to Spectrum, I talked to her about how to join, and where she got tested (same place we did). She has him in Babies Can't Wait which is great so we sit and talked.
But then I failed, because I could've given her my contact info and I don't know why but I didn't. It didn't OCCUR to me. I should have.
She's at the start. She has in her arms a baby, a baby who is three. It's going to be so different and hard when that baby is five, and six, and seven. There will be progress but still she'll be reminded that her ten year old is still a baby, in so many ways. I feel really bad I didn't give her someone to reach out to, at least to remind her to contact Spectrum and join. We smiled and chatted about what he can do well, she told me can spell. I was reminded of Miles, who even now can read and write.

So we had an excellent evening, a perfect family evening of fun with cheap pizza and lemonade and swimming. That's the best part. Swimming and swimming and swimming. It was over too soon but it felt like it went on forever. At least, this morning that's how my body feels lol. Part of that was because I went down THIS slide more than once.

My body disliked it every time, man I don't take the jolts and bumps like I used to. Even better was when I hit the water the fist time, my boob popped out. Thanks for failing me swimming suit. It was dinner AND a show for those still eating. My solution was to go again. Why? Because YOLO.

Thanks for the party Bogan Park. It was excellent.

And Danielle with the three year old, I hope I see you posting on Spectrum. Because I'm going to reach out and say hi and give you my contact info. I'm sorry I didn't do it before.
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