We started out with lunch at the grandparents' house, and weren't really sure where the day was going to lead. The weather was iffy at best, but before long the sun peeked out and we all agreed it would be a great day to go to the pumpkin patch.
So off we went to Bengtson Farm in Homer Glen.
The kiddos started out together in the wagon, though The Princess would protest the injustice of her confinement many times throughout the day...
One of the main attractions was the pig race. That's right, you heard me. A pig race. Here we are with Auntie J, K and Grampy before the race. Once the festivities started, The Princess and I hightailed it out of there to roam the surrounding area...The Princess is not a fan of loud noises, especially those that come along with large crowds, so we figured it would be in everyone's best interest if we sat this one out.
Here we are roaming as the pigs did their thing.
Next up: pumpkin patch. The Princess refused, as usual, to look at the camera...but I like this shot anyway. She had BIG fun running through the pumpkin patch, trailing me behind her. That monkey backpack kiddo leash is really for me...many times I wouldn't be able to catch her if it wasn't for that handy tail!
And here's a picture of my beautiful, sweet, smiley little camera-loving niece, K. Isn't she a doll?
Here's K and her mommy, J, enjoying the train ride after we hit the pumpkin patch. K was so cute, hanging over the front of their little train car, watching the tracks go by underneath them. Grampy made a comment about it and another mom said it sounded like we had a little scientist on our hands...trying to figure out how it works. Grampy thinks she was just trying to figure out how to take it apart!
There's one in every crowd...here's the smartass pumpkin dude who thought he was just soooo funny.
After the train ride, we ventured into the petting zoo after a little bit of meandering. The Princess is not a big fan of petting zoos, thanks to some overzealous goats at the Milwaukee County Zoo. As I had predicted, she wasn't having a good time here...so we decided to go back to the wagon and wait for everyone else.
When we got outside the petting zoo tent, I headed for the wagon and The Princess headed for the ponies, who were in the tent next door. She watched intently for a good five minutes before Grampy, Nana, J and K came moseying over.
Nana offered to pay for a pony ride for The Princess, and we decided it was worth a shot. I figured if she hated it I could just pull her off and get out of the way...no harm, no foul.
Those ponies sure were cool from outside the fence. Up close and personal, they seemed kinda big and scary...she almost bailed on me before the ride even started.
Once we got moving though, she calmed right down. It was amazing, really. She loved the ride and actually seemed a little sad to have to say goodbye to her pony when it was over.
It was a great time. Thank you, Nana, Grampy, J and K for letting us crash your Saturday. We had a blast, and The Princess and I think we all need to get together like this more often.
We've heard bits and pieces about hippotherapy (funny name, I know...it's therapy involving horses), but haven't really known what to think about it. When you start looking into information for autistic kids it's really easy to get overwhelmed...everyone has an opinion or something that they say is a surefire method. The hard part is that not all autistic kids have the same issues. There's a whole spectrum to this disorder, and I'd be very surprised to learn that any two kids are alike in their exact symptoms (for lack of a better term).
This form of therapy helps a lot of autistic kids relax and concentrate on the task at hand. Up until today I wasn't sure this would work for The Princess...I mean, she's a little ball of energy. I didn't know how she'd react to being plopped on a horse.
After this pony ride today, though, we're thinking about giving it a shot.
The Princess's annual evaluation is coming up with Early Intervention, and we'll mention this to our case worker and therapists then. Maybe we can get on the waiting list somewhere...I've heard it's hard to get into these places, especially the good ones. The good news is that there's one with a really good reputation less than 20 minutes from home.
All I can say is that we are truly blessed to be members of this family. Everyone has been so great all along, including everything that's been going on with our little angel. It would be so much harder to do it without them, and we know how fortunate we are. It sure does take a village, eh?
We had a great time too. It really was so cool to see how Chloe just completely relaxed and enjoyed the pony ride. That would be so awesome if you could get her into something like the horse therapy and have it work for her. We love that little rascal like it's nobody's business! Miss you guys!
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