Birthday Party Blues

So today we have not one but two birthday parties to go to and a super bowl party if we make it that far. This is going to be a very stressful day for me, kids birthday parties are a disaster waiting to happen for my son. All of those kids hyped up on cake and ice cream, running around screaming and giggling, the loud chorus of Happy Birthday and the randomness of popping balloons which you can almost be guaranteed to happen at least once during the day. The thing is that my son enjoys going to parties he really is a social little guy and wants to play with the other kids even if he doesn’t always know how to go about doing this, but then he gets there and becomes overwhelmed at everything that is going on around him and at all of the people that have gathered to celebrate, we have to limit the time that we are there and anymore then an hour or two is pushing it. I will be on constant watch over the next little while watching for the subtle signs that enough is enough and being ready to leave at a moments notice just incase as this is one of those situations that I can not control and there are so many unpredictable factors involved in parties that it is very easy for Gray to go into a sensory overload. I know that my friends understand if we do have to leave but it still makes me feel bad, and in the future we may be going to parties where I don’t know the parents and they may not get it. We’ll deal with that when and if it happens. In the mean time I still have these three parties ahead of us and one little man that may not be able to handle the day and a little girl that is in her glory to be surrounded by people and loves to party, and as it is just me and the kids I need to try to find a balance between these two totally different children and know that unfortunately for my daughter my sons well being takes precedence and if need be I will have her packed into the van in a heart beat. Luckily for me she is still young enough that she will not understand that her wants are being pushed aside for her brother and hopefully when she is old enough to understand we will have figured out a way to make it work for both kids.

“Masquerading as a normal person is exhausting!”