Taking Trips

We visited family this past weekend. They live outside of Washington DC. Every time there is a trip planned I get anxious. Honestly I get anxious about a lot of things. Always have but more so since Angelina's diagnosis. Going places isn't always easy. Sometimes they are... but sometimes not. Packing for a child on the spectrum is a job and a half. I have to make sure we got everything that makes the  trips as close to structure and routine as possible. Familiar toys, familiar foods, familiar shoes, melatonin to sleep, extra clothes in case of "accidents", IPAD...please don't forget the IPAD.  Its our little treasure. 

Angelina loves the car rides. She puts her head out the window and its the best smile I have ever seen. She is such a cutie pie. She sings and reads and has a ball sitting in the backseat for nearly 5 hours. What a champ. I of course am not as comfortable. I am worried she will have to pee and not be able to communicate this to us ( Angelina does not able to yet communicate to us that she has to use the bathroom. We are not sure if its a control thing, or if she just doesn't know when the feeling or process is coming. It is a challenge and we have had many accidents in many different locations). or that she may get car sick since there was a period last year when she would vomit if a car ride was more than an hour. These are the many things going through my neurotic mind. Its hard to be me and have a child who doesn't fully communicate. I am guessing all the time. But...she didn't pee or trow up on this trip. She was a perfect passenger ( Daddy wishes he could say the same about mommy.)

Our trip was very nice. However, Angelina was not as comfortable at her uncles condo as she was in the car. She said " I wanna go home" at least ten times a day. If we were out and about not so bad but inside was a different story. Our last vacation to Disney last September was quite different. Angelina loved the plane, the hotel and the parks. We never heard "I wanna go home". I think that trip led us to believe Angelina was a full fledged traveler. Not quite just yet.  This weekend sleeping was a challenge as it has always been. She wants mommy and daddy to snuggle with her. Not always the most comfortable way to sleep. And then there were allergies this weekend. The spring bloom was tough on Angelina. She sneezed and scratched her itchy eyes terribly. This made her very tired and cranky.

In all honesty my sweet Angelina has been quite a trooper in most "away from home" places. She is now more flexible and more able to transition. She usually entertains herself with some help from mommy and daddy. Things are quite different from the tantrum filled screaming days we use to know.

Yes....things are getting better.