Brother's Best Birthday Bash

So let me explain something here.

It is commonly known amongst parents of children with Fragile X that birthdays are not always the funnest activity for our kids. Some love them, some hate them, and some are in between. I used to do big friend parties up until Brother was about 6 and started realizing he didn't fully enjoy all the hub-bub.

So when Brother informed me he did NOT want a birthday party last year, I complied.

Wrong.

He doesn't like the anticipation and attention of a birthday party, but, he loves the presents and knowing he has friends.

This year I had a party for him even though all the way up to answering the door for his first guest he was screaming, whining, and yelling at me that he did not want a party "and that's final!" he would always add.

We invited his Sunday School Classmates and he only wanted to invite one friend from school (he can only handle so much outgoing-ness, you know...). I was worried that this sweet girl he invited would not come because she is not in his self-contained small group classroom. She is one of his "lunch buddies." He is sort of her assignment... or so I thought.

Not only were there 9 friends there for Brother but I realized that even his lunch buddy friends really do care about Brother.

Brother would fall apart in the middle of opening presents or couldn't handle socializing for a moment and they didn't even bat and eye. They just know Brother and weren't bothered, intimidated or nervous around him at all.

It was a beautiful sight.

Seeing all those kids accept my son for who he is and not just staring at what he has.

They watched a movie, ate popcorn, oreos, suckers and sweethearts — all of Brother's favorites. After the movie he opened his gifts.

My heart swelled even more at that point to see the thought that went into so many of these gifts — seeing how they know him by giving him coloring books, crayons, pencils, horses, blankets, microphone and sweet cards saying what a great friend he is to them.

I can't express enough how full our hearts were watching this party unfold and seeing the joy that Brother got out of it, even past the social cues he didn't always "get" and the demands on us as parents when he was hyper-aroused.

We were able to continue Brother's festivities for his Birthday at the family get-together for my mom's side of the family by eating great food, and hearing my aunts, uncles and cousins wish him a happy 12th birthday.

It was so great talking to all my cousins again.

It was fun to see my kids interacting and playing.

Brother did not want to leave once he got a ride on my cousin's wheelchair. He had started off opening doors for her and following her around and it ended up being the highlight of his Birthday.

I had to laugh because I think that he now has a thing for chairs with wheels. Tee hee hee!