Chicago White Sox-Autism Speaks

The kids went to their first Chicago White Sox game on Saturday.  It was Autism Speaks Day and the White Sox gave $10 from each ticket sold through Autism Speaks to Autism Speaks.  I’ve been wanting to take them for years – was mainly concerned about my little guy and his pica – God knows what he would eat off the ground.  It is always a crap shoot with them – one behaves and the other doesn’t – very often it’s the one I was worried about that behaves and the one I thought would be fine is not.  Since Autism Speaks was involved for this particular game, they provided a sensory break area and a quiet area for the game.

 

The weather was hot – 88 degrees and we were sitting in the sun.  Of course I forgot sunscreen and had to borrow from my sister-in-law and of course I forgot diapers and just prayed the little guy would stay dry for a few hours (he did!)

 

My older son who has PDD-NOS had a few tantrums, mostly because he wanted to overeat – a problem with him lately, he’ll eat until he literally makes himself sick.  He was also overwhelmed by the heat – it was getting to me as well, so we walked over to the cool and shady quiet area a few times.

 

Sox lost, but the kids overall had a great time!  Something else we can now do as a family!

 

Motown, Petterino's, the Wit and Red Kite

Had a date night with the husband.  We went to see Motown the Musical at the Oriental Theater in Chicago.  The show was fantastic!  It runs in Chicago through August 9^th.  My verbal ASD son would really enjoy it – I actually believe he would sit through the whole thing without losing interest or having a meltdown. 

 

While speaking to a co-worker this morning who was also at the show last night, I realized that most (if not all) of the songs were either sung partially or as part of a medley – this is great for anyone with a short attention span!  The high energy of the show rarely wanes – the choreography and vocal arrangements were great.  Beautiful costumes and lighting contributed to a visually gorgeous show.

 

Prior to the show, we had drinks and appetizers at Petterino’s, which is about a half-block away and within the Goodman Theater building.  I was told ahead of time that Petterino’s was booked solid reservation-wise, but we took our chances.  The bar area has open seating and lucky for us, as we walked in, another couple were just leaving and we snagged a table.  I prefer appetizers before a show, anyway, a big meal makes me sleepy.  During happy hour(s), Petterino's has a special menu of $5 appetizers, perfect portions if you need to stay awake for the next few hours.

 

We also took a walk over to the Wit Hotel, which I didn’t realize is a Doubletree/Hilton property.  They have an outdoor terrace on the 27^th floor.  Unfortunately, this particular evening the outdoor area was closed for a private party.  The indoor bar area was stuffy and reeked of gin and tonic, so we left.  However, the view from the windows near the elevator was incredible, so we will be back another time when the outdoor area is open to the public.  The crowd was young – I think we were the oldest people there and we are in our 40s. 

 

Date nights are important for any married couple – it’s harder to make the time when you’re special needs parents, but you really have to sometimes.  It’s so much fun to explore the city you live in – especially a big city like Chicago which is evolving and changing all the time!

 

Lastly, I want to put in a plug for Camp Red Kite which is through Chicago Children's Theatre - wonderful that they do this every year -

 

http://chicagochildrenstheatre.org/red-kite-project/camp-red-kite/

Congressional hearing tomorrow on federal autism policy

Congressional hearing tomorrow on federal autism policy

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