Let Him Eat Cake

Autism UnbirthdayCJ’s birthday is in August.  The dog days of summer.  Years ago, we went on vacation to a condo at the beach with a cool pool right around his birthday.  We told him that the vacation was for his birthday.  We had a cake and celebrated.  Fun for everyone.  Why not?

I didn’t think much about it after that.  The next year, CJ wanted to know if we were going to “the condo” for his birthday.  Sure.  Why not?  When we did go on vacation that year, it was “for his birthday.”  We had a cake.  Everyone was happy.

Now, his birthday begins the first time we do anything for any type of vacation during the summer. Staying at my mom’s place counts.  A trip to the beach counts.  We go…it counts.  One year, he managed  to have 3 different celebrations with 3 different cakes.  Oh, and there is NO singing.  Not sure why.  From his first birthday on, he cried whenever anyone sang.  If it was just me singing, I could completely understand it, but apparently he just doesn’t like “Happy Birthday.”  It may be a “key” thing, but since other people cry too when I sing, I wouldn’t know.

A couple of years ago, he demanded (and got) balloons.  Another time, he told us to all hide and jump out at him and yell “surprise!”  We did.

He LOVES his birthday.  No matter how many times a year it comes.  It cracks me up every time.

It is not even the end of May and he just yelled to me from the other room.   “No singing!”   What???  “No singing.”  “For what??”  “My birthday”.

OK.  I’ll get right on that.

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