The Magic Garden

Sometimes on a nice day, Owen and I go off to Deep Cut Gardens. It's our little spot that we've been coming to for a bit, usually on Sundays when it's just us. Since today, was just gorgeous and not too hot, I decided we'd head down.

The reason I love to go to Deep Cut Gardens is it so calming. Owen's body is stimming so much I feel like sometimes he needs to just sit and relax. Enter Deep Cut Gardens.

What's funny about going to Deep Cut is that when we get there, he complains or hides behind a tree telling me "No."

He complains the entire way down to the rose garden, then when we get there-it's a whole new ball game.

My little creature of habit, has a ritual. He needs to touch the hedges. He loves to rub his hands back and forth across.

This probably sounds like nothing to you, but in our house, this is big. Why?

He noticed them.

So many times things, and places seem to just be a blur to Owen, he runs through or is stimming that he doesn't "see" things a lot of times. Just recently he finally noticed planes in the sky, so to stop and touch and enjoy is refreshing. This is one of things about Autism that I think that parents of typical kids sometimes take for granted. Sometimes.

After that, we kick dirt & pebbles, and giggle. A lot.

What little boy wouldn't like a lot of dirt and pebbles for kicking?

Then it's my favorite part. We sit.

He runs right to "our" bench and we just relax. We watch people and we listen.

We just sit.

Have you noticed what I haven't mentioned?

Stimming.

For some reason, he rarely if ever stims in the rose garden. He sits, and plays, he giggles and he's super interactive.

It's The Magic Garden.

What's funny to me about the garden is it's filled with roses. I hate roses. Hate them.

My kid, is calmed in a Rose Garden.

Bring on the roses!

Lastly, in my previous post I talked about "The Moment". That moment that you connect and you know your kid is with you, in "the moment".

I finally was able to get a photo.

So, now you understand. You can see why we do what we do. Why we schedule therapies for hours after school, reinforce good behavior, and say "Quiet hands" til the cows come home.

This.

Is.

Why.