My son had an appointment with his geneticist earlier this week. Driving four and a half hours to see a doctor may sound crazy to some but with him when we find a doctor that works we stick with them. We made a mini vacation out of it.
On Sunday, after my parents arrived to watch the rest of our little loves, we loaded up and headed south. To keep himself busy JR packed his backpack with his LEGOs, his Five Nights of Freddy’s LEGO figures, a notebook with three pens, his tablet, headphones, juices, gummies, BBQ chips, and and a large bag a popcorn (you know all the essentials for a road trip). 
He was so excited he could barely sit still. The idea of staying in a hotel had peaked his interest. We don’t stay in hotel rooms often, normally when we vacation we have to rent a cabin, hotel rooms aren’t made for large families. Most of the conversation going down was about the hotel room. Questions like; where he would sleep, would there be food, could he stay up all night, and how long would we be staying.
As we got close to our destination I told him we were going to meet up with his old bus driver for dinner. He had the biggest smile come across his face. Momma I get to see my people? I can’t wait.
His people.
We made it to the restaurant and I scanned to see if there was a table close to the door. He does not do well with large crowds or noise. We don’t go to restaurants that often because of this. My anxiety was high. I knew we needed a table close to the door so we could get out fast if it became to much for him. There by the door, as if God knew we would need it, was table it just needed to be cleaned. Perfect. We sat him close to the window with my husband by his side. I sat directly in front of him. When his bus driver came through the door he started jumping up and down. She asked to set beside him so my husband moved and sat with me. I was nervous he would try to run without one of us right beside him but he didn’t. He was so excited to see her. For the next 40 minutes he colored on his menu, played his tablet and drank his “kitty cat shake” (Kit Kat shake) We caught up on all the local news and filled her in on all the things he was doing back home. I have never seen him be so still in a restaurant. It was a moment I will not soon forget. 
We said our goodbyes and passed out hugs and headed to the hotel. He was fascinated with everything in the room. He loves office chairs and he was over come with excitement when he saw the office chair and desk in the room.

The evening was spent exploring the room and taking a bath. It was a relaxing evening. 

He of course woke up around 5 the next morning. He is such a happy child when he wakes up. After watching a little TV we gathered up our things and headed out the door for some breakfast. Again we had to go inside a restaurant. I was hoping the buffet would have Cheerios, but it did not. Only oatmeal. He does not eat oatmeal. My husband picked him up some yogurt hoping everything would eat it. After a few minutes inspecting it he decided it was safe to eat even though it was not his normal orange cream flavored, he would try the strawberry. After eating he and I explored the gift shop while his dad paid our ticket.
We made our way to the doctors office and the appointment went well. He had more tests done and he talked up the nurses, he is such a little flirt. The doctor went over the previous test results and we scheduled a follow up appointment. We were there for two hours. Our boy did well but he was beyond ready to leave when the time come to go. So as a reward we took him to Chucky Cheese. Being a Monday morning we had the place practically to ourselves. We bought him a play pass and he bounced, literally, from game to game. He LOVES arcade games. He has several handheld ones at home but he was in heaven being able to play “big ones”.



After our Chucky Cheese adventure we headed over to his old school for a visit. The secretary knew we were coming and quickly buzzed us in. Everyone he ran into smiled and greeted him. The secretary told us his teachers class was in the cafeteria so we got our visitors badges and headed that way. That’s when it happened.
We cut the corner to the cafeteria and the room erupted into squeals and giggles for our little guy. While his teachers class was not in there all of his old classmates were. 30 plus first and second graders all waving and saying “hi JR” “look it’s JR” “hey buddy” “are you coming back?” We miss you!
JR was stunned. So was I. Here he was included in regular classes. He had so many little ones help him throughout the day. He had friends. True friends that miss him.
We made our way to his teachers room and he was greeted with hugs from everyone. It was still lunch time so he was able to go over to his favorite toys and play while the other students finished up. We visited for a little while and then had to tell him it was time to take a picture with his teacher and aide. He paused. He knew if it was time to take the picture it was also time to go. He fought back tears while we took the photo because he didn’t want to leave. This was his safe space. Here he was loved, included, and one of them. 
It broke my heart to leave.
The car ride home seemed to take years. He talked about seeing them again and when would we go back. He misses all of them.
Don’t get me wrong, he loves his teacher here. She is amazing and absolutely adores our little guy. But it’s different. His old bus driver was texting me and calling me to make she she got to see him. His new bus driver, I’m not even sure he knows our little guys name. The school here is much smaller and autism is not something he hear talked about. There autism was not a bad word, they taught about it and included kids with autism in everything. They were not those kids with autism, instead they were friends.
He misses his friends, and I do too. I’m not sure he will ever have those bonds here. And that makes me sad. He deserves to have friends just like every other child. He deserves his people.
I will continue the fight for him to be included, to be seen, to be loved just as every child should be. Together he and I will find his people here. I know they are around we just have to look a little deeper.
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