The annual holiday shopping trip with Kayla usually lasts about 15 minutes. It entails running into two shops and getting a gift for her father and one for her sister. This is always well planned out; we have a gift already in mind and ask her to make few decisions.
This year we decided to set the bar a little higher and add one extra gift, dinner, and ice-cream. The adaptive stroller was a must, and Kayla was fixated on having it packed in the car. We created a lot of social stories prior to our departure in regard to how many people would be out, where we would be eating, and how many stores we would visit. So off we went with Kayla looking a little anxious.
Kayla was in awe of the beauty of Church street and how all the lights shined. Dinner went off without a hitch. Shopping was another story, but we managed to go to three stores, quickly pick out items, and enjoy the outside. The highlight was a big ice-cream from Ben and Jerry’s (although picking a flavor was problematic) and sitting by the window and enjoying the scene.
We topped it off with a picture of the two of us in front of the big tree. All said and done, we ate dinner, shopped, had ice-cream, and were back in the car within one hour! I think it was a successful night in Kayla’s eyes and that is all that mattered. For me, I would definitely have a pint prior to this experience next year!