Christmas/Birthday/Gifts

     It's coming upon that season again. Ever since I went to walmart to pick up a few odds and ends and seen they had their Layaway open already I have been thinking about gift ideas. For Miss Emma, she is extremely easy. I could go shopping and in 30 minutes be done with all of her things. She is very much a girly girl and likes to play with Barbies and ponies and dolls. Lukas on the other hand..that's a horse of a different color....

On Friday night while driving home my husband asks (I knew this was coming sometimes soon but AHH) 'What are we going to get Lukas for Christmas'? (Internal ahhh shit moment) I tell him I honestly don't know, that I have been thinking about it but I cant seem to think of anything. I tell him I don't want to go overboard like I did the past few years because it is just waisted money sitting in a room, untouched.

He suggested that we just get him gift cards for his iPad and ask the family for some small infant toys. This would work but (I am probably just being selfish here) I don't want him to not have anything to open for Christmas. What about pictures of Christmas morning? He wont have anything? That's not fair. But reality is it's just another day to him. He has no clue about holidays and birthdays. The only thing he knows is that he can get some cake on birthdays, yippppieee. His third birthday was just a month ago and we went with some sensory toys. He was completely unaware it was his birthday. He refused to open gifts and look at them after I opened them (but hey he got some cake and that's all that matter to Luke). Last year for Christmas I would hurry and tear a piece of wrapping paper, put his arm on it and snap a quick picture lol.

So now I have a few months before I really need to crack down hard on my decision but it passes through my mind often. I hurt a little for him because Christmas and birthdays were the best part of growing up. Now having children, I look forward to it all over again to see their faces light up over gifts.  It's just another reminder of how different our life can be from others. (Not in a bad way, I love him but it's different) I just wish for him to be able to enjoy the Holidays like the rest of us. So much sensory overload goes with holidays. Its a learning process.

I have gotten many suggestions about what to do, for that I am thankful. Best way is to get advice from people more experienced in this. So here is the game plan for now. I will put on his compression shirt and we will visit some stores together during the week when they are not as busy. Go slowly down the rows of toys to see if anything pops out at him. If that does not work, I will wait for fliers to see if he will look at them. If that doesn't work then gift cards and dinos it is. Since he is hanging on to one toy, a big Trex..lets get some more big dinos. He doesn't play with the small ones. Every year we will get better at it. I will push him slightly every year to try to open things but keep them at his pace. After all these are the adventures of being in Lukes world, I am along for the ride - always.