The Fair!

It's that time...The fair comes to our town twice a year. It's at Oak Mountain Amphitheater and we pass it twice a day going to school. Emily can spot the ferris wheel from the road and her obsessive compulsive disorder kicks in right away. All I hear is "Can we go to the fair?" "What do they have there?" repeatedly. For those who have been around a child on the spectrum, you know how intense an obsession can be. There are days that Emily's obsession of the fair turns into tantrums because she wants to go so bad. If she would actually ride the rides without it being an exhausting experience for us both I might take her. But I know what it will be like. She wants to ride the ride. She talks about riding the ride. We wait in the line. We get to the front of the line and she panics. She wants to ride but she's scared. Screaming ensues and I'm stuck with stares from all around. Knowing Emily as I do, I know that she wants to ride. Bracing myself for the fight I drag her kicking and screaming onto the ride amidst more stares and finger pointing. Her heart is racing and she white knuckles the bar. The ride starts and the wind hits her hair and she is free. One finger in her ear to block out the noise. One hand on the bar. A smile on her face. We get off. She wants to go again.

After school this week I decided to surprise her and take her right by the fair. These pictures may not stay in order of surprise due to posting from my phone but you get the idea.