The Epic Trip to Coney Island

So Friday was the epic trip to Coney Island, the most ambitious thing I've done with the munchkin so far (including Ellis Island). Thank god there were two of us, because no way could I have done it alone.

You would think the hardest part of the trip for the munchkin (he's quite hyperactive and takes risperdal) would be the subway ride, but he likes the subway because of the movement. No, the hard part was getting him to the subway...with his shoes still on. For some reason, the shoes were not his friend, and for some reason, we didn't bring his high-tops. He could easily kick the flats off, a talent which he demonstrated frequently throughout the day (until we eventually gave up). We would walk to the subway, he'd be okay...then he'd start hitting. "Do you want to go on the subway?" "Yah!" "Then calm your body, please." Wash, rinse, repeat several times until we got down the stairs. Thankfully, the train came right away, as he will occasionally attempt to leap off the platform necessitating a quick grab around the waist.

Fast forward to getting on the Q. We knew we'd have about an hour on the Q train, which is a longer ride than the munchkin has ever been on before. We came prepared with packed sandwich bags of gluten-free pretzels (delicious). That was fine for awhile...then the shoes came off. Whatever, I said. We have an hour, let him be comfortable as long as he wears his socks. Then he decided to climb on me, which he did on the bus all last summer...and he discovered by standing on my legs, he could reach the grab bar.

This opened up a whole new world. Off he went, up and down the subway car (Munchkin! We're not getting off here! I'll grab him!), climbing on the seats, swinging on the bars, climbing over the seats, running up and down the subway car, laughing and being tickled and being adorable. Luckily, there weren't a whole lot of people on the train until the last couple of stops. The best passengers were some MTA workers who were muttering to each other about red dye #2 being the reason for hyperactivity.

Because the munchkin eats soooo much red dye number 2 on his gluten/casein free natural as possible diet.

They also decided we were going to sue the MTA if he fell. I am more of the mind that if he falls, that'll teach him to never do it again. He's also got great balance for an autistic kid.

We finally get to Coney Island and unlike usual, the munchkin isn't sticking like glue. That's a good thing for the most part, because he's getting more comfortable with unfamiliar situations...but a little nerve-wracking as well. Luckily, I'd tagged him with my homemade velcro tags, so he would be returned to me should he manage to wander off on his own (he didn't, but not for lack of running). Everything is going great.

Until we get down to the beach. The munchkin is practically running to get to the water...when all of a sudden we see caution tape. Many expletives pour from my mouth...quietly. The beach is closed...what now? Thanks, Hurricane Bill.

You can't tell an autistic kid "we went all this way and there's the water and you can't go." He was having none of that. He was scratching and biting and hitting and generally having a meltdown. I didn't really blame him. I wanted to have a meltdown. Finally, Elana went to ask a lifeguard, and he said we could wade so long as we didn't go in deep. Other people were doing it, so eventually the lifeguards gave up, opened a section of the beach for wading, posted guards, and the munchkin was as happy as a clam and so were we.

Except for the point where he took his bathing suit off to pee in the sand.

Oh yeah, and the other time he took off his bathing suit so he could get more intimately acquainted with the sand. The joys of being an autistic munchkin with no sense of shame of the nakedness sort. I had to march him into the water naked to get him and his bathing suit clean of sand before reuniting them.

He got tired well before we did, so we decided to go get lunch at the famous Nathan's (it was the first time I'd ever been to Coney Island, despite living in Long Island my whole life, so I was determined to do all the famous Coney Island things I could). After fighting with him over his shoes and getting bitten a few more times...I gave up. It wasn't worth it to fight over his shoes every five minutes...and he wore his socks without a fight. Whatever. There are battles you fight...and we did fight the shoes battle when it was appropriate.

Nathan's was delicious. The munchkin continued his french fry practice of smushing them into the table before eating them (Elana suggested a tray, which would've been a good idea if only he didn't push trays away, the silly boy)...and he totally stole half a hot dog bun. Brat child. That bun disappeared like it was the last bit of food on Earth because he knows what he's not allowed to have.

Then we went on rides!! He loves rides...once he's on them. I have a scar on my foot from the time I had to shove him on a ride he proceeded to ride five more times. This time, he was actually really good about getting on the rides without a fuss. He's really funny to watch; we went on the Polar Express (a sort of circular roller coaster with loud music) and it took him awhile, but finally he was grinning hugely). He threw a fit as we were waiting on line for the famous Wonder Wheel, totally scaring the ride operators. We went on the swinging cars, which was fun...especially how the munchkin grabbed a fistful of my shirt when we started to slide down the rail. We only made it around twice before he freaked, so I'm not sure he liked it all that much.

Then, because we were on Coney Island, we went on the Cyclone (even though it was EIGHT DOLLARS. I wasn't going to go, but I gave the munchkin the choice of putting on his shoes and going on the ride or going home, and he let us put his shoes on, so we had to go). It was...painful. Totally, and utterly painful. That thing bounces like you wouldn't believe. But it was also pretty funny, because as soon as we started going down that first hill, the munchkin grabbed onto the back of my neck and held on for dear life the entire time. We had to buy the picture of us because his facial expression (pure terror) was hysterical.

I think he liked it, though.

The ride home was much like the ride there, only he didn't run around as much and we were totally exhausted. Almost as soon as we got home, the munchkin wanted to go back outside.

Hell no, autistic munchkin.

Apparently he slept 11 hours that night, woke up for breakfast, then slept for another two. I hear you, man.

Coney Island

So tomorrow, the autistic munchkin, one of his other therapists, and I are heading from the Upper East Side all the way down to Coney Island. He likes the subway well enough (we will certainly be bringing some gluten-free snacks, more than I brought to Ellis Island) and he'll probably like the ocean and the rides so long as we can shove him on them. I just have this irrational fear that we're going to lose him.

Irrational because I took him to Ellis Island all by myself and didn't lose sight of him for an instant, and in over a year I've never lost him (despite his alarming new practice of going into men's bathrooms by himself...someday there's going to be a bathroom with an alternate exit...). Also irrational because he sticks to me like glue when we go to new places (we went to Rockefeller Center during one of the busiest days of the Christmas season) and he's not really much for the running away part, unless he's really pissed off. Still. I have tags attached to velcro strips that I will be velcroing to him like there's no tomorrow.

Apart from that, I'm totally excited. I've never been to Coney Island. Of course, going there with the munchkin isn't really going there in the normal sense, but it's similar enough. Besides, half of the joy of taking trips with him is seeing how he reacts, how much fun he has.

I'll give more news tomorrow.