The Birthday Channel

“A cat had a birthday, and all the cats came…” — From the video “Dance Party” from “Sesame Street”

June already? Alex’s birthday looms. Number 11th. The other day, I watched Jill and Alex walk away hand in hand in the park and he’s almost up to her neck. Amazing, considering he started at about the size of a G.I. Joe.

Image: Spudballo, flickr.com

We hold his birthday in Central Park, in a playground with a cozy gazebo (”cozy” meaning one point of access, and only one point to protect from Alex bolting). We decorate it, relatives come, maybe even a few friends from school this year. Amazing.

Amazing too that I’m stumped for a gift this year. Last year the boys and I were building plastic kits, so I got him a three-pack of jet fighters. I figured it would be the hit present of the party, but that honor went to a toy microwave oven, I think, from Aunt Julie and Uncle Rob. It was pretty cool, though eventually Alex and I built all three jets.

Don’t live in the past. This is number 11, and I’m stumped. It’s not like I can just ask Alex; like so much with him, it’s guesswork. It doesn’t make me feel like a bad dad by any means, but I do wish I had a bead.

Speaking of which, he loved stringing some beads with Ned the other day. Maybe a jar of those. Maybe a book. A Twitter follower of mine suggests an MP3 player loaded with music he likes, the front runner of my ideas.

Jill also suggests: a picnic basket (already ordered); plastic animals (”eh,” she adds); toy vehicles (see “plastic animals”); and a balance board (”Ned thinks he might like it”). I don’t even know what a balance board is. They grow up so fast.

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Tips on a birthday party for a child with autism, on BellaOnline.