Autism Awareness Day: "Light IT UP BLUE" at the Bretzke House

What is "Light IT UP BLUE?

Quick little video will help explain.... Warning: the song is really quite catchy.

In the middle of a sleepless night last month, I concocted this master plan for today, April 2nd (Annual Autism Awareness Day). But then, in the clarity of the morning I decided I didn't have quite enough time to pull it off, like I wanted to.

But last night, again falling asleep, I thought,

 "Okay, maybe I can't do the big plan, but I can still do something!"

 So with one day to throw it together (and a wonderful friend who watched my kids while I ran about to all the different dollar stores in town buying out their glow sticks and basically anything else I could find that was blue!)

...this is what LIGHT IT UP BLUE  looked like at the Bretzke's this year.

FINAL PRODUCT:

THE HOURS BEFORE:

Could NOT have done it without these 3 awesome helpers!

 They blew up balloons, posed for me, mixed juice, iced cupcakes, and most importantly played with my kids while...ya know, did stuff.

  

Like prepare the lesson for our FHE/party. 

I was too nervous trying to keep almost 20 kids engaged 

(who just really wanted to go eat cupcakes!)

 to even get 

choked up, 

which this song ALWAYS gets me.

McKye "helping"...thank goodness for easy wash paint.

Aaron deciding whether he wants to attend or not. I think the bouncy house won him over.

Let the Celebration begin!

"Aaron's party"

And my personal favorite "Autism Bunny"

Face painting station was a hit.

I'm kinda in love with how cute Levi is right now (plus McKye was crying through most of the fun) 
So there's a silly amount of shots of Mr. Levi.

Here's the real "Man of the Hour"

And his wonderful friends.

Watson won for best use of blue. LIGHT IT UP WATTY! 

How many great dads does it take to screw in a blue light bulb???  
All of em, cuz I told them to stand there for the picture!!! (Ben was so impressed)

Little traces of blue everywhere!

Some tramp jumpin, and bubble blowin
always makes for a good time....


(My parties are always inda chaotic. 
I need someone to run them. I love planning and preparing them, but once it's party time I just wanna take pictures...oh well, I think all the kids had fun:)

Thanks always to Benny, who puts up with the theme parties when he'd MUCH rather just sit and talk with friends. He's good sport:) And handsome in blue.

Meant to get a shoot with all the mammas, but once I remembered Andy was the only one left...doing my dishes cuz she doesn't believe me that her kids are enourmously helpful when there here)

For some reason I just new these ladies would be good at decorating a garage:)

As I looked at all these peopel. Peopel who love Aaron.

Not cuz he tells funny jokes. 

Or compliments them. 

Not because he has good manners, 

Just because he is Aaron.

How grateful I am to have all these friends, these families and homes where Aaron is welcomed and included.


Homes where he can be himself...even if that self usually takes his pants off. 
To all our friends who love Aaron, undies and all, 
we thank you. 


You, are who really "light up" our life. 


"We want for him to love and be loved, to be all that he can be and that is the same desire we have for all our children. We want him to be respected for who he is and not for what others think he should be."      --Barabra Nish 

Fixing the person is not the challenge – exploring new ways of enabling and honouring human expression is the challenge.”


Irish president Michael D Higgins speaking of Autism.