Legoland Discovery Center Boston!

This past week has been vacation week here, and I must say something I never thought I'd say about a vacation week with Janey---it has been relaxing and fun!  For the most part, anyway.  She's been in a banner mood, cheerful and talkative and cooperative and just pretty much a joy.  It's been really something.

Janey looking at Boston in Lego form

And today we had a special treat to top off the week...Legoland Discovery Center Boston!  I was offered tickets to an autism-friendly special time at Legoland by one of the organizers, who had read this blog.  I've heard of bloggers getting offered things like that, but this was the first time it happened to me, and I was quite excited!  However, I really was unsure how it would go.  Janey has never shown a real interest in Legos, and I didn't know much at all about the place.  But I love the idea of autism-friendly times at museums and other venues, and I wanted to give it a try.

Well, it was a huge success!  The event was from 8:30am to 10am, before the regular opening time of Legoland.  I felt worried Janey would want to leave after a few minutes, and I wouldn't be able to write much about what we did there.  However, we wound up staying until around 10:15! (you could stay as long as you wanted, even once the regular opening time started)

Gillette Stadium, Lego style

The other surprise was how much Tony and I enjoyed ourselves.  The coolest part, to us, was the Boston made all out of Legos.  All the big tourist places were included---Fenway Park, Cheers, the Hancock Tower, Old Ironsides, and there were also things like a T bus and commuter rail, Logan Airport and City Hall.  It's really something what you can create with Legos.  Janey seemed to enjoy looking at the Lego buildings too.

Her favorite part, I think, was the two rides.  There was a ride sort of like the Dumbo ride at Disneyworld (from what I remember the one time I was there as a kid), where you go round and round and can also go higher or lower.  With this ride, you did that by pedaling bike-like.  There was also a train type ride where you could shoot spiders and bad guys with laser guns.  Janey didn't try the shooting part, but Tony and I did, and the ride kept score (Tony beat me!)

Fun on a ride

There were areas where you could build with Legos, which Janey wasn't too into, but there was enough else to do so that was fine.  There was also a 4-D movie, with 3-D glasses and special effects like snow.  I loved that, as I've never been to a modern 3-D movie, but Janey didn't last there.  That's what I love about autism events---nobody gets upset if you need to leave.  Tony took her out of the movie area and I stayed for the about 10 minute show.

Tony's cool creation---Janey is unimpressed

Janey enjoying the experience

I talked to one of the organizers of the event, and she said this was the 2nd time they've had an autism event.  She asked us how we heard about it, and told me that they don't like to advertise a lot, because they want to keep attendance low, so only kids with autism and their families are there, but they also want to get the word out to those who are their intended audience.  I can see how that would be hard.  They did send home a flyer from Janey's school, so I think they are doing a good job with outreach.

At the playground

It's wonderful to be able to take Janey to "regular" places, and to not have to worry about meltdowns in lines, overwhelming crowds and stares from her behaviors.  I think one of the best parts is that we ALL can enjoy ourselves, as a family.  So much of the time, it seems like either Janey can enjoy herself, or we can, but not both, and for us all to be having fun together---that's wonderful.

After the event, we walked around the area a bit, and went to a cool little riverside playground and then had a fancy piece of cake in a French type bakery.  It was a whole morning out.

I'll write more soon about vacation week and my thoughts on it.  Tomorrow is back to school.  Often, I would have been counting the seconds, but this vacation, there is a small part of me that almost wishes vacation was longer.  Miracles never end.