Winter Blues

Just this summer we moved to the ever-constant warmth of Southern California. Actually today, at the end of January, my thermometer in my car read 82 degrees and I actually put the air on in my car because it was too hot. But before this year, Ryan has always lived where it has snowed in the winter. As always Ryan has a hard time getting use to things, because of the way his brain sees the world it takes a longer time for him to get use to new sights, smells, tastes, and basically all sensations. So getting Ryan to like the snow was a long process.
For most of the winter, snow covered the ground where we lived and it was almost impossible to leave the confines of your house without coming across some sort of snow. Ryan did not want to walk on the snow, touch the snow, or wear any of the clothes associated with the snow. To get Ryan use to things we did what we always do and go slowly.
For the clothes it took about a month to get Ryan to dress for the appropriate season. Actually I thought we were over the struggles but just this year Ryan held up a battle over wearing his sandals instead of shoes once fall hit. First we would get Ryan use to wearing pants, then we would add a long sleeve shirt. After a few days we would add a jacket, a hat, and lastly gloves. Though sometimes we went the winter without gloves.
To get Ryan use to the snow we got him to shovel snow  without touching it. Now he will touch it with waterproof gloves if you make him. But he still only touches it gingerly at best. Ryan has become the master of snowman building though. He loves it and will use his shovel to help build.
I remember when I was pregnant with my daughter I took Ryan sledding with a friend and her kids. Ryan refused to walk on the snow, even though he was wearing boots, but he loved sledding! He would laugh and smile the whole way down. So I gave in and carried him and the sled up the hill. No easy feat, I slipped several times.
Ryan asked me earlier this week to take him to the mountains so he could play in the snow. He has grown to really love it though I do not expect him to be in a snow fight anytime soon. Getting a sensory kid use to new experiences just takes time and a lot of patience. I found, that with Ryan at least, if we tried something enough times he would eventually grow to like it. The trick is getting them to try it.