PUZZLES & CAMO SHELLY HUHTANEN

Beach Visitor

Mark assured Broden that we had two more days at the beach and then we would drive home, "We will spend the day at the beach, eat steak for dinner, sleep, then wake up and pack the car to drive home."

My parents came to visit for our annual beach trip this past month. In the beginning of the week, the beach did not disappoint. We had enjoyable temperatures with a few clouds here and there to cool off periodically through the day. Towards the end of the day, everyone would do the towel shuffle, sliding our towels farther from the shoreline as the waves crashed closer to our feet. Each year at the beach, we see changes and we're able to witness the progression in Broden. Our family knows that this is the one family trip that he looks forward to every year. Maybe because he feels similar to how we feel about the beach. There is a sense of comfort going to the same beach each year and reconnecting with a special place that gives us time to reflect and enjoy the predictability of it all. There will always be waves, sand on our toes, and the sound of seagulls that you can hear over the sound of pounding waves. It never changes, and as I watch Broden, he has expressed comfort in that respect.

This year, towards the end of our beach trip, we had a visitor. Hurricane Elsa decided to swing up the east coast and interrupt our perfect beach weather. Elsa came in quickly, with pounding winds that shook the house. The wind was so strong it was moving our rocking chairs on the patio to the far side of the porch. We had initially scheduled a college trip for Hayden to visit Coastal Carolina, but it was postponed due to a tornado warning north of us. When the weather subsided, the beach still looked like it wasn't ready for visitors, so we decided to take a short road trip inland to check out a shopping area.

I looked over at Broden, "Let's take a road trip and get out of the house

since we can't enjoy the beach right now." Broden looked confused and said, "My sheets." I was confused by his response, "Your sheets? We aren't leaving the beach and going home. We're just taking a little trip, then coming back."

I ran into the living room to tell Mark what he had said to me. That was the first time Broden had ever mentioned any concerns with taking his belongings with him if he thought he was

leaving. He was starting to connect with our schedule and how it would affect him. What was even more exciting was that he was using his words to vocalize what he was thinking, not just basic wants such as "juice" or "food." This was different. Broden was telling us what he needed to pack for the trip. This was new.

Eventually, we all slid in the car and drove inland to a Bass Pro shop. We thought Broden would enjoy the big fish tank. We allowed everyone to explore, since we had been couped up in the beach house that morning due to the storm. Hayden and my dad went one way. Mark went another way to check some things out, and mom and I followed Broden around the store. It seemed that everyone had the same idea that we had due to the weather. If the beach wasn't ready for visitors, the Bass Pro shop was the place to be that day.

Broden was weaving in and out of groups of people, exploring shelves while we briskly walked behind him trying to keep up. The crowds didn't seem to bother him too much and he was looking around and taking in everything around him. We finally found ourselves in the shoe section. He picked out a pair of shoes he liked. It was the most colorful pair of sandals on the rack. The

SEA CHANGE: Broden woke up the next morning, remembering the schedule Mark had told him, "Go to beach?" We assured him he was correct. That evening walking off the beach, he turned to Mark and said, "Eat steak."