Halloween Hayride

I know that Thanksgiving is Thursday but I forgot to share about Halloween this year.

Halloween is a holiday that I use to look forward to when my daughter was little. I can remember all the fun things such as school carnivals, parties, going trick or treating and all the party favors I made for each child in her class every year from Kindergarten through 6th grade. As she got older Halloween got to where it was just another day. Halloween was a little different this year and one I will remember.

McCalls was having their Halloween carnival on a day I see clients. I didn't want to interrupt the festivities by taking my clients away from the carnival so instead I scheduled around the carnival, which was scheduled from 1-3pm and decided to just hang out during that time. The residents are always wanting me to join in on different festivities but it usually works out that I am unable to do so and I was a little excited to see my clients and the other residents enjoy the carnival.

I was so excited to see all the carnival booths they had set up, everything from a basketall throw, cupcake walk, fishing game and a few others. They even had all kinds of prizes for the residents to win. I knew they had a hayride the previous evening because some of my clients were discussing it during the group counseling sessions on that Tuesday, and they all seemed to be looking forward to going on a hayride.



I went to one area and one of the residents was talking about the hayride and his room worker said he couldn't take him due to being short handed. Since I was pretty much just hanging out and helping I asked him if it would be okay if I took him. Not real sure how long I have been going to McCall's now but this one particular resident noticed me right off.  It took me two years to get him to call me by name instead of saying "Hi Momma" when he would see me. During lunch time if he is in there I always go say a few words to him about reasons he needs to eat his lunch and most of the time it is "you can't be strong enough to pick up a bowling ball if you don't eat your lunch and I know you like to go bowling" and that usually gets him to eat at least a little of his lunch. Oh how I digress, anywho, I was able to take him on the hayride. He was a little leary when we first got to the tractor and flatbed trailer but I told him I would sit right next to him and he was okay then. We had a blast riding around the campus on those bales of hay, pointing out the cottages and him showing me which one was his, looking at birds flying by, and feeling the gentle breeze against our face. After the hayride I walked him back to his classroom and he gave me a big hug and told me thank you.

On my way home I think I smiled the whole way thinking about how great it was to spend that special time with the residents and remembering all the laughter, smiles of joy and excitement they showed while displaying prizes they won at the carnival booths. I know I will always remember that day and how special it was to the residents but my favorite memory will always be the Halloween Hayride where I was allowed to share something so simple as sitting on a bale of hay on a flatbed trailer and see the happiness on that one gentleman's face.