We managed a crowd and still had fun.  I know it sounds trite, but it is big for Ryan.

Ryan, since he could walk, has been a fright in crowds.  He gets a crazed look in his eye and starts running about and behaving inappropriately by running away, annoying,  hitting me, his brother, or whomever is closest.  I have tried here and there over the years but I avoid crowds.

A friend was in town and we decided to go to the Please Touch.  I was going to go later in the afternoon when it might have been less crowded.  The friend was leaving town so we went early.  Ryan was being oppositional on the way to the museum and when we went in he ramped it up.  The placed was full, fuller than I have ever seen, and he started really acting up.  I tried stopping him and slowing him down.  I thought we probably were not going to last a half hour.  Suddenly, he calmed down and started behaving appropriately.  He played with our friend and his brother and he was no more out of control than he’d be on my front lawn.  I am not sure if he adjusted to the sensory overload or he is starting to be able to filter out all the input while in a crowd.

Whatever it was, we had a great time.  Was this a fluke or can I actually consider going to crowded places with my kids?