Field Trip: Driven Raceway

Towards the middle of Spring, I began to plan for summer. Thanks to Friends of the North Bay Regional Center, I was able to sign James up for summer camp sessions at the local Boys and Girls Club. I told him I could afford two field trips during summer camp, which he could choose.

Without hesitation, James said he wanted to go to the dance field trip and go cart racing. The dance was a huge hit. When I picked him up he was glowing. The go cart trip was today.

Because James has never driven anything, except a video game, I thought it would be good to to a pre-field trip the night before and show James where he'd be going, and prepare him for go cart noises.

We got to Driven Raceway about 30 minutes to closing time. The place was empty and the staff hanging out. When James and I entered, they asked if they could be of help. I asked how noisy the carts were, explaining that my son had a field trip tomorrow but had never driven a go cart. They immediately offered to drive a cart around, so James could get used to the speed and sounds.

Wow, can they zip!! And thankfully they are much quieter than I thought they'd be. The staff was so friendly and courteous. They asked James his name and told him they'd look out for him the next day.

Result: another great field trip for James! James says he is glad we did the pre-field trip, so he could look forward to the real field trip even more.

Magic Marker Monday: Lego Love at Last

This is a not a typical Magic Marker Monday post because James was following directions to build something with Legos.

I decided to post this here today because for James, this is a creative project. Despite several attempts to introduce him to Legos, large, small, and kit versions, he's remained politely uninterested. My bare feet and vacuum were grateful. Last Christmas, he received a pair of cool Lego Star Wars jammies from his cousins and uncle. He liked the fabric more than the design.

Some time over the summer, he started to become interested in Lego Star Wars (I am thinking SW Angry Birds on his dad's phone was his Gateway).James became increasingly interested in both Legos and Star Wars. His godmother gave him an awesome Star Wars Leggo advent calendar for Christmas this year. He loved it, but I had to hide it because all the little pieces were immediately lost in the mayhem that was our house.

Then I found a Leggo book with sotries, Lego pieces, and instruction for building cars, helicopters, and other vehicles that James likes. He got it for his birthday. Yesterday, he asked me to help him put it together.

What a sweet feeling, to work together with a feeling of excitement and anticipation. James was so proud, he showed it off to everyone and spend (for him) a long time playing with it.




For more great masterpieces or to share some of your own, visit
5 Minutes for Special Needs for more Magic Marker Monday.