Grown Up Autism

05/14/2026

Today’s adventure took us to the Motorsports Hall of Fame Museum where the smell of rubber, the sound of engines, and the history of racing all come together in one place. 🏁

Mommy liked the old gas station she reminisced and admired the gas prices, although she doesn't remember it being that "cheap" she can only remeber back to 35cents per gallon (wow).

We went in with one very important mission: find a PURPLE race car.
Success was finally achieved during the movie portion (which conveniently became Ian’s favorite part because it meant we got to sit down for a few minutes 😂). Somewhere between the air conditioning, the giant screen, and the comfy seats, he suddenly became deeply invested in “the cinematic experience.”

Meanwhile, Aaron was completely fascinated by the airplanes hanging overhead. He may have spent just as much time looking up as he did looking at the race cars. Honestly, between the suspended cars and airplanes, half the visit turned into us wondering, “How did they
even GET those up there?!”

The museum was packed with incredible pieces of racing history — legendary cars, historic helmets, trophies, and stories from drivers who helped shape motorsports into what it is today. One of the coolest facts? Some of the display vehicles are actually suspended from the ceiling using industrial rigging systems and cranes during installation. Which means somewhere out there is a crew of people whose job description basically includes “carefully hang priceless vehicles from the ceiling.” No pressure there. 😅

05/11/2026

Another Monday brings a walk in our favorite park.
Today was full of winged friends.

05/02/2026

Our latest adventure took us to the Daytona Beach Aquarium and it was abundantly clear it was going to be a fantastic day when Ian wore a shirt that was not the Sriracha hot sauce - a miracle!
The array of fish, reptiles, and rainforest dwellers exceeded expectations.
Austin joined in on the fun, and along with Aaron, they had an absolute blast.
Watching fish somehow seems to peacefully relax Ian.
This adventure truly had something for everyone.

04/27/2026

It was one of those windy Florida days where the trees never quite stopped moving and the trails felt a little quieter than usual. Wildlife was keeping a low profile no turtles sunning, no birds putting on a show just the sound of the wind and water.
But if you looked close, there was still life everywhere. At the spring head, a colony of bees were hard at work, completely unbothered by the breeze, doing their thing like tiny professionals on a mission. And off to the side, one lone squirrel made an appearance, probably wondering where everyone else went too 🐿️
Not every visit has to be full of action to be worth it. Sometimes it’s just about being outside, getting a reset, and appreciating the quiet moments in one of our favorite places 💚

04/23/2026

Spent some time exploring the New Smyrna Museum of History today and it was a nice, easy stop with a lot of local history packed in.
Aaron was especially into one of the displays with the old weapons and pipe he made sure to check out all the little details on the various swords and Daggers. Definitely his kind of exhibit.
Ian, on the other hand, was perfectly content just walking around and people watching.
Mommy liked looking at the relics from "back in her day" and remininsed of child hood days.
We also had a mini adventure on the way out, Aaron spotted a sewer grate and immediately had to stop and investigate… making sure nothing was living down there 😅 because apparently that was just as important as the museum itself.
Overall it was a laid-back visit, a little history, a little exploring, and just a good way to spend some time together.

04/09/2026

Spent some time today at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park and I’m convinced we somehow got flagged as “highly suspicious museum guests.” 😅

Every turn… there was someone watching, appearing, or just there. Like… we get it, we look dangerous around glass. 😂
But honestly this place is incredible.
Aaron was all about the “treasures” especially the detailed glass pieces and anything that looked unique or a little unusual. And fun fact: a lot of those pieces are from Louis Comfort Tiffany’s studios, where they used layered glass instead of paint to create shading,
Basically… what looks painted is actually tiny pieces of colored glass fused together. Wild.
We also have natural conversations about any piece that features an animal of any sort, which if you know him, is 100% Aaron.

Ian locked in on the stained glass, especially the big windows and I don’t blame him.
The “Tree of Life” style pieces are designed to tell stories through symbolism, and the crazy part? Tiffany glass gets its color from mixing metals into molten glass (like copper for reds and gold for rich yellows).
So some of those windows literally have real gold in them.
A few things that stood out from today:
The massive stained glass garden window with the columns and vines? It’s designed to feel like you’re looking outside, even though you’re inside. Early “immersive experience” before that was even a thing.
The chapel was originally built for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and later moved piece-by-piece to the museum. Walking in there instantly drops the noise level in your brain and creates a sense of calm.
Those iridescent glass vases (Favrile glass) change color depending on the light—no two are exactly the same.
One of the paintings half of us saw "The Wreck" (the desert scene with the skeleton and riders) is from the 1800s and was meant to symbolize mortality and the passage of time basically the artist saying, “we all end up here eventually,” just… more dramatically. (I had to google since I missed this one)

So yeah… incredible art, slightly overachieving security presence, and a mix of “wow,” “how did they make this?” and “are we being followed again?”
10/10 would go back… just maybe try to look less suspicious next time 😅

04/06/2026

Yesterday wasn’t just Easter, it was Ian’s birthday.
Birthdays are supposed to be joyful. Loud. Full of laughter, candles, and excitement.
But for Ian, birthdays are different. And they’re not always easy.
Ian doesn’t enjoy being around large groups of people.
He’s never learned how to blow out candles.
Opening presents, something so simple for most, can feel overwhelming.
These are the traditions we tie to celebration, but for Ian, they take an incredible amount of effort, control, and courage.
Even choosing gifts is hard.
Ian finds comfort in sameness… in the familiar.
The same routines. The same movies. The same books. The same clothes.
In a world that constantly pushes for “new,” Ian finds peace in what he already knows and trusts.
And still we celebrate.
Because Ian deserves to be celebrated in a way that feels safe for him.
This year, because his birthday fell on Easter, we gathered with family and friends at his grandfather’s house.
There was singing. There was love.
Ian’s brother, right beside him, helping him blow out the candles.
Not forcing. Not rushing. Just supporting.
And the cake?
Ice cream… because sometimes the smallest details matter the most, and that’s something Ian truly loves.
It may not look like a “typical” birthday.
But it was perfect.
Because it was Ian’s.
Happy Birthday, Ian 🎈🎈🎂

04/02/2026

Today we spent the day at the Art & History Museums of Maitland, and it ended up being one of those days that just worked.
Not because everything was perfect, but because the environment gave us room to make it perfect for us.

We also had a special guest today, the boy’s nephew, and watching them plus him experience everything in their own ways was honestly the best part.

This isn’t a loud, overwhelming museum. It’s quiet, detailed, and full of spaces that let you slow down, and when you slow down… you start to notice things.

Outside, there were carved stone walls with messages about stepping into the unknown, and honestly, that one hit a little deeper than expected.
Some days with the boys feel exactly like that… walking forward without a clear map and just trusting you’re doing it right.
There were patterns everywhere, tiles, carvings, textures, and those details became the focus for some of us.

Not rushing from thing to thing, but really engaging with what was right in front of us.

In the art gallery, there was the art by Jacobo Alonso.
His pieces stopped us in our tracks. Bright, layered, and textured. Some felt playful, others a little strange, and a few made you pause and figure out what you were even looking at.
But that’s what made them so powerful.
They weren’t just something to glance at, they were something to study. To trace with your eyes. To sit with.

For minds that love patterns, repetition, and detail, it was the kind of art that pulls you in and holds your attention without saying a word.

Inside the history museum, we found rooms set up like a different time, bright orange walls, floral curtains, old books on the table. It felt like stepping into someone else’s life for a minute. Familiar but different, moments that just make you smile, like using the old viewer to “look closer” at a story, or standing in front of a giant sculpture that just felt fun.
Even the heavier history, Cold War posters, emergency supplies, became opportunities to pause and talk, not rush past.
That’s what stood out the most.
Nothing here demanded attention.
It invited it.

We spent a longer amount of time at the feathered hat exhibit, beautiful, but also a reminder that fashion once nearly wiped out Florida’s birds.
The sign that said, “Please do not try on the hats, they are all haunted.”
That one got a laugh… and then a full imagination spiral conversation when our cameras that started taking pictures on their own. The kind of humor that sticks.
This display also featured a ceremonial sword that was presented by the YMCA, not for battle, but
as a symbol of leadership and character. This was Aaron's hyperfocus item of the day.

There were also quiet spaces to reset, interesting things to focus on, and enough flexibility to let each person experience it in their own way.
These are the places that work for us.
The ones that don’t fight you.
The ones that meet you where you are.
Not every outing needs to be big or busy.
Sometimes the best ones are the ones that simply make space for curiosity, for connection, and for being exactly who you are. 💙

03/26/2026

We’ve been to the Sanford Museum more times than we can count… and somehow, every time, we notice something new mixed in with the celery..
Yes. Celery.

Sanford has one of those histories you don’t expect.
A whole town built around celery farming…
boats shipping it out…
people’s lives centered around it in a way that feels so distant now
but yet, there it is simple, focused, easy to follow.

What we’ve come to appreciate is how grounding that kind of exhibit can be.
After a disruption in routine this week, getting back into something familiar mattered more than we expected.
And this place gave us that.
It’s calm.
It’s predictable.
You can move at your own pace.
You don’t have to take everything in at once you can just be there.

And then we reached the part of the museum that highlights Sanford’s German community and the roots behind Hollerbach's Willow Tree Café. There front and center hangs a dress that seems familiar to "Snow White" (we have strong disney roots) you could almost see the scenes playing out in the boys heads.

The story, the culture, the history… all connecting and coming to life without needing a single word.
There’s something really special about a place that lets everyone connect in their own way.

For some, it’s the history.
For some, it’s the stories.
For some… it’s celery. 😄

It’s not loud.
It’s not overwhelming.
It just quietly gives you space to reset, explore, and ease back into your normal rhythm.
If you’re ever looking for something low-pressure but still meaningful… this little museum might surprise you.

And because this is Florida…
You might walk out and get greeted by an osprey casually judging you from a tree like it owns the place. 😂

03/12/2026

Today we spent some time exploring the Museum of Arts and Science (The BROWN)

We come here often and it's always an interesting experience, the visit often looks very different than what people might expect.
While some visitors go from one exhibit to the next trying to see everything, our group moves in a way that feels comfortable and predictable.

That often means visiting the same rooms, the same displays, and even traveling through the museum in the same order each time we go,
and honestly, that’s part of what makes the trip successful.
For many, familiarity makes a huge difference. Knowing what hallway comes next, which exhibit is around the corner, or which display they want to stop at can make a large public space feel manageable instead of overwhelming. Watching someone return to a favorite exhibit (sometimes more than once) is a reminder that joy doesn’t always come from seeing something new. Sometimes it comes from revisiting something that already feels safe and interesting.
Of course, public spaces can still bring challenges. When the noise level suddenly jumps, or there's a rush of people it can change the whole sensory environment. But having a familiar path through the museum helps bring things back to a comfortable place.

So I’m curious…
If you were visiting a museum or a place you enjoy, would you rather explore something new every time, or revisit the same favorite spots again and again? 😊

12/06/2025