Here's all my Autism Gratitude Project 2012 posts in abundance on one BIG post...... I'll be back later to start my new project. A Photo A Day ....... I do LOVE a project after all.
Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 15 - I am grateful for flexibility. It's definitely NOT a given in the world of ASD. Our plans have changed today and the boys have accepted that Mummy isn't feeling up to a big day out as planned. There was a time anything "scheduled" on their weekly visual planner was written in stone and non negotiable without major meltdown and trauma to us all if things changed. Redirection, flexibility and a growing understanding that just because things haven't happened exactly as we first thought doesn't mean they won't happen at all or that their world is ending. No meltdowns at all this morning, just happy shrugs and moving on to playing Wii and hanging out in the backyard enjoying the sun. The boys know we will go out for lunch next weekend and that instead of going to a busy park to play on their scooters, they can go hell for leather on our steep, dangerous, Mummy stress provoking driveway (providing helmets are worn) which they actually prefer being the wild natured smalls they are.... Happy happy gratitude filled Sunday to all!
Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 16 - I'm grateful for progress... My own. Two years ago I was a nervous wreck about sending my lad off to a sensory integration and social skills camp run by The Sensory Gym called Camp Jabiru. Seriously I WAS a NERVOUS WRECK! I was terrified and crippled with anxiety. I was hopelessly frightened that my son would hate the new experience and not cope. Turns out he coped fine and loved it. Today I dropped my oldest son AND his younger brother at Camp Jabiru and although I had some nervous moments about my younger son who is going for the first time and he is often unsure of new experiences and new people, I knew the boys were in good hands, would not only cope but THRIVE once they got there and climbed over the first hurdle of saying goodbye to me. I was right. After a huge first day at camp, the boys are home, happy and properly filthy as only little boys know how to become. A big week ahead with every day bringing a new camp adventure and I am appropriately (at least I think appropriately) teary about their budding independence and progress, I am so so soooo grateful I've learned to let go and model courage and bravery for my loves. A good day. A great day in fact. My gratitude cup overflows.
Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 17 - FARK I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALCOHOL. It's all I can manage being grateful for today. For real.
Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 18 - I am grateful for a day off. Nothing but me time today. I don't think I'd appreciate that quite so much if not for ASD. Rare and so very essential. Drama free, laughter filled day with my gals.
Autism Gratitude Project 2012 - Days 19, 20 and 21 (yes, I got behind) - In line with how behind I got with my project I would like to say I'm grateful for those who make my life simple. The people who provide zero drama, pull together to help me when stress is HIGH and get stuff done. For every individual who has helped me keep things simple in a very complicated week, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am beyond grateful.
Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 22 - I am soooooooooooo very grateful that preschool (the best preschool in the universe BTW and needs a gratitude update of it's own before April's end)....... Anyhoo, I'm uber grateful Preschool is going back tomorrow after school holidays. I'd best not mention school as gratitude is eluding me on THAT one yet again as I watch all of J's mainstream friends return and YET AGAIN his holidays (read, my freakin working harder than ever days) are extended by 4 days due to being in the ASD class under the ASD peak body of Australia's watch (**insert swearing about paying through the nose for HOLIDAYS NOT SCHOOL DAYS)! I'll be uber grateful on Wednesday night about school going back... For now, I'm grateful to the best freaking preschool in the freaking universe for returning to work to educate my smallest small tomorrow. I'm also grateful for Pimms although I wouldn't mind the people at Pimms increasing the alcohol content just a bee's dick for me if they happen to read this...... Pimms would go from the Number 1 cup (their slogan) to the FARKING NUMBER 1 AND TOPS CUP in my view if the alcohol was a wee bit higher..... Pass me another immediately!
Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 23 - Praise Jaysus I am going out soon with a few lady loves to do some volunteer work for AASG so I don't have to endure another minute of our Finley The f*cking Fire Engine DVD (on repeat ALL DAY AND ALL AFTERNOON AND LIKELY ALL NIGHT). Sooooo very grateful. This gratitude update is brought to you by respite. Our beloved respite worker shall be enduring the fire engine DVD and bless her, she will endure it with a good nature. Me....? I want to stab myself in the eyes repeatedly rather than see another episode.
Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 24 - I am beyond grateful for my friendship with my bestie, Vannessa. I have known Ness since high school BUT it's only over the last 4 years that we have become so completely inseparable. It also just so happens that ASD entered my life around the time Ness re-entered it after she moved to the area I live in. It certainly wasn't an easy time to become my friend as I was overwhelmed and really had nothing to give relationships as all I "did" was ASD (I still struggle with this issue as ASD is all encompassing all of the time, particularly in the early days of intervention). Vannessa has NEVER asked more of me than I can give, she ALWAYS catches me if/when I fall, she NEVER compares her life to mine or anyone else's as she completely understands we are all fighting a battle of some description and we all are just doing the best we can. She is not an ASD/special needs mum however she "gets it" and has earned the title of honorary ASD Aunty in my book. She loves my boys and look out if she thinks I've been done wrong as the girl is loyal and supportive to the ends of the universe. Outside of my immediate family and our respite worker, Vannessa is the only person I would be comfortable leaving my boys with (lucky her!) as I could walk out the door completely comfortable that she understands them, cares for them and again.... Just "gets it." Vannessa's entire family are like my extended family and I simply love them. I am so grateful they are in our life and accept us so completely in all of our glory. An example of the phenomenal woman and parent that she is that she has raised a son who when asked if he's noticed anything "different" about the kids in our predominantly ASD/spec needs play circle of friends, he answered, "Mum, we are all just kids" and another time "Well J has lovely curly hair which is different to mine." Thank you Ness. You make it easy to be me even on the hard days. For your support over the last particularly harrowing year, I will NEVER be able to thank you enough. I love you and gratitude is just not a big enough word.
Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 25 - I am grateful that I have been
part of organising 2 world experts in ASD to come together for a seminar
tomorrow which will help professionals AND parents learn more about ASD and in
turn help those professionals and parents also come together to implement what
they learn. 18 months ago I sent an email to Colorado State University on the
slight chance I could get in touch with Temple Grandin and convince
her to do a seminar for The Autism & Aspergers Support Group Inc -
Sydney. She responded. (I've framed that email and I hang it on my fridge to
read often). I couldn't convince her to travel down under as she doesn't travel
anymore BUT she agreed to work with AASG and do a video link for us. Somewhere
in that time frame we (the volunteer committee of AASG) thought to ourselves,
why not get Professor Tony Attwood to present too and turn this into a major 2
day conference event? It shouldn't be too hard to find a venue, organise AV,
sell tickets, advertise it, raise money to pay for it (a LOT of money) and pull
together 2 world experts on opposite sides of the world between our paid jobs,
family lives, housework (well that one doesn't really apply to me), sleepless
nights, meltdowns (and they weren't all from our children but that might just
have been me)..... Volunteers. Just a few volunteers with a shared interest,
passion and drive to make a difference.... A very small group of passionate
volunteers totally dedicated to improving the outcomes of our children with ASD
and the lives of other families living the same "story" as us is
about to pull off the most massive undertaking our tiny in size but huge in
heart charity has ever attempted. I've had a sneak peek at our Temple video
presentation (I'm allowed, I'm the president of the charity! LOL) where she
answers our individual questions and I also hear from my off-sider coordinator,
that Tony is settled in at his hotel and can't wait to do our seminar tomorrow.
I've almost moved past stress and into excited. If not for autism, I might
never have heard of Temple Grandin. Now I have heard of Temple Grandin she is
quite literally my hero and a light in the lives of families living with autism
worldwide. I am grateful for inspirational visionaries like Temple who give me
hope. No not hope..... Absolute certainty that my boys WILL BE FULFILLED, HAPPY
AND AMAZING. So grateful on so many levels. Tomorrow and Friday will be
AWESOME!
Autism Gratitude Project
2012 Day 26 - I am grateful for all the help and support from the AASG team
today at Tony Attwood and Temple Grandin. I AM BEYOND EXHAUSTED. Very early
night and ready to do it all again tomorrow. I'm also really grateful for the
amazingly positive feedback after a very stressful couple of weeks leading up
to the seminar. Much love to everyone who has been kind enough to say thanks or
give praise for the job the little charity that could has done. Xoxo
Nearly missed Day 27 of
my autism gratitude project! I am so grateful I have the strength to learn the
lesson and let it go.
Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 28 - I am
grateful for cuddles. Stuff the stereotype! My boys LOVE cuddles with Mummy.
Autism Gratitude Project
2012 Day 29 - I am grateful for the lesson I learned to put myself FIRST now.
For months I've been working on my health and fitness (body and mind). I used
to be constantly sick. Remember the tonsilitis for 5 years? Yes really. I had
tonsilitis for 5 years and also developed a thyroid condition that involves the
big C word but is under control for now. I believe this was partially due to me mistaking "helping" others
for me becoming a sponge and soaking up their pain with a desire to take it
away from them or clean it up for them. A giant event happened in my own life
that left no room for my "sponge" to soak up anything else. I learned
cleaning up is sometimes not possible but moving on, through and up is. My
journey on my physical transformation really helped my mind clear and my heart
heal. I got strong physically and mentally (still working on emotionally but
was making progress). I developed a bit of Teflon coating instead of the porous
sponge I've been walking around as for so long. I thought Teflon was making me
hard and I've been uncomfortable with it on some levels as my nature has always
been to help. How could I help if I've developed this harder coating? I've been
distracted for a few weeks. I started to slip... I've put myself last again. No
gym for a few weeks, no meditation, no positive affirmations and only
considering others needs again. A chink in the Teflon appeared. The old trusty
sponge resurfaced and I've taken a huge beating mentally plus emotionally. NOW
the physical signs have come along as I wasn't listening to the emotional ones.
I'm sick. Miserably sick right now. Coldsore, sore throat, a level of
exhaustion I remember well from the "good old constantly sick days."
The old feeling of powerlessness and with it self doubt. Ok.. I'm listening. I
think it's ok to have a strong coating to protect myself. Teflon can still be
warm and share that warmth with others needing it but the crud (negativity)
should just be able to slide right off when I am at my strongest. I realize
there is always the possibility of getting burnt but am developing just enough
coating to remain warm and let others clean up for themselves. It's not my job.
My job for right now is to rest. Rest my body and mind until I am well again
and the positive energy returns to take me back to my happy place of newly
found fitness. When I am fit in my mind, heart and body I am strong. For now
I'm resting though. So grateful I know I need to.
Autism Gratitude Project
2012 Day 30! On the last day of ASD awareness month I am so very grateful for
all the people in the entire disability/carer community who proved that one
voice no matter how small can always find another voice to shout out with them
and create change. The NDIS was announced today and it is a momentous
achievement for all those who have "made it real." With eternal gratitude. THANK YOU campaigners, carers and brave Australians
raising YOUR voices and for making sure that soon every Australian will count.
This month has had it's ups and downs and some days I found finding a
"thing" during the day to be grateful about incredibly difficult
because it's easy to lose focus of the big picture sometimes when the every day
little things (once you put them in perspective over time) get in the way. It's
pretty special to end on a high note and have the fortitude to go away and
reflect on the low notes so that the lessons in those might even give me
something to be grateful in the future. For now, I am grateful for my boys in
all their quirky complexity and grateful I got to be their Mummy. Thanks to
J and H. You make me grateful EVERY day whether during awareness
months or not. The end. (Until April 2013).
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