Photo A Day May Days 13-19

Photo A Day May Day 13 - MUM

Traditionally 13 is "unlucky" but I'd have to disagree today. I am the luckiest woman in the universe. I am a Mum. It's all I ever wanted. My wish came true. Being J and H's Mum is the most beautiful gift I could ever receive. 


Everything I do is because of them and for them. 


They are joy personified. MUM is the most beautiful word I have ever heard spoken from anyone's lips especially their plump rosey ones in the days I wasn't sure if I'd hear words with real meaning from them. How wrong I was. Our connection is real and special.


I'm their go to girl for mummy kisses when they scrape a knee and mummy hugs for no reason but that they love me. 


If I never do anything else in my life but be their Mum....... It will be a full and truly happy life dripping with love. What more is there?

Photo A Day May Day 14 - GRASS

I let the "lawn mowers" in the back gate this morning to help me out before my 3 hour marathon on the weekend...... 

Andrew can be the "catcher" when it comes to their out put after inputting the grass. I don't "do" shovel duty.












Photo A Day May Day 15 - LOVE

Self Explanatory........

Photo A Day May Day 16 - SOMETHING YOU ARE READING

Different Not Less by Temple Grandin. My hero. Temple is the most famous person with Autism in the world. I've had the unbelievably privileged experience of working with her recently through my charity work with The Autism & Aspergers Support Group Inc and I will always rate Temple's success and her life as the most inspiring, uplifting story I've heard. 

Temple's mother Eustacia is a super mum and the boys gave me a Super Mum bookmark on Mother's Day. If I can give my boys even a tenth of the understanding and support Temple's mum gave her, I will be satisfied with my efforts as their mum. Temple's Mum drummed in the lesson that Temple is "different, not less." I whole heartedly agree with that statement about my kids and all those on the spectrum. This book is a collection of inspiring stories from adults on the spectrum.  BRILLIANT!

Photo A Day May Day 17 - SNACK

I'm planning my baking schedule for a market stall I'm doing on Sunday with my gluten and dairy free goodies.... 

I do believe I'll have one of these triple chocolate rocky road mud cakes as a snack right now.... 

I'll burn it off at the gym tomorrow.

Photo A Day May Day 18 - SOMETHING I MADE

All of these are gluten and dairy free treats I made for a market stall I' unleashed my baking hobby I call Chew Choose, upon on Sunday. Banana bread, rocky road cuppies, choc mud cuppies, fairy cuppies, rum balls, mini Tiffany boxes and rocky road.... 

Photo A Day May Day 19 - FAVOURITE PLACE

No question.... My favourite place to be is front row of a Bon Jovi concert. 

It's my happy place. I chose this shot as it's from the first song in Sydney...... The first song with the whole night ahead at a Bon Jovi concert in my home town as I'm in the front row really really is the happiest place in the world for me. 

Beats the shit out of Disneyland in my opinion. 

Photo A Day May Days 8-12

Photo A Day May Day 8 - SOMETHING I DO EVERYDAY
Photo A Day May Day 9 - A WORD I LOVE

I missed a day BUT I can use the same photo for both themes. Love. As John Lennon said, "Love is all you need." I do it everyday and it's my favourite word. Love.




Photo A Day May Day 11 - KITCHEN

My fridge is my diary....... If it doesn't make it to my fridge door on one of the many Scooby magnets out of the box from the endless supply of Scooby Tail jelly thingos the boys eat or on my cool peg magnets... Well if it hasn't made it to there... It simply doesn't happen.

The fridge is my last bastion of free willed chaos in my otherwise very order filled life thanks to ASD routine necessity. I am comforted to open the fridge door by the treasures it holds inside (well sometimes... actually not much anymore since the 23 kilo shedding) and I am comforted by the total shitstorm of memories in the form of photos, upcoming events in the form of excursion notes, news rosters (which I can seriously NEVER find even though ALWAYS pinned to the fridge), preschool and school art and children's party invites. There's even a letter from the former minister for disability congratulating me for an award I won a couple of years back........ Shit. I'd better tidy it up I guess now I've realised how long that's been there and how obsolete most of the crap on there might be.... Or.... Perhaps I'll open the door and see if there's wine inside......

Photo A Day May Day 12 - SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.

They make me happy. This picture shows them sooooo happy.

On any day. A bad day, a good day, an average day ANY day.... THIS picture makes me happy.

Happy. JOY!

Photo A Day May Day 7 - SOMEONE WHO INSPIRES YOU

Photo A Day May Day 7 - SOMEONE WHO INSPIRES YOU

I couldn't pick just one. My boys inspire me more than anyone else on the planet living or passed on. They each have a diagnosis of ASD that is widely considered limiting. I have watched them prove every stereotype wrong. They are both loving, affectionate, friendly boys who love playing, making friends, embarking on adventures and fill people they meet with joy. It's true. I see the reaction when J enthusiastically greets everyone he sees with reckless abandon and the joy of a soul truly free of judgement even though he is judged often. I feel the warmth a shy smile or coy greeting from H brings the special people in his life he chooses to bestow his more reserved affection upon.

To go from limited communication, developmental delays and constant frustration based meltdowns only a few short years ago to becoming the happy little boys they are who enjoy birthday parties, school, preschool, camp and every other experience they take on with such gusto is nothing short of inspiring to bear witness to.

All new experiences, sensory difficulties and new people make every day more challenging for these boys but they get through it. They thrive. They conquer. Their bravery is awe inspiring. A simple social exchange such as asking a child to play, navigating playground politics or knowing the "right" thing to do in a classroom present a child with ASD with such confusion and anxiety. These boys work through it all with encouragement, support and love from me and for each other and those around them.

Never ever tell me never for any child with ASD. Don't talk about limits. My boys will NEVER be anything but limitless in their potential.

J and H.... You inspire me to always do better and be better. I watch you guys do just that every day.

Photo A Day May - FUN, BIRD, YOU

Photo A Day May Day 4 - FUN! 

Friday afternoon fun discarded to go inside for dinner and a bath now after preschool and late afternoon play. Scooter lying in wait on the driveway BUT all weekend ahead to play all day. Ah to be 4 years old.  


4 years old and playing "appropriately," freely and with typical 4 year old abandon is even better if you ask me....  I watch their play with joy.  Fun.





Photo A Day May Day 5 - BIRD

J's first foray in Karate today at a party. Is it just me or is he channeling Daniel San doing "The Crane?" Ok, it's not perfect but he wasn't trained by Mr Miyagi....  What is note worthy is that J was just another child at that party.  So was H.  Not once did I need to "explain" a diagnosis or behaviour.  Two boys at a party with 15 kids.  A new experience, new people, new place and new skills being learned every day.  


Just an everyday little boy doing his best Karate Kid moves.





Photo A Day May Day 6 - YOU (me).

Here I am... Whether crawling through shit/mud, seeing the sun after a storm, partying, loving on my lady loves (besties), raising awareness, fighting for my babies, cuddling my family or just hanging with the hubby and trying to move forward with our life after that storm mentioned above... I am always me. I make no apologies for who, what, how I am and have a firm like it or lump it policy. I swear too much, I love too much, I sing and dance badly but enthusiastically and I drink too many cocktails when I'm out with the girls. I love love love laughing and try to find an excuse to do exactly that every day and think that laughter through tears is possibly the most beautiful feeling in the entire world. 


I'm by nooooo means everyone's cup of tea. I'm ok with that. More a cup of coffee. Strong and hot (when I scrub up AND hot tempered) and sometimes wakes you up like a slap in the face. 
I am nearly comfortable in my skin for the first time in 38 years after doing an incredible amount of work on myself physically, emotionally and spiritually over the last year and even on the bad days I don't think I'd trade my life (me) for anything else as the lessons I've learned have made me rich with not cash but life and love.


I am who I am.

Photo A Day May - Something I Wore Today

I'm into my next project....  This is Photo A Day May and today's theme is Something I Wore Today.

I wore my sunglasses.  This picture is of my sunnies at sunset.

Not expensive or glamorous sunglasses.  Just my cheap sunnies that I use sometimes to cover tears as I watch the boys doing "normal" things or achieving "small" things.  There really is no such thing as "small" in my world.  Every day I wake up to the sound of one or both of the boys creeping not so quietly up the hall is HUGE!  We don't do small.  Everything they do makes me happy.  We do happy in size HUGE too.

The flip side is we can sometimes do sad in size HUGE.....  Oh how I did HUGE sad last year (check out the link if you want to cry with me).  So so sad in HUGE.  I am a bit of a crier in general.....  Not just in HUGE sad moments though.  I cry when I'm sad and I cry when I'm happy.  I cry when I'm inspired and I cry when I'm worried, anxious and tired.....

Contrary to popular belief....  I am pretty soft.  The tears are a river of feelings escaping from my soul.  I don't subscribe to "big girls don't cry."  I lean instead towards evolved girls AND boys cry when they need to....  I live a life of being open and giving with my emotions.  I think that my complete openness with my emotions has helped the boys grasp what sorting and processing theirs are (which is difficult for people with ASD).

I think by giving my boys the gift of expressing feelings and showing them how to express theirs has helped them bust down the old stereotypes.

I couldn't find two more loving little boys than my cuddly guys who tell me they love me at least daily.  Those moments bring yet more tears to my eyes of course.  Those moments are the HUGE ones I live openly for.

C.x

Photo A Day May - Skyline

Photo A Day May - Skyline

The rolling green hills leading up to the blue mountains under a blood red sky. Ah... Home sweet home.

Wide open spaces for the boys to run around and peace for all of us in this crazy house.  Serenity now.

C.x

Photo A Day Project.... Yes a new project!

I'm needing some inspiration to get the writing juices flowing.  After a month of ups and some pretty heavy downs, I'm a bit stuck for words.


In the meantime I'll be doing Fat Mum Slim's Photo A Day May......   Today's topic  is PEACE.  I asked my 6 year old to draw me PEACE.  He's developing a real interest in drawing and art.  I'm not saying he's an artistic savant by any stretch but he loves art and drawing.  It's an activity that brings HIM PEACE.  


His peace is my peace.

Enjoy.

C.xo


The list of topics are:


For those that would like some clarification, here's the list. They're open to however you want to interpret them:

1. peace {something peaceful, a peace sign etc}
2. skyline {where the sky meets land, can be buildings, the beach, forest, whatever!}
3. something you wore today {while you're wearing it or not}
4. fun! {something you do for fun - big or small}
5. bird {a bird in the sky, an ornament, a picture, a pet etc}
6. you {a self-portrait, a picture of a picture of you, your reflection in the mirror}
7. someone that inspires you {could be someone in real life, someone well-known}
8. a smell you adore {perfume, a food, flowers, anything!}
9. something you do everyday {share something from your daily routine}
10. a favourite word {a word that you love to say, write or read}
11. kitchen {can be a picture of your kitchen, something from a kitchen or a cafe kitchen etc}
12. something that makes you happy {a person, a thing, etc}
13. mum {a picture of your mum, the word mum, a mum, mother's day celebrations etc}
14. grass {the green stuff that grows on the ground etc}
15. love {something that represents love, something or someone you love}
16. what you're reading {a book, a newspaper, a blog, a sign, a note etc}
17. snack {something you're eating as a snack}
18. something you made {food, craft, a child, anything!}
19. a favourite place {a place you love being in}
20. something you can't live without {something you'd rather not go without in your life}
21. where you stand {take a photo of where you're standing}
22. pink {something pink}
23. technology {something that uses technology}
24. something new {what's something new in your life?}
25. unusual {share something a little odd or weird}
26. 12 o'clock {take a photo at noon or midnight, whatever you're doing}
27. something sweet {a candy/lolly, a cake, a person, something cute ... anything!}
28. the weather today {is it sunny, rainy, cloudy today? Shoot it!}
29. a number 
30. your personality {show us your personality in a photo, a word etc}
31. something beautiful {share something beautiful in your life}