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.

Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 6

Autism Gratitude Project 2012 Day 6  


I am grateful for the sadness of diagnosis. Strange yes? Well...... It made my heart "bigger." I remember being devastated when son number 1 was diagnosed. Panic stricken, bereft and lost. From there, the only way was up, even when son number 2 also received a diagnosis. EVERY milestone has a little more joy attached to it than it would have before, EVERY hug has a little more love to it than anyone could ever dream possible, EVERY word has a little more meaning behind it..... EVERYTHING has just a bit more to it when once you were faced (however ignorantly at the time) with the prospect of nothing but heartache. 


If not for that incredible low, I would not be living with such utterly description defying joy in EVERY moment of the "little" things. I experience EVERYTHING a little "bigger" now thanks to my bigger heart..... Granted, some of the sad things are a little bigger too but the pay off is that the happy things found in other folks "boring" and routine are nothing short of AWESOME in my house. Watching J sing and dance with pure joy and total abandon completely oblivious that he's "different" with friends at a school assembly last week = AWESOME (and a few big tears from me). Seeing H wear a pair of bunny ears, hold hands with a friend and walk a path for the Easter hat parade at preschool like all the other kids = AWESOME (and a few big tears from me again).


I am grateful I learned the lesson in heartache. It makes happy so much bigger. :-)

The Autism Gratitude Project 2012

Originally posted on my previous blog: http://myspecialstorybooks.blogspot.com/ 1 April 2012

For the last two years I've joined a lovely facebook in friend doing an Autism Gratitude Project during April to mark Autism Awareness Month....  I have had one HELLUVA year since last year's gratitude project and after the near demise of my marriage AND near demise of me (see this post for further info on THAT), in large part due to the stress of autism, it would be easy to focus on all the negative things that autism has brought into my life.

I am going to do The Autism Gratitude Project again this year though as it just might be what I need to remind me of all the wonderful things are in my life also in large part due to autism and to maybe even see that the near demise is indeed something to be grateful for one day as it's my hope that the events that damn near broke me will eventually be the step in my journey that strengthened my stride into unbreakable.

So on the day before Autism Awareness Month officially started I marked my gratitude by acknowledging that I'm grateful the above statement reads, NEAR demise on both counts and not ACTUAL demise..... Small but significant steps are being made to move further away from any kind of demise every day. 

Here we go though, it is now April 1st and that means Autism Awareness Month is officially underway.

Happy Autism Awareness Month and please join us on facebook or post below in my comments section if you prefer or maybe just write a journal for yourself but why not join those of us who choose to see the gifts of autism by stating one thing you are grateful or each day during April because autism entered your world.  It can be a positive thought, a happy/flappy story, anything.  I'll start......

Autism Gratitude Project 2012 - Day 1: I am absolutely filled with gratitude to be surrounded by the love and support of some truly remarkable people I've met through autism. The real everyday heroes who literally change the world through their tenacious courage to advocate and constantly fight for their children but who's cup is never running so empty that they can't offer a drink of love and support to their friends fighting beside them. Bravo to my amazingly brave, brilliant, talented and exhausted friends who give a new definition to the word strength. I am grateful for each and every one of you who I would never have met if not for entering this different world of autism/additional needs. You know who you are and each and every one of you raise me up.

Much love to all of those in my world who inspire each other and me.