The things that others on the outside looking in cannot or refuse to understand.

"Cyclone Twins" in full force 

After a couple of weeks with miserable, windy, drizzly weather we woke today to view the frost laden grounds and a thick fog layered through the crevices of our valley floor. Beautiful to see as the sun begins to rise and slowly melt away the frozen icicle droplets that had so perfectly formed on the downpipes and gutter cornices.

As I head towards the chilly zones of the bathroom for my morning shower I hesitate and wrap my dressing-gown tighter and choose the option of my morning cuppa tea instead.

I peer in on A.J. to find him still snuggly wrapped in his doona with his pillows strategically placed to cocoon him in his bed; peacefully dreaming of an alternate universe where all is as he wishes it to be.

I gently wake him to begin his morning routine only to have him inform me that he needs more sleep as the weekend’s adventures had resulted in him having his precisely arranged weekend routine ruined and not gaining enough sleep, therefore he needed to catch up.

A Meltdown is not a Tantrum; and what that really means for our child!

A.J. tries to settle down and recover from the flu...

Anxiety is in overdrive plus at the moment, with the onset of winter hitting us with a vengeance and overtaking A.J.’s physical being, and his emotional balance is also suffering with changes in routines and unexpected situations occurring.

No matter how well we try to arrange everything, there always seems to be something that occurs to put a cog in the works, to slow-down or stop the smooth sailing process.

When things are running smoothly we can become complacent and forget to fine-tune things and then the results hit us with a crash-bang effect.

the winter season cleanup.......

the start of the garden clean-up...

The winter weather has taken over and our home feels as though we’re in the freezer’s control centre and the family in a ‘go-slow-zone’.

A.J. in true form has gone into hibernation mode, winter has never been a good time for him sensory wise; and I too must admit that I seemed to have lost all sense of purpose, with my thought process going haywire.

With only two more weeks before the next allotted school break I am hoping to gain time to give A.J. a little get-away treat; and also trying hard to focus on the latest research material for our kid’s social club I am hoping to establish.

It has been a very difficult time lately due to the losses we have faced, a family relative, a long-time friend, and our beloved special family member/pet dog Tess.

These moments allow us time to reflect, as A.J. so bluntly puts it “we are not immortal”

Discussing the touchy topic of….’Medication’

As a parent, one of the hardest parts of living with Autism is facing the subject of ‘Medication!’

So many of us at some point have had to (or will have to) confront these discussions, make the decisions, attempt the reality, and accept the outcome.......

saying goodbye to his best mate...

****R.I.P. *** Tess ***

A blanket of silence covers our home today,
As we see our special friend on her way;
With sadness filling the air around,
Our little buddy is heaven bound;

Some may say she was only our pet,
But she was more than that and we’ll never forget;
With the memories we hold and cherish so dear,
Our special little girl will always be near.

You can rest in peace now little girl
 (March ‘01- 6th June ’15)

Don’t let that defeatist bubble burst!

acknowledging- "the puzzling piece" for use of this pic. 

How often do we sit in the negativity of silly things?

Facing what others perceive as ‘simple’ day-to-day issues and situations, that to us can seem all-consuming and overwhelming due to the added burdens we sometimes have to deal with.

Don’t let that defeatist bubble burst!

                                                          

There are so many things we can do to stay afloat and see as positives of life.

Start by being organised.

Many can struggle with schedules, meetings, routines, time limits, running late, etc, with the outcome being panic/anxiety attacks, and meltdowns from everyone involved.