Joy - Brought to you by Caleb

Pip's Words and Pictures for this week is Joy, she is also hosting a week of Special Stuff so I think I will file it away there too. On Sunday I said to Caleb take photos of anything that makes you feel happy because I love it when I can palm off a bit of homework. Drum roll please - presenting Caleb's Ode to Joy.

Making cookies (good fun to cook and eat)

A blurry Mum photo (I am sure Dad would of made it but he was working. I doubt Poppy would of made it, but she was sleeping so best not give the option)

His new Wobbally game,140 wobblying ball tower and you poke the balls with a stick until it falls down (clearly invented by a person who has sat next to an obnoxious child on public transport and wishes to payback every parent on earth with this messy game - If you are out there - it is working, I hope you are happy)

Books, cars, scooter and dog

Stick find

Shoes, because you can't run around or go outside without them - fair enough I guess

Our paint brushes as we have been doing some painting with water

What makes me think that life should be that simple and those great things should be enough make me happy too. Glad I had such a smartie to point it out to me.

Words and Pictures - Careful

When you have 2 little people you are always balancing up between independence and caution, sometimes all I seem to say all day is - careful, careful, careful. Caleb loves to run ahead stretching out those little legs of his and it is my job to nag and make sure he is kept in check. One day the little voice in my head said "Stop giving him a hard time, he wont cross a road, let him go". We walk along a busy road and people have those high brick fences to help keep out the noise. All I saw was lights, reversing lights on a car that can't see anything because of those stupid fences. "STOP" I screamed. Caleb froze like the deer in headlights and ducked. He couldn't have lined up his head more perfectly with the bumper bar. Thankfully the driver heard me and slammed on the breaks. Never so scared in my life. Caleb doesn't run ahead anymore. I lived a fear, only briefly that I will never forget. Now I nag in full justification. Careful.

More words and pictures at Pip's

Catching Up

In life there are so many distractions, some good and some bad. In a house with 2 young children and a puppy and lots going on, life can become a little crazy. For my own sanity I love catching up with some me time at the sewing table, sit and create for a while. It appears that I am not the only one who likes to catch up on some "me time" in the sewing corner, luckily there is enough room for Squirty (the grey ball of fluff) and Pocoyo too. I have given them a towel so they stay off the fabric, nice puss negotitation I think.

More great words and pictures at Pip's place.

Cold Feet

We have lived in our little house for just on 3 years, that ,may even be a record for me in one place. I have gypsied my way up and down the East coast all through my life, but I do love Melbourne. It is my favourite even though I have lived here the least, but there are a few small reasons why I will never be a true Melbournian. I try to hid them the best I can so I am outing myself.

1. I cannot wear all black attire - I have tried and it is not for me.

2. I don't get AFL - behinds, marks, blah blah blah, passion can be contagious but I don't understand the enjoyment in the game. Kiwi rugby union here all the way.

3. When I am stuck behind a tram and it is taking FOREVER to get home with 2 whinging children, I curse them, I do.

4. The traffic is a little nutty, and I hate I can't pay a highway toll to a person or a booth, but you have to get one of those electronic toll things.

5. A street directory will always be a referdex, not a Melways.

6. I can't really stomach coffee. I really do try on this one.

7. Even though I grew up a Brisbane and Queensland girl, heat and humidity are not my homies. I much prefer a bit of cool. One of the things I love most about Melbourne is that each season is so different, but I will never get use to cold feet.

PS. I have a complex about having frog toes so it is pretty rare that I show off my toes. Caleb wanted to join in on the photo too.

More Cold Feet with Pip's words and pictures.

A Long Drive

All children are different, from birth they already have a personality all to their own, amazing really when you thing about it. You love your babies the best you can and in a blink of an eye they are grown. It is a long drive, but the view is amazing.

Caleb being first, and we didn't really have that much experience with kids we adapted our parenting style to suit his personality without even realising. From 18 months he would line all his cars up and spin their wheels, he would stack books methodically rather than enjoy reading them and he carried around an animal encyclopedia from the age of 2. Oh wow my boy is super clean, organised and smart - nothing wrong with that. The funny thing is I can even remember thinking - he never even makes a mess, his hands are always clean - how handy.

My happy little boy started to change at around 2, and doing all the recommended strategies for tantrums did nothing. Without even realising it we had stopped going out to avoid the meltdown on returning. Poppy came along at 2.5 years. We thought we had prepared him for what was coming, I will never forget that face of betrayal as he came into the hospital room, banging his head on the door screaming "no, no, no" until after 15 minutes Glen had to take him home. It was the longest 5 days of my life being away from him.

He turned 3 the week before Christmas and I had some time off to spend as a family. He struggled with his small party and a trip to the museum resulted in 3 tantrums before we even got to the door. I finally rang my friend who studied early childhood and asked if this was "normal". Thankfully she was honest enough to tell me to keep searching for answers. Paediatricians told me there was nothing wrong with him. A doctor I had to get a referral from told me she would teach monkeys Cantonese before my child had any disabilities. As a parent that is what you want to hear - your child is fine, it was what Glen especailly wanted to hear. I rang a child psychologist out of the phone book out of desperation and made an appointment. The next week was a good one, you always got a good one every 8 weeks or so, and I cancelled it. I had to ring her back once we were in trouble again a short week later.

Finally we had answers, a name - asperger's autism on the mild end of the spectrum. I was never so relieved to know my child was not "normal", but that his behaviour was normal for him. Conventional thinking wasn't going to help him, he needed to hone his skills in different ways. There was lots of slowly increasing tolerance to outings (including one very funny one with Caleb screaming that he hated Jellyfish) and helping him understand routine and increasing his amazing vocabulary to include stuff like feelings and time and hearing "no" infront of a noun - that just isn't natural to him. I discovered that I couldn't tell him something and keep my hands still - he wasn't understanding my words at all but following my example and I didn't even realise. I thought he could do jigsaws and in actual fact he just remembered where every piece went. My beautiful little boy had been holding all that in.

It is a long and steep and curvy drive.

He still struggles with anything but perfection. He hates to try if he thinks he will fail. He tries so hard to be the person he thinks he should. Last week he won the award at kinder for the best manners and has lots of friends. I spoke to his oc. therapist today and after visiting him at kinder the last few times she feels she is drawing unnecessary attention to him as he is going as well as every other child there (even if there are only beige foods in his lunchbox). His fine motor skills are even going well and if he wants to should be right for school next year.

It is a long drive, and even now we pass roadworks every now and again. I think it is good though as it is a reminder as to the miles we have done and that our GPS is on target where ever we are heading.

(The picture is of our wedding, Caleb was 7 months and Glen's best man.)

Actual proof of craft tomorrow I promise.

Little Things

So what is more little than words, and more powerful - you can't even see them yet they can be a gift that lasts a life time or an enemy that can do the same. We throw them around all the time, trust me if you live with a 4-year old, they throw them around A LOT, but how much do we consider what we leave behind as we speak them into the wind. This is what I am taking away from this weeks Words and Pictures, speak all the nice things that you think but don't say and swallow the stuff that isn't anything but beautiful. I am giving compliments to people I don't know, filling my kids with good words of pride and joy and giving myself a little cheer squad every now and again. Try it - it doesn't cost anything, you got nothing to loose and good karma to gain. I want to know how it goes.

More small things at Pips place - and big stuff too. like her super cute book.

Picture from here.

Cosy

I have been contemplating this word all week.

When Caleb was a baby he made sure that we loved him - he made sure all day and all night. He was a fussy feeder, a terrible sleeper - you get the sleep deprived picture. I went back to work full time after 4 weeks, while I was still at home drafting, Glen was the man, unfortunately no-one asked Caleb who just wanted his Mummy. Not sounding so cosy yet I know. He would only sleep on me, even during the day I would work one armed with him fast asleep. At night he woke every hour for half an hour until he was at least 2 and only wanted his Mum so he ended up sleeping in our bed to save my sanity.

For some reason I don't tell most people, like it is something to be ashamed of,

but even now

to me that is

cosy.

Knowing my sleeping little angel is at peace, twirling my hair in a sweet dream land.

Now I don't even remember the struggles, just the peace. And I don't even mind that he tested me out. He was making a family he had to be sure, I guess.

I think Pip's word and pictures has been such a fantastic idea.

(I had another picture I have been searching for but I will have to stick with this one)