More Sunny weather, More Park

At the Park

Poor Kit just had to give in to her demands...





It has been so wet here lately. So with that as well as the cold of winter setting in and the various sicknesses it has been hard to get out of the house. Yesterday it was lovely and sunny and Hannah's ST had cancelled her Wed afternoon session - so I promised the twins that if it stayed sunny we'd go to the park today. It rained this morning and I had to let them know that maybe we wouldn't be able to go tot he park after all. Then this afternoon abot 3 it was sunny again and she came up to me and so beautifully said 'swing, park' that I couldn't resist so we took ourselves off tothe park for over an hour of fun. It paid off at bedtime too - barely a peep before they were both sound asleep.

This and That

Things are going along as usual here in the Dock. I am so glad that illness has finally left us. Today the brats went swimming - hence the photoes. Han had a 'subsitute instructor' (who was actually very good) but of course - like a true brat she had to test her out - by trying to steal her cap.

My copy of The Madonna in the Suitcase arived from NZ today and I read it straight away. Huberta Hellendoorn has self published it - so it wasn't cheap or 'easy' to get - lucky I have a Kiwi friend with a bank account over there so I could transfer money that way. Huberta is planning on setting up Paypal at some stage though - and when she does - I could not recommend it highly enough. It is inspring and amazing. Beautifully written. One reveiw described it as a 'love letter' to her daughter Miriam - a now 47 yo with DS. I think it is that and more - it is a powerful yet unsentimental testimony of the mother daughter bond that perhaps all mothers feel - but definitely I as a special needs mama could relate to. A wonderful book.

The Madonna in the suitcase

Here sounds like an exciting book - when I was pregnant with the twins, once we knew the chance of Twin 1 having DS was high - we told our closest friends and family. I still recall one of our friends - a Kiwi who was a wonderful support throughout the pregnancy - saying that her family was friends with an artist in NZ - who had DS. I only found out about this book today via the NSW DSA. I'll have to ask my friend next time I see her - if Miriam is the artist she was talking about all those years ago now! ANyhow the link is in the title. Definitely worth checking out...

Odds and Ends

My sinuses are still playing up - I hope they stop soon as I have a heap of marking coming in te next two weeks. The cold has set in in Sydney which I am not that happy about. TOday Kit and I have yet another little boy's Ben 10 birthday party to attend - DH will take Hannah to her swimming lesson. Tonight the grandparents are babysitting and we are going to an old friend's place for dinner which should be lovely. Han got her IQ result - mild - which means minimal funding - or fancy footwork required to get some funded support for her. Lucky the principal and the special needs support officer at the 'school of choice' seem so good - I hope they can find that white rabbit in the CEO bag of tricks!

No other news - which is good news in itself I know. WIll try and get some photoes today to post.

Vivid - festival of light in Sydney

Dancing, swirling on the map
My gorgeous boy

Things are still a bit grim here in the dock. Kit is still unwell. I am sick (although mending) and little brat could be getting sick now - she was a bit warm and clingy before bed tonight. My SIL started her treatment for cancer today. Perspective - it helps doesn't it? Like when we knew about Hannah's AVSD - Down Syndrome - right - what about the heart? WIll she live? or the new mum I met a couple of years ago at a DSA meeting - she said something like "People say it is like a sort of death, that you grieve, well I've held a stillborn child and this is not death". I still think upon her words - perspective really helps us sometimes.
I am looking for that same magic regarding schooling. I am tired of the sleepless nights and the too real angst borderline terror it brings me to think about it. today we had Hannah's psychometric assessment - she didn't do very well - and the spychologist has asked us to take her back next week. She was tired, hungry and needed to go to the toilet. SHe had been kept awake by Kit who was sick and restless all night. But these are jsut excuses - take her as she comes I reckon - she was still so cute - and if they took into account guile and cunning with a sugary smile she'd have to get top score. She kept asking for more puzzles and when they got too hard she'd just ask the psycholgist to help her. At one point she clearly indicated that it was her turn to be teacher and started testing the psych. Perspective - none of it changes who she is or the many things she is capable of. She is fun and loving and gorgeous. She is smart. She has an intellectual disability - she learns at her own pace and in her own way. and I love her. That is enough perspective for now - I feel sick and sorry for myself really...off to bed to hopefully feel better in the morning.