Traps and cages

A mum posted a great bit on a DS forum about her son being 'trapped' - that is not being able to do what he wanted to with his 'typical' peers. It was lovely and it made me cry - but it is not mine to share...My reply is however all my own - here it is -

I remember talking to a 'new' Mum (I think Han was about 3?) and we had fun and she clearly could see how much joy Hannah brought to me and her Nan (my MIL was there!!), she could also see how 'normal' Hannah was ... so when she asked me whether the sadness 'went' I had to be honest - and say that I don't think it ever does. It hasn't for me yet. Our kids struggle - how is that not sad??? No parent wants to see things be so hard for their kid - and then on top of it society sucks at welcoming them!!!
But I could honestly tell her that the sadness gets less - and it definitely has for me - but there is a part of me that will always feel sad when my gorgeous girl, 'trapped', can't do the things she really wants to do. There is also that part of me that smiles with pride and enjoyment when the sports teacher says - that she has NEVER seen a kid try so damn hard to do a skill - as when my Hannah participates in sports lessons - cos yeah it sucks that it is so hard for her but how fantastic is it that noone else I know would just keep trying with such grace and dignity as my precious girl and your little man?

Easter

I am a staunch republican but who can resist:
a ritual such as a wedding with lots of frills and tassels and pomp and circumstance?
the marriage of Princess Diana's son?
history i the making?
Here is my royal stash - and of course I will be making royal sandwiches and attending an all female soiree in honour of the wedding of Kate and WIlls.


It was lovely to see Hannah and one of her cousins hit it off:

Well we are all back in the Sydney after our 'roadtrip' to Brisbane. The twins went back to school yesterday and I went back today. Easter was lovely up north with my family. It was also good to be home though. Here are some pics:These two boys are only 1 year apart - but they rarely see each other - and yet they pick up the threads of a friendship bond that I am in awe of. Cousins.


Practising her dance moves

My great niece
At the park near Dad's
My talented niece, her mum and in the painting my parents.
New Italy was on our roadtrip home - I think I was the most excited of all of us. After all we live in Little Italy in Sydney and the twins learn Italiano at school and lots of their friends have Italian backgrounds. It was too good an opportunity to ignore.
Rather than take photoes of the long line of trailing cars backed up at Buladelah - about a hour to travel 15 kms!! I took this shot of the skies that would soon be dark and drizzling with rain - in the same traffic jam. We were so glad to make it home in one piece!!

Suttons Beach

Yesterday was payday and as Dad had to wait for a tradesman I took myself off for a wee easter shop at the local shopping centre. I couldn't resist this Love 2 Dance dress for little brat. And she couldn't wait to try it on - and dance along to Hi5!
When the two boys are together Hannah gets left behind a lot. I even stooped to bribing them on Daniel's second day here - they could have their dses back after they played with Hannah. I am not sure it is a tactic I want to use regularly but seeing how much fun she had squealing and running about with them. I think it was ok as a last ditch effort. Her favourite games at the moment are duck, duck, goose and Hide and Seek. Needless to say Kit, Gra and I have also played a lot of these games.
Hannah and I drew a Hi5 for dancing on and then a swimming pool...followed by some digging in the sand for a tea party in honour of my birthday, complete with lolly bags.
I told little brat not to sample the salt water - but she went back for seconds...then had the nerve to complain to me on the way home that she had sand in her mouth!! A nice cool drink of milk fixed that.

Here Kit and his cousin Daniel are engaging in that timeless sport of children at the beach. They found a hermit crab and were helping to 'protect' him. Lol! I think we left before they'd killed him with kindness!


There has been quite a lot of this for Kit and his cousins. Daniel is one year older than Kit and they get on like a house on fire. SO Daniel has been over a few times for a sleepover and to play. I get themt o turn of the technology at various points in time and as you can see from the above pictures - it works a treat and they have a blast.

Our roadtrip

Buladelah






Forster at sunset


Forster in the morning
Any kid who has ever travelled the east coast of Australia will have childhood memories of this place. It is indeed an icon. It is part of the shared cultural history my husband and I have for example - even though our childhoods were quite different both of us remember the family car, hot summer days and stopping at the big banana. Well it is smaller than I remember and inside it is no longer a photographic display but it is being renovated and a couple of videos were playing - the theme of the display was the same - the growing of bananas! The icecream sundaes at the cafe still seemed enormous and the gift shop was filled with tacky yellow souvenirs. We had a blast - a trip down memory lane for me and a memory making visit for the twins.


Jumping for fun

It was about 4pm and the beach was almost deserted. Just beyond was a lovely playground. The twins loved these parts of the holidays.



Before the dunking we were all having a ball - although it was a little cold so we simply paddled at the edge of the water.
Hannah got a dunking in the shallow waves - in some ways I think that is worse - cos she was absolutely coated with pretty harsh sand. She got a scare but trooper that she is managed to get back up - I took her tot he car to change her clothes - sat her in the boot to make it easier - she loved that idea (our poodle normally travels in the boot) and wanted to ride in the boot as the family dog when we went to go home too!! Imagine what my pals at DOCS would say about that!!lol.

How cool is the Bunya nut tree? I love them!
The food and service at Phoen Wong in Coffs was very good. Every time we eat out somewhere Asian the twins have a go at using chopsticks - they weren't able to eat using them but they did improvise and entertain Dad and I with them

We stopped at Ballina to meet in real time a virtual friend from the Aussie DS forum I am on. It was lovely to chat with Trish and her daughter Jodie who is almost 21 is a lovely young woman.
We got to Dad's and the twins obviously felt right at home. They immediately found a box of mobilo that I had sent up for my nephew's stepdaughter - and got to work building.