Post # 2 for Products for Autism Community Blog.

Link to Products for Autism blog post...

Products for Autism Community Blog

I am being unfaithful to my beloved Aspergers Rules and am blogging on another page. 

Here is a link to my first post for Products for Autisms Community Blog. I will be posting there twice monthly...

My First Post...A Brief (?) Introduction...

Aspergers Rules 

TO I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE ASPERGERS: #AUTISMPOSITIVITY2012

While visiting a Special Needs Blogging Group page on Facebook recently I read with interest an invitation to participate in an online event highlighting Autism Positivity. Here is a  LINK for you to find out how this event was started and why I am blogging today.

I will leave the philosophising and psychology up to those more knowledgeable and eloquent then me. I would never presume to understand what life with Aspergers is like so will leave that perspective up to those that do also. Instead I  will write this blog for and to my boys who live with Aspergers daily and have on more then one occasion declared they *wish they didn't have Aspergers*. I will write if for the days when they  feel they are not good enough or think that Aspergers makes them them less then their Neurotypical peers. I hope that by seeing what I love about them they will love themselves. I also hope that someone else with Aspergers may read this on a bad day and see the beauty in themselves.

I will not specify which of my boys each thing I love relates to. Some of these things relate to both of them,some a particular boy. When they read it they will know...

You sometimes wish you didn't have Aspergers but I never do. To do so would be to wish I didn't have you. Without Aspergers you would be someone else and that is something I would never wish.


I love that you have taught me to slow down. To think before I speak, to take the time to choose my words carefully, that language is complicated and not everyone hears words the same.


I love that  you can respond to a simple request in a way that makes me smile and shows me who you are and how you think. When I ask, "can you put your pyjamas on?" instead of just "yes" or "no" I get "Submit the request form" or "Please press enter".


I love your absolute honesty.


I love that you could count to 100 when you were four years old and on your first day of school you said "I'm not sure I'm in the right class, they're learning the number 1 and I'm up to 101."


I love that you see the world differently.That Tuesday is not just a day it is also a colour (blue).


I love that on your birthday your favourite present was a ball of string and some sticky tape or one of those gadgets that old people use to pick things up with so they don't have to bend over.


I love that thanks to you I know more about Skylanders and Minecraft then any other almost 40 year old.


I love that what other people think doesn't matter to you (most of the time). If you wanted to wear, a Pirate costume,a police shirt (every day for two years) or even a horse costume, to preschool, you did! If you want to wear fingerless gloves to school, you do. If it's a knights helmet or Army outfit complete with ammo belt that makes you feel  good, you'll wear that too. To the shops, to a party, anywhere!


I love that through your eyes I see the detail instead of a big, boring picture.


I love that when you cuddle me it's because you really,really want to and when you say you love me it means more then when anyone else says it. Quality not quantity, that's you.


I love the funny things you've asked when you haven't understood what I am feeling. Like when you were really little and you would ask "what face is that Mummy?" Or when you saw me cry you asked "Why are your eyes raining?" 


I love that you ALWAYS notice when I've had my hair done or wear a new outfit.


I love that because of you I will never stop learning. That when you ask me about something like an animal in a book, you don't just want to know what it is but where it lives,what it eats, how many of them there are in the world.


I love that when I lose my keys you always know where they are!


I love that when you had to make a Nativity scene at school, you did, entirely out of Lego!


I love that even though you can't figure out clocks and telling the time you find other ways to work out what time it is.Like it's time to go to school when SpongeBob comes on or it's almost bed time when the bats fly over or we have to get Darcy from Preschool after you have your medicine in the afternoon.


I love that even though it takes a bit of work,when you finally trust someone you do so completely.


I love that you always make sure we're on time.


I love when you learn a rule you never break it.


I love that when we see a flag you always know what country it is from.


I love that I will never have to rush through life with you, that you will never grow up sooner then you should and you will never be one of those kids that can't wait to move out of home.  


I love that you believe in justice and being fair . That cheating is not an option. That you will always do what you think is right.


Most of all I love that you have made me strive to be the best Mother I can possibly be because that is what you deserve, nothing less.

30 DAYS OF AUTISM...Day 22

Share For Akian

I had a blog post shared on my page today,  after reading it and watching the video that was posted I felt compelled to share also. 

This video is extremely disturbing and hard to watch but please do and share. It is beyond belief that the teacher involved in this heartless behaviour is still teaching. 

 Help Akian get his apology and stop this teacher from damaging any more of the students she is supposed to be nurturing. I will share some links for more information and to a Facebook page where you can offer support. 

No more Teacher/Bully Web Page.     explains the situation in more detail and unfortunately more audio.

Facebook page
Sign Petition

Sign the petition. Give Akian your support on Facebook and share the video. 

Children with autism have difficulties with communication, even those that have high language skills often cannot tell us what is wrong. This makes them prime targets for this type of bullying and it must not be tolerated!

I am blessed with a fantastic school and teachers for my boys. I only wish all children were this lucky. 

Link to Yeah. Good Times.

30 DAYS OF AUTISM...Day 18

Breaking My Own Rules...

I have always had a rebellious streak and have been known to break a rule or two in the past. It has not always ended well and I try so hard to learn from my mistakes but...

Today I went to the shops. With all four children. They were tired and hungry.

Not so smart?

It went OK. Considering, but it cost me...

Lunch at KFC -a bribe for Pierce, the only way I could get him to try on a new pair of shoes, we could not find a pair to fit him but he tried on two pairs. Still no shoes.

2 Skylanders - My fault, I told the boys they could look at Skylanders while Darcy tried shoes on and I was not at all ready to handle a double meltdown from two tired, hungry Aspies because *they could not live without those 2 Skylanders and they will sell out and then they will never ever be able to get them*

Lots of extra crap in the trolley- because I just wanted to get the shopping done and get home. 

My sanity (or what was left of it)- having to listen to Darcy say and ask every single thing that popped into her brain for the entire hour we were at the shops and she expected me to comment and answer on every single thing. One word answers were NOT allowed.

2 bottles of water- because Ryan and Pierce were worried about becoming dehydrated (15 minutes after having a drink a lunchtime) and could not share a bottle as *that's gross*. ( but drinking milk out of the carton in our fridge is not?)

One pair of girls underpants- Darcy pooped in hers when we arrived at the shops and I decided throwing them out was a better option then carrying them around in my handbag.

My Credibility- Did I mention that on the way to the shops I told my children not to ask for ANYTHING because they would not get it?

Oh Yeah I am ROCKING this parenting gig!

NOTE: Do not show this post to my Mother.

30 DAYS OF AUTISM...I have no idea what day it is!

Apologies for failing miserably at my own challenge. Daily Blog Posts for 30 days? Well that was never going to happen. I did however think I would do a little better then the past fortnights miserable effort.
Unlike Charlie Sheen I am definitely NOT winning! Not sure exactly what it was that pushed me over the ever present edge but I fell (or may have been pushed) and it has taken a while to climb back up.
School Holidays always see me stumble a little and these holidays have had some extra challenges that added up to me having a teeny weeny breakdown.
The change in routine is a hard thing for the boys and takes its toll on them and me. They are not at all self sufficient and add to that their inability to wait for anything for any amount of time means I feel like I am single-handedly  staffing an extremely busy restaurant/hotel during  a peak service period that lasts for twelve hours a day. I usually manage a shower before I then start the Graveyard shift. Add to this the flu (me and Ryan), My Aunty passing away and trying to help my Mum through losing her sister and all that goes with it, and me being already burnt out from fist term at school which is always tough and finished with two IEPs ( for some reason these necessary meetings  seem to mess with my head no matter how well the boys are doing),two Paediatrician reviews (again head wreckers), Pierce starting on meds and various sleep problems (me and the kids) and Darcys impending Psychology assessment (next week) and something in my brain just screamed "STOP! NO MORE!!!!"
Something had to give. It has taken every ounce of energy I have to just get through the day. Anything extra (like blogging) has been impossible. My mind has been incapable of  even attempting to turn on the computer let alone write a blog post and I have left my Colleagues to handle the running of our facebook page without me (sorry guys). I felt so guilty but decided I really needed to be kind to myself and my kids for just a little while.
I have caught up on some reading (which is something I have missed terribly since having kids),watched movies with my children and we didn't leave the house for a week!
I am feeling a little better and stronger and almost ready to face term 2 and starting back at the therapy appointments that will start filling in the days on my calendar.
Now if only it would stop raining so I can get the kids outside!

30 DAYS OF AUTISM...Day 8

Vaginas/Baginas...

People on the Austism Spectrum are well known for their honesty and bluntness. I try very hard to teach my boys that although their honesty is commendable they do need to be aware of other peoples feelings. They do however crack me up at times with their uniqueness...

The other day in the car Darcy mentioned she had fallen and hurt her *Bagina* . Any mention of genitals or bodily functions is sure to get a reaction from my boys, so began a discussion no one is ever ready for.

I must inform you all we are very open in our house.I  do not want my children to grow up thinking their bodies are frightening or something to be hidden. Nudity is allowed and a given and I never shy away from discussions about sex or genitalia, much as I would like to.

Ryan:"Why doesn't Darcy have hair on her Vagina?"

Me: "She will when she gets older"

All Boys: " Giggle"

Pierce: " OMG Girls have hair on their V-word"

Me: "You'll have hair down there too when you are older"
Shaun: " Yeah Daddy does"

Ryan and Pierce:"more giggles"

Pierce: " Why don't I have a V-word?"

Me: "you don't need  to say V-word Pierce"

Pierce: "Is Vagina not a swear word?" (hysterical coming form a child who says shit, fuck, bugger on a regular basis)

Me: "No, it is a part of the body like your arms and legs."

Pierce:"so,can I say it at school?"

Me:"If  you need to..."

Piecre:" But I shouldn't call someone a Vagina-Head?"

Me: "Definitely not!"

So now I spend my days worrying about Pierce discussing vaginas and pubic hair at school. I still believe in being honest and open with my kids and at least I don't have to worry about  them calling someone a *Vagina Head* .