Fe-Fe's World Of Craft, Creations and Kids.

This blog was started mainly for my crafting, however I also find myself writing about my family life too and in particular about my son Josh. Josh is just Josh to us and we're used to his quirky behaviour. As I don't want to have to mention Josh's autism every time I post about him, I thought I'd mention it here. Hopefully you will bear this in mind as you read and it may give you a little insight into the wonderful world of the autisic child in a very gentle way!

Wednesday, 24 June 2009

What a Day!

My daughter had a school trip to Tatton Park today which is pretty exciting in itself but it was also her teacher's 60th Birthday too and to celebrate that and also that she is retiring at the end of this school year while they were on the trip she bought them all an ice cream or ice lolly. How lovely is that?!

Of course, never being one to pass up an opportunity to make a card, I made this one for Ellie's teacher. It does say Happy 60th Birthday on it but you can't see it very well on the photo for some reason?! The little charm hanging off the flower is a dragonfly.

The papers for this are all by Hot Off The Press. I think they are gorgeous and are lovely to work with. They aren't as thick as the K&Co but the designs and colours are beautiful. The stamp inside says "Happy Birthday! How many fingers are you? Shane O'Donnell, Aged 4"
Ellie's says that her teacher giggled when she read it. :-)

This afternoon we had Joshua's statement review. I always dread it and work myself up into a bit of a tizzy over it. We always have to face the headmistress and I can't stand her and she can't stand me. We came to verbal blows over Josh and how the school was treating him a few years ago. I was trying to explain how they could help him as he was coming home very distressed every day (see previous post here for more info) and I was basically told that the school is perfect and that they couldn't possibly do any more than they were already which was incredibly frustrating to hear. Since that day forward we've both harboured a grudge and hate each other with a passion. So the Statement reviews as a result are always very stressful.

Anyway what completely failed to register with me this time around, is that the Head is no longer the SENCO! Hurray!

Last year she was in the process of handing over to Mrs S (Who is our angel and I love to bits because she's so fab!) so they were both at the meeting, this year Mrs S has taken over completely so no headmistress!!!!!!!!!!!

All that stressing for nothing! Bah Bl***y Humbug!!!

I don't mind saying though, it was such a different meeting without her there. It was so relaxed and informal and nice. A complete 180 from all the meetings we've had in the past. The atmosphere was great. In previous meetings it has been so tense and everyone as been on edge and everyone just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. Not good.

The SENCO from the High School was at the meeting this time and she took lots of notes on the points we made about Josh and where he struggles, and what he's going to need a lot of help with. She was so positive, as was Mrs S and Joshua's class teacher that he has now. I came out feeling really good about it all. It made a wonderful change. I'm actually sat here with a smile on my face and not chuntering about it at all which is what I normally do afterwards! LOL!

It's mad to think our next one will be at the High School. Wow! I wonder what that will be like?! Hmmmmm! :-)

2 comments:

Dee said...: love the card and I'm sure Mrs A will have loved it too....

So pleased that all went well at the meeting. Thankfully its the last time for Josh at that school ... and you know that things can only get better at his next school.

I could understand the HM's attitude if he were a problem, but the problems if any have been made and caused by them as they don't understand autism, how to recognise the signs and how to deal with or avert situations. Had they taken time to understand etc, the odd time may have been averted.

Anyway, here's to the next school!! LOL

Love mum aka doting Grandma XXXX; 28 June 2009 at 08:04
Anonymous said...: Hi Fe - just read this & I've just worked out how to leave messages (I think!).
I'm really pleased everything went well for you at Josh's review - does this mean he will be carrying on with his statement at high school? I hope you get a decent level of support there.
We've just had our son David's review which went really well too - he's come on in leaps & bounds over the past year & his communication is getting really good now. We are so lucky with his school, they do so much to help him.His autism creates some interesting moments (!) but they deal with it so well.
I really hope you get a better deal at his new school & the SEN team understand autism a lot more - it makes all the difference as we know.
Take care,
Caroline (Friday feeling); 3 July 2009 at 21:22

Ode to Special Mums

Ode to Special Moms(by Erma Bombeck)

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. This year, nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint, Matthew.
Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint, Cecilia.
"Rudledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint, give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child."

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," says God. "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.
"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word.' She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations."I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, pen poised midair.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

"Welcome to Holland"

"Welcome to Holland" By Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.