Living with Autism

It's been a little while since my last proper post. But I have a good excuse



Bratty has recently started at Boo's ABA school; and while it is early days she is going very well.

Not the amazing conversion we saw in Boo's first week. But she is very very happy to be there, which is amazing enough considering how Bratty normally copes with change. And she has calmed down a lot for us at home.

However, it is very high maintenance, as she is doing much shorter days than Boo while she transitions, and the school is a good hike from home, hence the lack of blogging.



But I gotta say I am very very happy so far and life has got a whole lot better in the House of Hammie.



However, the same can not be said of the outside world.

The awful "R" word was rolled out this week in Ireland. We had our third quarter of negative growth and it seems the Celtic Tiger is now on a par with the Asian and Siberian Tigers; almost gone.

The tide has gone out and quite a number of us have been swimm…

I have a guest post to put up tonight. And I gotta tell you I have been so busy with Bratty starting her new school (more later) that it has taken over a week to sit down and do justice to this excellent piece.

It is a topic of which I know nothing personally. But one I hear about a lot:

Worrying about your other "typical" kids.

Now Nick, the author has given me permission to edit his original post on http://downsdad.wordpress.com/ where he describes the part of the journey we auties do not have to experience in the main; The medical emergencies. In the early days a new baby with special medical needs is going to completely dominate family life. So please check out the original, and bless all those that support families in those crucial times.

What is universal to all of us special needs folks is the ongoing dominance of the topic in our daily lives. I would like to live a day without once mentioning autism. I am much closer to that now that both my kids are in the best possible …

Okay, just for fun I googled myself tonight to see what would come up. I had to seeing as Miss Imelda was bragging about knocking over Wikipedia to be the No 1 search for Imelda.
(for more of Imelda's opinions click on my Hammazing blogs list)

So What comes up?:
Well, the first try; "Hammies" gave me 10 different sites for raising dwarf hamsters (dwarf? aren't they small enough already?) I didn't click on next. Who ever does?

The second try "Hammie" got me closer up the list with a link. I made tenth spot so at least I was on the front page

But much higher up is this guy:



"Hamilton Flutes"
Fabulous. You must click on the link yourselves and keep in mind that a flute in Aussie slang is another word for man bits.

Note: I am also behind Hammie the Squirrel in the Dreamworks film "Over the Hedge". Respect.

"Hammiesays": brings me in at 4th place! Behind an unsolicited advertising link, and the parents website "rollercoaster"…

Okay, by Saturday it was no longer technically Friday the 13th.
But as I had commenced the trip on that day I guess the bad luck charm got stuck at the "rain shit on Hammie" setting.

It was another lovely day. I had a nice lie in, breakfast, another bath and checked out of my room. I put my bag in left luggage and headed out for a brisk stroll in the sunshine. Two seconds later I was back with my trench coat as the weather was so nice I didn't need it. The Desk clerk made me show my luggage ticket to retrieve my bag, so I could pack the coat away and then they locked it up again. Safe and Secure.

I walked along towards Parsons Green this time. Got a lovely Vercace blouse and some Bespoke Tailored shirts for Mr Hammie. I reported the phone at Fulham Broadway and then caught a bus into the westend again to visit the Holy Grail of my Journey; Christian Louboutin on Mount street in Mayfair.
You see I had read an editorial in women's magazine weeks before on how Louboutin …

So, I finally booked myself a T.R. on Friday. Which stands for Temporary Release or if you watch MASH on cable, a 36 hour pass. Booked flight to London a couple of weeks ago thinking when I checked the dates that I would get a good deal.
I should confess that I am really a bit "thingey" about Friday the 13th. When I was a sales rep I would pretty much work from home on those days. And even now, if I can avoid it, I will do little more than bring the kids to school and back on such a day.

But I figured it was worth the cheap fare. It had been 6 months at least since my last recc so I booked it all a few weeks ago.

I caught the aircoach Friday morning, flew to Heathrow without incident and had a few delays getting to my hotel, but that was all part of the fun. Being footloose and fancy free walking around Fulham and Chelsea in the sunshine while Mr Hammie did the school run.

Okay, when I walked out of Fulham Broadway station towards Chelsea football ground, I did have a minor sque…

Hair and Make-up darling!
No, you havent accidentally clicked on to one of my favourite fashion and photography blogs. You are here in Autism/Special needs world but suddenly Dorothy, everything has gone to color.

Hair and Make-up is a phrase coined by 2 strong ladies I correspond with; Rainbow40 and Blackcat, which refers to the need to "look your best darling, just look your best" when dealing with the powers that be.

And as my sister and I used to say in our fickle youth; "it isn't how are you are on the inside dear, it is how you look on the outside"

Because that, unfortunately is how the world percieves you.

Guys; do not tune out. Looking your best when going in to bat for your kids is just as important for you!

You see, it works in 2 ways.

1. If you feel you look good, then you feel good and you kick arse.
2. If you look good, people take you seriously and do not underestimate or attempt to bully you. And you kick arse.

And don't go around thinking that stopp…

I feel a bit thwarted lately.

Just when we thought we were getting our shit together.

Yeah, Bratty is turning into her usual summer devil child self but there is light on the horizon for her intervention. (more later)
Boo is going to be doing some mainstream integration!!!!
(after only 6 weeks in his ABA school)
My big sis is doing well after chemo and another "lady" operation to help stop her B.C. recurring.

And I walked 10 kms in the Women's Mini Marathon on Monday, came home, did a full evening of child duty and woke up the next morning without feeling a twinge.

Then BAM;

The Health Service Executive send a nasty little letter through my door saying they are going to cut 13% of my home help. They justified this a week ago saying they needed it for "other parents" and due to budget restrictions (their own financial mismanagement) this was the only way.
I thought to myself when I read that "not this little black duck; let em try!"

But when the letter arrived s…