I hope these pieces on autism and special needs parenting give encouragement to anyone who needs it :) I'll be updating as the urge strikes - feel free to leave comments on this post or on any of the individual posts listed :)
Nineteen Year Old Lizzie? Your Life Is About To Get Real Hard, Real Soon
Miracles In The Flaws
Raindrops & Respite
A Cliff - And We Just Jumped Without A Parachute
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Mama Bear Files ~ Index
It's Not All Rainman & Mercury Rising
At the very core of who I am as a person (and strongly influencing how I parent) is the sweet face you see above. Meet Jay. Born November 1998 to parents just 19 and 20 years old, he was to change our entire world.
Jake is autistic. I don't like to say 'he has autism' because I've always felt that's kind of like saying 'he has the chicken pox' or 'he has red hair' - things that, given time or circumstances, could be changed. Jim Sinclair, in his essay "Don't Mourn For Us" says it in the most wonderful and concise way:
Jake is autistic. I don't like to say 'he has autism' because I've always felt that's kind of like saying 'he has the chicken pox' or 'he has red hair' - things that, given time or circumstances, could be changed. Jim Sinclair, in his essay "Don't Mourn For Us" says it in the most wonderful and concise way:
Autism is not an appendage. Autism isn't something a person has, or a "shell" that a person is trapped inside. There's no normal child hidden behind the autism. Autism is a way of being. It is pervasive; it colors every experience, every sensation, perception, thought, emotion, and encounter, every aspect of existence. It is not possible to separate the autism from the person--and if it were possible, the person you'd have left would not be the same person you started with.
This is important, so take a moment to consider it: Autism is a way of being. It is not possible to separate the person from the autism.
Therefore, when parents say, "I wish my child did not have autism," what they're really saying is, "I wish the autistic child I have did not exist, and I had a different (non-autistic) child instead."
Read that again.
This is what we hear when you mourn over our existence. This is what we hear when you pray for a cure. This is what we know, when you tell us of your fondest hopes and dreams for us: that your greatest wish is that one day we will cease to be, and strangers you can love will move in behind our faces.
I'm not an expert on autism, but as soon as I read that, in that dark, murky period right after we were diagnosed in 2002, I knew it was true.
We are so lucky. It scares me sometimes to think how lucky we are. We know many families living on the spectrum and life really can be deep-in-your-bones, how-are-we-ever-going-to-come-through-this-fire-alive tough. Jay, over the years, has proven all the naysayers wrong - from toilet training (he was finally out of nappies around his 6th birthday), to speech (he said his first discernable word at 2½ and was 4 before he had functional speech, but is now quite the chatterbox!), social interaction (don't believe the media hype - many autistic individuals love interacting with people) and intellect (he has been recognised as high-functioning autistic and on par - or even a little beyond! - his peers academically).
Yes, we have been truly blessed.
But life on the spectrum is never easy. Clicking on "The Mama Bear Files" link in the navbar above will take you to a small collection of print articles and past Lizzie's Home posts about our experiences with a special needs kid. I hope these pieces offer a small insight into the condition, but more than that, I hope that they encourage and build up others who might also be struggling within this world of ours.
Enjoy :)
* And as always, please feel free to drop me a comment on the 'index' Mama Bear Files post in the navbar above, or on any of the individual posts. Love you guys!
We are so lucky. It scares me sometimes to think how lucky we are. We know many families living on the spectrum and life really can be deep-in-your-bones, how-are-we-ever-going-to-come-through-this-fire-alive tough. Jay, over the years, has proven all the naysayers wrong - from toilet training (he was finally out of nappies around his 6th birthday), to speech (he said his first discernable word at 2½ and was 4 before he had functional speech, but is now quite the chatterbox!), social interaction (don't believe the media hype - many autistic individuals love interacting with people) and intellect (he has been recognised as high-functioning autistic and on par - or even a little beyond! - his peers academically).
Yes, we have been truly blessed.
But life on the spectrum is never easy. Clicking on "The Mama Bear Files" link in the navbar above will take you to a small collection of print articles and past Lizzie's Home posts about our experiences with a special needs kid. I hope these pieces offer a small insight into the condition, but more than that, I hope that they encourage and build up others who might also be struggling within this world of ours.
Enjoy :)
* And as always, please feel free to drop me a comment on the 'index' Mama Bear Files post in the navbar above, or on any of the individual posts. Love you guys!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
First Foray Into Online Grocery Shopping
I am a nerd from way back. If there's a way to do something that involves spreadsheets or a computer, I've probably tried it. So it should come as no surprise that when supermarket chain Coles finally opened online shopping in my city I was ready to jump right in. Online grocery shopping (via Coles and rival Woolworths, that is) has been available in the eastern states of Australia for a while now, but Adelaide is kind of in the middle of the country (along the southern coast - look for the missing chunk of land) and for reasons completely unfathomable to us Croweaters, we're generally considered a 'backwater' when it comes to things like Aldi, Costco (who are launching - or have already launched? - in Oz soon, but nowhere near me!) and concerts (you should have seen the hullabaloo our new Ikea store caused a couple of years ago!) There are a couple of companies who offer a sort of random type of online grocery experience but these are generally the produce-only sites, or their prices are horrendous, with nowhere near the range of products a major national chain could sustain.
One of the main points that tipped the scale for me this week was that Coles Online matches catalogue prices (and for the most part, regular store prices) - which sounds like a no-brainer but isn't. Free delivery (at least for another couple of weeks) rounded everything off nicely. One niggly sticking-point? Multi-buys (2 for $4, buy 3 get 1 free etc) aren't honored online. I'm reserving judgment on that one - if I'm continually missing out on great specials then there won't be much point in continuing, but at least for this initial shopping 'trip', which consisted mostly of meat, produce and key basics, it was all good.
So what about the quality? Well, since each item is hand-selected from your nearest store's shelves (or so the website tells me), it's just like you walked in there and picked the items yourself. The meat looks great, the produce excellent and exactly as represented online. Everything looks wonderful!
Meat and produce prices are supplied as a 'pretty accurate guesstimation' online. While beef mince (ground beef) might be represented in 500g (a pound-ish) packages, the final price is dependent on the actual weight of product in the package - so if your mince is labelled 435g but is priced at $5 pkg/$10kg online, you only pay for 435g, not the stated 500g price, if that makes sense. Ditto for loose vegies and fruit (prices are adjusted when the order is packaged and you are charged accordingly, which means your total could differ slighly from the 'online checkout price') Another example: Royal Gala apples were listed two ways online - as a 'per kilo' price, and as a rough 'each' price (in this case, 80c). I didn't pay 80c for each of my 6 apples, but whatever the equivalent was in price-per-kilo (I just checked - each apple averages at 72c, in case you were wondering, LOL). Both of the 'produce-only' online companies I've played with before stick with a standard 'each' price - totally unacceptable to this cynic who would convince herself she was being given weeny little apples on purpose. Not so with Coles Online.
My order today was large - $222 for 59 items (including a $22 'seasonal vegetable box' that I forgot to remove after individually adding my produce needs elsewhere in the order, LOL). But of that, I ended up with about 10 days worth of meat (possibly 2 weeks worth, if I stretch it creatively) and all the fruit and veg we'll need for probably 3 weeks. It is under our budget (which is somewhat large-ish at Talented Hubby's suggestion) by quite a lot, if you average it all out and approximate what a month's worth of groceries would total based on what we got today. There was even a sample packet and mini cookbook - totally an advertising ploy, but nice nonetheless!
Would we do it again? The proof will be in the pudding, or as the case may be, in the quality of the meat (my standard guage for worthiness/value, LOL) If the meat was horrible and stringy (I can't see why, it looks beautiful) or if the milk was delivered really close to the use by date (it wasn't) or if the vegies looked a bit wilty (they don't), then probably not. The convenience was a big plus however, and though it might seem strange doing an online grocery shopping session when we have a large, fully-stocked Woolworths right down the street, I'm quite liking the idea that I now have options when it comes to where I can shop. I can now buy the loss leaders and other bulky items from Coles and have them delivered, whereas before, I'd have to toss the catalogue right in the recycling bin because I had no way of getting all those groceries home. And of course I'll still have access to the local supermarket for impromptu trips. Or the other way around, for that matter! It will only take one or two loss leaders, bought in bulk to the stated maximums, to justify the Coles delivery fee once it begins being charged, and I can do my regular shopping locally. Options folks! I love options!
P.S. Vegetable/salad/side dish recipes please? LOL. I see a lot of soup in our future!
One of the main points that tipped the scale for me this week was that Coles Online matches catalogue prices (and for the most part, regular store prices) - which sounds like a no-brainer but isn't. Free delivery (at least for another couple of weeks) rounded everything off nicely. One niggly sticking-point? Multi-buys (2 for $4, buy 3 get 1 free etc) aren't honored online. I'm reserving judgment on that one - if I'm continually missing out on great specials then there won't be much point in continuing, but at least for this initial shopping 'trip', which consisted mostly of meat, produce and key basics, it was all good.
So what about the quality? Well, since each item is hand-selected from your nearest store's shelves (or so the website tells me), it's just like you walked in there and picked the items yourself. The meat looks great, the produce excellent and exactly as represented online. Everything looks wonderful!
Meat and produce prices are supplied as a 'pretty accurate guesstimation' online. While beef mince (ground beef) might be represented in 500g (a pound-ish) packages, the final price is dependent on the actual weight of product in the package - so if your mince is labelled 435g but is priced at $5 pkg/$10kg online, you only pay for 435g, not the stated 500g price, if that makes sense. Ditto for loose vegies and fruit (prices are adjusted when the order is packaged and you are charged accordingly, which means your total could differ slighly from the 'online checkout price') Another example: Royal Gala apples were listed two ways online - as a 'per kilo' price, and as a rough 'each' price (in this case, 80c). I didn't pay 80c for each of my 6 apples, but whatever the equivalent was in price-per-kilo (I just checked - each apple averages at 72c, in case you were wondering, LOL). Both of the 'produce-only' online companies I've played with before stick with a standard 'each' price - totally unacceptable to this cynic who would convince herself she was being given weeny little apples on purpose. Not so with Coles Online.
My order today was large - $222 for 59 items (including a $22 'seasonal vegetable box' that I forgot to remove after individually adding my produce needs elsewhere in the order, LOL). But of that, I ended up with about 10 days worth of meat (possibly 2 weeks worth, if I stretch it creatively) and all the fruit and veg we'll need for probably 3 weeks. It is under our budget (which is somewhat large-ish at Talented Hubby's suggestion) by quite a lot, if you average it all out and approximate what a month's worth of groceries would total based on what we got today. There was even a sample packet and mini cookbook - totally an advertising ploy, but nice nonetheless!
Would we do it again? The proof will be in the pudding, or as the case may be, in the quality of the meat (my standard guage for worthiness/value, LOL) If the meat was horrible and stringy (I can't see why, it looks beautiful) or if the milk was delivered really close to the use by date (it wasn't) or if the vegies looked a bit wilty (they don't), then probably not. The convenience was a big plus however, and though it might seem strange doing an online grocery shopping session when we have a large, fully-stocked Woolworths right down the street, I'm quite liking the idea that I now have options when it comes to where I can shop. I can now buy the loss leaders and other bulky items from Coles and have them delivered, whereas before, I'd have to toss the catalogue right in the recycling bin because I had no way of getting all those groceries home. And of course I'll still have access to the local supermarket for impromptu trips. Or the other way around, for that matter! It will only take one or two loss leaders, bought in bulk to the stated maximums, to justify the Coles delivery fee once it begins being charged, and I can do my regular shopping locally. Options folks! I love options!
P.S. Vegetable/salad/side dish recipes please? LOL. I see a lot of soup in our future!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Lizzie's Weekend Link Love
Another exhausting week, another much-needed weekend. Enjoy this selection of webby-awesomeness!
Laundry Organization (Linhart Live) - I am LOVING Jeana's final solution, especially because I have a small laundry room with very little leftover floor space for baskets. I might just be able to squeeze in a set up like this one though!
Kids Chores and Allowances (Moneywise Moms) - Jenny's guest post on Gina's blog is exactly what I was looking for! I love this - look how neat and tidy (and flexible) it is!
Ribbon Organization and Storage (Lu Bird Baby) - What a fantastic idea. I buy a lot of ribbon by the metre (instead of full spools) and I've been looking for a great way to organise them - this fits the bill nicely.
Changing Mat and Diaper/Wipes Holder (Lu Bird Baby) - Kristin's quick and easy throw-in-your-purse solution looks wonderful :)
Living Simply Saturday: Escaping The Technology Trap (Keeper of the Home) - Stephanie shares a thought-provoking view on modern conveniences. I agree with most of what she says, except I have to admit to a deep love for Twitter and my laptop, LOL.
Bookcases To Bay Window Seat (Ikea Hacker) - Doesn't this look awesome!
Utility Apron (A Thousand Words) - This is twenty different kinds of cute! Moo has many outgrown embroidered jeans languishing in my closet at the moment, and she'd die for this apron in her size :)
All American Tutu (Joy's Hope) - Or All Australian, since we're red, white and blue too! A great way to recycle jeans parts after you've cut the legs up for a quilt.
Happy reading all! See you Monday.
Laundry Organization (Linhart Live) - I am LOVING Jeana's final solution, especially because I have a small laundry room with very little leftover floor space for baskets. I might just be able to squeeze in a set up like this one though!
Kids Chores and Allowances (Moneywise Moms) - Jenny's guest post on Gina's blog is exactly what I was looking for! I love this - look how neat and tidy (and flexible) it is!
Ribbon Organization and Storage (Lu Bird Baby) - What a fantastic idea. I buy a lot of ribbon by the metre (instead of full spools) and I've been looking for a great way to organise them - this fits the bill nicely.
Changing Mat and Diaper/Wipes Holder (Lu Bird Baby) - Kristin's quick and easy throw-in-your-purse solution looks wonderful :)
Living Simply Saturday: Escaping The Technology Trap (Keeper of the Home) - Stephanie shares a thought-provoking view on modern conveniences. I agree with most of what she says, except I have to admit to a deep love for Twitter and my laptop, LOL.
Bookcases To Bay Window Seat (Ikea Hacker) - Doesn't this look awesome!
Utility Apron (A Thousand Words) - This is twenty different kinds of cute! Moo has many outgrown embroidered jeans languishing in my closet at the moment, and she'd die for this apron in her size :)
All American Tutu (Joy's Hope) - Or All Australian, since we're red, white and blue too! A great way to recycle jeans parts after you've cut the legs up for a quilt.
Happy reading all! See you Monday.
Friday, June 26, 2009
I'm Not Doing It
I would just like to inform everyone that I will not be blogging about Michael Jackson today.
Thankyou. You may now return to your regularly-scheduled blogging.
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