Sunday 9th September – sunshine and splashtastic fun (again)

Firstly, thanks very much for the blog RTs of my earlier post today “Not wanting to change an outcome..”, it’s something that had been on my mind since reading an article online this morning. The original article is on the Daily Mail website and has attracted a very mixed bag of comments.

On with our day:

Because T had been out all day yesterday, playing and watching football, his homework needed doing before we could think about going out. The level of the homework and the amount has certainly stepped up with his entry into year 5, which is good, he needs to be challenged work-wise and keep his very active brain ticking over.

By the time he had finished it all unfortunately he wasn’t in the right frame of mind for a trip to town so….I am being trusted to pick up some new football boots tomorrow (red and blue Adidas)…the responsibility and the repercussions if I get the wrong ones!!

So, another splashtastic day, making the most of the gorgeous weather. We may have waited all summer for the pool but I’m determined we’ll get the use out of it now that it’s here. Even got Hubbie to dip his legs in, just needed a knotted hankie and he’d have been very at home in a carry-on film.

T and D were happiest when I was in there too, lots of water pinball and trying to teach them both doggy paddle. Both had a good try, with differing results! Even if I stepped out for a moment, asking Hubbie to watch them, they were bickering almost instantly, not wanting to share the water space. Both definitely needing that constant reassuring presence.

At one point D stormed off and The Goodies was put on (again), when I asked her why, she said “it calms me down”, well done D! She got a bear hug for expressing herself so well.

Another school week starting tomorrow, let’s hope it’s a good one for everyone. Thanks for reading, comments/RTs as ever welcomed Jx 😘

Not wanting to change an outcome..

I was reading an article online this morning about a couple who made the very difficult decision to abort their child when it was discovered he had both downs syndrome and a chromosome defect which could have led to autism etc.

I agree that it is a woman’s right to choose and in this instance, the fear of the unknown must have played a massive part in their decision and there were no doubt discussions about the impact having a disabled child would have had on their relationship.

We were offered amniocentesis tests with both T and D and in both cases we declined. Having had fertility treatment for my first child (not with Hubbie), we (Hubbie and I) both perceived my subsequent pregnancies as something of a blessing. Ideally I would have had a greater gap than 18 months between them but it meant that the total and utter exhaustion that comes with having both a toddler and a newborn was relatively short (hindsight is a wonderful thing!)

If there had been a prenatal test for autism, would I have taken it? I really don’t know. Part of me thinks maybe it would have been nice to have known beforehand so we both could have been a bit more prepared emotionally for a diagnosis that rips your insides (metaphorically) out a few years later.

As we prepare to start discussions to ascertain whether we have another child on the spectrum, part of me doesn’t want to know (ostrich burying its head in the sand) but a greater part of me needs to know, so that as and when extra help and support is needed, it’s more readily available.

I look at my beautiful daughter and my handsome, clever son and I am grateful that they are in our lives. Life may be restrictive in what we do and where we go due to anxiety and sensory issues but the picture says it all:

Thanks for reading Jx 😘