Hi all how are you tonight?
Birthday celebrations
Its been a great day today, celebrating Josh’s birthday with him started with Jake waking me up at 6.30 good job he did he was looking for his school clothes I left them drying on the chair over night, had dash down stairs and give them an iron, we have had such a busy but relaxing weekend together, I waited till my dad went home to put washing on. Never good to have it going when your intertaining 😬
But at least it was dry, after a debate with Jake over weather he wanted it ironed or not, Thier is no way he is going to school untidy and rumpled
He wasn’t to pleased it wasn’t ready, end of term tiredness plus he isn’t feeling good.
Still he soon cheered up and joined in the present opening part of his brothers birthday, even Niki got up and came down for a short while.
25 today where has the time gone, I think once they make the journey to uni and work every time they come home, they are that much older and wiser.
These last six years seem to have flown by, maybe that’s because alot of those years were full of diagnosis for Niki and Jake and hospitals, trying to get them help.
No cake to blow out the candle this morning we already had it yesterday. Jake, loved it, Niki ate her fair share too not much left for the Birthday Boy.
What’s most important Family
We manage to get some great photo’s of us all
Jake had to be added after as he was at school. Niki shot off back to her room to sleep some more no college now so catching up on some much needed sleep.
Spending quality time together, having fun.
I am glad to the presents we got will be of benefit to Josh so very hard to choose as our kids get older . This year he invested in a beautiful camera, so we choose ones they can help with that.
Josh has always been super creative, and this i know will give him something out side of his day job to do a new hobby , or maybe a sideline thing with creativity.
There has to be a superman present in there from someone
This time from Niki and Jake
Siblings
Through life what ever accomplishments or difficulties i know the bond between these three will always be strong, thier love for each other unbreakable, yes some times they disagree or annoy each other but that is a perfectly natural part of a sibling bond. Niki and Jake on occasion over the past have struggled a little but Josh he is thier big brother he brings the fun the guidance and the mentor to thier lives.
For the evening of Josh’s birthday he took them both to the cinema spending some time alone as brother’s and sister , they had an awesome when i picked them up it was funny to see that spark of rivalry for the front seat of the car, we developed a system of oldest first then when they get out the next one gets the spot, it worked to not have melt downs in the car on school runs, so they dashed from the cinema Jake jumping in the front seat and as Josh got him out Niki jumped in put her seat belt on and locked the door, poor Josh had to squeeze his self into the back. You really had to be there in person to see the funny display of what i am sure most siblings are like. Nostalgic but in a good way, not so good when they were younger though used to drive me nuts. Josh had one more sleep at home before leaving the next evening to return to his home and work, Jake having to go to school the next day was a bit hard for him, while he was there though i spent some quality time with Josh and Niki, we went for a walk to local town before a trip to the bowling alley. you know sometimes when you say to your older kids next time you come we will find time to do this, your left with incredible guilt that you let them down when it doesn’t happen for some reason or other. This time though i made it happen.
NIki one which she was really happy with, my hubby would of come as well but was still working on the garden, still we all spent time together when Jake finished school, all squeezing in our front room together for the last few moments together till next time. It is difficult when Josh has to go again but it is becoming less harder for us all to say goodbye, and anyway it isn’t for long we will soon be spending time together again.
Back to work – School – Book
With Jake at school , my hubby and i worked together on the book and adding data for its release again on the 5 of august 2019 not only with the paper back version but also the newly converted e-book format as well were leading into a new place with the book opening up more channels to get the book out thier to as many families as we can. whilst also building a more solid and and secure place for our own family and its future is taking the difficult and making it count.
Work Niki joined into Hayley loves it but so does Niki.
First hayley did one of her most favourite hobbies, jigsaws she loves them it is always amazing to watch her do them. they can be simple or really complicated ones she will spend hours sometimes on them.
After it was getting out in the fresh air for a long walk, great exercise for us all, plus we are still following and finding the hearts on the map for the heart to heart St Catherine’s challenge.
Emo came along for some moral support and encouragement oh and maybe a little mischief along the way.
My Niki in the background
Niki wore her cosplay outfit she loves cosplay and wanted to get some fantastic photos, she was the director bossing me around thats Niki
plus i wasn’t aloud to use my phone had to be hers camera is better
I must admit she understands photography better than me I just capture photo’s when something inspires me, before the moment leaves.
we got about an hour and a half of walking in but had to rest a few times as it was hard going for Hayley and Niki we also had to stop for the perfect Tik Tok settings too.
The beauty of nature
Here are a few extra shots we captured along the way plus the bumble bee up close, unfortunately nature sometimes expires naturally, but having that moment to get up close to see the detail of one of natures beautiful creations was to hard to resist not taking some pictures.
the details 
amazing to see
Niki capturing her own photo’s , her perspective.
The rest of our trip out in pictures
Niki liked the tree 
the local lake
Emo up to mischief
He Is all Emotional and tired out from the long couple of days, But he is happy
Finally to finish off today slightly longer blog, as I kept falling asleep while writing it over the last couple of days not just Emo and the kids that are tired Mum and dad are too.
Our Jake a celebration of his achievements at school.
Jake come bounding out of school yesterday with a hand full of certificates, 5 in total he was so proud of himself.
It is lovely to see hard work get positively rewarded for our kids on the spectrum over the years so much focus has gone into the behaviour side of being autistic and the issues that has brought as far as schooling goes, getting the Ehcp plans were a nightmare, up dating and maintaining is always work in progress , but from Jake’s perspective accepting support and help is hard, how others treat kids that need help is not always good especially in peer groups.
So first I will show you from his perspective what made him feel good and proud. he also went up on stage to collect them very difficult for him, but he did it.
Now the next one all I can do is tell you what Jake said and how he felt about this, to us adults we are just proud of every little step but to a child who is only now accepting his diagnosis, and making friends with his peers by being more open to talking to others without the old fears of previous years of memories of bullying and the trauma from that.
he got this award year 9 student of the year for the Linc. he is very particular about wording he is a base student not linc student how can I get a certificate from linc if I dont go there. this is part of him being autistic that the school don’t seem to understand sometimes, it is in the details.
To him getting up on stage is hard enough getting up on the stage to collect an award because you get help, and hearing others laugh at this was for him a little hard too take the first thing he said is I love the other awards but this one feels like I am getting an award for being disabled , he felt embarrassed because everyone laughed infact if he could he would pretend he didn’t get it.
he has now started to build better understanding of friendships but also understands when others laugh it’s at him not with him.
if i have not been quick answering messages over the last week it is because I turned off notifications because I get distracted talking to people and just wanted to focus and concentrate on my kids, book and work.