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mrssavageangel

First time mother just trying to figure out where to go from here.

Children

One gift….

25/11/2019 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

A couple of years ago Oscar discovered the Dr Seuss story ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas’. He loves Dr Seuss and this story was no exception. So when Illumination released an updated version in cinemas last Christmas, it was no surprise that he insisted we go see it.

It was, to be fair, a lovely retelling, and we enjoyed it so much that when a couple of months later it was released on Amazon, were were happy to buy it for him. He was thrilled and has watched it many times over the past year.

So when he watched it last week, in the run up to Christmas, I thought nothing of it. Until it reached the flash back scene, in which we are shown The Grinch’s childhood and how he was left alone at Christmas, with no friends, no family, no gifts and no love.

Oscar watched this and burst into tears. He’s always been an empathetic little soul, but recently he seems to feel and see things we might filter out. It’s a common misconception of Autism, that it involves an inability to feel. While this may apply to some, my little guy almost seems to feel too much, unable, as I say, to filter these emotions. Hence the sudden flood of tears for a fictional character who is left alone, lonely and sad at Christmas.

Of course I comforted him and assured him we wouldn’t leave him alone and giftless at Christmas (“you’d never do that me would you mummy?”). And while that seemed to help a little, he wanted to check no child would experience Christmas like the little Grinch did. And I had to be honest.

I explained that the saddest thing was that some children do not have the Christmas he knows. There are those who are sad, lonely, hurt and left wanting. He looked at me, his little face crumpling and asked “how can we help?”

It wasn’t the response I was expecting.

So I asked him, what did he think would help. Without hesitation he asked if we could “give them a present”. He took what makes him feel good at Christmas and extrapolated. And for a seven year old receiving a gift trumps any understanding of safety, security and love. I say it overrides them but maybe it actually encompasses them? For him anyway.

So I promised we could do something. And this is where I need your help. When I was a child putting together a shoe box of gifts was the done thing, but in recent years stories have to come light casting doubt on the motivations of organisations involved with such collections. We could give to our local food bank, however we already do and to be honest this doesn’t feel like it would address his need to specifically reach out to a child. I really like the ‘Secret Santa’ campaign Action for Children is running online at the moment, where you can donate a gift (an amount of money that could buy a gift or a meal etc) in the name of someone else.

So I’m reaching out. What would you do? Are there any organisations that give children gifts at Christmas who might not otherwise get one? If you have any suggestions I would be very grateful.

And look, I’m a realist. I realise this kind of giving is just a drop in the ocean of need experienced by families across the world every day. But it has come from such a pure and unexpected place. I can’t not encourage it. I want my son to engage with others and begin to increase his understanding of the world. And if it starts with this small act, so be it.

I know one Christmas present, from one child to another, wont change the world. But a Christmas present, this ‘festive’ season, from one child to another, could mean the world.

My little Santa

Filed Under: Autism, Children Tagged With: Autism, Charity, Christmas, Family, Gift, Giving

Key Stage 2 and the Autism Mama

04/07/2019 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

How? How can it be nearly the end of the summer term already. We’ve had sports day (he took part, he did bloody brilliantly), we’ve had the school summer trip to the beach (say whaaaat? I grew up the Midlands. It was all mining museums and Shakespeare when I was a kid!) The shorts have been bought out from the back of the cupboard and I’ve started the mammoth thank you gift spree I and every other SEN parent does at the end of the year (it’s not a village raising my guy – it’s a flipping county!).

Only, this year, the gifts I buy and who I buy them for is taking on a particular significance. Because not only is Oscar moving into Key Stage 2 next year (or ‘The Juniors’ if you’re old like me!). He’s going to another school entirely. And writing that sentence has made me cry. And now I know why it’s taken me so long to write about this.

So OK, bit of back story. Oscar was diagnosed with Autism (Spectrum Disorder – neither word I am down with btw, but maybe that’s a post for another day) just before his third birthday. When it came to choosing a school for him in Year R we went through the whole specialist school process, only to be sure that our first choice of mainstream school was the right one for him. And so that’s where he went. 

And at no point in the last three years have I ever ONCE questioned that choice. His school have been nothing but supportive and inclusive and Oscar has thrived there. His increase in understanding, communication and academic ability is everything we hoped for and more. 

That being the case, the decision to move him, from a primary school we love, may seem a confusing one and you’d be right. It’s taken huge amounts of soul searching and studying my own motivation, to come to this difficult decision. Yeah it’s been a tough year.

It started with a suggestion from the school that, without a crystal ball, no one was sure how Oscar would cope with the gear change from Key Stage 1 to 2. The way the children are taught and the national expectations put on them changes dramatically between Years 2 and 3 and no one wanted to ‘set him up to fail’.

Of course this made me stop and think, but honestly my first reaction was ‘well no one knew how he’d do in Year R and he’s coping well’. Then I heard myself say it in meetings and I started to think, ‘do I want him just to cope?’.

So I cried down the phone at the SENCO and arranged meetings with possible schools and travelled all over Surrey to visit potential providers and completed application forms and held my breath. 

Obviously there was a delay of quite some months between applying and finding out the result and in that time I’d almost talked myself out of the whole idea. I’d gone back to the argument that he was doing well academically where he was, he was settled, he knew the place, why rock the boat?

When we found out he’d been accepted to what was our first choice of school, we were pleased, but I was pretty ready to hand it back. Thanks, but no thanks. Then I thought I should just run the idea past Oscar. He’s not a baby anymore and he is getting really good at expressing himself and how he feels. So one night, at bedtime, when we were cuddled up and calm, I just threw it out there. How would he feel if he ever had to leave his school and go to another one?

He immediately sat up and said he wanted to. In no uncertain terms. He told me he wasn’t happy where he was, he felt he didn’t have any friends, he found the work too hard and he was often confused!

His reply floored me. He’d never mentioned any of these things. I knew he didn’t play with his classmates at lunch time as he attended ‘lunch club’ which provided more focused activities for children who struggled with the free flow of the playground. But I didn’t realise this had left him feeling isolated and unable to make friends. I also knew in Year 1 he’d spent a lot of lesson time in the room adjacent to his classroom, as they’d found he simply couldn’t concentrate with so many people round him. But I also knew this hadn’t been an issue this year and he spent all his lesson time in with his class.

He’d progressed so much from last year I thought he was doing really well. But just because he was learning to cope in these environments didn’t mean he was happy. And that was such a kick in the stomach. I felt so guilty. And I started to question my motives for keeping him there. If it wasn’t because he was happy and settled, why was it?

Turning the mirror on your own motivations, especially when it comes to your children, isn’t  pretty. I realised one of the things I loved most about him going to a local mainstream school, was that whenever anyone asked where he went, I could tell them and that would be the end of the conversation. People just accepted it without me ever having to mention his diagnosis. Without even having to think about Autism. For a split second I was just a mum. Just like them. 

I was horrified when I realised that that was actually the case. I was so angry with myself. How could I be so selfish? But I quickly realised I wasn’t really angry. Just incredibly sad. Sad for myself. Sad for the little girl who just desperately wants to fit in. Because that’s all that was really about. I’m just glad I was able to look at the situation with understanding eyes (two years of therapy paying for itself right there!).

So it was looking more and more like moving him was the right thing to do. But I wanted him to be sure. I wanted him to understand that he would be moving to another school. That there would still be work to do. I arranged for the whole family to go see the school. We visited on a Monday morning when all the children were in lessons. And it was the cutest, funniest thing I’ve ever seen.

Oscar asked the head if he could talk to the children. He then strode up to the front of the class, introduced himself as Oscar Fredrick Savage and asked if anyone had any questions for him. I nearly died keeping my giggles in! One of the students asked if Oscar was any good at Maths. To which O honestly answered  “I’m good at easy Maths but not hard maths. Any more questions?” It still makes me guffaw when I think about it!

And that was that. At the end of the day, regardless of the reasons I’d had for keeping him in the same place or the reasons I’d had for moving him, we just ended up following his lead. It’s always been the same way. I’m not sure why I’m surprised it was the same this time.

His new school is still a mainstream school, with a centre for children with a communication or interaction need, where he’ll be based. Hopefully this set up means he’ll get the best of both worlds. It’s further away than I would ideally like, but he will still be getting transport there and back, like he always has. He’s done two induction mornings this week and as far as I can tell he likes it there. He’s told us he wants to start right away. As he doesn’t start until September. I think it’s going to be a long summer!

His current school is still wonderful. You’d be lucky to have your child go there (if it worked for them of course). I’ll miss it so much. The people, the buildings, the playground, the understanding.

Oscar says he’ll miss his den in the trees and Maggie the school dog. 

Part of me is still sad. Part of me still feels a little like I’ve failed somehow (ridiculous I know, but you can’t help how you feel). Part of me feels like I need to explain to everyone that it’s not the school’s fault, that his current school is still awesome for children with additional needs. That he can cope where he is. But that I just want more than that for my boy. 

And another part of me knows I don’t have to explain anything. To anyone. So the next time someone asks me which school he goes to, I’ll just tell them.

And leave it at that.

With his Sports Day medals. Baby you’ll always be a winner to me.

Filed Under: Autism, Children, Education, Family Tagged With: Autism, Education, Family

Amsterdam, the perfect city break with children

27/03/2019 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

We haven’t done much travelling since Oscar was born. I’d like to say ‘I’m not really sure why’, but I know exactly why. Fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of it all going so very wrong and being so very far away from home. I’d like to say his Autism diagnosis played a part, and I guess to an extent it did. But I’m starting to think it did only in as much as we have used it as an excuse to justify the fear.

Anyway Oscar is nearly seven now and for the past two years his daddy has worked most of the week, every week, in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is less than an hours flight from London and if we were looking for a first experience outside of the country, we thought might prove to be the perfect place to start.

Flying with Oscar was probably the biggest mental hurdle I had to get over with this trip and I will write at more length about it in another post. But suffice to say, the airport/flight/transport angle of the trip went as well as we had prepared for.

And I was so right about Amsterdam. We LOVED it. Since coming home I have become almost evangelical about how good the city is to visit with children. When I tell them, most people look at me like I’ve lost the plot, but it’s true. Amsterdam is so much more than red light districts, stag dos and weed. Amsterdam with children is superb!

We went for five nights and it worked out just right for us. Ben was with us for the flights and for Sunday. On the other days he had to work, leaving Oscar and I to explore alone. And do you know what? ‘Flying solo’ as it were, in another country was not nearly as nerve wracking as it could have been. I chose one ‘thing’ to do a day and with the help of good old Google Maps, we just got on and did them!

Nemo Science Museum

Our first full day in Amsterdam was a Sunday and so we chose to do something we could all enjoy together. The Nemo Science Museum blew our minds. Five floors of hands on exploration. Oscar couldn’t have been happier. It was busy but it was also so big that there was rarely an exhibit you couldn’t get close to. It really was designed with children in mind, with written explanations kept to a minimum and never in the way of the hands on fun. The staff to visit ratio was also impressive, with many staff members floating about always on hand to explain or demonstrate.

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The factory process machine was absolutely Oscar’s favourite
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Doing a science with Daddy

We stayed for the entire day, making our way up through the floors and then back down again to see the things we’d missed, or revisit favourites. We had lunch in the incredibly well stocked fifth floor restaurant and thoroughly appreciated the outdoor play zone next to the restaurant.

The entrance cost was a little higher than we’re used to (coming from the UK where most museums are free), but it was absolutely worth it. And to be fair, I could have got in for free if I’d remembered my Carer’s paperwork. Ahh well, next time.

Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans is a kind of living museum of Dutch history/industry. If you’re looking to get your fill of windmills, cheese and clogs then this is the place to go and it was only forty minutes by bus from Central Amsterdam (and only 25 from where we were in Zaandam). Yes a lot of the exhibits were thinly veiled shops and it was probably the most touristy thing you can in Amsterdam, but we really enjoyed it none the less.

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Five Windmills. Oscar loves a good thumbs up!
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The Black Kat Windmill as seen from the river. We also went inside this mill!

Oscar loved being able to go inside one of the working windmills, despite being unsure about the smell of milling chalk (it was incredibly strong and unusual). We both thought it was a fascinating experience.

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Thumbs sideways. It was good but the smell was too strong for Oscar.

A highlight of our visit was the boat cruise round the River Zaan, taking in all of the Windmills on the site. Oscar getting to drive the boat really was his highlight of the day!

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Captain Oscar!
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If you go to Amsterdam and don’t pose with a giant clog, did you even go to Amsterdam?
Verkade Experience

We started our trip to Zaanse Schaans with a visit to the Verkade Experience, a museum dedicated to the history and processes of the Dutch chocolate maker Verkade. Overall I think its probably a museum better suited to adults. Oscar’s expectations of some kind of Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory were sadly disappointed! It was very much a museum for information and the staff were very professional but not particularly child friendly. Side note: it was also the only place I ever had to mention Oscar’s diagnosis to explain his behaviour to an unfriendly member staff the whole week.

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Vondelpark

We absolutely loved Vondelpark, in the centre of Amsterdam. It’s a giant park full of life (including a colony of wild parakeets!) with seven playgrounds aimed at all ages and abilities. You could literally spend an entire day there, playground hopping, making friends and having a ball. Which is exactly what we did! It’s also free, which for an amazing day out, in the centre of a European capital, is rare.

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Oscar loved this tree top playground. Everywhere we went he found children to play with. While many children in Amsterdam speak English, language simply wasnt an issue even when they didn’t!

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When a fallen tree becomes a playground in it’s own right!
Kinderkookkafe

The only money we spent on our trip to Vondelpark was on lunch at Kinderkookkafe. Situated in the park, this cafe was so different to anything we’ve ever been to before and Oscar absolutely loved it.

Aimed at 1-6 year olds (although we saw older children having just as much fun!), everything is at child height including the visual image menu. The idea is the children choose their meal, take the ingredients, make their own lunch and the staff then cook it for them. Oscar chose pizza, followed by a cupcake (and then an apple, because he just loved the apple peeling machine they had!)

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The Kinderkookkafe in Vondelpark. There was a choice of either steps or a slide from the front door into the cafe!

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Everything was accessible to children
Oscar made his own pizza
Two Thumbs up!

The cafe had a menu for adults (not prepared by the children!) which was basic but really delicious. The cafe also had its own enclosed outdoor playground, aimed at preschoolers. It would be perfect for summer afternoon hang out with the children!

Anne Frank’s House (Anne Frank Huis)

The visit to the famous Anne Frank House, was definitely more for me than for Oscar, but I’m so glad we did it. He coped so unbelievably well in the house, and seemed to understand the sombre tone (which the museum sets brilliantly with subdued lighting and sparse displays). However, I’m not sure all children would get it. It’s definitely one to make a parenting judgement call on.

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If you are planning to visit I would highly recommend reading Anne’s full and unabridged diary before going. I did and consequently felt I got more out of the visit. It also allowed us to forgo the handheld audio tour, given to everyone on arrival. This meant we could move around the building more freely but it also enabled me to keep the commentary I was giving to Oscar (quietly) more appropriate to his level.

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Six is very young to expose to the full horrors of the Holocaust. But it did start a conversation and for that I was grateful. I also bought him a fantastic book on the way out, written by the Anne Frank Foundation based on the questions they have been asked by children over the years. It meant I had answers to any questions he may have come away with.

My only other suggestion if you’re planning to visit the house is to book your tickets in advance. The museum only allows a certain number of people in per allocated time slot so booking in advance should mean avoiding long queues.

Oh yes and PANCAKES Amsterdam is next door. Delicious!

Conclusion

I’ve never been one for ‘city breaks’. A holiday where I got to relax on a beach was always much more my thing. But since having a child, and particularly a child like Oscar, I’ve had to reevaluate what a good holiday looks like to me now. And I can hand on heart tell you that, right now, city breaks, in cities that really get kids and appreciate parents, are the way ahead.

We not only had fantastic fun, but we all came away having learnt something. About another culture, about history, about ourselves.

And I can’t ignore how proud this holiday made me feel. Of Oscar; he really threw himself into the whole trip and came away with some amazing memories. But also of myself. I did this! And I can’t wait to do it again.

Which is why we’ve booked to go to Stockholm this summer!! Yup I’ve truly caught the family city break bug. I can’t wait to show my little guy the world. One trip at a time 🙂

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Filed Under: Autism, Children, Travel Tagged With: Autism, Family

Straws – what do they mean to you?

23/05/2018 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

I wouldn’t call myself an Environmentalist. I pick up/take home litter, recycle to a point, I repair, reuse, refuse if I can. I’m just a citizen trying not to be a dick about the impact me and my family have on the world. The recent awareness that has reached the mainstream about the use of plastics is particularly frightening. I mean microbeads man! Who came up with those? Good grief!!

The latest polluting and downright dangerous item we are all starting to wake up to are plastic straws. The celebs have backed the call for banning the straws, much as they did for microbeads. Microbeads served no essential purpose. And for those of you that don’t need them, neither do straws. But here’s the thing, straws do! There is an entire community of people who actually need straws.

Oscar can only just about drink out of an open cup. Under duress. And then mostly not even then. He’s six, but he’s also autistic. I don’t know what it is about an open cup that makes him refuse it. And I do mean refuse it. No matter how thirsty he might be. It might be the coordination needed to drink successfully or it might be the sensation of having liquid against his face or the feeling of having that much liquid rush into his mouth all at once. It could just as simply be that through a straw is how he knows how to drink and teaching him any different will be a long and arduous process. I can’t really pin it down.

But my son’s issues with drinking are his and not to be judged. If my six year old still has a sippy cup at home, meant for one year olds, so what? And if he needs to use a straw in order to allow him to access hydration when out and about, then that’s fine and dandy with me. And while I do support any initiative to make our seas healthier, I am incensed at the way something countless people NEED, has been demonised in the press recently.

Raise awareness, sure. Change your habits, absolutely. I myself have just purchased a set of metal reusable straws to take with us when we’re out and about. I’m not going to be being a dick about this. But I am privileged enough to be able to plan ahead like this and to have the resources to obtain what I need. Removing something people might actually rely on, with little or no warning, and without providing a substitute is thoughtless and ableist.

I’m glad that the general public are waking up to the environmental impact of their lives. But I urge you to consider how your new found fervour might actually affect other people’s lives, those not like yours, before jumping on the next particular bandwagon.

Metal straws and case

 

Filed Under: Autism, Children Tagged With: Autism, environment, plastic, Straw, straws

A Brilliant Bricks 6th Birthday Party for my Brilliant Boy

19/04/2018 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Oscar doesn’t do a whole lot at the weekends. Football, Rugby, Swimming, Dance, Performing Arts; the local provision for extra curricular activities just does not work for my autistic son. So when Oscar became old enough to try our local  Haslemere Lego club, Brilliant Bricks, we were cautious. The first time we took him along, we sat in awe, as the children were firstly inspired by the leader, Sarah, and then started to build with gusto. But a really calm gusto! It was magical. And Oscar could join in. He could join in without having to compromise on what he could cope with or stand out because he needed to do things differently to the others. What a treat.

And when we realised Sarah also ran Birthday parties? Well it was a no brainer to book one for Oscar’s 6th birthday. Held in a local village hall, it couldn’t have been any better. It was just like having a Lego Club to ourselves, but with cake and food! And the odd glass of fizz for mama (I always have prosecco for the adults at my children’s parties – why the devil not!)

It really wasn’t too crazy to organise either. The biggest issue I had with the whole party was trying to get RSVPs back, but in my experience that’s often the worst bit about orgainsing any event.

Food

Last year’s party was good, but by far the best idea I had was how to serve the food. What I have found at other people’s parties we’ve attended is that a long line of tables can be intimidating for Oscar (he often ends up sitting on the end) and will only eat from the bowls/plates in front of him. So last year and subsequently this year I put together a picnic bag for each child. These were given out and allowed the children to sit where they felt most comfortable and eat the food in whatever order made most sense to them.

The bags this year had a bag of Wotsits, a Frube yogurt, a snack pack of Oreos and a YoYo Bear Fruit Roller. I was able to put the bags together the bag before and simply hand them out on the day.

Picnics in brown paper bags. The kids loved the autonomy they were given over their food.

I then made sandwiches and handed them out alongside the bags. Oscar insisted he wanted Nutella sandwiches and who am I to argue with the birthday boy? I did convince him to let me do cheese ones as well, just to show willing!!

While the rest of the food was in no way themed (and rather was what I knew Oscar would eat!) I decided on a nod toward the Lego theme with the sandwiches. I borrowed a Lego Head Cutter, bought an Edible Marker. And the result was even better than I hoped!

How cute are these Lego Head sandwiches?

The kids seemed to really like fun sandwiches. Although to be fair they seemed more excited to see I’d used Nutella (sigh!).

Favours

I really don’t like party bags. Don’t get me wrong it’s lovely that people want to give children a little parting gift, but too often (for me) they just contain landfill fodder. Or worse they contain things that should be binned, but Oscar insists on keeping them! So I’ve never done the traditional kind of bag. And this year was no different. In keeping with the Lego theme I decided to make a bag of Lego chocolates for each child.

They were the easiest thing to make. Just get some Lego Brick and Figure silicon moulds (I borrowed mine). Melt some white chocolate, slowly mix in some food colouring (I use the extra strong Wilton Gel Colours), pour it in the moulds, tap to get rid of any air bubbles, scrape the top to remove excess chocolate and pop them in the fridge. Leave them for an hour and Bob’s your Uncle!

The kids loved them! I got a message after the party telling me one little boy loved them so much he wanted to display them on his shelf rather than eat them! How cute is that?!

Cake

So many people asked if I was planning to make Oscar’s cake and I happily told them absolutely not. I can make a decent enough cake, but decorating it is not my forte, especially when Oscar has such specific ideas of what he wants. This year he asked for a cake in the image of the Thomas and Friends Chinese Dragon we got him for Christmas. So I happily handed over the toy to my friend and Haslemere cake maker extraordinaire Sarah of Sarah Bakes Cakes. And boy did she do us proud!!

Just look at that detail! I adore this cake!

Oscar was absolutely thrilled with his cake. When Sarah bought it round the day before the party, he actually squealed in delight and ran up and down the stairs he was so excited. It was the cutest thing! He also loved tucking into the delicious chocolate cake and probably ended up eating up more of the cake than any one!

The Party

Watching thirteen (we invited eighteen but not all could make it and some didn’t show up on the day) 6 year olds quietly and calmly build Lego creations completely from their imagination was a pure joy. The concentration, from those not always known for their ability to concentrate, was quite amazing. Thanks to the support of Sarah and Brilliant Bricks, I was much more confident to let the parents leave their children with me, but those adults who stayed or came to help couldn’t get over how calm the party was. The children moved from box to box sharing the tonnes of bricks Sarah had bought with her, but not being expected to collaborate. This allowed everyone to join in no matter what their capacity or their personality.

Working together and apart

Such concentration!

Sarah bought her ramps with her for the children to race their creations down!

The party was so much more of what Oscar needed than last year and I like to think that reflects how much more I understand him and how to work to get the best out of him. This happy face and amazing Slimer (who is holding a “pizza in one hand and a chicken with a bone in the other”) will, I hope, testify to that.

I don’t think I’ll be holding a party for him next year. I’ve got a feeling he’ll be over them by then and prefer to do something more based around his interests, without having to worry about other children. So this might be the last party I ever host for my little guy.

And if it is, what a high to end on.

 

 

 

Thank you so much to everyone who came to the party or supported me throwing it, in one way or another!

I have included my supplier links as a personal recommendation only. I paid for everything myself. 

Filed Under: Autism, Children Tagged With: 6 years old, birthday party, Brilliant Bricks, Haslemere, Lego

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Totally petitioning to move Bonfire night to June. Totally petitioning to move Bonfire night to June. It’s not so dark you lose your family, it’s way warmer and the sky just looks more dramatic. Much more fun all round.
Jubilee Beacon Fireworks. Jubilee Beacon Fireworks.
What an amazing day! The little sister who came in What an amazing day! The little sister who came into our lives when she was a sweet little ten year old, is now a beautiful, strong wife and mother. We couldn’t have been any prouder to share her day with her. Oh yeah and James was there too 😜 Only kidding we love you guys so much! #family #wedding
All the chocolate, all the good food. Happy Easter All the chocolate, all the good food. Happy Easter, Passover or Ramadan. Hope you’re spending today with your people. 💐🐰🌱 #spring #celebrate
New favourite cousin photo! #thuglife #jessandosca New favourite cousin photo! #thuglife #jessandoscar
Oscar’s party was a roaring success. The cousins Oscar’s party was a roaring success. The cousins all came and played together like they were best of friends, the Minecraft themed food was devoured, the castle was bounced to within an inch of its life, the grown ups chatted and most of all the boy had the best day! And now I’m so exhausted I’m off to bed. Thank you to the family (and chosen family) who helped make it such a special day for our special little guy. #whenoscarturnedten #happybirthday #familypartiesarethebest
Ten years old. Where has that decade gone? He’s Ten years old. Where has that decade gone? He’s ten years old. I’m ten years older. Sometimes it feels like we’re growing up together! Happy birthday beautiful boy. And Happy Birthing Day to me. 🥰
It’s that time of year again when I lay all his It’s that time of year again when I lay all his presents out and say I’m ready for him to be another year older and then quip that I am NEVER ready for him to be another year older. But 10 man? I don’t know, it feels so… significant. Double digits, a decade, it somehow feels different from all the other birthdays. I can’t quite believe it tbh. Anyway as he’s having his birthday here (tomorrow) but his party in Plymouth next Saturday it has been decreed it’s his birthday all week. And what with the grand age he’s turning, I think that sounds perfectly appropriate.
Breakfast in bed (toast and a makeshift cloche - w Breakfast in bed (toast and a makeshift cloche - we fancy!) and three cards and a sunflower he planted from seed at school 😱! Now off out for lunch. Very much a Happy Mothers Day to me! And to all the mamas I know. May you be treated like Kweens today!
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