AutismMumma

I was tagged by @kateonthinice to take part in a "highs and lows of 2012" meme, you can read her post here. Kate has tagged a great group of bloggers and it's been a chance to step away from the festivities and have a ponder about our year.

So here goes:

1. What was your happiest event?

My happiest and proudest moment as a Mumma was D's nativity play shortly before Christmas. To see our girl singing and enjoying being on stage as Mary was an absolute joy. In her previous school, anxieties meant that she could not participate in assemblies or school productions.

From a blogger perspective, it has been discovering the therapeutic and community aspect of blogging.

2. What was the saddest thing to happen?

Hubbie's parents have always been robustly healthy, so to see Hubbie's mother - previously a very strong opinionated woman - reduced to a frail shell after a "not insignificant" stroke has been saddening.

D was also bullied for much of the previous school year and this was not acknowledged or recognised by school until the July, despite alerts from myself. It was dismissed as "fabrication" by her teacher at the time and finally acknowledged by another staff member at the end of term.

3. What was the most unlikely thing to happen that actually went ahead and did?

This time last year I'd just started thinking about blogging, I'd started a blog but was very nervous about publishing and linking it to my twitter account. I didn't know how it would be received and whether I would keep it going. I've now progressed to a website and am thinking - only thinking at the moment - of going onto Facebook.

I am not the most technical person in the world but really enjoy the blogging, uploading pictures and videos and linking up. Yes, me!

4. Who let you down?

Teacher in answer 2 and there are family members who offer no support or acceptance of our autism journey.

5. Who supported you?

Hubbie aka Mr Bluecrisps, my soulmate. The autism, blogging and carers community.

6. Tell us one thing you learned.

Tomorrow is another day. And this picture:

Life is short, too short for some people. Live life, enjoy it.

7. Tell us one thing that made you laugh.

A child's laugh is infectious, I love hearing my children laugh.

Miranda Hart's Christmas programme was really laugh-out-loud funny. I'm looking forward to the new series.

8. Tell us one thing that made you cry.

The deaths of two family members, one very recent and very sudden, with long-reaching ramifications.

9. Tell us three things your child or children did that make you proud.

My children make me proud every single day; whether they are facing an anxiety head-on (strangers/change of routine), performing in a school play or (in D's case) writing me an "I love you" note (she doesn't like handwriting) I'm proud and privileged to be their Mumma.

10. Tell us one thing that made you proud of yourself.

Accepting challenges I'm not comfortable with, taking myself out of my comfort zone. I need to do more of that, it gets results!

11. Tell us one challenge you overcame.

I had one particular instance when I considered stopping blogging, the negativity was too great, see link here. I'm glad I overcame it.

12. Tell us three things you would like to change about your life in 2013.

There are probably many but:

1. To carry on challenging myself, broaden my horizons.

2. To run another blog, one focused on health, diet etc.

3. To be happy in my own skin. It's the only one I've got.

4. To challenge myself more writing-wise.

Thanks for reading Jx 😘