Meeting the Real World ~

The first few years I lived in Sydney were positively amazing (despite the fact that for the first three months I spent most of the mornings in the strongroom crying my eyes out from homesickness).

I firstly shared a flat with my sister and her friend and then moved into another flat with two fellow classmates from home that had also started work in Banks on Sydney's North shore. Later an Aunty of one flatmate moved down also. Annie was only 3 years older than us and attended the same denomination as I so we settled at the same Church together.

Life was very sweet; my job was great, work hours allowed a  3.30 pm finish and on most days the beach was my after work venue. I made some amazing friends through both Church and work and had some life changing experiences. One was learning that the L.J.Hooker signs set around the suburbs were NOT ads for brothels and another was becoming a victim of two Bank Holdups within a 6 month period.

And so the Journey Begins ~

In December of 1962 I made my entry into the world. I was born to the most wonderful parents, and was welcomed also by a brother and two sisters. As the last of the tribe I was well positioned to grow up experiencing the benefits and pitfalls of Youngest Child Syndrome. 

Our family lived in a small country town, in a fibro house on a 1/4 acre block. As a child our yard seemed gigantic and we were often kept entertained climbing the wood heap, pinching munchable veggies out of the garden, performing acrobatics on our swing set, avoiding mums "attack" rooster and enjoying the antics of both our dog and cat. Sundays were my favourite day of the week...we usually went to morning Church, followed by a baked dinner , a game of cricket after lunch and monopoly after Church and tea at night.

Meet the Family ~ Nick

Nick is my youngest son and has just recently turned 14. His entry into the world was, like Terry's, fast and confusing. Having been induced, the labour moved very quickly and I found that even though the midwife didn't at all doubt the baby was coming, she was pretty sure that he was hours away. 

As the midwife performed an examination she quickly moved into a heightened state of panic...screaming at my husband to hit the emergency call button on the wall. With the lack of emergency staff showing and increasing pain in my belly it became apparent that  my husband, Mick, had inadvertently pressed the button NEXT to the emergency call button and reactivated the drip. (I had horrible visions of not just the baby and placenta exiting my body but all my internal organs as well!) But that fear did not come to fruition and very soon I was gazing at my beautiful new boy....a bonza baby at 8lb 4 ounces (3.742 Kgs) with a mass of beautiful black hair. 

Meet the Family ~ Terry

Terry  is my second eldest son and is 16 1/2 years old. Terry decided that he needed a little more time on the inside before entering the world at 2 weeks overdue. We were very lucky that he was born in a hospital at all as the immensely experienced (and well aged) midwife took one look at me and decided that I just shouldn't have been there...for in her opinion...I didn't present as pregnant at all. (Guess who should've gone to specsavers!).

I manoeuvred my bulky pregnant body onto the bed in the labour ward and insisted that she examine me. It seemed though that her decision was final and she marched right out of the delivery room to ring a taxi to take me home again. Within a few moments of her returning I clenched my fists, closed my eyes and screamed at the top of my voice "Catch!" Out flew Terry, straight into the midwife's hands and I don't know which one was shocked the most.

Meet the Family ~ John

John, my eldest son, is 18 years old. He arrived into this world 5 weeks early and at 7lb 2 1/2 ounces (or 3.246kgs for those of you who aren't imperial savvy). He was welcomed by a team of Medical Staff, his dad (who cut the "cable") and my photography possessed sister whom I can happily say left her camera in the car at the time.

John was induced, delivered, detached and then decamped into a humidicrib for phototherapy as he had Jaundice. Thirteen days later he arrived in my Ward and we spent our first night together. A day later we went home.

Eight years on John was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). 

Meet the Family ~ Emma

I am 50, divorced and have single parented since about 2002. I am a full time Carer to my 3 boys and have been a weather observer with the Bureau of Meteorology since February this year. This is a neat little job that injects some extra moments of sanity into my day.

My Interests sort of became lost over the years as it often does when we become parents and even more so when we become parents of kids with disabilities. I think I used to like to read, walk, play squash, belt out a tune on the piano, tinkle with some other instruments and occasionally try my hand at some amateur composing.

What's in a Blog name??

Choosing a name for my Blog was a real challenge, as to my own shame I seem to have little or no imaginative flair. I have nervous memories of being in Primary School and hearing the Teacher ask for that Composition Book to be taken out for creative writing. I just couldn't ever understand how anyone in a limited time frame could possibly create a story on paper, particularly with a given topic. While many others wriggled with excitement and anticipation I joined the crowd that had sweaty palms and felt like they could throw up on the next persons shoulder. Despite this great trepidation I somehow managed to churn out a story that must have met with the teachers satisfaction.