A Blog About a Bloke-Living with WHS

As you can see, my kids are a little excited by the Olympics. Ryley is the main one who is totally obsessed with them! I think it is the movement, and the colours that he loves. But mostly, it is when things go wrong, like, say, a horserider falling off, or a diver making a big splash, or 10 cyclists crashing into each other. He LOVES it! From the minute he gets up in the morning until he goes to school he is glued to the TV. We are lucky enough to have Foxtel, which means we have 8 extra HD channels, so we can flick through and choose what we want to watch. Luckily I can also record it, which means I will have a back up for when he is bored, because he mostly won't watch tv. Tonight, Braeden decided he wanted to practice boxing like the two on TV. They both punched each other while collapsing with laughter. It was very funny.

Surely no one expected me to be quiet about this topic? I have been lurking around Twitter and Facebook on and off all day (amongst other places) and have been adding my two cents everywhere I can. I must admit I am worn out from it, especially after reading many of the comments that suggest that we, as parents and carers, should be the only ones taking care of our loved ones with a disability-no one else. For my overseas readers, in a nutshell, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is due to start being introduced this year ( Every Australian Counts Campaign  ) What it will mean is that people with a disability will have access to funds to enable them to live life to the fullest. It means, for example, that Ryley would be allocated money for the rest of his life to help him work and live. It will mean greater access to Early Intervention for families. It will mean access to funding to cover the cost of equipment. It will mean funding to help with respite, and therapie

Pyrenees Ranges, sunshine. Arrogant sheep Lavender  It almost felt like spring was in the air today.  The sun was out, with only a light breeze. The farm was buzzing as the bees went about their day. Such beauty. Such peace. And now, electricity again. Aaah. How's the serenity?!

How many of you reading this blog have cringed at some point when someone has referenced the word normal during a discussion about your child? Those glasses make him look more normal. In a normal child, I would do xyz, but that isn't the case here. If he was, you know, normal, then it wouldn't be a problem. Etcetera, ad.nauseum. I have always baulked at the notion of normality, and never been one to follow the crowd. Sure, I used to try and fit in as I was growing up, but I never really did. What is normal? Or more to the point, who is normal? When I try and picture in my head the ultimate 'normal' person, all I keep getting is...well...nothing. You try. Go on, pause for a minute and try and define in your own mind what normal might actually look like. I'll wait. ***********insert appropriate waiting time********************** How did you go? I am assuming (and correct me if I am wrong), that you couldn't come up with one image, or one def

Dad and Ryley just watching the trickle of water that is the Avoca Waterfalls. Braeden found the best way to travel around the farm is like this (thanks Noel!) Ryley and Rachael. We have just had two of the 'easiest' weeks of holidays so far I think. The weeks flew by. Never thought I would say that. We were so so busy though. Having a surprise visit from the Doeckes at the farm was a great way to kick of the two weeks! Then catching up with friends and visiting Melbourne were other highlights. We seemed to just always be doing something, which suited Ryley just fine. Now that we are back into routine again, hopefully I will get back into posting again. How did everyone else's holidays go??

This was the view from my back porch up at Rybrae Farm the other night. Winter sunset and the very blue Pyrenees Ranges. Not bad. I think this might be my first post for July? We have had a most excellent first week of school holidays and are now into the second week. I just haven't had the time (or electricity) to sit down and blog. I will find the time again. But for now, I am enjoying the cold and the eerie lack of sickness in our household (after our gastro week just before holidays started). Hope everyone else is surviving holidays.