Yesterday Bailey gave us a surprise... During our session with the school counsellor he said "I have something to show you". And then said "I'm Bailey". It doesn't seem like much to most people but it is the first time he has said it. It has always been one of his great fears saying his name up he has learnt how to get around it in a myriad of creative ways, including showing his name on his school jacket. The best part of the day was that evening at his Year 7 information session for starting high school, to watch him quietly go up to various teachers and say "Hi, I'm Bailey"! Another milestone.....
Last night very late I sat reflecting on Bailey's last first day of term at primary school. Each milestone seems to have passed so quickly over seven years. Can it really be that long since my wee man started in Prep in 2007? He was only just adjusting to being a Big Brother to Holly and no longer the total centre of our universe!!! I could compare the whole time at primary school with running a marathon. Each step involved preparation. Each year involved change in tactics and communication, both for and with Bailey but also his teachers. Each step saw highlights, sometimes frustration and disappointments. Each step involved a support crew.
Part of me is ready to celebrate all that he has been capable of achieving, due in no small way to lots of preparation, planning and goal setting. Part of me recognises that I have to let go just a little bit more, for the next stage of his life to begin at high school. Part of me also recognises that like my children, I don't always cope very well with change, and this has been difficult for me to admit. Although I try to assist them with leaning to be resilient, at times it is just painful to watch their discomfort when circumstances unavoidably change. And now, the finish line is clearly visible. Time to celebrate and be thankful to the teachers across seven years who mentored, inspired, embraced his abilities and challenged him to use them appropriately. And to Lyndell, who was Bailey's best buddy, thank you for looking after my Mr B like he was your own. (Written October 2013). Well, the conversation went like this......
Dad: Bailey it's time to get off the computer. Bailey: Ok I'm almost done I won't be a minute. Dad: No Bailey get off the computer NOW! Bailey: But I haven't finished and this is really important and I just need to finish it and I haven't had enough computer time and I need to save it....... Dad: Get OFF the computer you can't do what you want when you want to and when I have asked you now three times to get off and you need to do it. You are making me SO cross ....... What do you think is the problem here? Bailey: Well basically it's because we are both Alpha males ............. ENOUGH SAID!!! A recent email to Metro Trains...................October 2012. Dear Metro Trains Melbourne, My name is Bailey White and I am a student in Year 5 at St. Anne's Primary School, Seaford under my brilliant teacher, Ms. Belinda Bartolic. I have always loved all forms of transport; aeroplanes, boats and of course, trains. For the past few weeks in class our Writing subject has been Poetry, and because I love trains, I decided to write my onomatopoeic poem called "Train Station" based on a journey to Melbourne Central railway station. My teacher really liked it so she gave me a suggestion to send it to Metro so that you could read it. And I thought that would be a wonderful thing to do. I hope you enjoy it! :) Yours sincerely, Bailey White TRAIN STATION Whoosh! Goes the train as it travels through the City Loop Toot! Toot! Goes its horn as it enters Melbourne Central Chatter! Chatter! Goes the crowd as they cram onto the train Clunk! Clunk! Goes the escalator as we travel to to the concourse Beep! Beep! Goes the ticker barrier as we pass through I love travelling on Melbourne trains! And the kind response from Metro Trains: Mr B was so excited with it that he didn't even notice the dates; normally there would have been outrage at such a mistake! 31 October 2011 (YES !!) Dear Bailey, Thank you for your letter received on 24 October 2011. (??? YES REALLY!!! ???) We find it rewarding to receive letters from customers and appreciate you sharing your onomatopoeic poem with us. We have sent your poem to our staff in our Communications area who will ensure your poem is printed in our next staff newsletter called "Metro Express" so that all Metro staff can read it. We have also enclosed some cardboard cut out trains to say thank you for taking the time to contact us. Yours sincerely EB Customer Relations Coordinator Very nice of them to mention his 'onomatopoeic' poem but I assume they looked up Wikipedia to find out what it was too.... so here you are - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onomatopoeia Another gem from Mr B -
"You know 50 Shades of Grey are like One Direction, lots of people like them but it doesn't mean they are very good". What insight from an 11 year old!!! (First published August 30, 2012) Well yesterday - the first day of winter - Mr Bailey turned a big 11 years old.
I remember my baby boy who was born 5 weeks early - like it has been no time at all. He was so tiny and petite and cute and cuddly when he came out. That was the day I became a Mum. Being premmie, I was discharged after a week and he had to stay in hospital a further 2 weeks so 3 weeks in all. One day I had to get the bus to the hospital, and I watched Year 10 boys off to play footy roughing around and teasing each other, as they do. And I had the overwhelming feeling that my son would never be like that, that he would be a sensitive soul and he wouldn't enjoy that sort of environment. And I feared that he wouldn't fit in. It was one of those light bulb moments. But how little did I know just how true that would be. On his 3rd birthday we had our visit to the paediatrician - for once by myself - and I spent most of the appointment trying to get him to stop playing with the blinds, up and down and up and down and just completely ignoring any instructions I would give (in vain!!). The paed just looked at him and said "Oh by the way he probably has autism, so now we need to start getting him assessed". I had to take him home, take him to where all his friends & family were waiting at the local playcentre for the afternoon and then cater for dinner as well at home after that. All I could say to my hubby was... "No it wasn't what I expected but we will take about it later". In case I completely lost it. Now birthdays are of course for us all to celebrate but sometimes they are bittersweet memories of that day too. Because that was the day I became an Mum dealing with autism. (First published June 2, 2012) Big Brother was on during 2006 and Bailey was obsessed with it. Of course, all those phone numbers, VOTE 1800 XXX XXX FOR CAMILLA he would recite whilst bouncing up and down in front of the telly. He was all of 5 years old and in Prep. Needless to say, his Principal at the time wasn't too impressed with his choice of TV programs .....
Big Brother No. 1: Bailey tries to open the front door. Me: “Bailey where are you going??”.Bailey: “I am going to the Big Brother house to see if Camilla is alright”(she had been crying!). Big Brother No. 2: Bailey: "Where have Dad and Michael (visitor) gone??" Me: "They’ve gone out." Bailey: "Where?" Me (joking): "They’ve gone to the Big Brother House!!" Bailey (very cross): "No, they can’t go to the Big Brother House because if they went in the Big Brother House – they would be intruders!!" Big Brother No. 3: BEING TOLD OFF! Bailey was made to sit in the naughty spot………… after a few minutes..... Bailey: "This is Big Brother". "Annette to the diary room". NO RESPONSE!! Bailey: "This is Big Brother". "David to the diary room". NO RESPONSE!! Finally he gave up and finished with ........."That is all". Clearly - two parents by this time in total hysterics ................ (First published April 10, 2012) Here, at home, we live with a condition called AUTISM.
Many of you who will be reading this blog, also live with autism. You know what it is like, what a good day can be like and what a bad day can be like. But every day is different. Every day in this household my son asks me QUESTIONS and MORE QUESTIONS. Some of these I can answer, some I can't. My reason for starting this blog is simple. I am constantly amazed at the depth of intelligence and wisdom in this child who is 10 years old. I wanted to share his words, for the simple purpose of documenting them. Some days they are hilariously funny. Some days they are mind numbingly irritating and repetitious but still incessantly demanding an answer. Some days they just make me sad........ but they make me ponder the world around me and how my child sees it in his eyes.......... for they are AWE-TISMICALLY SPECIAL DISCUSSIONS! (First published April 8, 2012) Bailey and his dad have been researching new cars purchases for quite some time. Dad finally decided on, and purchased, a Ford Territory, despite all of the effort Mr B made in doing his utmost to convince Dad that really he needed a Mazda CX5 instead. Bailey offers to show our friend TL the interior of the car, turns on the radio and promptly says "Oh excuse the quality of the music; it's AM"!!!!
(First published April 26, 2012) |
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