Autism Awareness Month Day 21

Payday and day off Thursday yay! This is a day when I have time off work to do whatever I choose. I had gym and shopping on the agenda followed by watching Nae-Nae at her netball match.
After the school run I got to the gym just in time for body combat. I tell you this was made for me. All those years of pretending to be the karate kid could be put to use with dance music. The instructor took it to town today and at one point I thought I was at the carnival jumping up to the soca music. It was so much fun.
I live a crazy packed life as you may read so having this in my life for me is so important. It not only helps my body stay in shape it helps to sort out my mind too. This class is particularly good for releasing stress. You can punch and kick it out of you. This is one thing that is all about me as MrsJK not me as a wife or me as a parent or someone delivering services for other people. The class I go to seems to only have women attend but the one on Saturday has men too. It’s good for everyone.
After the gym it was time for some retail therapy. I travelled to a town not far from me to go to particular shops that we do not have in my town. I had to get things for JJ and Nae-Nae as they are growing out of their clothes like you wouldn’t believe at the moment. Nae-Nae has a residential trip in a few weeks so I needed to ensure that her wardrobe was equipped for that. I bought nightwear, underwear, clothes and shoes. I could hear my bank account screaming “Help!” He was only filled up this morning and within hours he was being emptied out again. Poor thing. I was good though I only bought things we needed and that included another gym outfit that was in the sale. I plan to go to the gym a bit more after next week as I will have more time to so washing and wearing will do MrJK’s head in so to save having the discussion I picked up a reasonable outfit.
On the way home I received a message and a call from someone I haven’t spoken to for at least a couple of years but this person was helping me with one of my incomplete projects. I have a few of them and time and life circumstances haven’t allowed me to complete them, but as there are some I really know I have finished I have already planned to work on them in the coming months. So to get this call was a reminder that yes I must do this. Isn’t God great? He always sends the workers to help me too. This person made a call which I probably would not have made instantly and then I had to make a follow up call as this other person needed to speak to me and I made that call without hesitation, which is rare for me. You may not believe this but I sometimes have to build myself up to make particular phone calls. I would coach myself up for it for ages or talk myself into believing the call can wait because I’m not ready to make it… I don’t do phone calls with people I don’t know as easy as I do with people I know. However, it’s strange but I can make calls for other people in these instances very easily but might not do it for myself as easily. I think that’s another one of the ASD traits I have.
I made the call straight away and articulated myself really well in my view. This was a great step forward and I’m really open to see what could potentially happen next. I’ll let you know more about what I’m talking about when the time is right.
I came home for a quick bite to eat, showed MrJK my purchases to see if he approved and he did. He usually buys the nightwear and underwear for the children and there’s only ever a certain quality in his mind that will do, so I went to the shop he would have gone to for those items and he looked pleased lol. I do listen and learn from him too. Well he does all the washing so he knows what items wash well and maintain their quality and shape and which things don’t.
I picked JJ up from school and went to Nae-Nae’s school for the match. Nae-Nae playing competitively is a massive thing! A few years ago she really wouldn’t do it and I was really surprised when she asked to join the netball club. They had a match against another school so I was one of the parents on the sideline that you would think is the assistant coach lol. I am like Mrs Motivator. I help Nae-Nae keep focused and remind her of particular strategies to defend the net as she plays in the goal keeper position. I told her to stick like glue to her opponent just don’t touch her. JJ got up and quickly gave her a demo of what I meant as a reminder. He is my right hand man. I was going to drop him home but he wanted to come and watch his little sister’s match.
In the first half it was going really well for the team but there were girls who hadn’t played the matches before or in the positions they were playing as there were children still on holiday that they were covering for. They were playing really hard bless them and our team had possession of the ball more but the other team were connecting with the net a bit more. Nae-Nae was getting a bit frustrated and really trying to block the ball but losing it because she was focusing on the score which she doesn’t normally do. I kept encouraging her and reminding her where she should be but I think at one point she was just so overwhelmed she just started to cry and ran over to me for comfort. She had tripped over a few times and tried to be brave but it all came out at once.
I encouraged her and reminded her that this is massive her even being on the court at all. She had prevented several shots so the other team would have been winning by more so she should be proud of herself. I felt so bad for her as she was getting in a real panic and everyone was watching and one nice man from the other school who I think was a teacher came over and gave her a tissue. She wiped her eyes and went back on.
Once she had composed herself she was back on form blocking and I was praising her from the sidelines for every move she made. I saw a smile again. JJ got up and started doing the same which made her very happy. They didn’t win the match and she cried at the end which she has never done since playing competitively so I think it was just a bit too much today. Yesterday was a difficult day for her too so I think it was just a build up that she needed to release. A teacher hugged her and they walked into together arm in arm so I knew she would be ok.
These are the days when we’re reminded that it takes a lot to be where they are today and some days it’s just too much and this is what happens and it’s fine. It still breaks my heart though as I don’t like seeing her so upset. The people watching her or us doesn’t bother me anymore because I think if they knew what it takes for her to get through everyday in a world that doesn’t completely get it, they would be crying too.
Nae-Nae is always the last to come out as she has to get fully dressed again. She will put tights on, change the footwear everything while other children just go home in whatever they were wearing and bring it back the next day. Oh no she can’t take her pe kit home midweek, it’s just not done in her mind. PE kit only comes home on a Friday every week to be washed or the end of term if it falls on a different day.
JJ was watching everyone come out and I could see him wondering what was happening. Like usual once all the other children are out the teacher invites me in to help hurry Nae-Nae up so I told JJ to come too. He looked nervous but I told him this is what I do every week and not to worry as there isn’t anyone else getting dressed and by now Nae-Nae will have most of her clothes on. He reluctantly followed behind.
Nae-Nae had completely calmed down so whatever the teacher said or did, it worked. Those teachers are wonderful with Nae-Nae though. We finally got out of there and the caretaker was locking the gate. He said to Nae-Nae “I’ll see you tomorrow at 8.20am.” Like I’ve said before she’s his assistant gatekeeper. I don’t think there’s anyone in that school that doesn’t know Nae-Nae by name or face lol. However, she wouldn’t have it any other way. She will be the child you never forget!
We came home had dinner and then chilled for the evening. Nae-Nae didn’t ask to play any games with either parent tonight. I think she was exhausted bless her. I used that time to have a chat with her about the game but I also thought of a way to help her for tomorrow’s game. I got my laminated white sheet and board pens and drew different game plays. I asked Nae-Nae to draw herself on the board in the place she should be at that particular time. She drew herself near to the goal scorer but she left a gap. I asked her what would happen if the ball was thrown at that moment, where would it go. She acknowledged that the gap in between her and the goal scorer would mean there is a chance the ball could go over her head. She rubbed out herself from the picture and drew herself closer to the goal scorer with very little gap.
We continued doing this for different game plays and I decided to leave what we had on the sheet. There’s another match after school tomorrow and I can get to some of it after work so I thought I’d take the board with me and instead of talking I will just show her the pictures from the sideline. Let anyone tell me I can’t do that lol! Yeah right, I’d love to see that!
An end to another day. It’s almost the weekend again! It’s almost the end of the month too. What will I do everyday when April is over and I don’t blog everyday? Hmmm, I know I will work on all the other things in life lol.

Peace and Love

MrsJK