The Joy family
The way that I work
Or maybe I should say, the work that I do... Actually, the way that I work at the moment - website administration, graphic design, editing, etc - is on the couch with my laptop on my rug-covered knee. That isn't normally the case, when I am using my graphics tablet I need more stable space, and I move to the desk when I need to be really productive and the kids are up... I work in the afternoon (Cedar is usually asleep) if I can, and after the kids are in bed. Today I finished adding photos of Outback Pride herbs (Tanami Fire, above) to the food service section of their website ...
Last week I designed this logo for my gorgeous sister Kelly, of Polkadot Lane, and our friend (also gorgeous!) Kate of Sew Chirpy, for a collaboration they are planning. Love this colour combo!
I managed to pick up a whole pile of canvases in a sale, and they are now piled up by the dvd cupboard in the foyer. I should find a better spot! I will, I promise. In the meantime, they remind me to schedule in "mixed media" time in the next couple of weeks...
And here (below) are some final favourites from last month's family session in the Alfred Nicholas Gardens, I have another session there tomorrow morning. Autumn leaves and children, what fun!
Leaves and hair
My man and my baby sitting on the edge of the fish pond at Nan & Pop's place (in country South Australia). We had a busy 9 days away, with the kids and I driving over to Grandma and Grandad's (my folks) place in the Adelaide Hills last Monday, Ben flying over on Good Friday (when we crashed at my cousin's place near Semaphore and had a rather epic night of craziness), family time on Sunday, driving to Nan & Pop's on Monday and driving home on Tuesday. Now I have a sore throat and a cold and am trying to rest up, but we all know that isn't really happening, LOL.
Today saw three haircuts in these parts - Cedar, Sienna and Me. A sweet young hairdresser, fairly new to a local salon, did a fab job on all of us and understood exactly what I was saying every time! Love it! I've always found it hard to settle on a hairdresser who listens, understands and provides hair-cutting goodness without being patronising or misunderstanding. I might just have settled on a hairdresser for the next little while... yay! Are you a regular kind of person, or a try-out-a-different-and-preferably-cheap-hairdressed-every-time, like I used to be?
Cedar's new clothes
Cedar has had a couple of lovely new things to wear and model this last week... here he is in his new hoodie made by my talented sister Kelly of Polkadot Lane! This very quick photo session took place across the road from my mum and dad's house, on the railway line we grew up near. Right near here is an oak tree I used to sit in and read.
These last two show Cedar in his lovely new eskimo jacket from Little Tree Kids, made by sweet Wendy... she took it in a little at my request, I love seeing things snug on my slim kids - so cute!
Cover girl (or not, LOL)
The article 'Raising Autism - Just Keep Swimming' in the new issue of Maeve, that one's mine. I'm actually really honoured to be in Maeve again, I had written 'Me and My Bestie' and contributed music recommendations to the last issue. Funnily enough, when Louise originally responded to my offer to contribute, she had suggested an article about Autism for their first person feature, but I didn't really know what I wanted to write about that yet...
However, after mulling it over I guess I had a little expressive summary ready to write. Now I'm not so sure, but it's out there anyway :) As I say in the article, I don't like whinging, I just don't like dwelling on negative things, or on the negative aspects of things. I'm quite practical, in that sense. I like planning and researching and doing something about things I don't like. Defeatism frustrates me no end.
On the other hand, depression is different. The feelings then aren't about pessimism, or being a victim or anything, the experience of depression is both despite and apart from the things in your life. Not 1 + 1 = 2, but rather 1 + 1 will equal whatever the hell it likes, regardless of the logic. This is just a kind of disclaimer paragraph I feel like I might seem really judgmental from the last paragraph. The truth is, I apply my approach more to myself than anyone.
Back to Autism, I had forgotten that I'd left in the bit about my husband going through the diagnostic process (when I started writing, I put in everything, and then edited). He didn't have any specific issues that we were concerned about, but after reading about Aspergers (Sienna has Aspergers, Ash has autistic disorder - or, high-functioning autism) there were some parts that were so similar to Ben it made us laugh. Especially the parts about how they commonly react in the workplace, and the great divide between what they're passionate about and... well... everything else! But then, other parts - like hyper sensitivity - didn't match at all.
So, he chose to get assessed, not to get a diagnosis but just to know himself better. The result was pretty much what he expected: he doesn't have autism as a functional disability (according to the DSM-IV), but the clinical psychologist felt that he otherwise fits the diagnosis of Aspergers. It was all positive. She added how well Ben uses his strengths and intelligence to make up for some of the social awkwardness common to folks on the spectrum.
Anyway, anyway, the kids. Cedar is being assessed later in the year, though he has some pervasive developmental delay concerns that his paediatrician has noted, he is a conflicting presentation. In other words, he can seem totally happy, fine and normal, and he can also seem delayed, overwhelmed, emotional, fixated. Which is what all of the kids were like, I think, in hindsight. Quirky but okay. Which is what they still are, essentially!
Cedar's also being treated for aneamia, which resulted from drinking too much milk (his food was fine) and most likely began to be a problem in hospital when milk was all we could get into him for a week or so. Excessive calcium inhibits iron absorption, or something like that. So he's having his iron stuff and should be fine in a couple of months. Not that I've noticed any lack of energy on his part, that's for sure!
We're in Adelaide this week, the kids and I, and Ben is flying over on Friday. Family time and catching up with friends, the kids enjoying playing with their cousin here in Mount Barker. Did I mention I love my car? I really notice on long drives. I fill up with fuel at home (Dandenong Ranges, east of Melbourne) and drive to Adelaide with petrol to spare. LOVE IT!
However, after mulling it over I guess I had a little expressive summary ready to write. Now I'm not so sure, but it's out there anyway :) As I say in the article, I don't like whinging, I just don't like dwelling on negative things, or on the negative aspects of things. I'm quite practical, in that sense. I like planning and researching and doing something about things I don't like. Defeatism frustrates me no end.
On the other hand, depression is different. The feelings then aren't about pessimism, or being a victim or anything, the experience of depression is both despite and apart from the things in your life. Not 1 + 1 = 2, but rather 1 + 1 will equal whatever the hell it likes, regardless of the logic. This is just a kind of disclaimer paragraph I feel like I might seem really judgmental from the last paragraph. The truth is, I apply my approach more to myself than anyone.
Back to Autism, I had forgotten that I'd left in the bit about my husband going through the diagnostic process (when I started writing, I put in everything, and then edited). He didn't have any specific issues that we were concerned about, but after reading about Aspergers (Sienna has Aspergers, Ash has autistic disorder - or, high-functioning autism) there were some parts that were so similar to Ben it made us laugh. Especially the parts about how they commonly react in the workplace, and the great divide between what they're passionate about and... well... everything else! But then, other parts - like hyper sensitivity - didn't match at all.
So, he chose to get assessed, not to get a diagnosis but just to know himself better. The result was pretty much what he expected: he doesn't have autism as a functional disability (according to the DSM-IV), but the clinical psychologist felt that he otherwise fits the diagnosis of Aspergers. It was all positive. She added how well Ben uses his strengths and intelligence to make up for some of the social awkwardness common to folks on the spectrum.
Anyway, anyway, the kids. Cedar is being assessed later in the year, though he has some pervasive developmental delay concerns that his paediatrician has noted, he is a conflicting presentation. In other words, he can seem totally happy, fine and normal, and he can also seem delayed, overwhelmed, emotional, fixated. Which is what all of the kids were like, I think, in hindsight. Quirky but okay. Which is what they still are, essentially!
Cedar's also being treated for aneamia, which resulted from drinking too much milk (his food was fine) and most likely began to be a problem in hospital when milk was all we could get into him for a week or so. Excessive calcium inhibits iron absorption, or something like that. So he's having his iron stuff and should be fine in a couple of months. Not that I've noticed any lack of energy on his part, that's for sure!
We're in Adelaide this week, the kids and I, and Ben is flying over on Friday. Family time and catching up with friends, the kids enjoying playing with their cousin here in Mount Barker. Did I mention I love my car? I really notice on long drives. I fill up with fuel at home (Dandenong Ranges, east of Melbourne) and drive to Adelaide with petrol to spare. LOVE IT!
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