Every day 10 things slap me in the face as potentially interesting things to blog about, but they all come back to the slap in the face from school... and so I shelve them for 'happier times'.
In the meantime, I've read two extraordinary books (frantically ticking mind? me? what gives you that idea??).
Here are my thoughts.
Kim Stagliano's All I Can Handle: I'm no Mother Teresa - A Life Raising Three Daughters with Autism
Funny, smart, enlightening, sickening, inspiring all in one book. She's the human I want to be, never mind the mother, wife, autism advocate... whether you feel like you are fighting the fight beyond your own doorstep or not, Kim speaks to the heart, from the heart, with a fair amount of laugh out loud thrown into the mix. Did I mention she's smart as a whip too? I love this book, and want lots of people to read it too. Because until accepted wisdom (from the coalface) about autism, starts dancing about in popular culture, numb-nuts like many of those who think ASD is a supermarket chain, will just not 'get it'.
Sharon Guest and Stuart Neal's book Jessie Mei Mei
is beautiful and harrowing all in one.They live in my city, they are parents like we are, and they have a child with a disability. Their courage in navigating a bureaucracy that abused and ignored their rights as parents of a gorgeous and chronically disabled daughter is as inspiring as the story they were able to write. There are no happy endings, but a stasis that allows love, integrity and dignity to at least have an airing. This book scared me and charged my soul at the same time.
I also may have read a Lauren Weisberger
and a Cathy Kelly
(oddly, you can get this in bookstores here, even though it's not released until July 2011 on Amazon... FWIW, it's charming, worth the $10 they're asking for it but not earth-shatteringly Irish and charming), but don't hold either of those against me.
2 comments:
Hey, you.
(((hugs)))
Take a deep breath and relax.
There will be a solution.
How about homeschooling, even as a stop-gap measure or for a few years til Billy can cope fulltime in a mainstream setting?
You're already teaching him a shedload yourself, he's just doing the social thing at school, which is overwhelming.
How about doing the social thing with homeschooling families on a smaller scale, quieter settings, etc?
Just an idea, I hope something suitable is sorted out for all of you, particularly Billy, soon xxx
Thanks for those great book reviews.....I've been wondering what to read next!
I'm so sorry that this school crap has taken such a huge toll on you and yours.
Hoping that the new year is going to be magical and everything that you and Billy deserve and more .
X
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