September Happenings.

Bibly, Koala and I made the seven hour drive north to attend Lennox Head Catholic Homeschoolers camp. It's the second time we have made the journey to this camp and once again it was worth the effort. The boys enjoyed lots of time at the beach and time spent with old and new friends. We were blessed to have daily Mass in the Traditional rite, rosary, and benediction. Bilby was so tired that by the final night be put himself to bed at 7.10pm and missed the sports day certificate presentation followed by the long awaited bonfire. I couldn't believe it!

While at camp Bilby received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Unfortunately James was not able to be there as he had to stay home to work and care for Roo.



After camp we took the opportunity to take a family holiday on the Gold Coast. James and Roo flew up on the Friday, and we picked them up at the airport. Roo was a little apprehensive about the noise of the flight so his teacher made him a social story about the flight. She even lent us a cute pair of ear muffs. Roo wasn't fazed by the noise, but was unsettled by being so high off the ground, something which we had neglected to talk about!

We stayed in a lovely holiday home right on the river which we explored in a tinney. Bilby was very serious about his navigation of the river!





Roo particularly enjoyed watching the tides, playing in the river and and feeding the little fish from the jetty.





On Sunday we made a pilgrimage to Marian Valley which I have wanted to do for many years. It is such a beautiful place! Below is the final Station of the Cross which is just so beautiful.

We also spent half a day with dear friends who moved to Brisbane just over a year ago. Isn't our Godson just gorgeous!

On our final night we visited James' sister, her husband and their two boys whom we haven't seen for over two years. It was a wonderful way to end our holiday and the boys really enjoyed spending time with their two cousins. Both James and I went away wishing we lived closer.

An Option For All, Not Just An Indulgence For The Many.

It's about time that the wider community began to acknowledge that there are three education options for all students. Public education, independent and catholic, and home education. As the numbers of home educating families continues to grow at a rapid rate, there needs to be a wider understanding of what home education really is, so that families can feel empowered to make the right educational choice for their family. For too long those who work in the field of education have assumed that they know what is best for children who in reality they know little about. This is of even greater importance to families of children with special needs.

Last night I met a mother who has just started to home educate her older children. She has a younger child who has special needs, and she has been warned off home education by therapists and teachers who work with her son. One told her that her son needs to be in school to be socialised and that he needed to learn to sit at a desk. Both are reasonable goals, however neither is exclusively the domain of a school setting! In fact socialisation is often the main factor why many families decide to home educate. Unfortunately I am confident that neither of these professionals knows the first thing about home education, and has probably never met a home educated child, or talked to parents who home educate their child with special needs.

These ignorant, biased people need to stop and consider the messages they send families who consider home educating their children. Home education is a legal and valid educational alternative which therefore needs to be respected. Parents who are considering home educating their child with special needs must be encouraged and supported as they discern what is best for their family. Home educating these children can be difficult which these parents would no doubt be aware of! After all they support then at home and are more aware then anyone else of the challenges and strengths associated with their child.

What a wonderful thing it is for a family to be prepared to commit to the time and energy sacrifices it takes to home educate a child with special needs! Such parents do not need to be viewed as either saints in training nor as simpletons who wouldn't know the first thing about education, but as parents who only want to investigate all the options before them.

My hope is that as more families decide to go down this road less travelled, more so called professionals will become aware that home educating is the best option for some families, and as a result they will encourage those families rather than glibly assume they know what is best.

I feel sorry for those families who have been dissuaded from home education when it might have been the one thing that made a significant difference for their child. What a tragedy.

Another Reason Why I Love Being a Mum.

Every week day I ask Koala 15 multiplications facts. Recently he requested that I not tell him what number we are up to. Today I jokingly said that he wouldn't know if I had tricked him by asking 20 extra questions! I then asked if he trusted me enough to stick with his new system to which he replied, "Of course you're my mum!" His face held an expression of complete trust.
He made my day.

Memory Verses A-Z.

Many years ago I listened to a radio interview with the author of The Most Important Place on Earth. I enjoyed the interview so much that I bought the book, but like many of my books it sat on the shelf largely unread!

The main thing I remember from the interview was a segment in which the author talked about an A-Z scripture list which he had learned as a child. He recounted many instances when these scriptures had helped him as a child and adult, in both serious and lighthearted moments.

I filed it away in my memory with a promise that I would do the same. It's taken me a while, but I have used the scripture list in the book as a template to create my own A-Z list with a more Catholic flavour.

Each child has the list laminated and in their basket where they keep their books, and I also have one one the wall of our dining room. I am really looking forward to committing these verses to memory!


A All of us were like sheep that were lost. Isaiah 53:6

B Be kind to one another. Ephesians 4:32

C Children obey your parents, for this is the right thing to do. Ephesians 6:1

D Do whatever He tells you. John 2:5

E Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17

F "Follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishes of men,." Matthew 4:19

G God is love. 1 John 4:16

H He cares for you.. 1 Peter 5:7

I "I am telling you the truth: if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life." John 53

J Jesus said, " Let the little children come to me." Matthew 19:14

K Kind words are like honey, enjoyable and healthful. Proverbs 16:24

L Love one another as I have loved you. John 13:34

M "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." John 10:27

N Now is the time to come to Jesus. 2 Corinthians 6:2

O Obey God because you are His Children. 1 Peter 1:14

P Pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins. 2 Maccabbes 12:46

Q Quick Lord, answer me, for I have prayed. Psalm 141:1

R Run with perseverance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12 :1.

S So do not worry about tomorrow. Matthew 6:34

T Thank God for Jesus, His gift too wonderful for words.
2 Corinthians 9:15

U Underneath are God’s everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27

V "Very truly, I tell you, on one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit." John 3:5

W We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Hebrews 12:1

X Except a kernel of wheat fall into the ground and die, it remains a single grain. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24

Y You have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. Psalm 63:7

Z "Zacchaeus, you come down: for I am going to your house today." Luke 19:5

Pentecost Cake!

Here is our Pentecost celebration cake which I found here at Catholic Cuisine. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find strawberries to represent the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, but somehow I don't think the children minded as I used lollies instead! Next February I need to remember to buy red hearts (seven gifts of the Holy Spirit) because they are very hard to find in May!

Ever Wondered What Sensory Processing Disorder Means?

Last week I listened to a radio interview where a mum was explaining what autism is. For parents of kids with an ASD we understand the lingo. We know the meaning of words like meltdown, severe expressive language delay, OT, sensory processing and so on.

While I listened to the interview I realised that if you haven't been exposed to autism you would have no clue what sensory issues mean. Whilst the mum who was interviewed did a great job of explaining how autism effected her son, I realised what a long way we have to go before everyone understands how ASD impacts the lives of families and individuals.

This quick video explains what sensory processing is and how people with sensory processing difficulties can work to overcome these challenges.

Plans to Eradicate Autism.

At first glance eradicating autism appears to be a noble and worthwhile cause. Autism can be extremely difficult for individuals and families to deal with. After all, no one thinks "Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder." However, many of the world's most gifted artists and scientists were probably on the autism spectrum. How much poorer would human civilisation have been without many of these people?

With a prenatal test for autism being developed, a world without the beauty of autism is what some would have us aspire to.

I find it difficult to articulate how sickened this makes me feel. Someone is assuming that perhaps our life would have been better if we were able to choose to abort our children with ASD.

What will be next, a test to predetermine a persons propensity towards mental illness so that those people will not have to burden society?

With prenatal tests for Downs Syndrome we have seen the numbers of abortions skyrocket for children with Downs. There is little doubt that when a similar test for ASD becomes available many families will choose to abort because they will be led to assume that having a child with autism is too difficult. Increasingly we as a society are continually looking for the easy way out without questioning what we loose when we take the easy road.

When did we start to believe the lie that only a perfect child is worth having?