Looking back at our big moments from 2017

The year is drawing to an end!  How has our last year been?  Looking back for us it's been a series of highs and lows, as always.  Here's my monthly top picks of things I'd like to share with you from 2017.

In January we were recovering from David's trip to a sleep clinic at Evelina's Children's Hospital on London's South Bank.  Like many kids with autism, David has difficulty with sleeping and this impacts on the whole family.  If you've ever wondered what a sleep clinic is like, you can read about this trip.

February half term took us out to a London attraction.  So often the kids actions are misunderstood and I end up fretting about it what people may have thought.  Read about our cafe and cake issue and get an insight into what it's like to take our family for a day out.

March saw the release of the Power Rangers Movie! But (surprise surprise) the movie itself is not my highlight from this month.  In fact it was the reaction my eldest autistic son had when I told him that one of the power rangers was autistic.  Read about what he said and try not to shed a tear of joy with us.

April brought the showers and a muddy looking trip to feed the ducks.  On this day, our then three year old daughter showed me about the amazing girl she is becoming when she stepped up to help her brother. Read about her here.

In May, our eldest lad turned nine years old.  He felt grown up - but the truth is as a lad with autism and ADHD, he still needs a lot of help with things.   This incident with a kitchen knife reminded me about how vulnerable he still is.

June brought uncertainty.  We wondered if either our boys were in the right school given their difficulties and challenges.  I had a hard time looking at what the future for David could be.

At the end of July, the schools here finished and the kids were about all the time.   This year for one of the first times, the kids have actually been able to play together.  This is lovely to see though it can take a bit of monitoring or invention.

August was the holidays. We realised that just because we do the beach differently doesn't mean it's not good.  Read about what's I think it might be like for our David at the beach.

In September, Jane started school - yay! She gets on well with everyone and loves going into class every day.  But an incident in the playground reminded me that not everyone feels comfortable with our autistic boys, and I wanted them to know that they didn't need to be afraid of our family.

October saw a minor change in David's school routine wreck havoc on the school run for nearly two weeks.  If you are unsure about the importance of routine for a child with autism - simply read this post.

At the end of November, it got cold.  But I was thinking of warmer places.  In the pre-Christmas rush I thought a bit about my hubby and I.  Remembering about us and who we are is important for us and our family.  Loose ourselves and life becomes harder.

December was a very hard month to choose a post for.  So I'm cheating and highlighting two.  I beamed with pride at Jane's reason's for choosing to be a 'King' in her nativity play, even though many classmates pointed out the 'kings are boys'.  But I can't end the year without also highlighting taking our family to a Santa's Grotto.  This kind of activity is often fraught with hazards for a family with autistic kids but this year a great venue made it possible for us.

I wonder what I’ll be picking out in a years’ time?  What would you highlight from your year?