Thursday 29 December 2011

Looking back on 2011.

I know many are sick to death of 2011, but I can look back fondly, it has been a good year for my little family in the most part.
 Rye, Rye turning 4 on the 1st January 2011.
 Wonderful friends rallying around to ensure Rye had the birthday tea he wanted - complete with a snowman cake (hidden under the gold paper)
 His drawings becoming more detailed.
 Better definition of colour.
 The joy of flowers.
 Fun, games and dress up.

 Beautiful geometric patterns
 Lots of celebration fires, this year.
 Lots of crafting.
 Enjoying lazy days playing in the sun.
 Enjoying the Coastal Park.
 Home made playdough

 Days at the beach.
 Days out with friends.
 Marvellous sand play
 More park play
 Celebrating festivals with friends.
And with the sweet there's always the sour.  The pain and grief of a lost brother.
 Safari Trips at a local zoo.
 Constant improvements with drawing and writing.
 Learning to read
 Gaining more and more confidence in physcial abilities.
 Exploring new places with friends (GP mama meet)
 Lovely days out with likeminded folk.
 Learning to ride a bicycle.
 Only took about five/ten minutes to get the hang of it.
 A birthday gift to myself, and bikes rides with Rye.
 More celebrating of festivals.
 The wonder of water fountains.
 Many more beach days.
 Learning to write.
 Our first camping trip.
 And pagan festival.  
Renewing old friendships and making new ones.
 And no year would be complete without puddle jumping.
 Making new friends, and the home ed group growing from strength to strength.
 Evening romps in fountains.
 Forest walks (and getting a little lost)

 Home Ed trips to castles

 Fabulous toadstool paintings.
 Crazy dress up.
And Forest School, this has been excellent.
 Duplo makes an appearance..
 Halloween.
 Hot chocolate and marshmellows.
 Learning new skills.
 Our home ed group now hires a youth centre once a month.  Such a fabulous space.
 Winter crafting in prep for Yule 2011.
 Trips out to feed ducks and collect pinecones for more winter crafting and activities to lead up to Yule.
 Trips to museums and astonishing finds.
 This sparked a huge scaletrix love affair!
 Yule chocolate cookies.
The first house I think I've ever seen Rye draw.
And Yule itself.
Then illness struck.
And so this year Christmas was celebrated at home, with the wonderful help of amazing and generous friends, who donated gifts to Santa for Rye, and welcomed us into their home to enjoy lots of lovely christmas food and family fun.

There has also been tears over Rye's quirks being more than quirks and then coming back to acceptance that regardless of any official diagnosis, these traits are still Rye's quirks; and they are a part of what makes the whole of Rye so utterly delightful and scrumptious.
He'll never stop being my gorgeously little baby.

3 comments:

Valerie said...

Aww, of course he wont. I feel the same about my daughter who is now 20. We never really got a diagnosis with Aimee so she was labeled with 'learning difficulties' and 'acute anxiety'. In the end it makes no difference because 'they' will never know her like we do. Good to hear you have had a averagely good year. In some respects its hard to condemn a whole year when you spend your days with your children, its such a wonderful thing to be doing and even the stinking orrible bad days have some good bits. Happy New Year when it comes.
V
xxx

Unknown said...

What a wonderful post. I've been reading your blog for over a year and it's so good to see your p
photos of Rye. He looks so young in the January 2011 photos. I hope 2012 is kind to you both and that you are happy. Please don't stop blogging!!!! xxxx Fay

Sandra Ann said...

What a wonderful and fun filled year for you both and that picture at the end is sweetness itself!!

must admit I'm sick of 2011 and not entirely hopeful for 2012... ah well, best foot forward and all!

Love to you both and a birthday shout for Rye for tomorrow.

san xx