My Muse!

It's hard to photograph Nick. He doesn't dislike the camera, however, his movements are so rapid that it is difficult to capture him when he looks at the camera. I have loads of 'eye roll' shots to share, but in all honesty it's not a great look! :)

The easiest thing to do is to give him the iPad and just go with the flow.

The second photograph makes me smile. I have this little trick of closing my eyes if Nick gets stuck in a loop of asking me the same old question again and again. He understands that I do not want to engage in his repetitive pattern. I love that he tried out my trick on me.

First attempt at self portrait in low light conditions.

Capturing Nick

Hi there

Just in case you haven't noticed, I have had a wee break from blogging. It's been great!

Nick is fine. I am fine. We are just cruising along, living life in the slow lane with the occasional adventure thrown in for good measure.

I am still practicing my photography. Check out my Instagram if you are interested. I generally post one image a day. You can find me here.

I have been finding it difficult to photograph Nick. He goes into *serious mode* when I pull out my camera! He is also constantly in motion. He blinks frequently and also uses his teeth to make mouth movements. It's quite a challenge to capture him with his eyes open and his mouth/teeth looking natural. :)

Anyhow, I have decided to practice my 'Nick' photography while he is using his iPad. He is conscious of me being in his space, yet he is very relaxed and expressive. Perfect for the both of us.

Watch this space!

April ~ Day Twenty One

It's Friday. You know what that means, right?

Friday is a day to chill. It's a day to do whatever we feel like!

Today, I made arrangements for Nick for be looked after.... so that I could go out for lunch with some friends. I also treated myself to some tulips. Nick was happy. I was happy. Win win.

It is always possible to make a plan, if you really want to!

April ~ Day Eleven

Our day hasn't gone as planned, but hey ho, it's not a problem. No RDI engagement to write about, so am sharing some photos of Nick instead. No, he doesn't live on his iPad..... he is just a lot easier to photograph when he is distracted! :-)

It is all about the balance. Right?

Up Close and Personal

I am doing a short photography course. It is very interesting and a real challenge. 

We are learning about Lightroom (online photography editing program) and lots of other fascinating stuff. Sadly, I broke my camera lens while doing one of the homework assignments.... but hey, such is life. Gulp.

Our lecturer has asked us to choose a personal project for the duration of the course. After much thought, I eventually decided to focus on Nick. He is extremely difficult to capture, therefore this project will give me the opportunity to really practice using my camera, working with light etc etc. Way harder than taking photographs of flowers! 

Let's hope he enjoys his 'male model' role as much as I enjoy my role as photographer!

Happy New Year!

Hello there

Firstly, thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate that you have taken the time look at my blog. If you have been following for a while, you will know that I write about my lovely Nick. He is on the more severe end of the Autism Spectrum. I find it cathartic to write about our experiences ~ blogging is cheap therapy and all that! 

We have been on this a journey for over sixteen years, and in all honesty, it has been quite a bumpy road. Such is life, hey? Anyhow, we have all lived to tell the tale and life is now cruising along quite nicely (80% of the time!).

For the last few weeks I have been having an internal debate on the merits of continuing with this blog. Is it right to continue sharing our story now that Nick is 6 feet tall, hairy and has a gruff voice? Is anyone actually interested in reading about autistic teenagers? Do people feel comfortable reading about an intellectually disabled young man who will never live independently? The list goes on....

The last couple of years have also brought about a change in myself. I am no longer focused 100% on autism and because of that I have some extra free time. That time is being put to good use and I have also taken up photography as a hobby. Having something that is exclusively for me has been a game changer. I find photography extremely challenging, however, it is really exciting to be experimenting with something new. 

Anyhow, I have decided to keep on waffling for an indefinite period, although you may find there are less *autism* posts and more pretty pictures! For the sake of privacy, I will not be sharing any more video footage of Nick. Should you be interested in watching clips of RDI in action, check out Zoe's blog where she engages with an adorable little girl called Lucy. 

Bye for now. x

Confession time

Dear Readers

I have a wee confession to make!

A few months back I started to feel overwhelmed with all that was going on in my life. 2015 was turning out to be a hectically busy year and something had to give. I made the decision to give myself and Nick a break from Relationship Development Intervention. I am a veteran RDI parent, therefore felt comfortable that we would continue to live the lifestyle. However, the break meant no more planned engagements, no videoing and no reflecting on each engagement (as well as a bunch of other stuff). This freed up a large chunk of time for me.

The break has been healthy. We got to spend time with family, explore new places and take Nick on a huge adventure. I got to practice my photography and read a few books. It was lovely. Nick cruised along quite happily. He fitted in with what we were doing and seemed to enjoy going out and about.

Due to lack of attention on my part, Nick has become accustomed to spending too much time on his iPad. Mother guilt kicks in occasionally over this issue and I have to keep reminding myself that we are on a break and I am not Super Mum. So there! :)

Life has now slowed back down to a regular pace and we have school holidays on the horizon. I am itching to get back into the RDI program and start planning some good stuff to do with Nick. The last few months have been fabulous but it's time to refocus on my boy and our way forward.

The images below are to remind me that life is all about having a healthy balance. Nick needs my input, however, in order for me to remain in a good frame of mind, I also need to pay attention to other relationships and have my own interests. It is all a matter of putting it into practice, which is easier said than done!

Good luck finding your balance.


Di x

Project 365 ~ The End

Day 357 ~ 365

~*~


The reason why I have a ball with my rose petals!

Project 365 ~ family time

Day 329 ~ 356