Yesterday I attended my first AFL footy game in 25 years.
My brother wanted to take Tom, because their 2 sides were versing each other.
Stuart is not feeling comfortable supervising Tom's diabetes yet, so I went too.
In the morning my energy levels were not the best.
On Fridays I teach from 8am-5pm and I really feel the affects of it on a Saturday.
(There is also that quitting smoking thing that I am doing very well at).
Anyway......as we left Scott was offering to replace me....."I will be fine" I said (trying to convince myself).
The train ride was actually quite exciting.
Because we had boarded at the very first station, we had seats.
Each station more and more footy supporters climbed aboad.
It became a game to see who was baracking for the Richmond Tigers and who was supporting the underdogs... Tom's team, the Melbourne Demons.
To give you some background information, Scott was recieved a lot of criticism for convincing Tom to barrack for HIS team.
My family are massive football fans, Scott not so much.
Anyway, Tom started becoming interested in footy at 3 years of age.
The Melbourne Demons have played badly for the past 4 years.......like REALLY bad.
Tom has collected every bit of merchandise possible of buying.
He reads and records the "stats".
He has memorised not only his own team members (and their numbers) but also many other teams.
We have seen him cry about them constantly losing.
We have seen him scream and shout and cry "happy tears" over the annual "win".
(annual actually means they only win a game once a year).
In 2014 they have a new coach, who has very quickly changed them into real contenders at each game.
They have started winning!
So as I travel with one supporter of each team playing, I know someone is going to come home sad.
I just hope it is not Tom (sorry Stuart).
There were 56,000 people at the game.
Everywhere you looked there was something exciting happening.
We were surrounded by Tiger supporters with the occasional Demon.
Tom and I did not care.
We were loud and proud!!
When police officers arrived surveying the area, Stuart said they were there to take me away for cheering and clapping.
Just cause YOUR team is losing !!! ........ (I thought to myself).
The atmosphere was amazing to sit amongst.
The roar is indescribable.
The abuse is hilarious (Tom and I could only laugh at the F word -and many others- flying around).
Tom was commentating some stats about players to me (I needed to ask what a screamer was) and I loved cheering any success of OUR players with him (yes. I may have converted).
Richmond Tiger Supporters became more abusive and WE began cheering loudly.
After sitting there for over 2 hours, I realised Tom's team was probably going to win.
Tom had NEVER witnessed them winning, only on TV.
He has been to a game lots and they have never won.
So I decided to film his elation, for Scott, while I cried happy tears.
Unfortunately, I am unable to load that movie to this blog......
So here are two photo's.....
We now realise that when Tom is excited, his diabetes level goes VERY HIGH.
On the train, we took a reading and he was 26 !!!!
(Non diabetics are between 4-8).
Great day with my little man.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today Amelia and I had a massive job to do.
Some of you may know that Amelia had a new bed delivered recently.
It is a hospital bed.
It is more suitable for her .... and for us.
I thought it's arrival was difficult to cope with.
We now need a more "appropriate" bed, BUT an actual hospital bed???
But, as always, Amelia thinks it is the latest toy/new gadget that only she can have.
Tom is begging for us to get him one.
Any visitor to our home is taken to her bedroom and subjected to approx 1 hour of riding up, down and all around.
Bedtime here means waiting for Amelia and Tom to stop "riding" and actually return to own bedroom and sleep.
(Scott and I are now magnificent at hiding our REAL emotions).
Upon the arrival of NEW bed, old bed needed taking out.
NEW bed has motor crap underneath and cannot fit the 10 years of art work, communication books with teachers, school books, photo's and anything else I have HOARDED of this child's life.
Shit.
We have been staring at it for a while now (3 weeks).
If anyone comes over, the discussion always is, "How can THAT much fit under one single bed???".
Good if you are stuck for a conversation topic.
Good if kids come and want to search through it for play toys.
But NO.
It needed sorting.
Amelia and I sat down today.
I was prepared.
Well I thought I was.
Prepared for pictures and photo's of the past.
We looked at writing that showed so much extra strength.
"Colouring In" that looked like it would have taken "all" of Amelia's energy.
Letters and pictures from teachers, friends and family.
But the part I was not prepared for?
The part that made me say "We will finish this next weekend?"........
The letters with teachers that I kept....
The letters with specialists I kept......
The letters BEFORE the A-T diagnosis.....
The letters when she supposedly had "Cerebral Palsy".
They are loooooong.
They describe so much.
The strengths, the weaknesses..........the SHE IS GETTING BETTER.
The "she is amazing and pushes through it all".
The "she has made such an impression on me. She is so defiant, strong, persistent and defiant".
The calling out to her friends "you can do it. Just do this......".
The "I will never forget this amazing child".
We had no bloody idea then.
How much these comments would make sense and mean further down the track......\
It was actually getting so much worse.
The photo's of Amelia STANDING with her friends........
(friends we now see doing SO much)
The photo's of her DANCING in a concert......
The PHOTO of feet jumping happily in mud.....
The look of HAPPINESS at hugging her 2 best friends.....
The SMILE of a LIFETIME in front of her...........
I was not prepared for today........
__________________________________________
2014 has introduced me to people, that complain about a mug being left in a sink.
They have no idea.
And seriously, sometimes, I think only Scott knows.
Actually unless you live with it....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally....
Something that has never really affected, concerned or meant anything to me....
The FEDERAL BUDGET.
I have always been able to change, move, adjust and create..... and think "jack shit" about it.
There was a time where I had no idea "when and how much"" I was being paid!
Not this time.
Tony Abott wants to change the carers allowance, payment and disability pension.
I understand that so many SCAM under this heading........
but then there are people like us.
People trying to survive, looking after their own children (not ask strangers).
He also wants to reduce Kindergarten hours per week.
This will affect my hours and pay.
We now have NO IDEA what 2015 will bring ......... and it is scary.
But as always we search for the positive.
My gorgeous son bought me this at The Mothers Day stall at school....
"I chose this cause I thought of you. You like HAPPY things like this. Happy Mothers Day Mum".
My Family WILL have the BEST life.
It does not need to be materialistic.
But it would be nice to not have the financial stress........... to have our house and eat.
I will spend my life making it happen.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for approaching me at various events around town.
It may "throw me" ,(I am human), but it also makes me realise this blog affects more than just ME :)
xxx
