24/1 Snow and The Sun! A great combination :)

A fabulous week of snow which makes you feel like a kid again.  I discovered an activity yesterday that I can't believe I have not tried yet, jumping on a trampoline with my two boys while it is covered in three inches of snow and 30 sponge balls, and having a snowball fight.  Can't remember when I last giggled so hard.  My friend tells me her dog loves going on the trampoline in the snow, but Lucie looked at us like we had lost our marbles, and was quite happy running round the garden burying her toy bone in the snow while we embarrassed ourselves shamelessly.

So that was snow, but today we also have sun, as Lucie was featured in todays The Sun newspaper, which is also seen online here,  Click Here for Article  I was contacted a couple of weeks ago through my connection as a volunteer for the Scope charity Face-to Face scheme, as I am a befriender who supports other parents with disabled children.  When the journalist heard the words kid and dog, he got diverted and wanted to also know about Lucie.  So the article turned into an assistance dogs article, though delighted Scope got a link, as they have been a great charity supporting our family throughout.  Scope Link

I love the picture they put in.  We had a wonderful photographer, Bernard Ashton who came to our  house and set up a mini studio.  He was so great with the kids.  We are such a nightmare to photograph as between two children with no eye contact, a confused dog, and parents trying to retain calmness and control, it was not exactly your average photo shoot but I was thrilled with the results.  Taking any photos of our family is a challenge.  I hope Bernard won't mind me showing you a couple of the photos, but in exchange, I'll post his link www.ashtonphotographic.co.uk if you are looking for a lovely photographer, great with kids and animals!

So that is another tick in the box of raising awareness of autism and the incredible work that dogs can do to help people.  Just to have a positive news story out there about disability is uplifting, and show our kids in a happy way.  I am so keen to keep sending out the message that while disability is tough, there are great things going on out there, and charities who work hard to make it easier and support you, its just making sure everyone finds out about it, and they keep getting their funding to keep going.  For me getting the message out in the media has been about trying to ensure  other people can have the opportunities we have had.  I would never have heard about Support Dogs had I not been handed an article in Take a Break magazine, so you never know who reads these things, and can be directed in a new way to help them.

I suppose the media stuff can do so much to bring about awareness, but personally I am getting more pleasure from the talks I do on autism.  Whilst it doesn't reach the same numbers, (though I was told recently I have spoken now to around a thousand people, so thats a start!), you get more depth you can share, and more direct feedback.  I think if I had to work out where I want to go next with raising awareness it would be developing the talks.  I'd love to do more in a commercial or professional setting, maybe in workplaces, looking at how ASD people can work really effectively in a commercial environment.  I seem to always be thinking of new ways to avoid doing housework :)   I should really finish my current venture writing my fiction book, which stalled a little over Christmas, before deciding what I can get my teeth into next.  I say book, its more of a long Word Document, as I doubt I will ever let it see the printer, but I highly recommend writing.  Its so relaxing, and my fingers get exercise, so that's almost being active.

Lots of snow forecast tomorrow, I wonder if there are any sledges left in the shops - not for the kids - for me and Lucie ;), that dog is a giddy kipper in the snow, I'm looking forward to the morning walk.....poor sheep, they do look at us strangely...

If you are new to this blog and would like to see some videos of Alex and Lucie meeting, and seeing Alex talking with Lucie, and their days out together, you can follow the You Tube videos below.