Playing Differently

This is my favorite toy. It’s not mine but belongs to my son who has VCFS and learning difficulties. It’s a regular toy that  give’s him enjoyment rather than frustration unlike many other toys that he own’s.  When My son does  play it’s  never in the expected functional age bracket that he is.  His Lego  play consists of it being all separated and he like’s to feel and listen to all the pieces jangling together. He thinks the washing machine is a toy and loves to press himself against it to feel the vibration and movement.

Occasionally you will find him playing with a toy where the intended use of the toy is actually applied. I don’t get too worried about this because he is who he is and I love him. Yes, I’ve experienced grief at times when I notice he’s not like all the other kids but those feelings pass.

Life is colourful with a child who is sensory 🙂

Play and Imagination

This is a craft/play activity that I did with some children at a play group. I gathered sheets, cardboard boxes, paper of all different kinds and masking tape. We made a jungle theme with a volcano. This kind of play evokes a child’s imagination causing them to be engrossed for hours if possible. It does not cost much to facilitate and it shows what can be done with just what is available.

I’m a big fan of just kids having fun, getting messy and using their imagination. I remember my childhood being one full of fun and adventure. I was the kid who could play for hours in the back yard pretending I was the super hero fairy who could fight crime and climb trees. Wherever possible I like to encourage this kind of play in children. The world wants our kids to grow up to quick. I say let’s not be swayed by the pressure and let kids be kids for as long as possible!!!

If only I had the power to change this situation!!!

Yesterday morning as I was doing my regular journaling I sat to ponder for a moment about the gods of consumerism and materialism and really had a moment of despair. I’m a person who had tried to live her life not subject to such a tyrant, yet somehow I feel forced to hand over cash to keep the monster at bay because lets face it I live in this society.

I’m talking about the enormous amount of rent us renter’s now have to pay in order for people to be able to pay of their mortgage’s. I feel that renter’s are picking up the slack for those who have bought into the dream and simply can not pay for. I heard of those who are paying astronomical amounts of rent and yet the owner has to sell because the rent doesn’t cover the cost of the repayment’s.

Trust me I’m not a whinger and yes I understand nothing is free in this world but seriously renting should not be this expensive. The rental market where I live is in crisis mode. In order just to get a place you are competing with 50 odd people and the places are well over priced.

My despair is mostly due to the fact that the extra rent I am paying is going into the hands of either a rich westerner which is the case with us or it’s going to an unpaid consumer debt that I never bought into. I haven’t been able to give my money to a charity that repairs cleft palates in Vietnam. I haven’t been able to just put money away to randomly bless unsuspecting people who really need it. I haven’t been able to give money to missionary’s who are devoted to Jesus in another country. This really bother’s me, the weight of these gods I do not worship want to suck me in its vortex of robbery.

I don’t know how to change this  situation. I chose not to get a loan from a bank to buy an illusion yet here I am paying. The way the rental market is now you’d be better of getting your own home, however who’s going to give a loan to those with a low-income? Something has to change, we wont be able to survive under the weight of this deception and stupidity forever. We all have to live somewhere and really it’s not fair that renter’s and those with low incomes have to pick up the slack.

If only I had the power to change this situation!!!!!!!!

or should I be saying how can I change this situation??????

Drinking from Puddles

When I used to take my son to playgroup and when it rained the asphalt play area made the best puddles ever. So the rain would be teaming down and I’d have a mum say to me “Tamar your son is in the rain” and I’d say “yes I know”. I’d look out and see that he was having the best fun ever.

Okay, I realize that we all must practice water safety and yes a child can drown in a puddle of water, so I strongly encourage supervision!! In one particular case I was comfortably under shelter with a solid view on my sensory loving Son. As I was watching him perform “the fountain” (laying in a puddle and putting some water in your mouth and spitting in out with force) with my hot steaming cup of tea I began to reflect on when I was a child.

I have a memory of playing outside after the rain, I became thirsty so I helped myself to some water from a puddle. It worked as I was no longer thirsty and I continued on with my play. As a child I really don’t remember being sick a lot I just remember having lots of fun, that the world was an adventurous place. Is the world to a child adventurous today?

Have we become an over-anxious society? Are we over protecting and over exposing our kids? People freak out about letting their kid get messy and drink from puddles yet think nothing of exposing them to adult mindsets like weight and food issues or sexy images that advertisers dish out. I don’t mean to sound preachy but I’m pointing out what I see and hope I makes sense.

Let kids be kids and let’s try not to make them grow up to quick. As a generation x-er I survived my childhood and I think I’ve done well in life. I was allowed to be a kid and I grew into adulthood at a very casual rate. I want my Son even with his challenges in life to be a kid for as long as possible and only face adult issues when adulthood comes upon him.

I am a having a relaxing day!!

Today I decided to have a stress free and relaxing day and I’m pleased to say it’s working. I’ve been quite stressed lately due to me putting my hand up to say “yes I’ll do that”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not resenting the whole putting my hand up thing it’s just of late everything seemed to collide together making me into a crazy lady in need of some relaxing activity.

Sorry If that first part seems too wordy and confusing but it’s my day of being calm and relaxed even with my blog. So what have I been doing? Nothing to exciting I put a chook in the slow cooker to make an easy tea time meal. I’ve been reading my book and just walking around the house like I own it baby!!

Am I relaxed? Yes I’m relaxed!!

Tamar!! just write anything….something!!

I’ve missed my weekly blog, I was trying to do the weekly challenge and was going really well except just recently. So what does one to get back into blogging? I suggest to myself that I just start writing. Tamar just start again and there’s no time like the present.

I used to go to a writing group quite a few yrs ago now and I remember there was a discussion about writer’s block. It was suggested to there is no such thing as writer’s block because there are many ways to get the brain ticking and most of all you just need to start.

So that’s why I’m writing this blog, to kick-start my brain again to get back into the discipline of writing something every week. I find this is the same with art, you just need to start. Admittedly I haven’t done a painting in ages but I’ve been busy doing creative things so I don’t mind.

Today I had a wonderful time cafe journaling. It was the first time in ages I was able to do so, as life had gotten a little busy and unfortunately I was avoiding someone at the cafe. I know, that’s a really strange thing to say but the person I was avoiding was really strange too. When I do my cafe journaling I want to be at peace with myself and when I talk to random stranger’s it usually very pleasant.

However on this account of verbal exchanging, it went to an unpleasant place. There was an overbearing nature to the conversation and according to my husband “a bit stalkerish”. My husband wasn’t there but I told him about the interaction and when that person later rang my house my hubby answered and that’s when he got the “stalker” idea in his head!!

So at first I just avoided my usual cafe time, but then a friend of mine explained to me that why should I be the one who has to change. This is my thing and I’ve been doing it for over a year, it’s a thing that replenish’s me and when I’m writing in my journal at a cafe it makes me feel good!

So I have reclaimed my usual cafe morning’s and the person I’ve been avoiding hasn’t been there for ages. I know this because I asked the girls who work there. They all knew who I was talking about, he’s getting quite the reputation. So with that distraction out of the way I’ve returned to something that refuel’s me and gives me joy.

I hope this blog makes sense, it is a bit of a ramble lol