Off to the zoo

Spring is nearly here and the weather is finally getting warmer. Although not beach weather yet, it was the perfect day for the zoo. So we all piled into the car and headed off to Sydney's Taronga Zoo. I love it this time of year. Less crowds, no queues or packed out shows. The children can also get up closer to the animals without having to crane their necks for a glimpse.
Nursing coffees, Mr FM and I wandered around whilst Master R held the map and explained where to go. On the way he gave us a running commentary with astounding facts. I am sure he will become the next David Attenborough! One of the quirks of Autism is the amazing retention of facts. I now know everything there is to know about Kookaburras.

 

Follow the man with the map!

 

One of my favourites is the Giraffe enclosure. Simply because they look absolutely stunning with the City, Opera House and Harbour Bridge in the background. Imagine having that million dollar view everyday.

 

Giraffe feeding time

 

Elephant Enclosure with the three baby elephants.

 

 

Then it was off to see the free Birds of Flight show. Every time we've been to Taronga we've missed this show because it reached audience capacity or we forgot. It is very popular and now I know why.

 

This time we got there early and sipped coffee whilst enjoying the afternoon view.

I love watching the boats and ferries rushing around the harbour. It is certainly a view I never get sick of.

Now I will confess at being a hopeless Blogger. I forgot to take photos during the actual show as I was too blown away (so that is why I've used some photos from Taronga Zoo's website). It was amazing! Watching trained birds swoop overhead and across the audience was breathtaking. Feeling the swoosh of air as an eagle, black cockatoo or owl flies across is something new. Miss E and Master R like all the children in the audience were beyond excited. Actually from the gasps and claps I think the parents were just as much in awe.

At the end of the show, "Newman" the Galah collects money and drops it into a donation box for conservation. It is very clever and very much deserved. If you go to Taronga then see this show. You won't regret it.

The Olympic Hangover Begins...

For the last two weeks we’ve used this as our mantra…

 

Yes it can be very exciting watching the Olympic Games. But after two weeks of non-stop TV viewing excitement we are absolutely exhausted. Being “down under” means we are watching it from a whole other time zone. So watching the Olympic Games means setting DVD recorders to tape events or setting an alarm clock to get up at an insane hour.

We actually do this every Olympics when they are in a different hemisphere. (Which is most of them unfortunately). Just like having Christmas in summer, it is just one of those things that you become accustomed to as an Australian. The only problem is now that I’m getting older I find that I don’t bounce back the next day as quick.

Walking down the street you can spot the zombies (sorry, “Sports Tragics”), all nursing a very strong coffee and sporting glazed eyes. With a nod of recognition we pass each other. It seems quite a few people are in a daze.

 

Our children have been own playing sports and recreating gold medal moments of their own. I’ve never seen my daughter practice her basketball shooting so much. My little man is running around the garden in circles cheering himself on. I don’t have the heart to tell him that you have to run in straight lines. If there was a gold medal for running in circles and chasing the Labrador, he’d win hands down. I am just happy they are outside being active. It is great to see them inspired.

 

 

Workers begin the Olympic Clean-up – (Reuters)

 

So now it is all over and I remember how it felt in Sydney 2000 after our Olympics ended. There was a bit of sadness and it took a while for everyone to get back into the swing of things. Coming down from such a high and returning to normality is hard. So now the clean-up begins and I know how they feel as I’ve neglected the house, the washing, the garden and running errands. Driving past other gardens, I see I’m not alone.

This morning my husband said that on a postive note the local Pizza place did a roaring trade on take-aways. And that the Soccer World Cup (“Football” in other parts) is only two years away.  Bring it on…

 

 

A Return To Blogging

After a very long hiatus from blogging I decided to return. Start afresh so to speak. Partly to share my experiences with family and friends, but also to connect with others. And let’s face it, blogging is cathartic. I’m a mother of two gorgeous children (8 year old son and 14 year old daughter), wife to an amazing husband and mother to one large, crazy Labrador. Think “Marley and Me” and you will be understand our lab.

My son (8) has Autism and ADHD and life has been a struggle since his diagnosis. However as a family we don’t want it to define him nor us. We try to live life to the full and so our experiences run the gamut from wonderful, depressing, strange and downright hilarious. At times we are like a comedy sitcom. However I’ve also cried, laughed and despaired but I’ve always tried to see the silver lining.

It is easy to become lost in the daily life of being a mother. And that is why I call myself “FlyMum”. I am always on the go, flying from one appointment to the other and looking after everyone else first. Which is essentially what most mothers do best, isn’t it? A state of perpetual motion but how often do we get to stop and smell the roses? If it is anything like my experience, then clearly not enough.

So this blog will be about finding myself, to get out of my “rut” and find the girl who existed before she became a mum. Don’t get me wrong, I adore being a mother and wife and wouldn’t trade it for anything, but somewhere along the road I just got sidetracked. I put on weight, let myself go a bit and stopped going out as much. Partly because of the challenges our family faces, but mostly because I became “lost” and didn’t know who I was when my career was cut short. I know other mothers out there understand what I’m talking about.

So this blog is about finding ME. And let’s face it, blogging is way cheaper than therapy! So I’m putting it out there partly to keep myself accountable.
My first goal is to get out and see more of Sydney with my family, and by myself in my spare time. I know that sounds strange because obviously I live here, but I often take it for granted. “Oh, I’ll get to that one day” or “I’ll do that next time” and then it never happens. Life gets in the way.

I can’t remember the last time I went to a gallery, exhibition or historic house (which is ironic as I was a Tour Guide for a Historical Association here in Sydney. I miss those days! I loved being a tour guide and speaking to tourists, running education programmes and taking part in special events here in Sydney.

When my son was diagnosed and things became tough, I had to give it away. It was a no brainer but I still often miss it. And then it dawned on me that I can use this blog to still do that. So I will be sharing my Sydney stories with all that come to my blog.
My other goal is to lose weight, get strong, healthy and have more energy. I want to run around more with my children and when I feel more energetic, I’ll take up a sport again (socially).

Let’s face it, my chance of Olympic fame is well and truly over. Although I do often dream at the moment whilst watching the Olympics! Rest assured there will be NO pictures of me in workout gear on this blog! Unless or course I am ready for the “Mrs World” competition. I live in hope.

When I thought about blogging again, I wondered how I should define the blog. Should it focus on Autism to help others? Should it focus on motherhood - the trials and tribulations? Should it focus on weight loss? It actually took me a few days to work out what I wanted to talk about. And the answer was…all of the above.
My life is the sum of all parts and so I decided the blog should be the same. Everything is very much intertwined.

I look forward to connecting with people worldwide and sharing my life in Sydney!