Well today is the day I begin my blog. I have been thinking about this for quite awhile, thinking how much I need to just put my thoughts down on paper to try to clear out some of the fog in my mind. Life with a teenage autistic daughter!!! Where do I begin?
OK, here goes....I'm a 49 year old Mum of two daughters. My husband John is 51. Princess is our oldest daughter, she is autistic with an intellectual disability as well. I often think of it as the double whammy. It means that she is non-verbal but that has never stopped her from getting what she needs and getting her point across! Not too many people who meet this being of light would forget her in a hurry. She is tall, graceful like a swan, beautiful big blue eyes, absolutely gorgeous. She is a body inhabited by a spirit that is full of richness and full of challenges. I often think she is not completely of this world but lives in two places at once...the autistic world and the so-called "normal" world. Our other daughter Honeybee is 12. Her life is full of the challenge living with an autistic sibling brings. She is feisty, kindhearted, creative, loves to read. She also is very embarrassed at times by having Princess as her sister, especially in public.
Today being Saturday was our supermarket shopping day. Princess pushes the trolley (usually very fast) and I have to try to get everything that I need into it very fast too!!! Often there is a quick detour so Princess can give an unsuspecting soul a hug. People are incredibly receptive to this, even though we are trying to teach Princess that you don't hug strangers. We live in a small township and most people know Princess but those that don't know her are often the huggees!!! Honeybee usually spends her time in the supermarket avoiding both myself and Princess in an aisle as far away as possible from us....
We got to the checkout in record time and with all the shopping we needed. Bad case of wind from Princess at the checkout, enough to bring tears to my eyes....the checkout girl must have noticed but said nothing, bless her. Thank God Princess wanted to be quick to get the items out of the trolley onto the checkout. My stress levels had peaked by about now as my next challenge was to make sure Princess stayed with Honeybee and me until we can get all the shopping bags back in the trolley and out to the car - usually she is dying to get back into the supermarket.
Mission accomplished!!! Now for the drive home....Princess loves to touch my shoulder and I have to work out what my response will be..usually it's "Go to K-Mart in a couple of weeks" or just "Going home now" is enough to stop the touch. Today it was "Get your hand off my shoulder Princess!" I was just wanting to get home and unpack the shopping. And then have a nap.
More next time.
