Pam said she didn't take her chosen picture herself, but that the picture 'just sums it up beautifully'.
I look forward to reading her blog to find out why.
Linda-Maree's picture next....a very clever picture I might add...well done!
Jewel-eye!!!!!! (July...get it?!!!)
Finally, my picture for July was taken a few weeks ago, but summed up July the best for me......Maxine!
And what a month it has been.......it has truly been the roller-coaster ride of Maxine, still going strong after (almost) 10 years.
We've had a cut knee and evening in A&E....which was healing beautifully, but Maxine has since split it open again and will have a huge scar to show for the rest of her days.
This month has made me question the choices Trevor and I made for Maxine, in terms of schooling and having chosen to keep Maxine in mainstream as opposed to special schooling. My own self-doubt tends to make me question things that I once felt very strongly about, and by the time I've thought and over-analysed everything, I begin to doubt everything.
In my heart, though, I know that her being in mainstream school has pushed her, and for that I know that it has been right for her...even if it may not be the case here on in.
Parenting brings many unexpected highs (and lows)........Yesterday morning Maxine pulled out a CD from her bag, containing pictures from her recent school trips. I didn't even know she had a CD with pictures on, and was thrilled to have a glimpse of Maxine in her school environment.
These were my favourites. I was going to chose one of them as my picture for this week, but didn't because I hadn't taken the actual pictures.
This is Maxine at a 'whitewater' centre, where her class enjoyed an afternoon of water fun. Her teacher came up to me when I arrived to fetch her saying 'your daughter is fearless!'....yep, that's our Maxine.
The next photo was taken at the end of March, when Maxine had her first residential trip away. I was really nervous as to whether she would cope (and I think her teachers were just as concerned about how they would cope with Maxine).
Needless to say, Maxine was 'brilliant'!
(Maxine is the one in the stripey shirt at the back, rolling down the hill - I loved the picture because you can see her happy face peeping out under her arm.)
This month was also Trev's 40th.....wow, feels like only yesterday I was with him for his 21st!
In true 'Keir' style we both took the day off work and just enjoyed each other's company...Trev deciding on Krispy Creme donuts instead of birthday cake.
Next month Trevor and I will have been together 20 years, having met on August 23rd 1991, getting married on August 23rd 1998. I remember feeling so familiar with him on that first night, like we'd always known each other....but I was too scared to imagine he would be 'the one'.
But he is, and I couldn't imagine (nor do I want to) life without him.
Our carpets were finally installed yesterday....yet another thing to cross off our list.
(I'll do an extra post with before and after pictures, after the TUTT post.)
Maxine also borrowed my camera a few times during the month, and I found the following picture whilst downloading.....it's of an upside-down Jessi the dog......made me smile when I saw it.
I must confess that over the years I have struggled with Maxine on so many levels. First and foremost, I love her dearly and would not change her for the world. BUT on the days where she is irrationally shouting at me, and I cannot talk or reason with her, I just can't cope.
I think, in part, it's because I have tried my whole life, NOT to be different...genuinely, even my clothes....my make-up. Growing up, my mom had me doing dancing and modelling, and I got to the stage I hated doing it.....I hated being on show and 'performing'.
Add to that, sitting in the front row at church, not being allowed to fidget or move in any way, shape or form (this back-fired once as I was too scared to tell my dad I felt sick, and landed up vomiting in front of everyone!)
The worst, for me, is when this happens in the middle of a public place, with Maxine shouting at me and just being 'horrible' (not how she usually behaves, I might add).....I just want the ground to swallow me up. I just can't understand why she does it. I've come to call these outbursts 'Maxine moments'. So far this week I've had a few..........but then I had her give me a little unexpected note when I fetched her yesterday afternoon (following another rough morning with her), and suddenly it all felt better!
For me, my struggle is to embrace being 'different', when I was raised being afraid of it....but my life isn't 'different' just because of Maxine......there is little that has been 'normal' about my life, and everything has made me the person I am today.
My final picture for 'July' was one I took of Maxine at my work's annual Family Fun Day, which Maxine loves attending with me. This is her with Myrrill, on top of the bouncy castle.
Just look at that happy face....must be doing something right!
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