Reflective #R2BC

By Jeannette | December 26, 2013

It’s Boxing Day afternoon and D is playing a girlie mermaid app on her ipad, Hubbie and T have gone off to watch a local football match.

It’s a welcome return to a semblance of normality for the menfolk, a chance for them to have some 1:1 time (albeit on a damp pitch) and just enjoy watching a match.

Our Christmas has been an understated one because my mother in law passed away last Saturday.

I wasn’t sure if I’d have any Reasons To Be Cheerful with Ojo’s World but glass-half-full approach firmly in place, I’ll have a go.

1. We had a onesie Christmas Day; Hubbie had an Aztec print one; T was an Angry Bird, D was a Bunny and I was a Reindeer. It made for a cuddly, snuggly day which was very welcome.
It was extremely hot cooking in one though, which leads me to reason 2..

2. For the first time ever, I was not cooking three separate meals. Hubbie and I had what equated to a roast dinner with extras, T and D had chicken nuggets and chips. They both have sensory issues around “wet” food. I felt it was more important that we all were together and eating something rather than force any eating issues.

3. There were board games played, an uber-competitive Monopoly London 2012 edition. T takes anything competitive extremely seriously and for D, there are the challenges of turn-taking and not always winning. It was good fun though.

4. There was an underlying sadness to the day, but we added in humour and cuddles and that really helped. I watched an absolutely hilarious programme on Channel 4 last night – Man Down – and have set a repeat to record so Hubbie can watch it. He flaked out before it came on, both emotionally and physically. My father in law said that my mother in law was watching Mrs Browns Boys the evening before she collapsed and was laughing away, really enjoying it. That fact really helped Hubbie and it made an nice image for him.

5. I’m not ready to blog circumstances, but she passed in no pain and without being aware, which is a blessing. It has made the shock all the more acute, but the fact she didn’t suffer has helped.

6. I’ve been online today and ordered some suitable clothes for Hubbie for a service. The last thing he needs is a traipse around shops, especially in sale season. His mum wouldn’t have wanted a lot spent so it’s a smart trousers and jumper with collar combo.

7. D isn’t aware of what’s been happening and I haven’t wanted to tell her at the moment, she’d had years of not understanding Christmas and got very excited this year. The excited squeals and smiles were very infectious on Christmas Eve. Her main present was a huuuuge Bunny, which she has named Stripey. She likes to cuddle Stripey and it can cuddle her back, fulfilling sensory needs. Here’s D, Stripey and Bunny: