Labels

Labels... I guess we all get labelled in life. I guess I label too, usually just plain unintentionally -... or even just remember some distinguishing mark that sticks in my mind...

the man with tattoos all over his body

the boy who walks kind of funny
the cute little girl with a lisp....

Well when you have a special needs child labelling just kind of happens... you just kind of ignore it or try to overlook it or sometimes let it get to you... and then feel teary all over again... or you sometimes even appreciate some of it's implications ... kind of hard for me to explain what I mean here... just that sometimes II (Intellectually Impaired) kids have a way of just taking life at a slower pace - just appreciating simple things more...

Anyway Owen has just been labelled as HI (for those not familiar with the modern labelling process that is Hearing Impaired). He's been wearing hearing aides for a while but now it is on paper... I was told by a school staff member, in a way that made it sound exciting. I guess it means that sometime in future there is more help available to him as a result... You know it is funny, but despite the help that can be had - labels just kind of make me sad... make me realise more concretely that one other part of his body isn't functioning the way I wish it would - the way that would make it easier for him... sometimes I wish I could take the hearing impairment on myself if only it would cut out one more struggle/barrier/difficulty...

Well there you have it - labels - II (Intellectually Impaired) and now HI (Hearing Impaired), I guess he is a tiny bit VI (visually impaired) ... and maybe there is something about that pacemaker (Cardiologically Impaired?) ... "now, now", you say...

Anyway, to us he is just Owen. Owen, Owie or just O.

Nature Journalling

We've started doing some nature journalling on alternate Friday mornings. On the other Friday we go for a big walk/get the heart pumping and enjoy the scenery down by the lake.

Today it was nature journalling with friends. I must say with boys, the water and little fish that can be caught with a net are the big attraction. Nature journalling itself kind of fell by the wayside a little... but what focus they had on the little critters, the water and all the fascination beneath... we observed hundreds of tiny little fish, darting to and fro, swamp hens ducking their heads below the surface and even a turtle surfacing it's skinny head.

Here's a book I have found helpful:

Trying to keep a focus on the insects/fish/plants rather than the overwhelmingness (if indeed that is a word) of the many adventures to be had, is always our challenge... but as I think about it I am pleased, not that we didn't get so much achieved as we had planned... but just that there is still a fascination for all God's creation - a "whoa... did you see that?" "why is the duck doing that?" and "look at all the sea weed... it's stringy and goey..." etc. etc...

... now, if only we could get all that onto paper!