We're Back!!!

She's back! We've come full circle. Six years ago our family packed up and trekked from Ontario to Calgary to access better Autism early intervention services for Will and Owen. What a ride it has been. Now we are preparing to pack up and move back to where we started. Six years older. Six years wiser. Six years worth of support, education and memories to go back with. A family that was once afraid and anxious of the unknown world of autism that lay before them, coming back a family that's a little stronger, still afraid and anxious of the unknown, but more united and if anything, at least sure that they can tackle whatever challenges lay ahead as long as they are together. I took a break from blogging over the past year or two. I got caught up in my fears about protecting myself from judgement and about worrying about the boundaries of safety and privacy for my family. This time around, I will be more cautious, but hopefully just as candid. But I have a huge favour to ask of readers. A contract, if you will. I had debated setting up an entirely new blog that was password-protected, only given out to those I trusted. But I think I have to trust that you all will honour my request. PLEASE feel free to share this blog with friends and family who you feel may get something from this; information about autism or otherwise. - but PLEASE do not attach our last name (if you know it) or any of our personal details with the blog address when you share it. PLEASE do not copy photos of my kids and family without my permission. They are our property and ours alone. Even if you are family. Just ask! I'm not looking for free advertising. If our stories can help someone, I'm thrilled. But I am not writing for the sake of turning us into the poster-family of autism. PLEASE don't broadcast our names and blog address on your facebook statuses. A little subtlety is more than enough attention for us. Post a link if there's something you want to share, but please don't post it just to show us off. This time around, I've got an eleven year old who loves attention, but is also just as quick to yell at his mom if we embarrass him. I am treading a fine line between sharing stories, while trying to honour the privacy of my kids and my marriage. But I'm diving back in and looking forward to getting re-acquainted with you.