Invisible

Yep. It's been quiet here.

Not because we had nothing on. Quite the contrary.

In the school holidays, we took the kids to the movies. Or, well, Boo Boo and Beaver to the movies. Possum is not much of a movie-goer, he gets scared easily by the stories and doesn't like the darkness and the noise very much.

Anyway. Beaver likes movies that have singing and dancing in them. So we took him to see "Fame". You remember that? It follows the stories of some kids at a performing arts high school. It's inoffensive drivel. There is lots of singing and dancing, lots of self-affirmation and growth though overcoming adversity and hard work. All that. All fine.

But on the way home it struck me. There were white and black kids, and Asian kids. There was a token overweight one. A nerd, a cool kid, a Jew, and a gay kid. But not a single disabled one.

Young people with a disability clearly have neither talent nor ambition.

We often watch High School Musical, Camp Rock, some Hannah Montana (notice a theme here?) And it's the same there. All sorts, but no disabled. Surely movies with music as a theme can fit in a piano player using a wheelchair or a blind drummer? Many other movies too could surely accommodate a disabled character - say a deaf baseball player, a blind dancer, a teacher using crutches? And no, I don't mean a baddie with a disability as is traditionally the case. I mean just someone in the crowd. One of the minor characters.

It can be done. There are examples. Did anyone see that cheesy show British about the church choir? One of the sons was clearly on the Autism Spectrum (although it was never mentioned beyond him being "different") and a small person. They were just part of the characters. Nothing special. Just like in real life, they were simply "there:.

You know, it's very odd for disabled kids not to see themselves on TV. Not to have their hopes and lives and dreams reflected. To only every feature as "baddies". What sort of signal does that give? Can you imagine a show, any show, or any movie, that would not have a black or Asian character in it?

I am fed up with disabled people being invisible. I've written about this before. About how different races and different religions and sizes are nowadays well represented in popular media. Adds, books, movies, TV shows.

Well, I've had it with disability being invisible. With my kids being invisible. It's time for action. I'm starting a campaign right here, right now, to make disability visible in the media.

Just like once was the case with black people, I want to see a "token disabled person" in eveyr movie, TV show and book illustration - everywhere - in my lifetime. Whaddaya think my chances are?

Random Holiday Thoughts

I promised the boys a "Dutch sandwich" (aka nen boterham me hagelslag, or a sanbo with chocolate sprinkels) if they tidy up the house a bit. So, they are busy in the living room, and I have 5 minutes for some random thoughts.

- School holidays are anything but holidays for mothers!
- The weather has been crap, we've hardly been swimming.
- I made a chook run, the one and only thing I managed to do these holidays
- Tante Anita is in the country, and we had a nice two days together. The kids look forward to her coming back in two weeks and spend more time with her.
- We had a lovely 5 days away in Avoca on the beach. We did pretty much nothing. It was heaven. Even Beaver sat in his chair and just looked out of the window for a while. Unheard of!
- I have a lovely big Waterdragon in care at the moment. Gorgeous boy!
- We have got funding for Boo Boo's manual wheelchair (well, actually, modifying Beavers' old one to suit to her needs, but that will be another post soon).
- I have found a Shotokan Karate Club in the suburb next to ours. Dojo hours are just after kids bedtime, and on those evenings Hubby does not go to Yoga, and not the day our regular babysitter comes. How good is that! Finally everything has come together. I can't wait until next week to start again.
- Congratulations to Lieve and Stefaan for the birth of their twin boys, Tibo and Siebe! Well done mum and dad, two brand new future Aussie beach bums!
- We are still finding dust everywhere in the house from the dust storm. I think we still will for weeks to come
- Can you believe it's only 17 more days (yes, the boys made me count the days) until Oma Helma and Opa Manfred are here! I better start tidying up downstairs asap!
- Boo Boo said just before the holidays 'NO MORE NAPPIES". And true to her word, she has not worn nappies since (except in the night). We still have heaps of accidents, but she will tell me when she need the toilet (using the "toilet" sign and saying "poo poo" or "wee wee"). I am very proud of my clever big girl!
- I am reading some interesting articles, and thinking about starting a PhD year after next. Hmmmm....
- Shakespeare is just around the corner, and I have lots of props to organise. Anyone have a spare fake log lying around that I could borrow?
- Tonight we're having fish and chips with Oma and Opa on Manly Beach.

That's all for now folks. Boo Boo is awake, the house is tidy (I think) and I better go and make those promised sandwiches. Bye for now.

Dust storm

This is the view that greeted us as we got up this morning:

A dust storm had blown in red sand from Central Australia. The weather was perfectly calm (we were in the eye of the storm) and the sky blood red. As I drove the kids to school the wind picked up and the rest of the storm started blowing the dust away again. Sydney looks nearly normal again. It was eerily beautiful.

Our house in the sand.

View across the street towards Pat's house - which is bright white!

Nintendo DS

We have a Wii. Yet the boys, especially Possum, are intrigued by the Nintendo DS. Can you tell?

Possum came home from school one afternoon and made this. His very own Nintendo DS, with shooting-down-spaceship game and all...

I had a star chart for Beaver. Every time he made it through a Friday he got a sticker. And after 20 stickers, I promised him an Nintendo DS. Three weeks ago he finally made it. And promptly decided he didn't really want a DS, a notebook was just fine. And do you want to know why?

He wanted to know how much a DS cost. He looked aghast when I told him. He decided there and then that that was too expensive. Can you believe this kid? Must be his Dutch genes...

Me pway caw

Playing with the cars. First, line them up; this way and that way...

Then we park them, all the colours together.

Then one car goes "boom"

Then they all go "boom". Followed by a fit of the giggles...

See? It's true!

Just in case you didn't belive me, here is the proof:

Possum on the top, Beaver on the bottom.

New additions to the Family

Look. Our family has expanded.

This here are Princess Leia and Hannah Montana. As you can see, they are two much loved new family members.


We decided a couple of weeks ago to have a go at having chooks. I found a company called Rent a Chook. They make it very easy. You buy a chookpen, food, hay and two chooks, take the whole lot home and see how you go. If you don't like it, you can return them within 6 weeks and you get your money back (minus the $100 deposit).Not a bad deal. I went for a small mobile second hand coop, as I really want the chooks to roam around freely.

The kids think they are the best pets. Nice and big, relatively easy to catch and hold and pat and cuddle and kiss. Within weeks they started laying eggs, first one, and now two eggs wait for us every morning. And yes, fresh eggs are something else! The kids open the chook pen every morning when we head off to school, and close it when they come home (and before it gets dark and the fox comes calling!).

The only trouble is, they like going to the neighbours' gardens, and some of them are not too keen on the mess the girls make. I shoo them away whenever I see them, and put the hose on them if they are in range. They should learn quickly - and then of course, I will placate the neighbours with a monthly fresh supply of eggs.