We are a family of many combinations. Sometimes we are a family of three – me, Oliver and Harry. Often we are a four – adding Andrew, super step-dad of the year, into the mix. At times our family grows to six when we are lucky enough to be joined by Andrews children Benedicta and Harrison. Oh and don’t forget Sherlock the dog. He deserves a mention!
Life is always hectic and never dull.
In my family blog, I’ll be sharing the highs and lows of an Altered Life from everyones perspective. We are a team and I hope you enjoy reading about our journey.
13 ways to survive the school holidays when your child has additional needs
As the school holidays arrive, social media is often lit up with posts from parents relieved not to have to endure the school run for a while and to be able to relax and spend some creative, pressure free and fun time with their little people. For parents like me, the...
15 blessings in becoming an Auntie
There is a ten-year age gap between myself and sister so although I doted on her when she was first born and through the early years, we saw less of each other as I went through my twenties. Over the last five years or so we have rekindled the bond we shared in the...
Looking for solutions to nail biting!
Does nail biting run in the family? I would have laughed at such a suggestion until I looked into it a little more as I searched for ways to help my son Oliver stop biting his own nails. Nail biting is just one of a few body-focused repetitive behavior disorders...
Craniosacral therapy. What it is and how it helped us
The early months of my boys’ lives were tricky for us all. They had arrived eight weeks prematurely which brought its own issues and concerns. Harry had been born with a rare syndrome which meant that feeding him was a challenge and I was struggling to get my head...
To lip kiss or not to lip kiss? – That is the question
Recently, a video went viral of a young man showing his new tattoo to his brother who has Downs Syndrome. The tattoo was of his brothers face and the joy in the younger brothers face as he recognises it is just wonderful. They hug and there is a brief kiss between the...
The frustrations of an invisible sibling
I have written before about the reasons why Oliver is the unsung hero of our story. As much as I try to divide my time equally its incredibly hard when one child does need more attention. Even when you are physically with the sibling, you're hyper aware that the other...
10 things you would never know from looking at my boy
My son has a rare cranio-facial condition called Goldenhar Syndrome as well as Autism. I have spoken before about the reasons why that combination is a blessing at times but undoubtedly people feel a few things when they look at us. Particularly on the days when one...
Why it’s hard to have fun without my boys
Its Alton Towers and the sun is shining. We are screaming on the white-knuckle rides and enjoying warm doughnuts covered in sugar. We are walking miles, chatting and laughing and yet, something feels strange as we all have fun together. You see, today we are a four....
Harry’s birthday weekend in Nottingham.
My boys are 13 now and to celebrate the arrival of their teenage years I wanted to do something a little special for them both. You may have read my blog on things to do in Rome which I wrote with Oliver when we came back from 4 days there which I had saved long and...
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