Last year we began our Circle of Support which we have renamed our Circle of Strength. The photo above is from that first meeting and we have now been hosting, with the help of friends and family, a meeting every second month. It is hardly a new concept and quite honestly, one that I wished I had embraced much, much earlier. A great outline of the circle's purpose can be found on the Mamre site. The acceptance of living interdependently as opposed to an elusive independently has been difficult but necessary as I have surrendered to the knowledge that Allycia's life long well being will be achieved by the quality of the relationships that are opened up to her and cannot be achieved by my efforts in isolation. We are tremendously fortunate to be surrounded by the love of many and the future feels a whole lot safer with many possibilities now that we have reached out and allowed some of our fears and vulnerabilities become a little more apparent. Phew....letting go - easy to say, and should be so easy to do, given the relief that comes with it, but it takes some time .........maybe I am just a slow learner!! One of our goals has been for Allycia to be supported in creating a bimonthly newsletter. We have decided to publish the most recent one here, which has been co-edited with Aunty Julie who has kept us on track with our meetings!!! She is one of our strengths for sure!!!
Allycia's Newsletter - April 2014
Maleny Guides and our Guiding Light Fun when I received my Guiding Name - Rainbow Warrior I have had a very busy time since our last meeting and I am looking forward to seeing everyone soon. Thank you to my Aunty Julie for keeping everything going and making me do my newsletter!
I have been on two Girl Guide Camps and have been awarded my Assistant Leader Badge with my Guiding Name Rainbow Warrior. The first camp was at Mon Repos and was fabulous. I got to see turtles and went to the Bundaberg Ginger Factory.
I bought six bottles of Ginger Beer. There was pink grapefruit, normal, lime and passionfruit. I went to Kindilan on the last week end in March. I got to go canoeing and camped in a tent. It was awesome.
I have been on two Girl Guide Camps and have been awarded my Assistant Leader Badge with my Guiding Name Rainbow Warrior. The first camp was at Mon Repos and was fabulous. I got to see turtles and went to the Bundaberg Ginger Factory.
I bought six bottles of Ginger Beer. There was pink grapefruit, normal, lime and passionfruit. I went to Kindilan on the last week end in March. I got to go canoeing and camped in a tent. It was awesome.
TAFE has been very busy. Lots of drawing and painting for me. We are doing a play for Drama and we are performing at the Battle of the Bands at Tewantin with my music class. Sunshine Coast Community Inclusive Theatre Restaurant (SCCITR) of which I am a part, had its first intensive workshop. I loved it because we did lots of skits and lots of games. And I laughed so much. It was good to work with Florence and Craig again. I’m looking forward to being involved in more workshops through the year.
Michaela and Chris!! I went to have my first official stay at the Caloundra Getaway – a new experience for me. Michaela and I stayed at Gramps and Gran’s Unit with our friend Chris. Chris is a qualified teacher who decided to come and stay with us for a few days to help us get better at doing things as individuals.
I learned I could wash up on my own, I cooked my own dinner –rissoles with cheese and pizza sauce, swept the floor and made my bed. Chris took us to the Caloundra RSL for dinner one night. Both Michaela and I had to check that the unit was locked up when we went out, and had to let ourselves in as well. The new thing I learned at the Caloundra Getaway was how to wash dishes and I will certainly be practising this new skill at home with my dear Mum.
My Catwoman Mask from Movie World Over the holidays I have had sleep overs with Aunty Mary and Uncle Geoff, Freya and my sister, Kristina. Thank you for taking good care of me. Freya and I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks and her Dad, Chris took us to MovieWorld. I went on the Scooby Coaster, Wild West Falls and the Roadrunner. I watched two shows: Batman and Marilyn Monroe, so I was lucky. I screamed on the rollercoaster and the Wild West Falls because I was going to get wet. My Catwoman face is one that I learned from my good friend Martha!
During my sleepover at Kristina’s house, we continued work on our mermaid painting. We are using mixed media for the painting. I’m learning a lot from Kristina about different art techniques. I had my first full day working with Jen at Jeneration Hair. I spent a lot of time cleaning and Jen said I was awesome. I am looking forward to going back on Tuesdays. I have started back at Fitness and Dance and am enjoying this a lot. This year I am in the Jazz and Hip Hop dance groups. In Jazz we are dancing to Tim O Matic’s Parachute.
The cast of Car Pool. Mum and I went to the West End Film Festival to see the screening of mum’s short film ‘Car Pool’. We caught up with Tfer and Michael there. I was excited to see Mum’s film on the big screen.
My cousin Lydia and me over Easter Probably the highlight of the last two months has been the Easter weekend, when lots of my family visited Mum and I at Flaxton. Kristina, Nik, Adam and Sarah all stayed over during the weekend. Aunty Mary and Uncle Geoff came up for a day to visit. Aunty Jules and Lydia had a sleep over on Sunday night and we watched the Hunger Games films. I had lots of fun in the Easter Egg hunt on Sunday and got lots of chocolates of course. It was so nice having my awesome family around me. I am so lucky. The next two months are sure to be just as action packed with lots to look forward to. Stay tuned for the next exciting instalment!
Thank you very much for your time and help
Love and Hugs
Allycia (Mrs Bieber) xxxx
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