This will probably be my last blog as I’m going to move onto a shorter form of writing on Instagram (you can follow along @emmielouwrites). This was going to be the first foray into that, but it turned out to be so long I thought I’d chuck it on the blog instead. I’ve not written for a long time, definitely not since we moved to Didcot. I just wanted to share with you some of the highs and lows of the time since we’ve been here.
High: our house and garden are brilliant for our needs. We have space in the garden for a large swing, trampoline and outdoor sofa, with plenty of room still to run around in. It’s been a lot of fun making it into a play space for the kids and a lovely place to retreat to when the house is chaotic.
Low: our car (which has been giving us grief for a while) decided to give up the ghost after a few hairy journeys. Our inability to drive to places to view new cars was really frustrating, but the expense of getting it fixed in order to be safe to drive was eye watering. We had a few stressful weeks scouring Auto trader and finding that our budget was unlikely to stretch to the kind of car we (I) wanted, there weren’t many available anyway and if there was, the car was over 100 miles away or had 100 miles+ mileage.
High: I feel God has been showing me that He knows and cares about the desires of our hearts, no matter how insignificant they feel. One day, I checked Auto trader and there was the car I wanted, within budget and not too far away. With the generous monetary help of our parents and the generous vehicular help of my dad, we were able to see the car, have it delivered and the other car taken away for far less than we were expecting to pay. God has been lavish in His generosity and faithfulness in so many ways, this being one of the most obvious. I ❤️ our new car.
Low: the home ed landscape around here has not been quite what I imagined and the kids have been pretty uninterested and unwilling to go out to places to meet people. If there’s the need to pay termly up front for an activity, it is just not accessible to us as I cannot guarantee we can go to every session. We have met a few other home ed families and I’m part of some great WhatsApp groups, but we haven’t yet found our “home ed tribe”. Early days, though.
High: we have however started to make friends with members of the congregation of our new church. It’s wonderful to be part of a community with people our own age (!) and with plenty of young families. The church have already been incredibly generous and welcoming towards us and I’m excited to see the relationships we’ll build and the ministries we’ll be a part of. Church services are still tricky for the kids but we are managing to go along most weeks, which is huge progress.
Low: unsurprisingly, we have found the school provisions pretty lacking. There are no spaces in any schools at all in the county, most mainstream schools were unable to meet the needs of any of the kids. One did say they could take the twins but ultimately we decided the environment was not suitable for them. On the specialist side, whilst they’re all full, there was also the issue that they could not meet our son’s needs because their cohorts had higher needs. So essentially, our son’s needs are too high for mainstream, not high enough for specialist and too high for most alternative provisions.
High: one alternative provision is accessible for us though and we have a wonderful tutor who comes twice a week to see our son. She has PDA kids of her own, so gets it, and she also happens to be a Christian. That was not a requirement for us in any way, but it adds a richness to our relationship with her. Again, God knows the desires of our hearts and is faithful.
So here we are, a new place, some of the same struggles but also so much joy. There is the endless pursuit of more support with follow up emails and phone calls, and discovering needs the kids may possibly have which we will need to seek outside help with in the future. There is the daily dysregulation and the exhaustion from being with the kids all. the. time. But I love this little life and I’m so grateful for all that we have and all that God has done.
