Stories from Way Back When - In which she is sent to school

*Just a word about my Nanna's religious fervor before I get into this post. I was driving home the other day and wondered about the pastors, evangelists and teachers who prayed for me during those early years. I wonder if they too, thought that this was something that God simply wasn't going to do? I wonder if their job was simply to pray as asked, responding to my Nanna's faith, rather than their own personal beliefs? For the first time in my life I really wondered about the pressure that these men and women of faith were under. They must have been caught between a rock and a hard place sometimes. If they talked to Nanna about acceptance of my condition then (knowing my Nanna) she would have possibly judged them for not having enough faith in God. Hmm....interesting thoughts!*

Life progressed pretty much on schedule for me. Some children born with achondroplasia have physical developmental delays. It is not unusual for a child with achondroplasia not to walk until they are two years old, even later. Not me. I walked at thirteen months.



I'm not 13 months old here but I think this one of me investigating something in the grass is pretty cute!

 Soon it came time to send me off to Kindergarten (pre-school). I took to Kindergarten like a duck to water. Living in a small, country town had its advantages and I was already well-known. I assimilated into the group well and did everything all the other children did - the only babying I received was when all the other children were expected to say "Thank you" and I was allowed to say "Ta". I have no idea why. I was a very articulate child! My teachers helped me reach things like the painting easel and the bathroom sink by placing one of the large blocks in front for me to stand on.




There I am! Front and almost centre, looking very serious. To the left is my best friend Adine, who will later have an important role to play in my smooth transition to school!



Adine and I in an egg and spoon race with a couple of our other Kinder friends.


My parents were very good with cutting the apron strings and letting me be just a regular little girl and playing just like other children. Sometimes when your child is born with any kind of difference there is a tendency to want to hover and protect them, being scared that they're going to hurt themselves seriously. Trust me, the potential was always there. Being very top heavy meant that I was prone to falls and when I did, my very short arms didn't allow me to break my fall, so my head would hit the deck first. I am sure that my forehead was perpetually a varying shade of new and healing bruises. My mother remembers a time where we were all at some kind of social gathering and I was outside with all the other children playing as per usual. One of the mothers came up to my mother and said, "Excuse me, but your little girl is outside with the other children!" to which my mother replied, "Yes, I know. She's perfectly fine."

The only thing that was a bit of an issue regarding me starting school was the toilet and managing my own self care. Everything else was all ready. I was smart (having already read something from the newspaper before even starting school!), I was social, I had the school bag....

Me with my brothers - Nathan (left) and Lane.

...the only problem was that I was unable to....hmm...how do we put this delicately? Nope! We can't. I was unable to wipe my bottom. My arms just couldn't reach. Doing a wee was fine, but Number 2's? Nope!
Lucky for me I was pretty "regular" so my mother would put me on the toilet before we left for school in the morning, I'd do what I had to do, Mum would attend to my needs and I'd be right until I got home in the afternoon.

One day, this didn't happen and I went off to school withough my regular morning toilet sit. When I got home, my mother asked how my day was. "Oh it was fine!" I said. "I had to do a poo at school today, but it was ok....Adine wiped my bottom for me!" My mother roared with laughter when she heard this apparently. Adine and I were just like two little old ladies when we were together and the thought of the two of us in the toilets together doing what needed to be done amused her to no end. I think it was possibly at that point where she knew that I would always find a way to get something done...even if it meant relying on my best friend to help.