I'm not sure if I have mentioned it on my blog before, but our son Eric is on the Autism Spectrum. He is in the moderate to severe range and sometimes that makes simple tasks, like getting a haircut, into a stress and anxiety filled situation for him. Many people on the autism spectrum are extremely sensitive to sounds and sights- to put it in perspective, imagine if I stuck you in a room with a fire truck and ambulance with lights and sirens going- this is what he deals with daily.
Now, imagine going to a salon or barbershop and all the noises that go along with it. It wasn't until he was diagnosed that I became aware of all the noise that we live with constantly. We had tried traditional haircuts a couple times, but it was just too hard. I even watched YouTube videos and cut his hair myself for awhile (it wasn't perfect, but we weren't sure what else to do). Then one of the other mom's in our local Autism Group mentioned that a friend/hairdresser of hers was willing to put a saddle on a hay bale and cut hair outdoors on her farm- to take the noise and the scariness out of the equation. We have now visited the farm on two separate occasions and now that my kids are familiar with it they are both excited to go. While they get their hair trimmed they get to watch the chickens, deer, goats, ostriches and sheep mingle. Kelly has made haircuts into something fun and taken much of the stress out of the situation for many special needs parents. I cannot thank her enough for what she has done to help families like mine and I highly recommend her services! Kelly also has an indoor salon, The Crop Shop, on her property for the more traditional visit. If you want more information or to make an appointment you can check out her Facebook page here . All images taken on my Pentax K1000 with Fuji Superia 400 and Kodak Color Plus 200 film, developed and scanned by The FIND Lab.
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We had a busy weekend and I didn't get anywhere near the computer, so tonight I am playing a bit of catch up with my blog posts. 18/365 We went to the park while her brother was at Speech today, but it was just too cold to stay very long! 17/365 Taking a few steps with her Daddy 16/365
Feeling under the weather (but Lulu is there to give him comfort) October is my favorite month of the year. Not only is it my birthday month (and my little monkey's), but it brings back so many fond memories of Halloween's past. My twin Great-Aunt's Teresa and Virginia were Halloween babies and we always celebrated with them after going trick-or -treating. We knew to save our candy because we were going to get birthday cake that was usually loaded with butter-cream icing! All of this made me absolutely love the month of October because between the pumpkins, the fun and the birthdays it was always my favorite time of the year.
This year we made our fourth annual trek to our favorite Pumpkin Patch, Single Palm Pumpkins. Sadly, this will be our last visit to the patch. The owners have decided that with the drought here in California that they will do something else with the land. We made it a family occasion and my sister and brother-in-law brought their two littles and my cousin brought her girls. Except for my little guy's meltdown near the end of our visit, we had a good time. I am a couple weeks behind with my project 52. Pregnancy and motherhood just limits my time lately to get anything done. Priorities are to worry about the kiddos, hubby and house first and business later. However, it doesn't mean I stop taking pictures! I just haven't had a moment to sit and blog about them. I am going to attempt to catch up because life is just getting busier and busier by the day!
This was from a week ago. I came out of the back of the house and my little one was having a snack... and sharing it with his favorite pooch. The picture is dark but it was evening and the I was just trying to make sure to get the moment. These two are like peas and carrots and I love that my son is growing up with the love of his dogs. I love capturing moments of you with our family. This last weekend we traveled south to Los Angeles to celebrate your big brother's birthday. You played and visited with everyone and we had a great day.
It's not the clearest picture, but it is so you. Momma had a photo session at the park and you and Daddy came along. Afterwards as you ran up to me I noticed you were filthy! You had gotten too close to the pond and fallen in. You were done and ready to leave.
We got you this train set for Christmas and it has taken until now for you to show any interest in it. You can sit all day long watching it go round and round...
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AuthorHi, I'm Melissa. I am a wife, mother, step-mother, Gigi (step-grandma) and a photographer. I started out as the family member always asked to bring my camera along and it has turned into my life dream. I just love being able to capture moments for others that they can always cherish.This is my little corner to share my sessions, projects, and a little piece of our daily life. Thanks for stopping by! Archives
July 2021
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