You know you live in the world of sn when you

[eidsvold]

use makaton signs when shouting at old men in rage at their dangerous driving.

Picture this - screech to a halt as he sails through the car parking spaces instead of along the marked road - then as I drive past him along another road - sign Look! stupid to him!

Then wet myself laughing thinking he probably thought I was giving him a rude gesture!

I thought only an sn mum would to that.

That is v. funny!

rofl. when you know what "PECs" are.

I love Makaton, as the boys learn more it is really handy for sending messages across crowded rooms and busy playgrounds.

oh yes - you sign to children who are NT.

or (quietly) to other mums when you've had too much vino...

have to check the size of dd1's uniform - making sure it fits over pull ups!!

spend months trying to find elasticated waist clothes that aren't too daggy...

Find yourself automatically scanning a new environment looking for 'risks', e.g. tempting ornaments, mugs, dogs, bodies of water, fire-doors, etc, etc, etc!

ignoring your child who has hit the concrete for the 80th time that day when every other mother in a 100m radius is trying to decide whether to help her up or pretend they haven't noticed either...

get that sinking feeling when a woman with a brand new shiny baby or cute puppy appears... (a la 'of mice and men')

Have got locks on all interior doors and have got PECS cards stuck about all over the house.

Go on long searches for waterproof jackets that aren't 'squidgey' and for old fashioned plastic lunchboxes as the new fabric ones are also 'squidgey'-and smelly!

Also having a room kept by as 'balloon zone', so my ds doesn't have to go anywhere near 3yr old's dd's balloon...my exh was so thoughtful coming up with the balloon idea!

eidsvold, the makaton example is brilliant!
You should see DH and I when we go out somewhere. If we cannot hear each other we'll be signing, "Let's go home", "I am hungry", "Ds is not feeling well", "I NEED A TOILET!", all sorts really.
People must think that either we are really tuned into each other, or we just a bit bonkers.

When there is a wedding to go to, but you can't take the kids. So you argue about who should go, no you say lets all spend a day together, and try to make it nice. Then he has decided to go, so now you are not talking and will have (whispered)shouting matches all day, and he tells you that ok, he won't go, but he is not happy with you. You think wtf do I bother for, I am also of no use unless I am always doing something. So you p off upstairs to mumsnet for a while, and he can bloody well f off!

when you see the head teacher walk towards you and you immediatlyb ask "who has he hurt" just for her to laugh and say "no one i was just going to my car"

when you wait at a bus stop for over half an hour, letting 3 buses go so that you can get on one thats not full up.

you go to the park and let your 3 year old run riot, whilst you follow your 7 year around like a shadow

LOL about the SEN COP.
I was just about to read it.
Great! I thought ds is watching cbeebees, ys is having a rare nap, eldest is reading 'Jack and the beanstalk', (his latest obsession - beanstalks), I can read COP, while I quietly fret about panel decision on Wednesday.
I must plan my appeal incase they don't agree to statement, or how to negotiate draft statement.
LOL about the buses Mamazon, and then you get on the bus and it gets full quickly .

Sorry if I am putting a downer on this thread.
Trying to feel a bit less miserable, but dh is bringing me down.
Why is marriage so complicated, especially in world of sn. I always marvel at simplicity of other people's problems. I marvel at my friend who thinks it is a problem that her ds's teacher has strong accent. I am always worried about who my ds has attacked and with what that day.

LOL at Romy's Mice&Men ref, it's one that often pops into my head then makes me feel so guilty - sooooo glad to find I'm not the only one!

• When you buy new clothes for your child you buy 3 of everything just in case it turns out to be the one thing they insist on wearing for the next couple of years.

• When you speak fluently in acronyms.

• When your child has only been in Reception for a couple of weeks but the KS2 teachers already know his name - and it's not a tiny school.

LOL Coppertop. All the teachers know my ds, "Oh you have come to collect xxxx"
I always have to pretend not to remember the teacher, so embarrasing, they must think I am deranged!

• when your first thought, on seeing a letter with a post mark [LEA] Education, is 'oh god, what now'

• when you celebrate little milestones such as managing to take socks off like your 4 child has just won the Nobel Prize