Blogging, competitions, voting and Special Needs Awareness.

Last year (such a long time ago already!!), thanks to lots of lovely people voting for me, I made it to number 20 in the Circle of Moms Top 25 European Moms 2012 list.

For me, this was quite an achievement. To see my name alongside some other amazing blogs was uplifting but also bittersweet. In the 3 years since I've been blogging, I've not actually made it to any heady heights in any sort of list, or received any great recognition. That's fine, really it is, I haven't expected it and I haven't stressed about it. I just accept that my writing is maybe not as good as others' (it wasn't an English degree I did, after all!), and I just don't hit the popular vote.

Of course it would be nice to be 'popular', but not everyone can be. As I often say, the world would be a boring place if we were all the same. Certainly life is never dull around here with my two girls, and I'm definitely happy with what I've got. My one motto that I really want to drill into my girls is that the only person who can make you happy in life is you. 

I haven't actually tried to make it to the top of a list before to be fair; I seriously can't find the time. I suspect if I had more time I may 'promote' it more, but I'd never let that overtake why I'm here. I blog for me. I started it to document what living with autism was like for us, and it's actually turned into therapy for me. I've found a lot of great advice and support from other bloggers, and I can't put a price on how much that has helped. More than 'real' therapy, that's for sure!

Anyhow I digress. I know that my name being in the top list was slightly contentious, and there were some snide comments made about others being more worthy and this list being pointless. I'm not a 'big name' blog, and it's true that this type of competition is based on how many people you can persuade to vote for you. I did vote for my other favourite blogs too, and some of them joined me in the Top 25. Some that I love weren't there at all, which was a shame.

Well I'm proud of the fact that it was all my lovely friends and family, and other bloggers who do read who voted for me, and several of them went back every day to vote. I didn't send the link round my husband's workplace to get hundreds more votes, I just asked quietly on Facebook and amongst friends. I really wanted to make the list, as in my head I was aiming for more Autism Awareness by reaching a wider audience. More awareness = more understanding, and that is the one main thing that will help Sasha's passage through life to be easier.

I now know that actually I have achieved that awareness - every one person more reading the blog is another person who may (if they read more than one post!) just understand Sasha a little better. To be honest, it's the people closest to us who will be able to help Sasha the most, so you could say I hit exactly the right target audience. I'm happy with that. Thank you all lovely family and friends for being so supportive and understanding, you are helping more than you'll ever know.

A new list has come out from Tots 100 of the Top 20 UK Special Needs Parenting Blogs. I'd far rather be in that list if I'm honest, so maybe I'll find the time to try harder this year. This list contains so many blogs that I read regularly that I really could highlight them all. Some are new to me but I've had a look and they're all amazing. Honest and open about the good and difficult sides of life, as I hope I have been.

In particular I do want to thank Soft Thistle , Looking for Blue Sky , Jonty Babe , Just Bring the Chocolate , Cheetahs in my Shoes , Downs Side Up , Scottish Mum , A Boy with Aspergers  , Crystal Jigsaw and A Tricky Customer for their brilliant words and comments which have kept me reading over the past year. Please do take the time to click on each link and check out their lives, it may just bring some more insight into different lives.

1. Crystal Jigsaw
2. A Boy with Aspergers 
3. Pink Oddy 
4. Looking for Blue Sky 
5. Soft Thistle 
6. Scottish Mum 
7. Downs Side Up 
8. Mum of 4, Wife of 1 
9. Jonty Babe 
10. Savette Gazette
11. Walking with Angels
12. Flight Platform Living 
13. A Tricky Customer
14. Mummy 2 Five 
15. Just Bring the Chocolate 
16. A Life Unlimited 
17. Cheetahs in my Shoes 
18. Let’s Talk Olly 
19. A World of Spinning 
20. Autism Mumma

The two names that spring to mind that are missing from this list in my opinion, are Deb from Aspie In The Family, and Steph from Was This In The Plan? (who I was lucky enough to have as a Britmums buddie this year). They both write intelligently and passionately about their Special Needs lives, and have both been a great source of inspiration for me. *Edited to add just one more, Life With An Autistic Son - how could I have forgotten this fab blog that makes me laugh every time I read it?!

Maybe this year I will have more time to focus on the awareness and raise some serious aspects (watch out for my one about Mr C running the London Marathon for the National Autistic Society), but I doubt my whole blog will change substantially. It's me, warts and all, and for now that's just how it is. So Happy 2013 everyone, and hang on to your hats (which Sasha funnily tried to do when I used that expression in the car a few days ago) as we carry on the wonderful rollercoaster!