Graffito

Graffito

Anoushka
family

“In the event of any playground injury, I would act as self-appointed triage, deciding whether the wounded party needed to be taken to the school nurse, or whether to sacrifice one of my beloved antibacterial wipes/plasters.”

Treasure

Treasure

Anoushka
family, london, books

“Instead, my eye was caught by something else. A thrill turned into a shiver as I shifted my cold-stiffened toes and took a careful step forward. Now I could reach the unmistakably brassy-yellow crystalline rock, glinting at the stream edge. Gold!”

Blanket

Blanket

Anoushka
family

“It was a hard-working blanket and had dropped stitches and unravelling trim. It was an uncolour, its former milky creaminess lost to intense amounts of loving.”

Pavilion

Pavilion

Anoushka
london, family, culture

“Since 2000, the year I came to live in London, the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park has commissioned a temporary summer pavilion by a leading architect. I love the regularity and predictability of it. An annual marker of the summer months.”

Ice

Ice

Anoushka
family, culture

“Tucked away under that beautifully-shaved ice were pockets of strawberry sorbet, strawberry salad, chantilly cream and cookie goo.”

Pig Pen

Pig Pen

Anoushka
family, culture

“I jabbed my finger at them excitedly, and Oscar gasped in recognition, and shouted "OH MY GOSH!". I loved that he was so excited - bedtime be damned! I rushed to get my pen and paper, and we set to work.”

Boxes

Boxes

Anoushka
family, culture, memoir

“The boxes I made were a wonky, rustic affair, at the very limits of what you could reasonably call a box, and they proliferated way beyond the point of usefulness.”

Psychogeography

Psychogeography

Anoushka
travel, family, autism

“At Center Parcs, Spike summed up his essential dismay at being literally and figuratively outside of his comfort zone with exclamations of "I'm in the "Special Fares Apply" zone!". A long way from what felt like home.”

Googolplex

Googolplex

Anoushka
family, books

“Bedtime, in particular, seems to turn his thoughts to philosophical enquiry. He has probably figured out that sensible worldly questions buy him extra minutes with the light on. Maybe even a full half-hour if mummy really gets the wind in her sails!”

Home

Home

Anoushka
autism, family, travel, memoir

“There then follows a period of psychological over-adjustment, where Spike copes with the not-being-at-homeness of holidays by designating our accommodation "home". He mentally moves house.”

Monster

Monster

Anoushka
family, culture

“Oscar describes Nikker as having black teeth and a curved spine. She lives in a hollow tree, sleeps on a bed of bugs and will only eat mustard custard.”

Marble

Marble

Anoushka
family, culture

“But as term ends, we transition from being a lightly-oiled machine, marching to the beat of alarms, school bells and early tea, to a sprawling, idle, messy puddle, frantically deschooling and uncoiling.”