We've had such a good week, except for one 36 hour period. Our new diet is still crazy hard work, but we are seeing such changes in Arley, it is SO worth it. I would so much rather have him be calm, happy and peaceful while I spend all day in the kitchen, then give him food that he reacts to but spend less time preparing. We have noticed such a change in him. He opted to stay home once when I had to go to the store (this is a first), so his separation anxiety is getting better. I lost my cool with him yesterday and yelled (yes, naughty mummy), and normally he would break down into an emotional mess for being yelled at, but this time he just looked at me, said sorry and then patted my head! He also went trick or treating without being nervous, and went up to people's doors to ask for candy. And he's been easier to deal with all around. Except for after dinner on Sunday, after his bath, I wouldn't put his socks on (he has been sleeping in socks, and walking around in socks, refusing to take them off because he has a sensory problem with his feet). It was 30 degrees at bedtime, and I just couldn't bring myself to let him sleep in socks when it was so hot, and he already overheats at night time. He cried for over an hour (I cuddled him through it and thought we were making progress, and he did go to bed without his socks calmly in the end). But then he woke up the next day SO grumpy, talking back, yelling, being mean, crying over the smallest thing, just being antagonistic all day long. I took him to his OT which had been switched to Monday, and we couldn't get him to focus on anything. At first we couldn't even get him out of the car, his therapist had to come out to get him. She had set up activities for him to do, and he just wasn't interested, he just kept leaping about and yelling and was climbing the walls. So instead, his therapist pulled out all of the equipment and had him doing all of this upper body heavy work. She said that halfway through most kids would have quit and asked for a rest, but Arley just kept going and going, thorough the whole session, and then the therapist suggested I take him to the park for some more climbing! He was volatile that afternoon too. All day I was upset because I kept thinking about how well we had been doing on the diet, and maybe I had been wrong all along, but that it really seemed like he was having a reaction to something. He woke up the next day back to his new nicer calmer self. Well, tonight I just looked on our weekly menu (yes, I do a weekly menu!) to see what we ate on Sunday night, and it was 'Asian rice noodles' with tamari. For some reason I had thought that the gluten free tamari was fine, but I just realised it is the same as regular soy sauce, and crazy high in glutamate. I'm not willing to test him again on tamari to see if he reacts again, but I do think I am on to something!
So yes, it was Halloween on Tuesday. During the day Arley decided he was going to be a witch, and Carmie decided she was going to be a princess. Then Arley couldn't take it and decided to be a princess too. Then Carmie found a box and decorated it and then put it on, and very randomly decided she was going to be a cardboard box for Halloween! I told her that she wouldn't fit in her car seat (you have to drive around for Halloween, as the houses that participate are few and far between). She was determined to wear it and was so proud (it was so cute!). So, we got all ready, and received a few trick or treaters at our door. Then she must have looked around and realised that there were no other kids dressed up like cardboard boxes, and she took hers off, told me she felt silly, and refused to wear it trick or treating. This totally broke mine and Jeff's hearts for her :( . Anyway, Arley made a beautiful princess, and Carmie just went costumeless. They had so much fun, and were super excited to collect all their lollies, because they knew that Jeff and I were going to buy them from them. Which we did. So, the next day, I took them, armed with their money boxes, to the toy store to buy themselves a Halloween present. It worked so well, they were happy, and they did not eat a single candy!
The kids and I spent a day taking Bella to Collers Beach for a good run. We were there for ages, as we walked to the rocks on the other side, and the kids decided that they were going to try to mine for gold. They very diligently smashed rocks together to find gold, to no avail. They were so content doing this, it was quite relaxing for me! One day I'm actually going to have to take them gold panning, maybe they will actually have a chance to find a real speck!
We had a picnic dinner at the park in Milton on Saturday night. The weather was perfect for it, and it was such a nice evening. The kids had a really good play on the beautiful giant fig tree, and Jeff and I enjoyed some beers in the evening light. The perfect Saturday night.
Carmie has been a bit up and down this week. She is very resistant to doing anything productive besides reading, so we are making it a policy to have her sit and do some painting or crafting or something, anything besides reading. Arley's behaviour therapist has put her two bob's worth in and suggested that Carmie might need a bit of structure to her day, so we are giving it a go. This turned into a major meltdown today when I asked her to sit and do some letter practice. I definitely have to find a better way, because she was not happy. I was just so damn busy cooking in the kitchen that I wasn't much help to her. I think that once I get this new cooking and baking under control, things will be easier and I'll have more time to spend with her. She is painting a lovely series of paintings though, which makes us both happy :)
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