373 + 269 Weeks

I can't believe it's time to write the blog again - this week flew by.  It has been really cold, so not very pleasant to be outside.  It feels like this has been the longest winter ever.  Spring is in two days, but it is so cold lately, I just don't believe it.  We still got the kids outside though, as it is so very necessary for our sanity!  Arley has been bouncing off the walls this week.  His aggression has lessened, only to be replaced by unending boundless energy.  There has been lots of noise making, jumping, squirming, and gibberish talk.  It's like living with a hyperactive mini Doctor Suess.  He feels the need to rhyme ALL the time.  We get a lot of: "Mum?  I've got gum.  I've got gum on my dumb bum."  Things like that.  It is fairly maddening.  Jeff took the kids out to the park on Tuesday and Arley ran for about two hours, and that was the only afternoon that he wasn't bouncing off the walls.  It's exhausting!  But at least he hasn't been hitting me!

We did our first horse therapy this week.  It was great!  We met a giant pig called Sal, and there were three horses for the kids to bond with.  The therapist was teaching Arley how the horses breathe when they need to expel energy, which is exactly what he needs.  The kids got to groom the horses, and feed them, and pet them, and they loved it.  

Arley has been doing this very frustrating thing lately, telling me he is shy when we are going to hang out with people, or go to the park and there are other people there.  He then clings on to me from behind, so I can't talk to him, reason with him, or even move.  On Friday he refused to go in the pool at his swimming lesson because he said he was shy.  It was all I could do not to pick him up and throw him in!!  He has known his teacher for four years, so there is no way he was shy!  It is beyond annoying.

Carmie went to drama class on Monday, and I showed up early to pick her up, so I could watch for a bit.  She has gained so much confidence, it is so nice to see.  And she absolutely loves drama, as well as her Scouts.  Today she had Japanese class, and then the kids had a big play with their friends.  And this morning I took the kids to playgroup.  There is only one other boy in the group so far, as it is new, but the kids still enjoy it, so we will keep going.

The kids had a sleepover on Tuesday night, at their Lolo and Dida's.  It was so nice to have a night off, we appreciate the time SO much!  Thank goodness for grandparents.

Arley with Sal the pig.

 Collecting chicken eggs

 We made slime this week.

 At playgroup

 Arley and Jasper, while the big kids were in Japanese class

372 + 268 Weeks

This week has been very up and down.  On Sunday we had a family lunch at Hyams Beach.  It was really lovely, and Carmie didn't even get sick on the drive.  We met Lolo and Dida and Georgia and Zach there, to celebrate Georgia's birthday.  We had a walk on the beach and the rocks, and then a really nice lunch.  The kids did great sitting in the cafe for so long - we have definitely come to the time when we can take them out to eat and not have to worry about behaviour.  Thank goodness, it has been a long road!

Over the weekend we also had the kids' friend Hannah over  for a play.  It was pretty stressful, and from now on playdates are definitely going to be out at parks or the beach, or someplace not at home!  Then on Monday I took the kids to the library.  It turned into a trip from hell.  Arley was hungry, but too worried about making a mess in the library to eat any of the snacks I had brought.  He had refused to eat before we left claiming he wasn't hungry at all :(  Carmie took forever choosing her books.  Then we went to check out, and I realised I had left all of our cards at home, so the librarian had to look us all up, and of course the kids had chosen about 40 books.  Checkout took about ten minutes, and Arley started pushing Carmie around.  I asked him not to, but he continued.  So then I told him he was going to lose 5c from his $1 he would receive that day (a new reward system we are trying out).  He absolutely flipped out, and he was screaming and punching me, hitting, scratching - he even bit me.  The two librarians were trying to 'help' which only made him worse, and he just did not care about the people queuing behind us.  It was the worst public meltdown he has ever had.  When we were finally done, one of the librarians looked at me with such sympathy that I burst into tears and ran out of there, with the tantrumming Arely and crying Carmie following me.  It was pretty emotionally devastating to me.  Arley was very remorseful afterwards, and very apologetic, but there's no getting over that behaviour quickly.  Mum felt bad so picked the kids up on Tuesday for a sleepover so I could have a break.  Since then he started a mini tantrum once at home and hit me again.  I reminded him of the library, and he stopped.  He has been quite volatile though, and in an effort to curb his aggression, we have taken his Roblox computer game away from him.  It is really hard, and I feel bad for him, because he just loves playing Roblox.  He has been allowed to play for half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon, but in between it is all he talks about - he is obsessed.  It is what a lot of our fights have been about, and we truly think it makes him unstable.  So, we are doing some time without it, and he is really really sad.

On a nice note, we had a visit from Oma and Opa tonight.  The kids were very excited beforehand, and Carmie was a bouncing ball of cute energy.  Arley was on and off shy all night.  He spent a lot of time hiding behind me, but after dinner we sat and played some games, and he loosened up and came out of his shell a bit.  Then when they left he was so sad to see them go and kept asking if we could drive to Bowral tomorrow so we could go visit Aunty Georgia with them :)

Carmie has started guitar lessons with Jeffrey.  She is quite happy about it because she wants to go busking and make lots of money.  She has put up with a lot this week, and she still continues to be patient and cheery.  I just hope her positive attitude and sweet nature rub off on her brother!!

Carmie's new reading spot

 Morning with Dad

 At the beautiful Hyams Beach

 Making slime

Kicking Opa's butt at Gobblet Gobblers

371 + 267 Weeks

We have had a good, busy and interesting week!  There have been some major bushfires in our area, with lots of people evacuated from their homes.  We have been fine, albeit with lots of smoke and ash.  Everything smells like smoke, inside and out, and on Wednesday the sky was just a big smoke cloud, but we are all OK.  It has made for some interesting discussions and some worry about friends who have been evacuated, and so rather exciting for the kids.  The fires are still blazing, and we can hear the sea planes and helicopters that are dumping water.  I think they have saved all of the houses, which is great.  Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Arley has had a fantastic week (until an hour long tanty this morning).  We have been able to calm him much sooner than normal, and he and Carmie have been playing well together.  He is still hitting me on the butt 100 times a day, and still tries to drive Carmie nuts, but overall he has been handling things more calmly.  This morning he didn't want to go bowling (with our friends who have been evacuated), and for an hour he screeched and stomped and punched and kicked.  I finally walked out the front door and told him I was calling the police to look after him!  In a panic he ran to the car, cried all the way to bowling, had to be coerced inside, started his bowling game, loved it, and then won!  Such a pain in the butt!  On the way home he told me how silly he feels now.  Hopefully he remembers this the next time I ask him to do something fun but out of the ordinary.

We have started up our psychology sessions again, so we went down to Merry Beach for the session, and then took the kids for an exploration of the rocks on the south end.  It was amazing, so beautiful down there.  We will definitely go back for more exploring and see how far we can go.  Arley was a bit scared and screaming at the spray at one point, but he was always safe.  At low tide, it is such a great place to go beach exploring.

This week the kids also went for a super long swim, we played softball, I took them out for lunch, and for a play at Narrawallee park.  We accidentally left their scooters at Japanese class last Thursday (there is the scooter track there). When I called to see if they were left there, they said no.  I drove down and searched myself.  I asked people.  I came back with nothing.  The kids were so disappointed that Carmie offered to buy herself a new one with her pocket money.  So, I had to buy them new scooters.  They cost a fortune, because I got good ones that are for ages 5-12, so they will last a while.  And then of course when we were back there today, one of the caretakers came out and asked me if I lost two scooters last week!  I haven't told Jeff yet, and don't think I will!  :)

Cutest video ever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4F3Fxg_5Ww

They love their totem tennis :)

 Modelling his new sweater that Lolo made

 At Merry Beach

 Little Carmie is sitting in there enjoying the view

 Dad rescuing Carmie on the rocks - she wasn't wearing shoes

 Smart little kiddies!

 At Narrawallee