377 + 273 Weeks

Well, the first part of this week was smooth sailing.  We had swimming on Friday, and a family lunch with Lolo and Dida and the Bambers in Huskisson at the pub.  The food took a while to come but the kids were brilliantly patient.  After lunch Jeffrey and I took the kids for a play at the park before going home.  The kids were so good - they played together all weekend and worked very conscientiously on joint handmade birthday presents for me.  I couldn't believe the hours they spent together drawing.  Arley was just so nice to Carmie, and Carmie was just so patient with him.

On Monday the kids had horse riding.  Carmie has decided it is her number one activity.  Arley is learning to bond with the horse, and is learning to walk and trot while being lead.  Carmie is learning to steer the horse through an obstacle course.  Afterwards we went to the bakery and got pizzas, and it was a lovely day.

And then Tuesday was my birthday.  Arley woke up excited, and he was quite hyperactive.  The kids had made me four comic books - my favourite birthday presents to date.  Carmie drew all of the animals and Arley drew all of the people, and there were also birthday cards hidden in the back of each one.  Carmie also made me a diary and a colouring in book.  So cute, and they were so excited.  As the day went on, Arley's energy went from positive to negative to outright nasty.  I can't even go into the things that he said to me that day because I don't want to remember them.  That night Mum had invited us over for dinner, so at least I didn't have to cook.  The kids had a sleepover at their Lolo and Dida's that night, which was just the best birthday present ever, considering.  So I slept in on Wednesday morning and leisurely got my work underway.  I picked the kids up that night, and apparently Arley had been hyperactive but nice enough at Mum's.  Carmie had Scouts and they put on a little play for all of the parents, and it was so cute, I got a little teary!

Arley continued to be rotten last night, and then woke up this morning and just kept it up.  He had me in tears today, and I literally threatened the kids with sending them to boarding school!  From homeschooling to boarding school, now there's a 360!  I never could do it though, it's just when Arley is in the middle of a regression that I get disheartened.  And I hope that is all this is, a little regression that he just has to push through.

I don't have much more to report on.  It's been a fairly traumatic few days :(

 In Huskisson

 Looking not so fresh on my birthday!

376 + 272 Weeks

We have all had a lovely week.  On Saturday we took Bella to Collers Beach again (it seems like this is our favourite thing to do at the moment).  It was a little overcast, but still warm, and we stayed quite a while.  Arley got a little pushy with Carmie on the rocks, but other than that, everything was great.  That evening after dinner, we dropped the kids off at their Lolo and Dida's house, to stay until Wednesday, so Jeffrey and I could go house hunting in Port Macquarie.  We drove all day Sunday and arrived in the late afternoon, in time to settle in to our apartment, which was brilliantly located right opposite Flynn's Beach.  We walked to a restaurant that night, and it was SO good to have a date night!  The following day we had house viewings.  We saw four houses - it would have been five but one sold over the weekend.  And we actually found a house that we love.  It is central to town, right next to a reserve, has a pool for the kids - we want it pretty badly.  So anyway, Monday was spent looking at houses with intermittent shopping (two malls there, couldn't believe it!).  On Tuesday we saw only one house, and then spent the rest of the time checking out Port Macquarie, and we fell in love with it so much more.  I can't wait to move, I know it will be the best thing for us.  On Wednesday we had a coffee at Flynn's Beach before we left, and it was hard to get in the car for the long drive home.  I was very excited to see the kids again though!  It was Dida's birthday on that Wednesday, so when we got back, we had dinner together at Mum's, and then birthday cake that the kids had decorated.  They were so excited :)

While we were away, the kids had a lovely time at their grandparents.  Apparently Arley only had one bad incident there.  They continued with their horse riding (they still love it!), and they took Bella for walks, went into town for ice-cream, played games with Lolo - had a blast.  Arley had a minor injury.  Apparently he went running after a ball and fell, hitting his nose on a chair.  He got a massive nose bleed and now his nose is a bit scabbed and bruised.  The problem is, Arley is prone to nose bleeds, and now his nose is out of control.  Since yesterday morning he has had five heavy nose bleeds.  I hope it heals soon - we are putting Aquaphor up his nostril several times a day.  Poor little guy, just what he doesn't need. 

It is lovely to be with them again.  We weren't gone for long, but it seemed like such a break.  Our OT warned me that Arley might be very difficult for two or three weeks (!) after our return, but he has been great!  I'm so relieved.  We had playgroup today, and it was such a good time, the five kids played together so well, with barely any adult intervention (which is really impressive in playgroup with two special needs kids).  They had a blast, and can't wait to go next week.  We followed this with Carmie's Japanese class, and then a trip to the supermarket, and everything was a breeze.  I don't want to jinx things, but Arley has been so much better these last few weeks, it feels like we might be turning a corner.

And little Carmie?  She has been making all different diaries and journals for herself, and it is so nice to see her sitting at her desk with her head down writing and drawing diligently.  I guess this is what happens when you don't bug her to do schoolwork!  She goes and does cool stuff of her own accord :)

At Collers Beach

 Working hard 'mining'

 Overlooking Flynn's Beach, Port Macquarie

 Our last morning

 Home again!

 Helping Dida to blow out his candles.

375 + 271 Weeks

This past weekend we decided to take the kids on a hike somewhere new, and we thought the Bomaderry Creek reserve would be good - it is supposed to be lovely.  It's 40 minutes drive away, so we gave Carmie her car sickness pill, and we were off.  Thirty minutes into the trip, Arely started saying he was hot, and he was sick, so we pulled over and got his sweater off.  Then we drove for five more minutes before he started squealing that he was sick, so I gave him a large ramekin (it had corn chips in it earlier), thinking that it wasn't really going to help in the case of him vomiting, but it might give him some security.  Within seconds he was vomiting, and amazingly he vomited directly into the ramekin without making any mess!  We pulled over again and gave him some fresh air, then drove on to the reserve.  Which was closed!  Due to the recent bushfires.  On the way back to the car, Carmie jumped a puddle without realising the other side was all mud.  She slipped in the mud onto her butt and was covered in mud.  We got the crying Carmie back in the car (sitting on a towel) and tried to find somewhere to have our picnic lunch.  The kids were starving (never a good thing!) and we ended up having our lunch on a table next to the highway!!  After eating we took a walk and discovered a lovely park area that would have been perfect for our lunch :(  This whole debacle makes me feel like never planning another adventure!

I found a horse therapy place that is much closer than the last one, so Arley started this week, and Carmie did it too because I knew he wouldn't take part unless she was.  They loved it!!  They got to ride the pony, and while Carmie did go first, it didn't take Arley long to want a go.  He didn't pull any of his "I'm shy" nonsense, and he had a blast.  Carmie loved it so much that next week she is starting horse riding lessons, right after Arely's therapy.  She has said every day since then, "I can't wait for Monday!"  Afterwards we went to a cafe and had lunch, and both kids actually took my lunch away from me and ate it.  I couldn't believe my eyes when Arley took my pizza full of strange (to him) toppings and ate it with his hands, saying "Yum!" after every bite.  This is huge for him, and he was so proud of himself.  

The kids and I did lots of scooting this week.  It is hard work!  We went to visit Lolo and then scooted into town for iceblocks.  Another day we went to Burrill, parked on the near side of the bridge so we could scoot all the way over it and then on to the duck park.  I know it's so dorky, but we get so many smiles from people :)  It's good exercise, and really fun too.  

Arley has had a really good week.  He has been a bit antagonistic today, but all in all, he has been great, with a few excellent days, which happens rarely, so I am thankful and really proud of him.  Carmie has been a little sick with a really bad cough and a small cold, and now Jeffrey and I seem to be coming down with it.  We are hoping to not get hit too hard, as we are heading up to Port Macquarie again on Sunday, through Wednesday, for more house hunting.  I am excited but I don't like leaving the kids, I'll miss them so much.  They'll be staying with their Lolo and Dida, and they are really excited about it :)

Here is a video of Arley trotting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riV0z8LygCs

 At the duck park

 Look at the books he's reading now!  He will only chose thick ones :)

 It was Bella's birthday this week - she turned 9.