420 + 316 Weeks

It has been a good week.  I am so very glad that school holidays are over and the kids are back to their regular routine and activities.  Instead of having time off and relaxing during school holidays, Carmie and Arley get totally over scheduled, and it really throws Arley for a loop.  He is much calmer this week, and therefore easier to be around, and everything has been much smoother.

We made yet another trip to Collers beach this week.  The weather has been amazing, like spring.  Once again we had a 'find the best fossil' competition, and my prize was to take everyone to get ice blocks after the beach.  I claimed the prize, even though Jeff definitely found the best fossil on the way out.  By that time the kids were too excited to get their ice blocks to proclaim their dad the winner.

The kids started tennis lessons on Tuesday.  I was a little apprehensive, but they absolutely loved it.  I was worried that Arley would flip out every time he missed the ball, or lost, but he was great, all smiles.  We will be going back every Tuesday, and I'm even thinking of getting a few lessons myself :)

Horse riding started up again too, and I am so glad, because it makes such a difference to the kids.  It is a lovely way to start the day, it makes them centred, and it is great exercise and fresh air.  This morning the kids were trotting around the jumping course, and Carmie was on the bigger horse, Percy.  Half way through the course, Percy started speeding up, and then suddenly he was cantering over the jumps, and Carmie was completely unprepared but took it in stride.  She has only very briefly (and accidentally) cantered on Percy once before, because he is much faster, and when I saw it happen, my heart was in my butt!  She wasn't even holding the saddle handle which helps her to stay on.  So, I think pretty soon she will be learning to canter on Percy so that this doesn't spontaneously happen again.

We also had OT today, and our therapist sees big changes in Arley.  He is sharing more, keeping his cool when things don't go his way, and now that the holidays are over, he is on the right track again.  Going forward we are going to try to scaffold him more for school holidays, or any time his schedule changes, so that his anxiety doesn't escalate so much.  The kids also started their social skills class this week.  They weren't happy at all, because as Carmie said, it was just like school.  I told her she can handle one hour a week given all the other kids in the group go five days a week!

I have been painting every chance I get.  I am hooked on listening to this crime junkie podcast.  I have listened so much that the podcast host is starting to narrate my dreams!  But it is making my work more interesting if not more spooky and depressing.

Here's a video of Percy teaching Carmie how to canter over a jump:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YriD7g2Jdik

Collers Beach

 Sunday evening

419 + 315 Weeks

Even though I saw the kids less this week than usual, I am exhausted!  They went to horse riding camp for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  They came back every day happy but tired.  Now when Arley complains about sweeping under the dining room table every night (his job), I let him know that I watched him shovel horse poo for half an hour, three days in a row - I know he can sweep for five minutes.  It doesn't stop him from complaining though!

The kids also spent a day with their Lolo, and they spent today at PEAK holiday care.  They were super happy to go today because there was a petting zoo there. So, I have had lots of kid-free time, which I have put to good use.  I have started the paintings for my 2020 show, but sadly I am way behind already.  My deadline is really tight, but I'm trying not to stress.

On Monday I took the kids for a play at Narrawallee with their friends Willow and Finn.  All four kids were emotional and off in their own way, but the play ended well with an exploration of the inlet and all four being friends.  It was amazingly beautiful there, and it's always good to see Kylie.

Arley has been back to his old tricks, quite oppositional and ornery.  I think it is because his whole schedule has been shaken up due to school holidays.  It is amazing how his defiance can throw our whole household into turmoil.  It is 100% not his fault, and I completely understand that it is all a stress response, but that doesn't make it much easier when you are living it.  I feel terrible for him, because he must be feeling pretty awful when he acts that way.  He has been pretty calm today, and I was really surprised when one of the PEAK teachers, who I'd never met, came up to me and asked if I was Arley's mum.  He proceeded to tell me what an amazing listener Arley had been today, and how great he had been all day, and how impressed he was with him.  I told him that we'd been having such a tough week, and he said he didn't even know Arley is autistic, he was just telling me because Arley stood out among all the kids.  So, there is hope!

Carmie is really coming into her own lately.  She is developing a sense of humour and quick wit, and she is being really helpful around the house.  She is such a quirky little thing, always with her nose in a book.  I have noticed that her speech disorder is quite apparent, and I'll be following up next week with the speech therapist.  The kids start their social skills class on Tuesday, as well as tennis lessons.  I can't wait to get them into a regular routine again.

Also, the AP is coming tomorrow to reregister us for homeschooling.  I'm hoping to get a two year registration, so fingers crossed!

Carmie and Percy

 Shovelling sawdust (not poo, that was earlier!)

 Horse decorating

 Jeff's new look

 Our Smelsy

 Arley diligently watering our herbs and veggies

 Outing with Lolo

418 + 314 Weeks

Now that all the birthday drama is over, things are definitely calmer around here.  We had Lolo and Dida over on Friday because it was Lolo's birthday, and then the kids happily went off to their after school program they go to twice a week.  Winter has well and truly set in, but we still made it to Collers Beach for some fossicking and a run for Bella.  We found some awesome fossils, and it seems to be a bit of a new hobby for us.  We always have a competition to see who can find the best one, and this time it was Jeffrey.  But we all awarded ourselves with prizes, because no one would admit defeat :)

I took the kids over to their friends Willow and Finn's place for a play.  The kids had a great time and ended up in swimmers on the trampoline with a hose, despite the weather.  Arley completely fell in love with their beautiful hand-reared chickens.  Like, so much so that he has asked about them at least five times every day since, and he even asked me if he could work for Kylie in exchange for taking care of them.  He wants us to build a 'chicken farm' in the back yard.  He is relentless!

We have set up more patio equipment on the back patio, and the kids are loving it. They spend so long out there getting their energy out, Carmie even has serious callouses on her hands.  They have both been using the punching bag, and they love their new red swing.  The patio is a saving grace for us, I wish it was twice as big.

On Wednesday the kids went to the holiday care program at Ulladulla Public School.  They all got to go to the movies, and Carmie and Arley were stoked because their old friends and neighbours Callum and Eligh were there.  When I saw Callum at the end of the day, he said to me that in their new neighbourhood they have lots of kids but no place is like ours, so could they please come for a play soon.  It was so nice to hear, and I'm really happy the kids reconnected again.

Today the kids went to day 1 of horse riding camp.  It was ridiculously windy and cold, but they all braved the weather and had a great time.  Carmie and Arley are thoroughly exhausted, but both are really looking forward to tomorrow.  Carmie is on Percy and Arley is on Rocky, their favourite horses, so they are super happy.  And I'm super happy because I'm finally getting some breathing room!  Not that I don't love having the kids around, but how nice is it to get a break?  I even had morning tea with a new friend today, and had a real grown up conversation!  It was very refreshing!  I have two more days of peace ahead of me, and I'm going to make the most of them.  I'm going to work, but that's refreshing too :)

A video of Carmie on the patio:

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

Lolo's birthday

 Carmie the wolf

 Loving their swinging ball

 Boxing lesson with Dad

 Creating her balloon family

At Collers Beach

 Playdate at Willow and Finn's

 Chicken love!

417 + 313 Week

What a big week we had!  The kids turned eight and six on Tuesday!  They were so completely excited, it is silly.  We had their birthday party on Sunday at Flip Out in Nowra, and they had so much fun.  Three friends couldn't make it, and one actually arrived sick and had to leave, so in the end there were nine kids in all, and their parents.  Of course I had catered for an army, and the kids ate so much more junk food than is good for them.  Luckily they burned off a lot of energy trampolining, and there were no meltdowns!  We thought Arley would lose the plot at some point because of all of the excitement, but he held it together until dinner that night.  We were ready for monster Arley to come out after such a big day, but he wasn't so bad, considering.  

The very next morning the kids had horse riding, which is like a magic pill to get him back on track.  They did so well at that lesson.  Arley's trotting has gotten so good, and Carmie cantered two lengths around the arena, and then went on to canter 20m circles without holding the saddle handle (so hands just holding the reigns).  It was so cool to see, and she was so stoked with herself.

Directly after horse riding we met up with our homeschool friends at Mollymook park.  Carmie and Arley played with Winter and Yenje, and the four of them got along so well.  That's about as big a group as they can handle it seems, and it was so nice to see all of the kids including each other and playing so well together.  It turned into a three and a half hour play, and then I had to take the kids straight to drama class, so it was another huge day.

And then Tuesday was their birthday.  I can't believe they are eight and six.  It just seems so much older than seven and five!  Jeffrey had to work until the early afternoon, so I let the kids choose what they wanted to do to fill in the time.  They chose to get ice creams in Milton and then to go play croquet at the horse park.  It was a really good day, and time passed quickly.  Arley was desperate to open his presents first thing in the morning, but luckily he was too preoccupied with his day to continue begging me.  After Jeffrey got home, Lolo and Dida came over and the kids got to open their presents.  They were both really happy with their loot and made out like bandits.  That night we watched Spiderman 2 at the kids' request, to wrap up the end of their birthday.  Carmie kept saying what a great day it had been :)

Arley was a little off on Wednesday morning - the comedown after three days of excitement and junk food.  We went to the oval to try their new stomp rockets (success!) and to play their new Bocci Ball set.  While Carmie and I thought it was so much fun, Arley got frustrated easily and was being rather oppositional.  Luckily that afternoon the kids had another horse riding lesson, which got Arley right back on track.  I wish the kids could start out with horse riding every morning, because I know we would be set up for a smooth day every day :)

Today was cold and rainy, so I took the kids into town to the bookstore to spend their gift certificates. They had a playdate with their friend Dusty this afternoon, to make up for Dusty missing their party.  The playdate went very smoothly for the most part, until Arley didn't get his way, but he soon got over it and he and Dusty were laughing up a storm.  

I am hoping to calm things down a lot in the next week.  Birthday excitement is over, and I'd like Arley to have a smooth week.  Carmie was very emotional at dinner tonight, so I think some down time definitely is needed.  On a good note, Carmie did her fist load of laundry today!!

Here are a bunch more horse riding videos.  I can't help myself, especially when they are learning new skills!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0QgLYSagko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IG7d4MRUEU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIeFv2ipnqM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtRdtZTcsQ4

Narrawallee Inlet at low tide

 Pre-party fun

 Birthday party fun

                                                
Doing Dora dance on the Xbox

 Homeschool play at Mollymook

I found this beauty in Arley's drama book!

 Arley, six years old on the dot!

 Carmie, eight years old on the dot!

 Birthday ice creams

 Too excited!

 Playing with their new stomp rocket

 Loving their new bocci ball set!

 New horse riding helmet :)