425 + 321 Weeks

This week has flown by.  Arley had a couple of bad days - Sunday was particularly difficult.  He is so impulsive, and he gets so stressed and angry, poor guy.   On Friday I took him up to see the new doctor I found, and I am so glad I did.  This doctor is great, really understanding and full of knowledge.  He's getting Arley on some anxiety meds, because he says the anger is just a manifestation of anxiety, that's all it is.  He was hesitant at first, but at the end of our hour-long consult, he determined it's the best thing.  I'm heading back up tomorrow with both kids, so I can get the script for Arley and let him meet Carmie too, to see if he can figure out what's going on in that big brain of hers.

Again we went to Collers Beach, and to all of the usual activities.  I am so looking forward to spring coming next week, I am over this cold weather.  We have suddenly had a cold snap today, and it is supposed to start raining heavily soon.  Our carer Wes just look the kids out to the skate park and to lunch, which gave me two hours of peace (if you call housework peaceful!).

The kids and I got our hair cut this week.  I always go to my friend who is a hair dresser, because she understands Arley.  He hates any clips being put in his hair, and he gets really angry because he doesn't like to look different, and he thinks shorter hair makes him look like a baby.  I think it's because we used to buzz his head when he was young.  So he gets pretty rude to the hair dresser.  Carmie looks super cute, even if people think she is a boy!  There have been some very confused kids in their social skills class, finding out half way through the course that the boy they have been hanging out with is a girl :/  It doesn't seem to bother her a bit though, as long as she doesn't have to deal with knots in her hair.

I am exhausted - I had a rotten night's sleep last night, between the palm tree outside dropping things on our roof, and Bella making weird noises as she dreams all night.  I can't wait to crawl into bed tonight.  At 11pm.  After three hours of work.  Poor me.

Siblings on horses :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhqYdK2mJ5Q

424 + 320 Weeks

We have had such changeable weather this week, I was sure that spring has arrived early, but now it is freezing and windy.  The end of last week was so lovely, the kids and I spent a morning picnicking at Dolphin Point.  We had the place to ourselves, barring a few people walking their dogs.  Days like that really make us appreciate home schooling.  We took the book we are reading aloud, had a climb on the rocks, wrote and drew in the sand, and school work was done for the day.  The very next day we did our weekly family exploration of Collers Beach.  We feel guilty going to any other beach, because Bella can smell the beach on us, and very obviously wishes she had been there.  She loves to play with the other dogs, and she is literally exhausted for the next 24 hours.  We love it because Collers has a good many things to discover.  Arley likes to find crab and lobster shells and smash them to pieces, and we all like to go fossicking.  And for the most part, the kids come home a lot calmer than when they left.

Horse riding was postponed on Monday because the winds were so bad.  We had it this morning though, and will again tomorrow.  At tennis, the kids are on fire, learning backhand, forehand and smashes.  They are really enjoying it.  They also went to social skills group, and they left saying how much fun it was, as opposed to three weeks ago when they said they are never going back!

One downer from this week was Arley's anxiety when we went over to their friends Willow and Finn's house.  It broke my heart.  Arley has a thing about not wanting to take his shoes off, but usually he is fine if he can keep his socks on.  This time he wasn't, and we wanted him to take his shoes off before entering the house.  It caused so much distress in him, he was angry and defiant, rude and really stressed.  I couldn't snap him out of it, and then towards the end I went outside to him and he was just sobbing and sobbing.  I was so sad for him.  Because of his anxiety, we are looking to get him on some meds to help out.  We had OT today, and his therapist thinks it's a good idea too.  After three years of therapy, we are at the point where we need some different kind of help, to move him forward learning different skills.  Good paediatricians who are knowledgeable about autism and ADHD etc are really hard to come by in this area.  I have found a new doctor who has moved down from Sydney last year, and is working out of Nowra.  He is a GP who specialises is paediatrics and autism, and has an autistic son himself.  I am actually taking Arley up to meet him tomorrow.  I am so happy that there is now a doctor here who has knowledge, experience and understanding.  I have high hopes for this one!

My studio reorganisation has worked out amazingly well.  I have probably got 25% more room in there, as well as a desk each for the kids.  They absolutely love having access to all my art supplies, and beg to go there all the time.  Arley even took himself up there on his own last night after dinner.  I think it will work out well.  Even if I don't get to work more than before (which hopefully won't be the case!), I am so happy that they have this experience with a working studio.  Lucky kids!

At Dolphin Point

Collers Beach

Picking Mr Curly's citrus fruit

Our new studio

At horse riding this morning.

423 + 319 Weeks

It's been a good week, with a little drama here and there but nothing we can't manage.  The kids went up to Bowral on Sunday with Lolo and Dida, for a visit with Georgia and Zach and Baz, as well as Sting who came down from Sydney.  They had a lovely time, fell in love with Aunty Georgia's new cat, and had their fill of birthday cake.  I stayed home to get some work done.  I have been painting like crazy lately, but it is never enough.  The kids have really been feeling my absence, saying they wish I didn't have to work so much, so we have decided to revamp my studio to a place they can share with me.  It is going to take a bit of work, and some time and muscle from Jeffrey building shelves, but once it is done, I think it will be great.  We have bought some desks for the kids that will go up there, and they will have access to all of my art supplies.  They are really excited about it - I'm just dreading clearing and organising my studio, it is a mess up there!

It was ridiculously windy this week too, but we had to get the kids out, so one morning we braved the playground at Conjola.  The kids love the bouncy pillow and like to scare the life out of me by climbing the rope pyramid.  It is good exercise, and it was enough to get all their crankies out.

The kids had their two horse riding lessons this week.  Arley is off and running with his cantering, and looks so good up on Rocky.  He doesn't realise it, but horse riding keeps him so level.  Carmie is doing brilliantly too, and is saying she wants to be a jockey.

The highlight of our week was going to the Shoalhaven zoo up in Nowra.  Jeffrey was supposed to take the kids on his own, but they have been begging for my attention lately, and were practically crying to get me to go too. I'm so glad I did, because it was such a lovely family day.  The zoo is so interactive, and really beautiful too.  We all have our favourite animals, and Jeffrey has a least favourite - a goose that was attacking him in the farmyard.  It would have been funny but for the goose's incredibly hard beak!  The kids got to pet a deer, goats and sheep, as well as a wombat, koala, baby crocodile and bearded dragon.  They loved it.

I have just come inside from playing with the kids.  We have taken the training wheels off Arley's bike, and he is learning to ride, and hating every second of it.  He has serious anxiety about it and the thought of me letting go of his bike, so I spent half the afternoon running along beside him, until the pedal just about ripped my ankle off.  We are going to try every day that Jeff is at work, so we can surprise him.

This week Carmie has been a little emotional.  We are working on her coming to tell us that she is upset instead of wailing throughout the house to get our attention.  It's hard going though!  Today she has just decided to start writing short stories.  They are really short (like one paragraph), but this is a first for her, and I'm really happy about it.  I don't force school work on them, so it is really affirming to see her do it herself.  She is also working on a comic, and has put SO much work into it.  Arley would still rather be learning on a screen than any other way, but he also likes to draw.  This week we were talking and he asked me what infected means, because whenever he hears it, all he thinks about is zombies.  It's so funny what they come out with sometimes!

A video of Arley cantering like a champ!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtG9lR9pSZw

At Conjola

Silliness with Bella

At the zoo.

422 + 218 Weeks

It has been a rather uneventful week, with a few angry incidents from Arley, one day when he was quite oppositional, but pretty smooth sailing for the rest of it.  Arley's temper gets the better of him a lot, and I'm trying to teach him that it is OK to be angry, but not OK to scream and shout.  It seems his instant reaction is anger.  Luckily though, he has had more happy days than angry days lately, so that is a win.  And when he is not angry, he is the cuddliest, cutest little guy.  I think he gets bored easily, and his go-to is always screen related, but I limit that as much as I can.  Carmie on the other hand is quite happy to spend hours reading and drawing. We have three very cold and windy days ahead of us, and I just know that Arley is going to do my head in.

We got to Collers Beach again this week, and we found a Port Jackson shark washed up on the beach.  It was such an interesting find, with its nubby little teeth and leathery skin.  The kids had no problems touching it, and Arley even found an old fish knife and wanted to cut its head open to see the brain.  He was fairly desperate to do it, but I didn't think the other beach-goers would appreciate it!

The kids had their horse riding lessons as usual, and also their tennis lesson.  They went to their social skills group, and for a sleep over at Lolo and Dida's.  They went to Peak after school care, and their carer Jake took them to Mollymook park.  Jeffrey also took them to Mollymook park for a play, and their other carer Wes took them to the pool for a swim.  I think this is pretty much how our weeks are going to go, as I have so much painting work to do, I am making use of the carers and Jeffrey as much as possible.  The kids are definitely feeling my absence, but I think a bit of independence from me can only be a good thing.  Or maybe it is me feeling their loss!

Park play with Dad

 Collers Beach