429 + 325 Weeks

We have had a busy week, which included me turning 45.  45!  I can't believe it.  Half way to 90, if I get there.  As part of my birthday present, Jeffrey relinquished a massage that I had bought him earlier in the year.  When he told me I could have it, I jumped on it.  So that's what I did on Saturday morning, and it was lovely.  Afterwards Jeffrey and I took the kids out to the donut van to buy hot cinnamon donuts.  They were pretty happy too.

The kids' horse riding lessons have dropped down to one day a week, otherwise we would run out of NDIS funding before it was due to roll over in May.  So, Jeff took them on Monday so that I could work, but I missed Carmie jumping while cantering.  He didn't take videos, the slacker.  The kids also had their eyes tested this week, and both came out with minor issues but nothing to warrant glasses.  We spent the morning in town that day, playing at the harbour, buying ice blocks, shopping.

Arley has been quite volatile this week.  He is still so very angry.  I'm not sure if it is habit or if it is just his personality, at this point.  The kids and I go out every morning first thing and play handball and draw in the cul de sac.  It's good for us all to get some early morning sunlight and to get our bodies moving.  Carmie loves it, but Arley complains almost every morning.  On Tuesday night the kids had a sleep over at Lolo and Dida's, which meant I woke up alone on my birthday, which was really quite restful!  Until I got messages form Mum saying the kids couldn't wait to see me and give me presents.  Apparently they had been up since 5:50am in excitement.  By the time I got there at 8:45, Arley was beside himself.  He had refused to eat that morning, so he was also very hangry.  I unwrapped the sweetest presents ever from the kids, and then Arley let loose and created the old Arley chaos that I dread.  He left me in tears.  So much shouting and stomping and arguing, trying to get him to eat.  It made Carmie off kilter too, and she started shouting and crying over a book Arley wouldn't share.  Ugh.  Not a great way to start my birthday.  I left there and went into town, and treated myself to a foot massage, and by the time that was done, I felt much better.  I went home and worked for the rest of the day, which I don't mind so much, because at least it is peaceful.  The kids went to after school care that afternoon, and then Lolo and Dida picked them up on the way to our house for dinner.  Jeffrey had cooked a lovely meal, and it turned out to be a really nice dinner, with the kids on good behaviour, so my day ended well.

Today Wes took the kids swimming so I could have a break to do some chores.  I really needed it, but still that didn't help with this afternoon.  Arley and I got into a massive 'fight' - Arley's autism rage against mama rage.  After the fact of course I am desperately sorry that I just didn't cuddle him through it, but at the time, after so much animosity from him, I just snapped.  I'm really sad about it, but I can only try to do better next time.

It's been a tough week, and I'm kind of glad it's over.

Photos from last week, Dida's birthday

 Early morning handball

 I love Arley's drawings :)

 Safety week at swim lessons

 My birthday

428 + 324

Well, I definitely think Arley's meds are starting to work.  On Saturday we made a spontaneous trip to Huskisson because Jeffrey had found a secondhand camera for the kids to learn to shoot with.  It's the perfect camera for them - lightweight, mirrorless, great lens.  Carmie is totally psyched and now has a new hobby.  Anyway, we sprung the trip on Arley, went to two parks, had lunch at the Husky pub, then Arley decided he wanted to go on a boat (because he has never been on one before), so we booked tickets on the Husky Ferry.  Carmie got to drive the ferry, and we saw a couple of sting rays.  After the boat we had another play in the park where the kids happened to run into some old friends, and it wasn't until after that when Arley asked to go home.  Usually we would have to plan everything ahead, and then not be able to stay out very long.  And not a single meltdown :)

And then on Sunday, it was the most beautiful day, so we decided to find a new dog beach to go to.  We found Cormorant Beach at Bawley, 25 minutes from us.  Before we left, Arley took his shoes and socks off and put sandals on.  Then when we got to the beach, he was the first to take his shoes off.  The kids swam until they were ice cubes, and Bella got a good run.  Arley was barefoot the whole time, and then when we left, I packed his shoes up, and he walked up the beach barefoot, across the grass, and into the car.  When he asked where his shoes were, I told him they were in the bag, and he seemed satisfied.  Then when we got home, he walked from the car to the house, and then off into the shower, all barefoot, and not even talking about it.  I can't tell you how momentous this is.  We haven't been able to get him to go barefoot like this ever.  Not even going from his bedroom to the bathroom.  Last summer it took half the summer to transition him into going barefoot on the sand at the beach.  He has been fine barefoot at the swimming pool, as long as it is just me who takes him swimming.  Until Sunday!  It sounds so silly to be happy about this, but he has had such dreadful anxiety about taking his shoes and socks off, for his entire life, and you wouldn't know how much trouble it actually causes; swimming pools with friends, jumping castles, trampoline places, taking shoes off at friend's houses...it has always been a massive issue.  So the fact that he just did it all on his own, unasked and without fuss, is huge.  It's the medication, it has to be.

That's not to say he's been totally easy.  There has still been a lot of bickering between the kids.  Arley still is lashing out. But we are supposed to see the full effect of the meds at four weeks, and tomorrow we'll be at three weeks, so I'm very hopeful.

It has been horrible weather for the rest of this week.  Freezing cold, rain, wind, we've had it all.  On Tuesday the kids were driving me insane, as tennis was cancelled, and we didn't get outside at all.  By 3pm I had to get them out the door to social skills class, and then for a sleep over at Lolo's, and it couldn't come soon enough!

Carmie started her speech therapy this week.  At first it was like pulling teeth getting her to talk.  I was super frustrated, and ended up leaving her alone during the session, which is when she fully opened up and embraced the therapy.  I have to do homework with her every day.  We are tackling her speech rhythm first, getting her to practice phrases while tapping her fingers, and then she has to tell me what she sees in picture books while speaking in a good rhythm.  She doesn't love doing it,  so I have to reward her afterwards, but I think it is worth it.

The kids had a brilliant horse riding lesson this morning.  They are little cantering champions.  And then Wes their carer took them bowling and out to lunch.  Tonight we are going to Lolo and Dida's for Dida's birthday dinner.  It's a busy day, but busy is good, because then at least Arley won't get bored, which is when the problems start!

Our day in Huskisson

 Captain Carmie

 Captain Jeffrey

Carmie loving her new camera

 Casper, our overnight visitor

 Cormorant Beach

427 + 323 Weeks

It's been a good week.  A bit too wintery for my liking, given that spring is here, but we still made it out to Collers Beach.  It was absolutely beautiful there, and I'm really surprised that Carmie didn't strip down and go swimming.  We had a find the best fossil competition - Carmie won, for the second time in a row.  Her prize was for us all to get ice cream, so we all won :)

In an effort to be more independent, Carmie has decided she is going to try cooking for us on Saturday nights.  This past Saturday she made nachos (her fave) with the left over chilli.  She is definitely taking on more around the house, and has learnt to do laundry.  I wish I could say that her bedroom isn't a disaster on a daily basis, but I can't!  It's definitely a disaster.  I have almost given up on her.  It seems her organisational skills need some improvement, and being so organised myself, it kind of boggles my mind!

Carmie had another speech assessment yesterday, with a speech pathologist from Sydney.  We are doing it all online.  The speech pathologist confirmed the diagnosis of cluttering, which is a rare nueromotor speech disorder.  She has a few more fluency and articulation problems we have to deal with that go along with the cluttering. This is all hurting her social life, as it is making her quite shy around other kids.  It is definitely disheartening when both of your kids are nuerodiverse - it gets really exhausting.  Carmie is starting weekly speech therapy on Tuesday, and none of it is covered by medicare.  We also can't get her on NDIS for ADHD, as here in Australia ADHD is supposed to be dealt with in schools.  I'm not sure what us homeschoolers are supposed to do.  I guess we just push forward and pay out of pocket until we dry up!  The speech pathologist yesterday told me that Carmie is lucky she is not in school, as she would probably shut down.  Clutterers can have a very difficult time with writing, which has always been a huge problem for Carmie, despite her very vivid imagination.  I wish life were a little easier for my guys.  Their giftedness comes with some huge ups and downs, and it is exhausting.

As for Arley, he has had a fairly good week.  He has had his ups and downs, but for the most part, I think he is calmer?  This morning after horse riding, he tripped and fell on the stairs.  Normally he would have exploded in anger, but he totally held it together, which doesn't happen often.  And yesterday he decided to go to after school care on his own, which is a bloomin' miracle!  The kids didn't spend Tuesday night and Wednesday at Lolo and Dida's, so Arley decided it was a day for Peak, and insisted I take him.  I absolutely 100% did not believe he would stay there without Carmie, but he just waved goodbye to me and off he went!  This would never ever have happened before!

At Peak on Friday last week, poor Carmie got hurt.  A girl kicked her shoe off and it hit Carmie right in the mouth.  I had to go pick them up early, and Carmie was sitting there crying with a fat bloody lip.  She was so shocked and upset, as the girl didn't even apologise to her :(

This afternoon I took the kids to the park to play with their friends after school.  It was actually a great success.  I had prepped the kids on the way there, and they had both taken activities to do in case they felt like they needed alone time.  But that didn't happen, and they played with their three friends like old times, which was great to see.  Arley hurt himself pretty badly falling out of a tree, and then lashed out at Carmie, but other than that, it was a success.

Today is Bella's 10th birthday.  She's an old lady now, but she still has tons of energy, when she is not sleeping.  We've still got a few good years of her yet :)

Carmie making her favourite dinner for the family :)

 And dishes too?!

Out for ice cream as Carmie's prize for winning the fossil competition

Happy birthday to Bellsie