Well, Christmas came and went, and now it's New Year's Eve! This is our second dud of a New Year's Eve in a row. Last year we were in the middle of a blackout due to the fires. This year we are better off in that there's no black out, but fireworks have been cancelled and we have no sitter anyway. I'm sure there's no fire works in many places around the world. Carmie was desperate to stay up until midnight, but really, what's the point? I'm just hoping that 2021 is a better year for the planet than 2020!
Christmas was lovely. We were supposed to go to my Dad's near Newcastle, but we cancelled a few months ago. What with our big move and settling in, we really didn't have it in us to travel anywhere. Both kids wanted a quiet one at home, and it was definitely for the best! Arley gets so out of sorts when his routine is changed up. We did presents first thing Christmas morning, then had a simple lunch together. The kids played their computers a lot of the day, which is exactly what they wanted to do. We had cake and ice cream for afternoon tea, which made none of us hungry for dinner, so we watched some Simpsons episodes together and called it a day. Too easy! It was so nice to have a mellow Christmas!
The very next day we went out to try out our new inflatable kayaks (thanks Pop!). It wasn't the best timing, as the tide was too low, and Arley got super frustrated. However, it was still an adventure, and we can see getting a lot of use and fun out of them in the future. We tried them out at Urunga, which is the most beautiful place on earth, unless it's low tide. There were a lot of people there, so a bit too crowded for the kids, particularly Arley. He often has to go on a screen to block out his surroundings when we are out, so it can be really hard watching all the other families with kids playing, and there's our kids, one on a screen. But eh, it is what it is.
The weather has been total crap, and it looks like we are in for a very rainy summer. We are taking every opportunity to get out when it is not raining though. One day we went to dog beach, and we took the kids' new floating donuts and water toys. They had great fun throwing water bomb balls at me and chasing me with water pistols. Luckily I am a good sport!
Another day we went up to the Bellingen pool. It is a lovely pool, and we all got in for a swim. There were a few kids there that Carmie and Arley knew from Alithia, which was nice, but also really sad because Arley didn't know how to join in, so a lot of the time he just sat on the side, being sad. He thought the kids were excluding him, but they were just playing. They all know each other better, so he was left out. Carmie seems to be able to insert herself, but Arley just doesn't understand the social rules. It can be quite heart breaking. We really need to find him some friends. Just one or two boys his age that he can relate to. He has Will and Charlie, but they are older so often end up hanging out with Carmie. The problem is that he thinks all boys his age are babies. I can't seem to convince him otherwise.
Today we drove out to Coramba to have lunch at the Coramba Hotel, a cute little pub. Afterwards we walked down to the river where we found two beautiful and very friendly ducks. There was also a water hole just down the river, with a rope swing that looks really fun, so we will definitely be going back.
All in all it's been a good week. Arley had one doozy of a meltdown, but other than that, things have been pretty smooth. The new meds the kids are trialling seem to really be working out. Carmie got all teary a few days ago, thanking me for putting her on them (she was very resistant at first). She has discovered that she likes writing, so that is huge!
Happy New Year to everyone! :)
Christmas morning
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