499 + 395 Weeks

We have had a fairly quiet week this week, which has been very welcome after our three weeks of guests in town!  On Thursday after swimming when the kids were hanging with their friends Will and Charlie, Arley got really upset because he wanted them to come over to our house, and we have been having a break from that for a while.  All the kids do when they come over is go on screens, and it doesn't feel like a good play.  I felt so sorry for Arley crying about it that we invited them over again for a play on Sunday. While the kids all had a good time, they did spend the whole time on screens again!  It is very frustrating, so I think we will be meeting them out again from now on.

On Saturday we took Bella to the dog beach in Sawtell.  We hadn't been there before, and the water was disappointingly murky because of all of the rains we have had.  Arley refused to go swimming, so I walked with him on the beach while Jeffrey and Carmie had a swim.  On Monday we took the kids to the pool in Sawtell, but it was full of kids from vacation care, so we ended up driving up to the Bellingen pool.  It is such a lovely pool up there, I think it's worth the drive.  Arley has been quite dysregulated going out of the house this week, and when we are out he makes things quite difficult, refusing to participate but then complaining loudly about being bored.  It's hard to find the balance.  On Wednesday we drove down to Shelly Beach at Nambucca to meet the homeschool group there.  We kind of kept to ourselves because we are sill longing for a bit of peace and quiet.  Arley refused to swim, but he perked up when Jeffrey got out our drone to fly around.  He got some awesome shots too!  Arley flew it, and then Carmie had a go.  We put it away after Carmie flew it into the tree above our heads and sheared off a bunch of leaves.  She was so upset, but when she realised the drone was ok, she found it really funny.  It's pretty fun to have such a cool drone.

This morning the kids had their horse riding.  Carmie had insomnia again last night, so we were just happy she made it up on the horse.  Arley kicked butt for the second week in a row!  He was trotting around like a champ, with brilliant form and not a single complaint.  We couldn't be happier!  They both had swimming lessons this afternoon, and Carmie pulled through despite how exhausted she was.

Carmie and I met with the psychologist on Friday to begin her autism assessment.  The psych was very nice and obviously in admiration of neurodivergent people, so that was refreshing.  She said Carmie is definitely autistic.  Her actual assessment doesn't start until later in February.  The psych also wants to do intelligence testing to see where Carmie's at, but that will cost an extra $1250 on top of the $850 for the assessment!  We will wait until we are further down the track to see if NDIS covers it.  I'm just happy we are getting things underway.  When Carmie was told she is autistic, she was all smiles. I'm so glad she is proud of being different.  I never want this to change.

498 + 394 Weeks

Somehow it is blog day again.  It went around so quickly this time!  We have had such a busy week - a busy summer actually.  Dad and Colleen came up for the weekend to stay at Sapphire Beach in the holiday house with Georgia and family.  While they were there, Mum and Geoff came and stayed at our house for the weekend.  It was very weird having both sets of parents in town where I usually have none!  Dad and Colleen popped over for a visit on their first day, then we had a family dinner at home with Mum and Geoff.  The next day we had a beach day with Dad and Colleen at Sawtell Beach.  It was lovely, even though it was a little windy.  That night Mum and Geoff stayed with the kids and I went and met Dad and Colleen and Georgia and the boys for dinner at the Jetty.  It was really nice to be able to have a grown up dinner out!  And really good to see Dad and Colleen again. Their visit was short and sweet.  The next morning I met up with them for a quick goodbye at the Sunday markets.

It was really nice having Mum and Geoff around too.  I got too used to it.  Before they left we squeezed in lunch at the Moonee Tavern (which is just awesome for kids!) and a beach trip to Sawtell (where Mum almost got washed away in a wave - just joking Mum!).  They left today, and yesterday there were lots of tears.  Carmie misses them so much, and the goodbyes are really hard on her.  She was quite out of sorts for the evening.  Georgia leaves on Saturday, so tomorrow is our last family day before everyone goes.

We also had my good friend Ciri up with her husband Michael and daughter Sophia.  They have been staying in Scotts Head, so they drove up to join us for dinner and a night of VR fun.  It was really fun.  It is amazing how many more people we have seen living up here in Coffs than we did on the south coast.  It's nice because we are still anonymous in town, but we still get to see familiar faces sporadically.

Today the kids finally got back to horse riding, after four weeks off.  It was a really good lesson, even though Arley didn't want to go and is really annoyed that all of his activities are starting up again.  This afternoon they went back to swimming lessons, and then had a play with their friends Will and Charlie at the pool afterwards.

I am looking forward to getting back into some semblance of a routine.  I have felt very scattered lately.  I finally went to the doctor about my insomnia.  I told him that I have tried everything, and he told me to tell him about my life.  When I was done he said he is stressed just listening to me, and that it is obvious to him that I have anxiety.  I don't feel anxious however, but he told me there is no way I couldn't be!  So he has put me on an anti-anxiety/anti-depressent med.  I have been on it for three days now, and I don't feel much different.  It is supposed to take about two weeks to kick in.  I am really worried because apparently when you get off this med, the come-down is really bad...but I have to try something for the insomnia because the come-down couldn't be worse than a lifetime of not sleeping.  So, while my life is the whirlwind that it is, I guess this is what I will be taking.

I took Carmie to the paediatrician on Wednesday.  I had taken her off the dex five days before because she wasn't sleeping or eating properly, and she didn't look well.  She was weighed at the doctor's, and she had lost a kilo in four weeks.  She is already so slight.  The paediatrician is keeping her on the dex, but at a really low dose.  The benefits to her are good, so we are trying to find a dose that doesn't have side effects but will still help her.  Arley goes to the paediatrician tomorrow morning for a med review.

Poor little Arley had his front tooth removed yesterday.  A few years ago, Carmie hit him in the mouth with the car door, and his tooth went grey.  It finally started hurting, and it was all infected, so the dentist had to pull it.  Arley was a total champ, but I was a nervous wreck.  He hates the way he looks now, but I think he looks cute.  The root of the tooth was absolutely enormous, and the dentist said he will just be one of those kids who holds on to their teeth until age 8 or 9.  He hasn't lost any naturally yet.  So he will either have a gap for a very long time, or have one big tooth in front.  Great.  I'm taking him to an orthodontist on February 1st to see about getting his palette expanded.  Poor kid, he is saddled with it all!

I don't think I have any more news.  I'm hoping next week is a calm one!

Oma and Opa

Fun at the Moonee Tavern

Sawtell

Poor bubba

At horse riding this morning

497 + 393 Weeks

We have been having too much fun this week for me to get the blog post out on time!  We still have family up here, and we also had our good friends Beef and Ben and their son Connor, who is Arley's age, visiting Sawtell for a few days.  We've had them over for dinner and drinks and virtual reality fun for the last two nights, and it was brilliant.  It's so good to have people we love in town.  We love the anonymity of living somewhere new, but it's really good to have familiar faces too.  We've spent the last two mornings at the beach in Sawtell with Beef and family too.  It's a gorgeous beach, just absolutely beautiful, and the kids all got along really well, so it has been a breath of summer fresh air!

This week I also took the extended family up to Never Never Creek in Bellingen.  There was a little drama with one of the car loads of people getting lost in the Promised Lands, but we all finally made it to our destination, which was the river with the rope swing, and it was lovely.  There were quite a lot of people there, but it wasn't too bad.  The water was icy cold, but so crystal clear and beautiful.  Everyone who wanted to go on the swing did, and even Carmie gave it a go.  We all cheered, because apparently it's a little scary.  It certainly was different not having the place to ourselves, but it was still a good time.  Afterwards we went out to lunch in Bellingen.  Good food and family is a perfect combination.

Another afternoon the kids and I met Mum and Geoff and Sting and Jay at the beach in Sawtell.  The kids just love their uncles.  Carmie went swimming with Sting for ages, and then went in again with Dida for another 45 minutes or so.  She is such a fish, just loves the water.  Poor Arley had a meltdown, and he was really upset, but he came good in the end and had a nice time.

It has been really great to have family around.  My brothers left yesterday; Sting back home to Sydney and Jay up to Byron to extend his vacation. Dad and Colleen arrived up here today to stay with Georgia until Sunday, and Mum and Geoff are spending the weekend at our place, and then returning to Georgia's for a few more days of vacation next week.  My good friend Ciri is also around, in Scott's Head, and we're hoping to meet up with her and her family early next week.

The kids are doing fairly well on their meds, however some nights they have had insomnia.  Neither has been eating very well, and they are rather skinny as it is.  We are headed to the paediatrician next week to discuss things, so hopefully we'll get things right with their meds soon.

I was a guest on a podcast recently, and the episode came out today.  It was a little nerve-racking, but such a fun experience.  I actually have four more podcasts lined up, so I'd better get good at it!  My business has really taken off since last month, and I'm looking forward to being able to put some more time into it.

That's it for now :)

At Sawtell Beach

Uncle Sting being a goon

At Never Never Creek

Georgia on the rope swing

Carmie on the rope swing

Sawtell beach again

Arley and Connor

Me and Beef

Awwww

496 + 392 Weeks

I am exhausted tonight from horrible insomnia last night.  It seems like this will be my eternal battle, and it's no fun.

It's been a good week though, because we have family in town!  My sister Georgia and family has rented a large Air B&B here at Sapphire Beach, so both of my brothers have come up, as well as my parents.  My parents came a day early, and we didn't tell the kids.  They had literally been counting down the days, so when my parents knocked on the door, I told the kids I thought there was a package for them.  They opened the door and saw Lolo and Dida, and they were so excited!  Carmie started crying, it was too cute.  (She has already started crying tonight at the thought of everyone leaving!).  Lolo and Dida stayed with us for a night before heading up to the Air B&B.  It's been really great to have everyone here.  My younger brother Jay has finally moved out of China and to Australia, so it's good to have him back.  The weather has been pretty crap, but it's been ok because we are all hanging out together.

Arley hasn't had the best week.  I think maybe it's because he is a bit overwhelmed with the change of routine?  He's been having a lot of anxiety which leads to very angry outbursts, particularly when his meds have worn off.  I'm not sure if we will be sticking with the Dex with him.  We are trying to titrate up the kids' doses, but every time we do, they get severe insomnia, which isn't good.  Our next visit to the paediatrician is in two weeks, which seems like ages to wait.

Arley is very happy that his Uncle Sting is in town.  Today he asked him over for a play, just the two of them.  My brother is an awesome sport and very happy to oblige.  I'm glad, because Arley needed the boost this week.  He had a therapy session on Tuesday, and at the same time I met with his new behaviour specialist.  Today I met with the head OT to start a sensory profile on him.  They are 'taking him to panel', which means they are presenting his case to all of their therapists on board and trying to figure out a plan for him.  I am really glad we have this team, my hopes are high.

Carmie is so happy to have her family around.  She just wants everyone she loves to be here, all the time.  Yesterday we went to the sea pool at Sawtell and the family met us there, and she had a swim with her dad and Uncle Sting.  Arley was too grumpy to go in the water, but he didn't cause too much drama.  Carmie has been doing so much more 'table time' lately - it is lovely to see her able to be creative.  The difference in her on her meds and off is like night and day.  Today she sat and wrote fifteen lines, from her head, which is really a miracle.  She also started (and finished!) drawing a landscape watercolour pencil painting, and coloured it in, which also surprised me.  I tried her meds and felt kind of euphoric, but she feels normal, she is just able to concentrate.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the week ahead.  Luckily it looks like the weather is turning and we will have sunshine next week, which is awesome.  Bring on the family holiday.  Let's just hope little Arley holds up!

Just after Lolo and Dida arrived

Uncle Jay meeting Nacho the Rat

At the Sawtell sea pool