611 + 507 Weeks

I am exhausted.  We are ahead of the game as far as packing goes, but that is why I am exhausted!  We have one week to go before moving day, and we have packed, purged, tossed and cleaned, and there is still so much more to do.  And the horrible thing is, after we move, it will be another week or so before we are settled.  Moving is the worst!

Apart for moving stress, we have had a good week.  We went to lunch at Lolo and Dida's on Saturday, and Zach came too.  He also came over for dinner on Tuesday night.  On Monday Arley went on a half day snorkeling adventure with Clint.  It was Arley's reward for trying 10 new foods.  This took over two months!  He has a new challenge now - to find ten new foods that he actually likes enough to get into his diet rotation.  I met with his dietitian this week, and she said we are looking at years of Arley working on his eating, and that he's a really tough case because he is so rigid.  Either way, he earned his trip with Clint, and he came home all smiles, and said it was 'amazing'.

On Monday morning Carmie's new mentor/friend (Chayse's sister) came over to spend time with her and to organise their trip to the mall next weekend.  Her name is Jaida, and she is 14.  Carmie and Jaida had to research bus routes and timetables, and do a budget for lunch and shopping, and next week they are getting themselves to the mall and back by themselves.  Carmie is really excited.  It's nice to have an older friend when you're a kid, it makes you feel cool :)

We haven't been to Taekwon Do all week, and I'm feeling slightly stressed about it, but I've just had too much going on.  The kids went to horse riding though, and they were great!  They saw Clint on Wednesday morning, and then Carmie went to her girls' wolfpack.  This afternoon Chayse asked Arley to go to the park to play and have a fish, so I dropped him off and they stayed at the park by themselves for two hours.  It is so strange to me that the kids are getting so independent, but it's pretty great.

Anyway, if I skip this blog next week, it's because it'll be the night before we move, and I'll be in packing hell!  Wish us luck.

610 + 506 Weeks

Ugh, stressed!  We are moving house on March 31st (Jeff's birthday, poor thing!).  We found out two days ago that we were approved for a new rental property, so we are moving!  It is crazy expensive, as are all rentals right now, but it's a nice place, and it ticks all our boxes.  We were able to take the kids through yesterday because Alrey is having a bit of anxiety over moving.  It didn't help much, because pretty quickly the kids started fighting over bedrooms, so we drew straws, and Arley lost.  He can't quite get over it and he's had a bit of a bad morning.  He had food therapy this morning and he was noncooperative.  He's pretty sad :(

And now we are stepping around moving boxes again!  Moving is the worst!

Mum and Geoff are settled in to their new home.  We spent Tuesday up at their place, in between Arley's Taekwon Do and the kids' horse riding.  Poor Arley - he was very excited to go to Taekwon Do this week because he was getting graded.  He was testing to receive his green stripe on his yellow belt.  Five minutes in, the poor bugger got one of his severe bloody noses.  It was a real gusher, and it took 25 minutes to staunch.  It was on his uniform and his belt.  Mr Kelly had to go soak his belt to get the blood out.  Arley's grading test was a bust, but Mr Kelly still gave him his green stripe and his certificate, because he has earned it.  Arley is proud, but he was quite upset about not being able to participate.  And, it was a little mortifying as well!

Carmie had her paediatric podiatrist appointment this week.  She has hyperextension in some joints in her feet, as well as her knees, and she is going to have to get some orthopedic heel inserts for her shoes.  The podiatrist is communicating with her physio so they can come up with an exercise plan to strengthen her legs, as well as her posture.

I took Arley to the dentist on Wednesday and they used this camera to make a 3D model of his mouth.  The dentist thinks that a lot of Arley's ADHD behaviours will improve or even disappear once we get his mouth and therefore his breathing fixed.  Arley will be starting weekly appointments to start the exercise part of the program, and he'll be fitted with a myobrace too.  I just hope he is able to do everything he needs to - if he is off kilter, it is near impossible to get him to do anything!

We had Zach over for dinner on Tuesday night.  Tuesdays are going to be our weekly Zach dinner.  It is nice having him around.  He plays games with Arley, and plays Yahtzee with me after dinner.  The kids are really enjoying having more family around.  Arley asks to see his Lolo and Dida every single day.  Sadly I am too busy right now with packing to take him there! :(

Jeffrey and Arley working on homework together :)

Grading up to 7th gup!

609 + 505 Weeks

Big things happened this week!  Mum and Geoff FINALLY moved up here!  They arrived last night, and picked up the keys to their new home this morning.  They were absolutely shattered after a day of driving yesterday, which followed a day of wrapping and packing and cleaning their old place.  Of course we surprised the kids one last time.  Lolo Facetimed them from our backyard, it was pretty cute.  We also had Zach over, and then we had a family dinner which was really nice.  It is going to be great having family up here after almost three years of being without.  The kids are so happy about it and can't wait for sleepovers to begin.  Same!

On Saturday we met our friends Andrea and Cav, with their kids Chayse and Jaida, at Cotton Tree beach for a picnic and barbecue.  The kids did some net fishing and had a swim, while we grown ups had some drinks and down time.  We played French cricket and cooked on the barbies there.  It was our very first day out with another family, and we had no idea how it was going to go, but it was great!  Arley lasted 4 hours before asking to go home, and Carmie hung out with Jaida and had a nice time.  Total success!

Clint took Arley fishing on Monday afternoon and he had a great time.  He caught a mangrove jack and instead of throwing it back in, Clint took it home for dinner.  Arley is loving fishing so much that he has asked Clint to take him for a half day fishing trip, and also camping!  So, it looks like there will be a camping trip for Clint, Jeff and Arley coming up in April.  It is amazing that Arley is doing this.  Clint says he sees a real difference in Arley over the last few weeks.  We do too, it is awesome.

Arley did so well at Taekwon Do this week that Mr Kelly is going to grade him up next week!  Ahead of Carmie even.  Arley is so chuffed.  He is absolutely kicking butt at it.  Carmie is doing great as well, but she is doing the standard Taekwon Do and won't be grading up until May, with the rest of the students.

On Monday morning I took both the kids to the dentist for a check up.  They both did great, and Carmie got a 9/10 for teeth brushing, so that was a happy surprise. The dentist took some x-rays of both the kids’ teeth.  Carmie has a few things to watch out for with some teeth that haven't come down yet.  Arley...well, he is another story.  I am quite frustrated, because the dentist told me information that I have been telling doctors and dentists for years, but none of them paid attention to me.  The dentist told me that Arley's tongue sits in his mouth in the wrong place.  It doesn't push up against his palate, which is why he has such a high arch and very crowded teeth.  She said he wouldn't be getting adequate oxygen at night time, which can cause anxiety and depression and ADHD behaviours.  She then sent us to a specialist who looked at his teeth and x-rays, and sent him for more x-rays, and Arley is starting a treatment plan next week.  It's called myobrace, and he will also have to do a bunch of mouth exercises daily.  It is costing an absolute fortune (!!), but the specialist thinks at the end of the two years, Arley might not need braces.  If we don't do the myobrace, he will need extensive oral work before he has braces, so we are really hopeful.  And after his teeth and tongue are fixed, he might have completely different behaviours too!  It will be a hard two years, but so worth it.

Carmie went to her Wolfpack group again on Wednesday and loved it.  Sprinkle is becoming a friend, which is great.  Both kids had OT with Toni this week, and she took each of them out, Arley for a treat and Carmie for breakfast.  Toni is focusing on getting Carmie more independent in the community, which is what she needs now that she is getting older.

So, it’s been a good week!

At our Saturday beach picnic:

Loving on our old girl Bella

Clint and Arley and their mangrove jack

Kicking butt at horse riding

608 + 504 Weeks

We have had another great week.  We rarely have two great weeks in a row! We have spent a lot of time with Georgia and Zach.  Georgia left on Wednesday, and Zach is settling in to university life, and he is only five minutes drive away.  We had them over for dinner every other night or so, and we met them at the beach one morning as well.  I kicked Georgia's butt at Scrabble (I must brag), and Zach and Arley played a lot of Xbox and computer games together.  Zach will be babysitting for us on Sunday when Jeffrey and I go off to a classical music concert - so handy!

Carmie is doing well.  She went to her girls wolfpack on Wednesday and came back all smiles and exhausted from a couple of hours of paddleboarding with her new friend Sprinkle.  Georgia saw a lot of change in her - Carmie is no longer a little kid anymore, and is really more of a teenager.  She is very tall too, which I'm sure adds to this impression.  Carmie has had a pretty chill week.  We have had some great Taekwon Do sessions together.  Her kicks are very strong, it's great to see!

Arley has had another great week.  Two weeks in a row!  He still is getting cross, but he is handling it so much better.  He has gained over a kilo in the last two weeks.  On Tuesday morning he had his private Taekwon Do class, and Mr Kelly said it was hands down, Arley's best class ever.  That afternoon, he had his horse riding, and Lisa said that he was amazing at the lesson, his best lesson yet.  It is so great to see him thriving finally!  The kids had OT last week, and Toni could see a real difference in him too, and they even went for a walk to the lakes (Arley has always refused this before).

This morning when I got up to go to the gym, Arley started crying when I was leaving - real, full blown crying.  His anxiety skyrocketed, and he asked if we could go for a walk together instead.  This is good and bad - I didn't get to the gym, but Arley and I had a lovely walk around the lakes, spotting all the birds in the area, and we even saw some turtles.  And he got some exercise, which he needs very much.  He has promised me there will be no more tears when I'm leaving, so fingers crossed!

Me and Zachy.  Check out Jeff photo-bombing in the background.  Yep, that's my husband!