642 + 538 Weeks

I’m sitting at a cafe on the Esplanade in Caloundra while Carmie is in her Dungeons & Dragons group.  This is going to be my new Thursday thing - writing my blog, drinking a chai and looking at the ocean, while Carmie is off being social. She is starting another social group on Saturday, for teen girls. Arley is so pissed off, he desperately wants to join her groups.  He thinks that all the groups for his age are full of ‘braindead, annoying kids’.  They both came down here for their Wednesday groups, and Arley got to go swimming with his mate Liam at Kings Beach pool.  However, Arley did spend a lot of his time worming his way into Carmie’s girls group. Luckily Carmie didnt seem to mind.

We have had a good week.  Clint took Arley to the zoo Wildlife HQ on Friday, and I gave Carmie an art lessson.  I’m trying to teach her perspective, not such an easy lesson.  I am trying to get the kids exercising more (not an easy feat!), so we’ve been going to the park in the mornings to play sports games and activities. I hope we can keep it up, but the heat is starting to set in.  On Monday the kids’ friend Chayse came over for an art lesson from me. He is doing distance ed, and I’m helping with his art projects. Afterwards Arley and Chayse had a good swim in the pool, and then Chayse and Carmie played VR together. It’s so nice to see the kids doing regular kid things with friends - there have been times when I doubted it would ever happen.

Speaking of friends, I can feel a difference in the kids lately.  It feels like they are pulling away a bit, which is the normal course of things for tweens.  I’m trying to take it in stride and enjoy the more freeing aspects, but it feels quite strange. Carmie is looking for every social opportunity she can, doing four social groups a week, and Arley’s jealousy about it is bad! He wants a good group of friends, and a close friend he can chat to online. He is really maturing lately, developing a sense of humour, and I’m hoping it won’t be long for him.

Jeff has gotten more students this week, and I have been painting and loving it.  We don’t have as many activities on at the moment, and it looks like we wont be doing horse riding anymore, which is really sad. Carmie had a cry. Next month we will be starting with a new OT as well as a new behaviour specialist. This means our days will be filling up again, so I’m going to enjoy the low demands while I can! (If you consider being a taxi driver to my daughter low demand!)

Clint took this photo at their Wednesday session.  Arley usually doesn't get up into the trees!