555 + 451 Weeks

The past few days have been pretty chill, but the beginning of this blog week...oh my goodness.  What a tough few days we had.  On Friday we met with our friend Nicky and her kids Lexi and Felix at Alex beach.  Carmie and Arley were both totally excited to go, but once we got there, it was not good.  Carmie got anxious and crawled into herself like a crab.  I could barely get her to speak let alone look at me. Arley was having a good time, but poor Lexi was really upset that Carmie didn't want to play.  It went on like this for a good hour.  I could not draw Carmie out.  Nicky decided to leave but we thought it best that Lexi stay with us and I take the kids out for ice cream.  After Nicky left, I got the kids playing together on the beach.  I had them doing long jump and then made them solve a word puzzle I had written in the sand.  It got Carmie out of her shell and talking again, thank goodness.  By the time we walked to the ice cream shop, Lexi and Carmie were fast friends again.  Carmie loosened up and realised she had plenty to say and that Lexi did want to be her friend.  But oh my goodness, the drama!

Over the next few days, Arley had a really difficult time.  He is so quick to anger.  While he's on his Ritalin he is fine, but beforehand and afterwards - he is a tough cookie.  He even tried to beat Carmie up a couple of times.  It was awful.  She did nothing to instigate it, she just happened to be an easy target.  So awful.  On top of this, Carmie's insomnia has been so bad this week.  She had four nights of really bad sleep in a row, with one of those nights having zero deep sleep.  Last night she slept, but she only got half an hour of deep sleep.  She is perpetually tired.  I had an appointment with our paed this afternoon, and he's putting Arley on a longer version of Ritalin to combat his evening struggles, and I have an appointment with him in a week to get help for Carmie.  Keep your fingers crossed.

On Monday the kids' mentors came over, but Arley felt sick so his mentor left early.  On Tuesday I took Alrey to meet with Rob.  We have set up another boy to play at the session too.  Rob took them both fishing.  Arley is still desperate to catch a fish, but of course that didn't happen.  The other boy did though, and Arley took it fairly well.  He only got a little pissy and told Rob (again) that he was never fishing again.  Haha.

Since then it has been raining.  We are having torrential rain at the moment, and I keep getting flood warning messages on my phone.  The kids' other activities for this week have been cancelled, except for their zoom psychology appointments.  It's been quite nice to be forced to stay home though, I don't mind it at all.  Sometimes it's exactly what we need.

554 + 450 Weeks

Ugh, I've just had the biggest struggle to get Arley into the shower, and that was after a huge meltdown because I got him off his computer to eat lunch today, at 2pm.  It takes so much effort to parent him sometimes.  He's lucky I love him so much, that's all I can say!

It's been a goodish week.  On Friday we went to a new homeschool meet.  It wasn't great.  Carmie stuck her head in a book, and Arley didn't like the sand at the beach we were at and refused to swim.  It was kind of muddy sand because we were at an inlet, and he didn't like the feel of it.  I got Carmie doing a scavenger hunt with two other kids, but those two were really shy as well, so it wasn't good.  We are going to give it another go tomorrow.

We also got out on Saturday.  We met my friend Jo and her son Flynn at the botanic gardens.  The gardens were lovely.  There is a beautiful sculpture garden there, and apparently there is a nature play area too, but we never made it because it started raining.  Flynn is nine, and he and Arley got along really well.  We will go back soon to see the rest of the garden.

The kids' mentors came over on Monday, and on Tuesday Arley's new mentor Rob came over to our place to play with him.  They played Roblox and went to the park, followed by some lego.  It was nice because Arley was happy and I got to spend some time with Carmie, which doesn't happen often.

Yesterday it rained so we didn't get to Chambers Island to meet Clint.  We stayed home and chilled instead.  Today Carmie went fishing again with Rob.  It's so good for her to get some time away.  She's been having a really hard time with Arley lately.  He is constantly picking on her.  Arley's psychologist thinks he is really bored, and she wants me to set up structured days for him so he is constantly learning and stimulated.  She thinks that maybe he will stop antagonising Carmie then.  I'm working on it this week, so keep your fingers crossed.

Arley needs my attention.  He has been mini-melting down as I type this post.  He's even been bashing my keyboard.  I'm over it!

553 + 449 Weeks

I hesitate to write this, because I don’t want to jinx myself, but it has been another good week.  There has been a little bit of disappointment on Arley’s behalf because he has been fishing twice with his new mentor Rob, and hasn’t caught any fish.  On Friday it was too windy and they ended up giving up quite quickly and going back to Rob’s place to play games.  They had another attempt on Tuesday at a different nearby location, but still they weren’t successful.  Arley was quite ticked off at the end of that one.  I was working at a nearby park, and when they came to get me, Arley was in such a huff.  He was too angry to speak beyond saying that he was never going to catch a fish because he was never going fishing again.  Rob tried to talk to him but to no avail.  Arley was in a huff most of the way home, but he managed to chill out so I took him out for some bubble tea, which brought his day around again.  Meanwhile, Carmie and Jeffrey were having a daddy daughter outing of their own.

Carmie went fishing with Rob today.  She loved it, even though she didn’t catch a fish either.  She would like to keep going but Arley had a very hard time today while she was fishing, because he was sure she was going to catch a giant fish, and he couldn’t handle it.  He was actually begging to go too.  So much for never fishing again.  Haha.  Arley had a session with his psychologist today, and she has suggested we find a different mentor for Carmie. We’ll see.  She foresees a lot of problems going forward, so best to change it up now.

Yesterday I took the kids to meet with Clint, their Chambers Island mentor, and they had a great time.  It was Carmie’s first go with him, and she loved it.  They can earn badges with him, and Arley earned his Bronze Tree Climbing badge, so he was pretty proud.

Arley is very interested in praying mantises right now, and is desperate for a pet mantis.  He actually asked if we could all go out exploring, trying to find one, so we went out as a family on a praying mantis hunt but had no luck.  Carmie did some tree climbing.  She is hooked on a game called Cobra Paw, so we have been playing that a lot this week too.  She’s yet to beat me though :)

Other than that, we haven’t done much.  Jeffrey and I have a ‘date day’ every Saturday where we do no work or chores after lunch and instead we get some drinks, play games, have a swim and hang out together.  Then on Sunday we have a home day when we get the house in order and I get things ready for the week ahead.  It’s giving us a definite weekend, something that I haven’t had in a decade, and I’m finding it quite refreshing!

552 + 448 Weeks

It has been a good week.  It's so nice to say that!  Friday of last week was tough because we had a home day, and Arley's ADHD was out of control and he was driving us all mental.  I emailed his paediatrician to see if we could put him back on his Ritalin, so on Saturday we did...and he was so calm.  But he felt terrible; he was so sleepy and had a bad headache.  On Tuesday I had an appointment with the paed and he gave us a script for a smaller dose of Ritalin, and Arley is on that today.  He was very sleepy and grouchy this morning but he seemed fine this afternoon.  We will persist.

On Monday the kids' mentors came over and they both had great sessions.  It's so nice to see them engaged in things that they would never do with us.  On Tuesday the kids and I got our hair cut.  We all went short because it is SO hot here right now.

On Wednesday I had booked the kids in to meet a new mentor.  It was their first session, but Carmie couldn't make it as her insomnia had been so bad the night before.  She only slept for four hours, so I didn't have the heart to drag her out.  So I took Arley alone, and he LOVED his half hour session with Clint.  It's at Chambers Island, and the guy will be spending half an hour one on one with each kid, helping them climb trees and build forts and balance and play outdoor movement games.  They'll be doing this every Wednesday.  Afterwards Arley wanted to stay out so we met up with Lexi and Nicky at Cotton Tree for an hour or so, and Arley had a swim and a play with Lexi on his own.  It was a successful morning!

Today we had yet another mentor come to our house.  This guy's name is Rob, and he runs a program called Abled Brothers, and he came to meet Arley to see if he'd be a good fit to work with.  He'll be taking Arley for three hours every week, and taking him fishing and kayaking and playing outdoors with him.  Arley has been desperate to go fishing - like, begging me every other day - so tomorrow Rob is going to take him fishing, and Arley is SO excited.  Then starting Tuesday next week, Arley will be going to him for regular one on one sessions, and then he's going to group Arley up with other boys who are similar so he can facilitate friendships between them.  Carmie was so jealous, so Rob is taking her on too.  Her mornings with him will be Thursdays.  I'm so happy these things are available here!  Fingers crossed they are a success with my tough cookie kids.

My other good news is that I have started going to the gym every morning between 7 and 8, and I love it.  It is hard work, of course, but for some reason I don't think about the kids when I'm there.  This never happens!  So I get a full hour of every day where the kids aren't on my mind, and it's awesome.

And Arley made a friend online and has been playing Roblox and chatting with him every afternoon, and he is so happy about it.  Yay!

Jeffrey has started up teaching guitar again.  He has stopped working for the tree lopper and has opened Matrix Guitar School.  He has around seven students so far, and he's only just started, so it's going really well.  Stoked!

Arley and Clint

551 + 447 Weeks

Well, it's been one of those tougher weeks again.  The kids have been having a hard time -  Carmie because Arley has been so antagonistic, and Arley because his new meds haven't fully kicked in yet.  He has been quite volatile, and has had a couple of really big eruptions.  He has been on his new meds for two weeks today, and we can up his dosage tomorrow.  It's a bit of a worry, because the dose he will go to is quite a large one for such a little guy.  I just have to hope our paediatrician knows what he's doing!  Arley's ADHD seems to be more prominent too, which is kind of doing all of our heads in!  He can't walk past Carmie without poking, butt-slapping, burping or ruffling her hair, and he can't sit at the table for a meal, he is pretty much eating while standing up and bouncing.

We got out for an outing on Tuesday.  It was a lovely day, so we went to a place called La Balsa.  We had never been there before.  It's a large park on the water, right on an inlet.  It was really lovely there.  Arley went hunting for fish again, and Carmie and I got to hang out with each other.  It was a short outing but good to get out all the same.

The kids had their therapies and mentor sessions again this week.  Arley actually willingly talked to his psychologist this morning, which is a big plus.  Tomorrow Carmie is going to a group called The Gathering, which is a group of girls that do arts and crafts together, centred around a theme.  She is very excited, and we're hoping she makes some new friends.  Next week the kids are starting a program which is a one on one outdoor mentoring session for autistic kids, and we have high hopes.  There is so much on offer to help the kids here, I'm so grateful to have moved.

Carmie is suddenly going through a growth spurt.  She is up to my nose now!  Her legs are pretty much the same length as mine.  She has become interested in cooking, and has learned to make herself buckwheat pancakes for breakfast, and she airfries potatoes for herself most lunches.  Now if only I could get Arley into the kitchen!

Oh, and one more thing.  Arley FINALLY lost his first tooth naturally this week!  The adult tooth is already growing up behind it and has been for a while.  Carmie hung on to her wobbly teeth for dear life, but thank goodness Arley had the sense to wobble it until it fell out.

Not much else to report!  Wish us luck with Arley's meds....

550 + 446 Weeks

We had three beach days this week - feels just like the old days!  On Saturday Jeffrey and I took the kids to Dicky Beach.  We were all set to ride the waves on our new boogie boards.  What we weren't expecting was giant swell and turbulent waves.  It meant that boogie boarding was out, but that didn't stop the kids from swimming and paddling.  It's funny, because Arley used to LOVE the beach back in Mollymook.  Then we moved to Coffs Harbour, and even in the tamest, flattest 'surf' he was too scared to go into the water.  Now that he is braving the ocean again, he could not have cared less that the waves were huge and crashing all around him.  He was the first one in and the last one out.  Carmie had fun playing with her dad and being thrown into the waves.  It was a beach day of no drama, which is a small miracle.

On Tuesday I took the kids to meet up with Lexi at Cotton Tree Beach, which is this lovely inlet area and great for swimming - no waves.  We hadn't seen Lexi and Nicky for a while, but the kids had no problems connecting again.  Carmie and Lexi played and Arley spent two hours with a fishing net trying to catch fish.  Carmie spent two hours underwater, she is such a fish.  And I had a good catch up with Nicky.  Arley loved the beach so much he begged to go back the next day, so after our work and chores were done on Wednesday, we went back with Jeffrey.  Arley spent the whole time trying to catch fish again.  He and Carmie were getting in each other's way 'accidentally' so we had to separate them a bit, but all in all, it was another outing with no drama.  Three in one week is amazing for us.

On Monday both kids had their mentors over, and that went well.  Alrey is currently on day 7 of his new med Zoloft, and so far, so good, he has had no side effects.  It hasn't fully started working yet - we need a few more weeks for it to properly kick in.  Carmie has only had a couple of days of insomnia, including one really bad 4 hour night.  I can track her sleep now because she wears an Apple Watch to bed, so I have a pretty accurate recording.  Her deep sleep is terrible most nights, even when she does get enough hours of sleep.  It's no wonder she feels crappy so much.

Arley had his first session alone with his psychologist today.  It's the same woman we were working with last year in our family therapy.  His session was only 15 minutes, and it seemed to go pretty well.  He'll be meeting with her every week, so fingers crossed.  The last psychologist couldn't see him anymore due to 'extreme defiance'.  That's my boy.

So, it's been a much better week this week, hoping this run continues!

549 + 445

We made it through another week with just a little drama.  Once again we didn't go out much - the weather has been horrible!  I have one photo of Carmie and that is it. I took it on Wednesday at a homeschool meet we went to.  It was on Chambers Island, which is a small island off the river in Maroochydore.  The island was pretty cool with some awesome climbing trees and some mangroves to explore.  The river was very brown though from all the rain we've had, so not very appetising to swim in.  The other kids did, but not my two.  I met a couple of nice parents, but the kids didn't do much socialising.  It's really hard because the kids that know each other all go off in a group, and Carmie and Arley have a hard time joining in.  I think these large meet ups aren't really for us!  Carmie read her book most of the time, and Arley was whittling sticks.  At least we left the house though, and explored a new place.

We have been bribing the kids all week with tv dinner nights.  They have to be kind to each other all day and they earn dinner in front of the tv.  It has actually been working out really well (and Jeff and I get to chill and watch a show too)...except for today.  Carmie had another night of insomnia last night, and Arley has been off his Prozac for three days and this morning started on Zoloft.  The Zoloft is supposed to take two weeks before it begins to take effect, and up to six weeks for full dose.  So, we pretty much have a very emotional Carmie and a rather volatile Arley, which is not a good combination.

I don't have much else to report, and I'm hoping that next week I have more photos and more adventures to talk about :)