415 + 311 Weeks

We've had another fairly calm week, with only two difficult Arley instances, and I wasn't even around for one of them.  The kids were at Mollymook park with their carer Wes, and Arley got a bit physical with Carmie and he got into trouble.  A fifteen minute meltdown ensued.  It was probably so bad because I wasn't there to help him through it, and now he doesn't want to play with Wes ever again.  We are still going to try though, because playing with Wes is so good for him.  We had an OT session today, after having no therapy for five weeks, and our OT says the difference in Arley is huge.  She said he is calmer, and played with her instead of next to her, he shared ideas with her and built something with her.  This is all a really big step, so I was so happy to hear it.  It's not just my imagination that Arley is doing so well.  We have noticed a big change in him.  His whole body seems calmer.  He is going through a really bad phase where he won't share anything with Carmie, and he is really possessive about his belongings, but I think I know how to deal with that, so I'm on it.

On Friday of last week we took the kids and Bella to Collers Beach again (we tried but failed to find more ants for our ant house).  We have never seen the tide lower, and it was so beautiful.  There were so many rock pools to explore, and we were walking on what is usually the sea bed.  We found a ton of fossils (but no ants!) and it was really peaceful.  We were the only ones out there.

The weather has finally become really cold, so we have spent a fair bit of time inside.  Arley has gotten very into making inventions and concoctions in the kitchen.  The kids have been making these disgusting drinks and trying to get us to taste them (no chance), and Arley always wants to make food these days, but he tries very odd things, like melting potatoes to put on cookies...needless to say, that recipe didn't work!

I accidentally knocked Carmie's tooth out one night while I was tickling her, so that is the third tooth to be knocked out of her head.  There was tons of blood, and when I was cleaning the tooth I accidentally washed it down the drain.  Bad mummy!!

The kids had their two horse riding lessons this week.  They are really the highlight of our week.  Carmie surprised us all by accidentally cantering over a jump.  Milea was yelling, "Trot!  Trot!  Trot!" but as Carmie got closer to the jump, she ran out of time to slow her canter to a trot, and she soared over the jump.  We were all surprised, and laughed with relief when she didn't fall off.  Today she asked Milea if she could canter over all her jumps from now on!  Of course I didn't get it on video.

I took the kids to Batemans Bay this week, to go to the indoor playhouse, as it was raining.  Little did we know the playhouse is closed on Mondays.  Arley cried, as that was his reward for completing his writing book (he chose to do the book, and chose his own reward, so I was all for it).  We ended up staying down there and seeing the movie Pokemon Detective Pikachu, and then going to the mall. Carmie said the day was even better than going to the playhouse, so it turned out alright in the end.  I remember a time when there was no way I would have taken the kids to a movie by myself, let alone all the way to Batemans Bay, and to the mall as well as the movies, all without incident.  Things are definitely looking up :)

Carmie at it again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UHWqfIOHHc

Beautiful Collers Beach at low tide

Mollymook park

Missing tooth!

Bear and his pet fly

Experimenting with making his own chocolate freckles

Sitting on Rocky

 Posting a letter to Jemma

414 + 310 Weeks

I just sat down to write this blog and began to think about our past week, but my mind went completely blank.  I could not think of a single thing that we did.  Then I scanned through the photos, and realised we did so much!  The weather has been amazing, not like winter at all, so we have been making the most of it.

On Friday we took the kids for a play at Narrawallee park.  It was surprisingly crowded for a Friday, and then we figured out it was because there was a mother's group there and the park was crowded with little kids.  This made Arley quite unsettled and out of sorts, so we just had a short play, and then I walked the kids to the headland.  Once there he calmed right down, watched the ocean, climbed the rocks and collected shells.  It is so beautiful out there, I think the angriest person would find peace.

On Saturday the kids went to their friend Dusty's birthday party, which was held at Funland.  The kids had a blast, but Funland always gets Arley amped up and overstimulated.  He came home out of sorts again, but I think he thought it was worth it because of the fun he had at the party :)

Sunday was the warmest winter day ever, so we took the kids to Collers Beach so Bella could have a run around.  All the surfers had come out to play, because the waves were amazing, so we sat and watched them for ages.  We then walked across the beach and around the headland to go fossiling, and we found five fossils!  We also started collecting ants, because last week the kids and I built an ant house that they got for Christmas.  It turns out that collecting ants isn't the easiest thing to do!  Jeffrey and I finally got our technique down, and captured seven ants.  We actually got more, but I accidentally killed some of them.  So now we have a few pet ants.  They're not quite the kittens the kids are longing for, but they are pretty fun to watch.  We are supposed to have about thirty ants for our ant house, so tomorrow we are going on another 'antventure'.

Monday was a public holiday, so I took the kids bowling with their friend Aska (who used to be a homeschooler but sadly started school this term), and their other friend Yenje.  Carmie actually won, which is a huge turn around from the last time we went bowling and she lost.  We had horse riding on Tuesday of this week, and the kids were fantastic.  They have started jumping, and they are doing so well.  Right after horse riding we raced off to meet some friends at the aboriginal cave at Burrill.  We had the best day.  We had a fire going, the kids roasted apples, painted with ochre paint that they made themselves, and made up all of these amazing imaginary games.  They explored the bush and played with fire and reconnected with friends they hadn't seen in a while.  Carmie also scared the life out of me by climbing this very high tree trunk.  I made her come down quick smart, but not before I got a photo :)

The kids had a joint horse riding lesson this morning, and they left all smiles.  We had a great day afterwards, watching tv and a documentary, playing Sushi go with Jeffrey after dinner, and Arley wrapped up presents for all of us and gave them to us.  I got a $2 coin, he gave Carmie his toy dagger, and he gave his dad a juggling ball.  Today was a calm and happy day which was a great ending to a busy and happy week.

Here is a video of Carmie and Rocky jumping:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDWxuB153tg

And a video that Milea, the kids' horse riding instructor, took of the kids this morning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlGE1vI7Wkk

 At Narrawallee

The scariest kangaroo ever

 Dusty's birthday party

 Collers Beach

 Bowling with friends

 At the cave

 Can you spot Carmie up there?

 This morning's lesson

413 + 309 Weeks

Well, the wrath of Arley seems to have come to an end (fingers crossed!).  We have had three days now of relative calm from him, with just a few incidents here and there.  He is still sick (I actually think he is on round two of this awful cold we have all had), and I am trying to kick the end of my cold, so I am actually both thankful and surprised that he is not still a terror.  But I'll take it!

Winter has well and truly set in. We had two really miserable days this week, just freezing.  We spent one really lovely morning lazing around the library and then eating lunch while reading at the library cafe.  It was such a nice way to spend a cold and rainy day.  We also continued with our Australia project, and the kids made fairy bread, the easiest Aussie treat ever.  They have been bike riding (Arley loves it now!) and they spent a day at their grandparents'.  Wes their carer took them out today to the trampoline pillow and park in Conjola, and they came home all smiles.

I have been getting paperwork together because the AP (the registrar for the education department) will be coming out soon to check on us and hopefully give us two years of registration.  While we don't have much schoolwork to show, I think we will pass.  Tonight I gave the kids a reading test, and Carmie's reading age is 12.4 years, and Arley's is 11.9 years!  Big brains on these little guys!  Not bad for my 7 and 5 year old :)  

They also had their best horse riding lesson ever this week, both kicking butt.  Arley has trotting down (but he is too scared to canter yet), and Carmie aced her full arena cantering.  So good!  Videos below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgJPj-sDsIo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK1ompjogC8

 Making fairy bread

 Loving fairy bread :)

 Arley has been painting little canvases lately

 Delivering my latest commissions to the owner's house

 Winter afternoons