Decorating ...

Scratch the comment on yesterday's blog about Boy Wonder settling. He didn't! After a brief cat nap downstairs he went upstairs and spent the next three hours pacing, jumping about and eventually ended up on his futon matteress on our bedroom floor. At 3am all was finally quiet!

The last couple of days has made us question out judgement yet again. Boy Wonder made such a fuss about wanting his bedroom decorated in Barcelona FC colours that we made a start whilst Superman is still on holiday. He has remained very excited about it and we are confident that it will be a good idea once he is used to it. However, the change had disturbed his sleep more so, he seems unsettled by it and is complaining of tummy ache. It is a hard call to know whether to go with what he verbalises or to constantly remain cautious about change and therefore end up with more grey areas. Those of you with HFA kids will know what I am waffling on about!

I went to work fairly early this morning, Super Gran and Biker Gramps took a brighter Cat Girl shopping and Superman and Boy Wonder continued decorating. I rang at lunch time and the boys were 'getting there slowly' Super Gran sent a couple of photos of their shopping trip where Cat Girl purchased lots of wall stickers, pjs, the must have school shoes ( she is 5!) and a plastic box with kittens on.  They said that they got very wet in the rain but this didn't seem to hinder their shopping any :-)!

I arrived home at around tea time. Superman was still painting stripes and Boy Wonder and Cat Girl were playing on their tablets in the lounge. Cat Girl and I put some is the stickers on her bedroom walls. The hearts, flowers, butterflies sets were spread around the room until every last one was used. Lots of stickers!!

This evening we settled down  upstairs on our bedroom floor as his bedroom floor . He read his dolphin book from I ear to cover, appearing a little settled this morning. We spoke about the planning of tomorrow which will include a few children that he doesn't know very well. Boy Wonder stated this this was acceptable.

Lets get to Work!

There is something about our family which means that ideas turn into plans which turn into action pretty much immediately. Is it because we have spent years avoiding grey areas? Grey areas cause anticipation, 'what if' worries and anxiety. We don't need that and Boy Wonder certainly doesn't so the best solution is crack on!

With this in mind, after a morning of further decluttering we headed off to the DIY store for paint to decorate Boy Wonder's bedroom and heart and flower stickers for Cat Girl's bedroom. We took Boy Wonder's Barcelona shirt to match the colours. Boy Wonder then asked when the decorating could start and what began as a job for next weekend quickly became negotiated to become an immediate start!  The shop didn't have any stickers for Cat Girl's room which was surprising but we picked up a light for the lounge and Boy Wonder's paint which needed to be mixed by scanning his shirt, he found this fascinating.

We arrived home and whilst I took Cat Girl to a party, Superman made a start on Boy Wonder's bedroom, filling in the many little holes that Boy Wonder had picked at over the last couple of years and measuring out the stripes. When we got back, Boy Wonder was sat downstairs in the semi darkness, watching TV. I went up to Superman who had made great progress. He said that Boy Wonder had been really quiet and hadn't moved each time he had checked on him.

A little later Boy Wonder came upstairs and Superman gave him a paint brush so that he could help. He had the job of painting the stripes and used a steady hand, really concentrating on his work. You could see that he was using everything that he had to focus on the job in hand. After the initial stripe work was complete they tidied up and we had tea. Boy Wonder will carry on with Superman tomorrow whilst Cat Girl goes shopping with Super Gran and Biker Gramps to try again to find some stickers for her bedroom.

As Boy Wonder was settling down tonight, I asked him if he was feeling okay? Yes, he said. I asked him if anything hurt and he said that he had tummy ache which had been hurting him for the last two days. I asked him why he hadn't told me before and he said I didn't ask! I asked Boy Wonder if he was worried about anything and he said no.

Later on Boy Wonder came downstairs and said that he needed to tell me something. He explained that he couldn't sleep as he was worried about dying in his sleep. I asked him why and he said that his  group guided reading book at school was a diary of a man who died in his sleep and that this had worried him for a long time. I reassured Boy Wonder that this wouldn't happen to him as he was young, fit and healthy. Boy Wonder said that he knew this but was still very worried. He settled down on my lap, I gave him a hug and he fell asleep after a short while.

Tidying Day

After Home Alone finished last night we went to bed. I must have fallen asleep quickly as when Superman returned home Boy Wonder was in our bed and had to be taken back to his own. I didnt remember him getting into the bed at all.

This morning we embarked on the mammoth task of the post Christmas tidy. This was sweetened by the promise of heart and flower stickers for Cat Girl's bedroom walls and the re painting of Boy Wonder's walls in the colour of Barcelona F.C strip. We started downstairs, sorting Christmas presents. However every cupboard / drawer we came to needed tidying so this took a lot longer than we thought!

Just into the mass tidy we were visited by Super Gran, Nan and Auntie and Uncle. Boy Wonder gave Nan her Christmas present of chocolate and sweets. We had a coffee and Brandy with Christmas cake  and chatted.  Cat Girl chatted along and Boy Wonder sat at the table with his earphones in. Well at least he was sat with us.

After lunch we continued with the tidy minus two children who were now running around the house with the neighbours children!  Cat Girl played nicely with her friend, mainly in the garden. Boy Wonder did okay, however there were a fair few fallings out due mainly to Boy Wonder 's direct words, oh and shooting one of the boys in the eye with a nerf gun! Superman returned the children to their homes and we had tea.

Boy Wonder and Superman watched the Christmas Dr Who after tea whilst Cat Girl flitted about and I continued to tidy her bedroom. This was a task and a half and took hours.  Messy little monkey!

The boys then watched Atlantis and I settled Cat Girl down with biscuits and a drink. Boy Wonder then went up to his bedroom to read.

Winding Down.

Another late night meant a late morning. Superman and the children were left to their own devices as I went off to work.

They spent the morning around the house, Cat Girl playing with her Christmas toys and Boy Wonder played with his remote control car. After lunch they went out to the park with their scooters. They played for a while, Boy Wonder played football with a boy from school who was also at the park. Superman said that it was very cold and windy so after a while they left to come home.

When I arrived home we went out to the furniture shop as planned. Boy Wonder loves this shop as it smells of 'fresh wood' as he calls it. We ordered what we needed for our bedroom and got a courtesy bottle of leather cleaner for the dining room chairs that we had the previous year! How generous :-)

We went on to Matlock Bath and took the children to the arcade and then the chip shop. Boy Wonder played on the motor bike racing and then the air hockey. We attempted to teach him about the 2p machines and that you put money in and then all the rest that you won in so that you were left with nothing. He didn't get that! Cat Girl played on a pink ambulance racing game and then had a ride on Scoot from Bob The Builder.

After a chippy tea we headed home and settled down. Superman said that Boy Wonder had seemed subdued today. We thought this may be post Christmas blues after all the anxiety and build up. Superman engaged him for a short while in his Top Gear books before bed.

It wasn 't long before Boy Wonder was back downstairs saying that he was feeling unwell but didn't know why. We found something to watch, Home Alone and he settled down on my lap. An advert came on for American Football. Boy Wonder explained that the Americans play football like that as they are afraid of getting hurt, not like English footballers! Bless him!

We stoked the fire and ate Christmas cake whilst Superman went out for a belated Christmas drink with his brother and Cat Girl slept.

Boxing Day

I got up at 5am, picked up Super Gran and her accomplice and went to the Next sale. This is the only decent sale of the year and is usually highly entertaining into the bargain! We arrived half an hour before it opened and was met with a very, very long queue. Thank goodness Boy Wonder was still on bed! The staff were very organised and strict with the queuing system which prevented the scuffles witnessed in previous years. A lady with a stick walked the length of the queue and back to the doors twice before telling the staff she was disabled and couldn't stand in the queue. They let her in as per their protocol and I later saw her laden with bags in both hands, stick gone and sifting through the clothes. I know how it feels to be judged by others as far as disabilities are concerned but I think this lady was taking liberties somewhat! We picked up a few good deals and headed home.

On arrival home the house was quiet and all were still asleep. I tidied up, sorted the animals and then made breakfast. Boy Wonder was last to surface but appeared to be quite settled. They all looked through their clothes that I had bought and every item was 'liked.'  I'm getting better!!

After breakfast Boy Wonder and I played Cluedo. Once I had explained the rules to him, he picked it up quickly and beat me. We set up a second game and I nipped out of the room. I came back and we started. On his first go Boy Wonder guessed correctly. I asked him if he had cheated and he denied it. I asked him again as his look gave away that he had. It took a while for him to admit to it. He then became very upset and ran out of the room. I brought him back in and explained that he has admitted to his cheating so it was okay rather than continuing to lie. He seemed to understand and said sorry. He then went on to win the next game which made him happy.

We watched Star Wars and had a light saber versus sword fight before going to Grandparents for tea with cousins . Boy Wonder and his cousins played on Minecraft for most of the visit. Cat Girl attempted to join in but with my 'help' blew up something she shouldn't and got banned!

Boy Wonder had a fairly settled day and went up to bed at 9pm to read his Minecraft book.

Christmas Day.

Yay, Christmas morning!! Children up early and very excited ? No! We waited and waited as they slept on. Finally at 8.30am we decided to wake them up and start the day.

Boy Wonder became very excitable, Cat Girl a little more apprehensive . We made our way downstairs to see if Santa had been, checked to see if he had eaten his shortcake and the reindeers their carrot. Yes they had! They moved into the lounge and saw the presents under the tree along with their stockings. ( the stockings cannot go upstairs because Boy Wonder panics about having a strange man in the house.) Usually Boy Wonder is very matter of fact about Christmas but this morning he was very excited which was lovely to see. He was very impressed with his Barcelona football shirt and Raspberry Pi kit. Cat Girl was very happy about her dolls house and tablet too.

Grandparents came over for dinner. It was fairly quiet and lovely. Boy Wonder got out his joke book and did his usual telling of jokes, however he got half way through dinner and said he felt ill and needed to leave the table. He went to sit in the lounge where it was quieter.  After dinner we had a look at more presents before getting ready to go to Super Gran's house for tea.

We walked down to the house whilst the children 'heelied' Boy Wonder did really well, Cat Girl needed holding up all the way! We met with family, played party games which were well designed by Super Gran to ensure that all children won. This suited Boy Wonder as he was teetering on the edge today, just a bit too much going on throughout the day, overwhelmed.

The evening went well and as we got up to leave, Boy Wonder did his typical spiel of adults drinking alcohol and being out of control! We managed to convince him that we were fine and started our journey home. We settled down as it was late. A fairly successful day all in all. Merry Christmas everyone xx

The Build Up to Christmas

Monday was the first of the Grandparent sitting and the plan was to get an early start so that I could finish a bit earlier. The early start was semi successful but hindered slightly by Cat Girl insisting that I stay until she is ready to leave the house too! Boy Wonder was high and excitable which I was hoping would settle down sooner rather than later.

Football training was canceled today due to strong winds and heavy rain so activities consisted of in house games and making things. Both seemed to enjoy their day.

Cat Girl settled down fairly easily at bedtime but BoyWonder was very awake and not going to be asleep anytime soon. He read his book for what seemed like hours whilst getting up several times fur various things. He finally went quiet about midnight. He will be tired in the morning!

Christmas Eve brought a hyperactive boy with an anxious streak of what ifs? We went through the morning routine in an adhoc and desperate manner, simply because all ability to process had gone out of the window and I was dealing with a child that needed full hands on care to get ready. The excitement of Christmas is reaching full throttle!

The children spent the day with Grandparents, baking and making. Boy Wonder identified his. 'Time out space' for when we visit on Christmas tea time. This was the old faithful shoe cupboard, now tided out and ready to use.

This evening we were visited by cousins which was a few hours of running around and excitement. They played well in most part except for a couple of strategically placed nerf gun bullets by Boy Wonder. He had a wobble early on in the night due to being told off for 'shooting' his sister in the head!

As cousins left for home we sprinkled the reindeer dust, put out the mince pie and brandy and attempted to settle both children down. Cat Girl settled quickly but Boy Wonder was a different story! It's going to be a late one ........Merry Christmas everyone xxxx

Chocolate Finger Tradition

Another day of visiting today was slightly hindered by a very tired Boy Wonder who didn't wake up until 9.45am after a very late and interrupted night. We got ready, fed and checked all animals, Superman outside and me inside. The kitten is pretty much recovered now, very impressed how well his mouth has healed. 

First we dropped presents off at Boy Wonder's first friend ( as he calls him) who he met at nursery. This friend was ill so we didn't stay. We then went to my friend's mum and dad's. They were all there and we had a lovely catch up in front of the fire. Boy Wonder taught friend's dad how to play Fifa 14 on the DS and Cat Girl showed friend's mum photos on my phone of her pink car and cat cake. We exchanged our usual gift of chocolate fingers. Every visit Boy Wonder takes a box for friend's dad and friend's mum gives him one back. I think this is now an established tradition. They commented on how calm Boy Wonder was. The second person to say this in as many days. It's amazing what a difference a school holiday makes because he is noticeably calmer.

We then met Boy Wonder's best friend and family at the park so they could have a run around. However, it was so cold that we only lasted half an hour before leaving. It was painfully cold with an icy wind. We exchanged gifts and went on our way. Best friend had written Boy Wonder a very lovely card/ letter which he read over and over on the car.  They went off to buy a washing up bowl and we went to pick up some duvets and pillows what I needed for work. We lead exciting lives!

We ended up at a pet shop ss Boy Wonder reminded us that the kittens needed more food. He walked around the entire shop singing a football chant that he had been taught. Unfortunately it was against  the city team that we were in and he was receiving a couple of glares. I tried to explain to Boy Wonder that the song wasn't appropriate but couldn't get him past the fact that the song had the city's name in it so it must be okay! We quickened out pace and left.  Boy Wonder then noticed a car parking ticket machine and started to quote word for word the ticket machine at the hospital, over and over again! 

This evening we settled down in pjs to watch a Christmas film and grandparents visited. Boy Wonder became quite clingy towards the end of the evening and couldn't settle. He said he felt wrong but couldn't really explain why. He lay on my lap and fell asleep quite quickly 

The Start of the Holidays.

The school holidays started off with an early morning start as Boy Wonder was off out with his worker for the day and Cat Girl went to grandparents. I left to go to work and on my return they were both settling down watching T.V. Cat Girl had had a really nice day painting her tea set and playing. Boy Wonder said that he had been swimming but not to the planned place as it was shut. He said that he enjoyed himself but wouldn't engage further.

Superman went out for the evening and I wrapped presents to send to Santa. Boy Wonder was still wide awake reading and showed no sign of tiring. I finished what I was doing about midnight and went to check on Boy Wonder, still wide awake! He became quite agitated when I asked him again to go to sleep, saying that he couldn't. He came into bed with me and after ten minutes of firm hold  he was asleep. When Superman returned he moved him back into his bed.

Boy Wonder got up at 9am and appeared high and distracted. We got him ready and I took him to dance.  His mood altered to quiet and disengaged, choosing to listen to music on his phone rather than  talk.   After dance we went to get his hair cut and the hairdresser commented that he wasn't his  usual self. A bit too quiet!

After lunch we went to the theatre's Christmas fayre where Boy Wonder and Cat Girl went to see Santa. Boy Wonder became more excitable here although backed away from being touched by Santa when I took a photo as he put his arm round him.  He found some wrestlers on a stall and played with them for the remainder of the time. He then failed to engage with children that  he knew even if they spoke directly to him. We left after about an hour and walked back to the car. Just as we were getting into the car Boy Wonder realised that he had lost a wrestler. He attempted to bolt and I only just caught hold of him.We retraced our steps and found it outside the theatre in the fake snow.

We went on to the cousins to take some Christmas things. Boy Wonder played with his cousin and her friend on Minecraft for all the time we were there.   We then went straight on to friends who had just moved. They had settled in well. Superman taught them the art of fire lighting as we caught up. Boy Wonder spoke to his friend about Minecraft as she said that she wanted it from Santa

We came home and whilst I went out again and completed the Christmas food shop, Superman settled the children down. Again, Boy Wonder is wide awake reading books.

A day of Achievement

The last day of school before breaking up for Christmas plus no uniform day. Does this equal an easier morning routine? No! The morning was crazier than ever with any same day, same routine structure going out of the window due to the lack of school type clothing and equipment required .

I dropped them off at school armed with cakes for their Christmas parties and then left after dropping into the conversation that Boy Wonder was slightly excitable ( bouncing off of the walls!)

We had a few email responses today stating that they had received the OT report. The OT confirmed attendance at the next meeting as did the link worker for Boy Wonder and sessional worker. Looking likes good attendance so far.

After school, Boy Wonder went to dance whilst Cat Girl and I went to buy the last of the family Christmas  presents. When we picked him up he was told that he had passed his tap dance exam with distinction. Very impressive! Boy Wonder stated however that tap is easy so of course he did well! I think you undersell yourself a bit there Boy Wonder!

We went to cousin's house to celebrate her birthday, gave presents, sang happy birthday and then had to leave to get to the carol concert on time.

Boy Wonder was singing with his music / drama group tonight at the adjoining church. Boy Wonder sang two solos which he did very well. He also sang quite a few others with his group.  The whole concert did extremely well and kept us entertained until late.

Once home we all went to bed as it was very, very late. Good job here is no school tomorrow!

Birthday celebrations

We woke the children earlier than normal this morning so that we could celebrate Cat Girl's birthday. Boy Wonder coped well with this and helped her to read her cards. After getting washed and dressed he also helped her to put her birthday badges on.  We had a couple of 'birthday' visitors before school and then got sorted to leave armed with cakes.

I sent the OT assessment out today and finalised the date for the next MDT meeting. We also sent the appeal papers to the tribunal in hope that they will get processed before the deadline.

The school day was another mish mash of Christmas festivities which caused havoc for Boy Wonder as he ended up in a couple of scrapes with other children. He was also very hyper and all over the place when I picked him up.

We came home and had tea, followed shortly after by a visit from a play therapy worker. It was a brief introductory visit to discuss structured play sessions. It was going well until she stated that it wasn't what we wanted as parents that she was interested in but what the children wanted and needed.   I felt like reminding her that we had invited her into our home with the intention of working with us ...... Anyway we will see what happens between now and the proposed next visit.

Boy Wonder went back to school this evening for his carol concert whilst a few family visited for Cat Girl's birthday. She's been one lucky little girl . We waited for Boy Wonder to finish and her cousin to finish her club and then we did the birthday cake. After cake, playing with toys and general chat, visitors left and the children settled down for bed.

Cat Girl was exhausted and went straight to bed. Boy Wonder played music for a while and sang songs. One more carol concert  tomorrow and then that's it for now :-)

Wow!!

Boy Wonder woke this morning and got into the shower with little fuss. I went to make his bed which was very wet, this would be why. He spent twenty minutes in the shower and then after being encouraged to get out, dressed himself and came downstairs. It all seemed a little too good to be true and I couldn't help thinking that he would soon cave in from the sheer focus required to conform to this morning routine. No sooner had this thought flew through my mind, Boy Wonder lost his control and started bouncing around the house, struggling to do the simplest things like eat and put on his shoes.

We arrived at school , on the nail again and got everything put away. I explained to Boy Wonder that I would pick him up from after school club and we would stay at school to set up for the carol concert. Boy Wonder was very excited by this!

The carol concert setting up went well and Boy Wonder, although loud and excitable was able to contain himself. However, as the concert started Boy Wonder was stood next to the child that he said kept touching him and was struggling with. This was disappointing as throughout the concert BoyWonder was clearly distracted by this. On the way home in the car, he vented about it to the point that this poor child that Boy Wonder clearly cannot tolerate was becoming the brunt of his aggression. Another chat required tomorrow before something happens, I feel.

We arrived home and settled Cat Girl down before getting her birthday things ready for tomorrow. She is one excited little girl!

And then it arrived!! The Occupational Therapy report landed by email and the only word for it is WOW!! It is certainly the missing link and makes absolute sense of a very complex little boy. Both Super Man and I sat and read it, mouth open and making occasional comments about the content.  Although the original reason for commisioning this assessment was to look into school matters and it has done just this, it also made us aware of stuff at home that Boy Wonder does and why he does it. One example being why he struggles to get dressed in the morning being due to his processing delay and overstimulation rather than in attention.

Anyway, a lot to digest for us as well as Boy Wonder's multi disciplinary team who will get the report tomorrow.  Hopefully it will be taken seriously and used in Boy Wonder's best interests.

The start of the appeal process ....

After a very unsettled night,  Boy Wonder awoke in a very high, inattentive frame of mind. It was difficult beyond belief to get through the morning routine as he wasn't responding to verbal prompts at all. 

We eventually arrived at school just before the bell went. I didn't get chance to speak to Boy Wonder's teacher but had written to her in the diary to update her mainly on last night. 

Boy Wonder had art therapy this afternoon which appeared to go well and then he went home with Grandad, taking to his room to go on his lap top. When I arrived home with Cat Girl, Boy Wonder seemed quite low, hardly engaging and preoccupied. He had his tea and got ready for football with little help and then came downstairs. His mood quickly changed to high and happy ( possibly because he was going to football.) It's all very odd, the mood changes are hard to keep up with at times like this. 

When Boy Wonder left for football I read his diary and the teacher had taken my comments out of context. Maybe I shouldn't write late at night with Baileys in hand! 

We submitted our initial request for appealing the statutory assessment today so now have the ordeal of completing the paperwork to go with it. The deadline hits in the first week of the new year which means that we lose about a week due to holidays. Better get writing! We still remain a little optimistic however that matters will progress without taking it all the way but unfortunately appeal deadlines don't allow for 'wait and see' time so here goes!   

Boy Wonder was back from football by the time Cat Girl and I returned from swimming. He was up stairs on his lap top watching football. They both remained upstairs whilst Superman wrapped birthday presents and I started the appeal report. Cat Girl made paper snowflakes whilst watching TV and Boy Wonder finished watching his match and started listening to music. 

He became very clingy again tonight, expressing worries over school and changes in activities. Cat Girl then wanted cuddles as she didn't want to be left out! Eventually they both settled, however Boy Wonder remains awake.   

Dance exam and chill

We made a good attempt at a lie in this morning, 9am. Sheer exhaustion had clearly taken hold of Boy Wonder for that to happen! We decided to have a steady day today, preparing for the Christmas madness and later taking Boy Wonder to his Ballet exam.

After a late brunch, Superman did a quick repair in the chicken coop/run before taking Boy Wonder to his exam. Cat Girl and I cleaned out the animals, wrapped presents and took her new car out for a ride. It was quite cold today and rained on and off. This meant that the car ride was in between showers with it being a cabriolet!

Boy Wonder returned from his exam and seemed to think that it went well, will just have to wait and see now! The results usually take a couple of weeks.

We had dinner and wrote Christmas cards. Boy Wonder set all of his out and did them class table by table. He was very methodical and ploughed through them. Cat Girl on the other hand was a nightmare. She did six and then became bored. Only another 26 to go! Superman helped her to maintain momentum and eventually she got there! We then watched the Nativity 2 film which was very good. Boy Wonder asked a lot of questions but strangely not about the teacher getting his class to abseil down a cliff with just a rope. This was obviously perfectly acceptable!

After the film, Cat Girl went up to bed and Boy Wonder went up and had a bath. Superman checked
On him after a short while and found him in his room and was playing Top trumps . Superman smiled and went out. Later BoyWonder shouted me upstairs and presented me with a poem that he had written about being sad. We spoke about what was making him sad and he originally stated that Superman had laughed at him when he was playing a game with his dolphin and that he wanted to play more games with us. As we spoke further it became clear that this wasn't the real issue. Boy Wonder was worried about Christmas , I.e not getting any presents because he is naughty and all the changes at school and with clubs are fun but confusing and worrying. He presented very similarly the week leading up to his birthday. I reassured him that we loved him very much and that everything is okay. Superman then went upstairs to Boy Wonder to do the same reassurances and he then tried to settle. After a few minutes, Boy Wonder came downstairs and using 'dolphin sign language' told me that he wanted to settle down with us. He fell to sleep eventually.

Man of The Match!!

Friday was a slow news day. Much the same in the way of the school day but no appointments or trips out to complicate matters. Superman picked them up from after school club and then had a last minute errand to run, collecting Cat Girl's antibiotics that she now needed for a UTI that they had picked up during her Doctor visit earlier in the week. At the same time I was stuck at another Chemist sorting out Boy Wonder 's medication changes and quantities to get him over the Christmas period. That was hard work!

Superman settled the children down this evening as I was out with friends for Christmas Dinner. He reported a fairly good night, encouraging Boy Wonder to go to sleep earlier as he needed to be up early for football.

The alarms went off early Saturday morning and the boys got ready for Boy Wonder's football match. They left at 8am and Cat Girl and I planned our morning together. We decided on shopping with her birthday money. ( it isn't her birthday until Wednesday but the following weekend will clash with the last minute Christmas shoppers!) We got ready, made the tree men a drink who had arrived to prune and treat the tree that is holding up the tree house and left.

Initially we went to get a Barcelona football shirt for Boy Wonder and then to the supermarket to buy Christmas cards and alcohol for the festive period. The toys in the supermarket were few and far between so Cat Girl decided upon the big toy shop. And this is where it all got a little out of hand!

I attempted to steer Cat Girl away from the tat and potential Christmas purchases, towards a fabulous pink go kart that she seemed to like. Unfortunately it was parked on the same isle as a bright pink Mini Cooper, electric car. Having very little ability to say no to Cat Girl when she gives the 'look' plus the fact that it was her money, the car was purchased!

On arrival home, the boys met us and Superman got the pleasure of building the new vehicle! He did his usual sensible speech of 'where will she ride it etc' but took the point that Cat Girl has her own mind and we will never win! Boy Wonder liked the car but then went into a rant about his toy lander not being finished. He demanded that if it wasn't finished soon that he would employ a handy man! We agreed that if it wasn't finished by the end of August next year, he could do that.

Superman went off to fetch some logs and I took Boy Wonder on his scooter and Cat Girl in her new car down to Super Gran's. The car was very slow and a ten minute walk took half an hour! Boy Wonder was very patient. We got there eventually and stayed for a while. Superman joined us later as  there was no way the car would make it back on its limited battery life! Boy Wonder spent time sat in the shoe cupboard reading a joke book and we relaxed. Whilst there, Supernan received a text from the football coach to say that Boy Wonder had been named 'Man of the Match!' Well done Boy Wonder, he was very pleased!

Superman and I were out tonight for Christmas dinner with friends ( two nights in a row for me!) so other Grandparents baby sat. Boy Wonder was very tired today so settled without problem after playing a couple of games with Grandad and fixing a win!

Boy Wonder has his last dance exam in the morning so hoping for a good night's sleep ( well over due !)

Fluffy Cushions!!

Boy Wonder slept with a fluffy cushion last night after deciding that this would help him settle. He fell to sleep at about 10pm which was quite reasonable. When he woke up this morning he stated that the fluffy cushion got him to sleep in ten minutes so by his calculations, having four cushions would get him to sleep in 2 1/2 minutes! Anything is worth a shot as we are looking more sleep deprived and wragged by the day!

At school I spoke to Boy Wonder's teacher about the concerns that he raised yesterday. She explained that there's a lot going on at the moment with Christmas activities and that he wasn't getting the support he usually gets. I explained that he needs it now more than ever . She agreed but it was clear that the resources were not available at this time.

Boy Wonder and Cat Girl went to panto on a school trip today. They arrived back late so they didn't attend clubs. They seemed to enjoy the show and returned very tired.

This evening they both settled upstairs, Boy Wonder with his cushions! He didn't quite settle in 2 1/2 minutes but it wasn't too late either.

Moving Forward Slowly

This morning Boy Wonder had an appointment at CAMHS with his psychiatrist. This didn't improve the crazy morning routine any just added to it with some obsessing over an invisible rash and hitting himself in the face.

We arrived at the hospital and were greeted by mayhem. The hospital were in what they called 'lock down,' which basically meant that the swipe access system had failed and staff couldn't through any doors. In turn this meant that all staff were congregating in reception not knowing what to do. However,we managed to get a room downstairs so that Boy Wonder could have he appointment and then spent five minutes or so reassuring him that it wasn't a major disaster, just a minor fault.

We spoke a lot about recent events which Boy Wonder contributed to until it got a bit tough. He then took sanctuary under the table and covered his ears. We spoke about the support that he gets at school    and I went through the IEP. Boy Wonder corrected me by saying that he didn't get his talk time as it says on the plan. We agreed we would need to deal with the heightened anxiety and management issues in the next MDT and this would need to include the whole team. We spoke about some suggestions to settle Boy Wonder down at night. Nothing that we haven't tried before but we agreed to have another go at using relaxation techniques.

Boy Wonder went back to school and when I picked him up later he was very high yet agitated. His teacher gave me some verbal feedback as she didn't have time to write in his book. Later Boy Wonder told us that a boy who stands next to him during the carol concert keeps touching him and he doesn't like it. We asked him if he had told a teacher and he said he hadn't. When we asked why he hadnt, he said that he couldn't as they were not allowed to dislike people and he would get into trouble. We explained that this wouldn't happen as we didn't need to say that he disliked the child just that his actions were upsetting Boy Wonder. He agreed that he could say this ( or rather, I could !) but in fact he did dislike this boy so would in fact be lying !

Cat Girl performed her nativity play tonight which was wonderful. She smiled all the way through and sang nicely. Boy Wonder went to music theatre and then to a Grandad's for an hour.  On arrival home they both went up to bed . Boy Wonder with a strict routine reading until he goes to sleep . so far tonight  he is still wide awake!

Is it just me.......?

This time of year always lends itself to heightened anxiety, agitation and aggression due to the amount of changes in routine and the build up to Christmas. I don't think that I will ever understand the length of build up to Christmas in schools which results in four weeks of changes and unpredictability. Don't get me wrong, I get that the typical kids like it, Cat Girl is in her element but its nothing short of torture for Boy Wonder and we keep sending him back every day for more!

The morning routine is failing miserably now. There are actually no good bits left, it is all full on intensity and then some. How must it feel to have your head so full of stuff  that you cannot focus, follow any sequence of instruction albeit very basic, or function? It is no exaggeration to say that Boy Wonder is being showered, dried and dressed by me every morning now. I have to physically sit him down to eat and constantly prompt him throughout. I counted the amount of times that he left his seat during a ten minute breakfast time this morning, ten times. Each time I had to retrieve him and put him back in his seat. In stark comparison, during an average weekend/ school holiday when there is no time constraint and an activity to look forward to, Boy Wonder can wash and dress himself independently and eat his breakfast with a few less prompts. And this is why it is so frustrating!

To add insult to injury today I attempted to get hold of our family resource worker who last time we spoke in October was organising a multi disciplinary meeting for December and some home positive play sessions. I had been leaving messages for the last couple of weeks only to be told today that she had left. I rang the team manager to voice my concern and got hit with a barrage of defence. In short it wasn't their fault and they wanted to pull away from the case as their involvement is limited. I explained that their involvement was limited due to lack of communication and consistency and that if they delivered an appropriate service as promised this wouldn't be an issue. She was clearly ill informed about Boy Wonder and this came accross in the suggestions made about Boy Wonder's behaviour and us requiring parenting skills.  It was at this point that I told her to read his notes and understand that we are not talking about a naughty child but indeed a child with autism and severe anxiety. I then explained that there had been further incidents that have involved Cat Girl and that the support we require is to be taken seriously and Boy Wonder to be supported appropriately. She said that she understood our frustration and would allocate another worker to the case to review where we were at. Finally we spoke about a play worker coming in to provide positive play sessions. She said that the worker knew little about Boy Wonder and this would be a good thing as she would be able to see it with fresh eyes. I explained that I thought it would be a good idea to explain about his autism as this could affect the way that she works with him. She responded by saying ' Why, is he autistic?' Oh dear, dear, dear!!! I referred her back to his notes and left the conversation there.

I received a further phone call later on regarding setting up a meeting. I said that I would make a start with this and get a date agreed in principle for them to send out letters. I was also asked cautiously if the play worker could make contact to arrange an introductory meeting? I agreed ( head in hands )

I spoke with the school later to update them on matters.  All in all the school try very hard but it is evident that they too are limited in the way of appropriate support. We have to make a decision soon on whether or not we appeal the statutory assessment decision. It's days like this that really make you think .......



Boy Wonder returned from Ju Jitsu and went straight to his room to watch football. He ran downstairs celebrating a goal in just his pants. He was clearly not bothered by this at all and went on to talk through and re inact the goal in great detail. This made us smile :-)

The O.T Assessment

Well the day of the Occupational Therapy assessment has arrived!  Boy Wonder wasn't aware of the assessment so that she would hopefully get a real picture of how he copes in school.

We got ready for the day in the usual weekday style and arrived at school just before the bell went. I had noticed that Jet had split his stitches on his mouth so explained to Boy Wonder that I would need to nip him back to the vets but he would be okay.

I went home to tidy the house from the madness of the weekend and after taking Jet to the vets it was soon time to pick Boy Wonder up from school so that the O.T could finish her assessment at home.

She did a lot of fine and gross motor skills tests with him which didn't reveal anything, not that we expected them to. She then went through a sensory profile checklist which highlighted the auditory hypersensitivities, the hypo sensitivity to touch, pain and personal proximity. I later emailed her with all up to date reports that she had asked for plus a bit more information on why we need the report to illustrate the sensory difficulties and the impact they have on his anxiety. Now to wait and see.....

After the O.T left, the fairly calm Boy Wonder quickly became agitated because of the change in routine, made harder as I was unable to pre warn him.  I removed Cat Girl from the room he was in due to him starting to shout at her, waving his arms about.

He went off to football training, unhappy and annoyed. However when he returned he did seem a bit more settled and settled down with his DS and malteasers that he had been given by the football coach for winning last weekend.

Cat Girl played with some of her party presents before bed, making a mosaic jewellery box. She was very pleased with her art work.

Party Time!!

We had a very excited Cat Girl this morning as the day of her party had arrived! She was up early and found out her party dress with cats on and got herself sorted. Boy Wonder took a bit more convincing but was soon up and sorted as it was his best friend's party first, which was more cool than his sister's!

After a visit from Super Gran we left for best friend's spy party which Boy Wonder really enjoyed. The birthday boy and Boy Wonder's team won the challenge out of the three groups which they were very pleased about. After party food and photos we left and went over to Cat Girl's party to set up.

Cat Girl really enjoyed her party with a very good turn out of children. She had, had a birthday cake made by a friend, it was a Sooty cat. It was one fabulous cake!

Boy Wonder got into a couple of scrapes during the party bit did really well to say that it wasn't really his sort of thing. He had taken his girlfriend a little present and card which was very lovely and all of his own doing. She seemed to like it which was a relief!!

After the party we came home and Cat Girl started to wade through her presents. Boy Wonder started off by being very helpful by reading out the cards and telling us who gave what so  that we could write thank you cards. He soon became bored though and went off to sing in another room.

Cat Girl played with some of her new things before going to bed and Boy Wonder played a game with Superman before going to bed to read.

The house looks like a tip with toys everywhere but generally speaking, an enjoyable, busy weekend !

The Minion Auction.

Friday started off in the usual mad way but like most Friday's seemed to be a positive day. Carol singing practice and Golden Time proved to calm Boy Wonder and as a result, Superman had a settled evening whilst I attended my staff Christmas party.

This morning Boy Wonder needed to be up fairly early as he had a football match to get to. He was very excitable and not particularly co ordinated. Superman got him on the right track whilst I sorted out the kitten's medication and the rest of the animals food and water.

When the boys had left, Cat Girl and I got ready to go to the hairdressers for a much needed hair cut and then onto work to set up for the Christmas Fayre. Cat Girl drew Christmas pictures whilst we battled with the marque. Super man texted to day that they had won the football 3-1. The team's first win!

Super man and Boy Wonder arrived at the start and Boy Wonder immediately became fixated on the silent auction, in particular the Minion! He put in a bid which I spent quite a while convincing him to lower as £60 is way too much to bid for a cuddly toy! He then moved on to other things, becoming stressy due to not being able to get to the football table. When he did get on it, the boy playing with him kept cheating so what little tolerance he had, dwindled quickly.

Cat Girl won Pin The Nose on Rudolf and some tickets to a museum and Boy Wonder won some dried flowers and of course The Minion!! ( luckily not for £60!) Superman took them home whilst I helped to pack away. I then went shopping for food and party bag tat for Cat Girl's party tomorrow.

We had a visit from Grandparents this evening and then watched Atlantis before Boy Wonder and Cat Girl went to bed. Hopefully an early night tonight in preparation for two parties tomorrow, Boy Wonder's friend's and then Cat Girl's. it's been a weekend of parties!!

Home Sweet Home!

After a reasonable night's sleep, Boy Wonder awoke in a very hyper, inattentive mood. He was very excited about Jet coming home today which was understandable but made it difficult to  ( more than normal) get him up, dressed and fed.

Once at a school, I spoke with his teacher about his high mood and wished her luck! Boy Wonder spent most of the day with his jet magnet again, although reported to be a lot happier and loud. Boy Wonder said that because of his sad day yesterday, he wasn't told off for silly behaviour ! Mmmm.

I received a call from the vets to say that Jet could definitely come home. I agreed that we would pick him up at 5.30pm, after Boy Wonder's dance class.

I also received a call from the Occupational Therapist today to arrange Boy Wonder's assessment for next week. She seemed very equipped for the job and we are really looking forward to hearing what she thinks and what she can recommend.

I picked the children up from school and went over to dance so that Boy Wonder could practise for his ballet exam. He appeared preoccupied but at least he attended without fuss.  We left to fetch Jet and got to the vets a little late due to traffic. Boy Wonder and Cat Girl were both getting excitable and anxious which manifested itself in shouting, constant questioning and silliness.

We got to the vets and were talked through Jet's medication regime and care plan. Boy Wonder asked  a lot of questions and presented them with a thank you card which was very nice and 'wordy.' They loved it and thanked him. He stated that he was going to put his life savings into the card for them but  decided against it in the end! How very nearly thoughtful of him!

Boy Wonder helped set up Jet's equipment when we got home and played with him got a short while. However he soon lost interest and started to play on Minecraft. The kittens started to fight, had to be separated, keeping them apart for the tests of the evening.

Boy Wonder went to bed at 9.30 and feel asleep just after 10 pm.

Wild 'v' Strict !!

It was the early hours of the morning before Boy Wonder went to sleep. Sooty (Cat Girl's kitten) slept  on the bottom of his bed and was up at 5am pining for his brother. We all ended up awake early and got ready in time for the vet to ring with an update. Boy Wonder looked pale and tired. He was emotional and on edge. He needed a lot of help to get ready as he just couldn't concentrate.

The vet rang to briefly tell us that Jet had a settled night and would be having his operation this morning. His bladder was functioning normally again and he was a little less swollen around the face.  They said that they would keep us informed. I explained the update to Boy Wonder and Cat Girl and reassured them that he is doing okay.

I spoke to Boy Wonder's teacher once at school who was very good with him. Boy Wonder had his 'Jet magnet' in his pocket which he kept with him throughout the day. The teacher explained that they had spoken with Boy Wonder on a few occasions today on a 1:1 to try and reassure him. Boy Wonder had spoken at length with them about how it all happened and what he thought. This clearly helped to clear his head.

The vet contacted me late afternoon to say that the operation went well and that Jet was recovering well. She made us an appointment to visit him after school.

I picked Boy Wonder and Cat Girl up from school, nipped home for Jet's favourite toy and went to visit him. Jet was quite sedated when we arrived and was wired up to a drip and had a cone collar on to protect his mouth. He brightened up when he saw us but clearly had been through a lot and was in need of rest. Boy Wonder interrogated the vet, asking about he treatment he had received and how he needed to look after him when he comes home. The vet said that Jet couldn't be left alone for a few days once home. Boy Wonder said that it was okay as Granddad could come and check on him. He then thought about what he had said and stated ' it would have to be Grandad J as Grandad B is too wild! He is not responsible at all! Granddad J is strict, very strict but he is nice too,' The vet, struggling to contain herself as she realised that this was an actual dilemma for Boy Wonder, suggested that Jet would benefit from strict more than wild! We then spoke about the medication he would need and the cage he would have to stay in for a few days to ensure that he doesn't bang his face. All being well he could come home tomorrow.

We came home, put the fire on, had tea and watched Home Alone. During the film Cat Girl made a get well card for Jet and later on Boy Wonder made a thank you card for the vets.

An early night was encouraged as Boy Wonder looked very tired. He fell to sleep at about 10pm,

A sad day

Boy Wonder had a morning much like every other. He had his build up drink and then promptly complained of feeling sick. This extended to aching legs and a headache  throughout the day. I asked his teacher to monitor his food intake at school which she later reported to be good.

On the way to Ju Jitsu after school, Superman rang with the news that Jet ( Boy Wonder's kitten) had been injured and needed to go to the vet. Boy Wonder became very angry and started to blame a neigbour's cat for hurting him. I tried to calm him down by playing down the kitten's injuries. I quickly took him into Ju Jitsu to divert him further and then rang Superman back to get a better idea of  what had happened. He said that there was a lot of blood around the house and that the kitten didn't look great.

The house did indeed look like a scene out of a horror film. Superman rang again to say that the kitten had to stay in overnight and had been hit by a car not injured in a fight which is what we thought had happened.  He had a badly injured mouth and swelling to the right side of his head.

I cleaned up the house, comforted Cat Girl and her kitten Sooty whilst Super man went to collect Boy Wonder. The vet rang to say that the kitten seemed more coherent but had a bad mouth injury which was very dirty and a lot of swelling to the head. She said that there was also a concern that he had a ruptured bladder but would know more in the morning. She explained that he was lucky to be alive and prepared us for the possibility of further complications through the night. I told her that they need to do whatever they can to keep him alive and make him better. A silly thing to say maybe but never the less I needed to say it.

Boy Wonder returned from Ju Jitsu and was very quiet. Superman had updated him and he then became preoccupied about how angry he had felt and how he blamed another cat. He stated that he had done something very bad. Superman explained that we often think a lot of things when we are upset but that doesn't make us bad. Boy Wonder calmly stated to me that he won't be sleeping tonight and that we mustn't tell him off because he wouldn't be able  to control himself. He said nothing further.

When Boy Wonder had something to blame he felt anger. Now that there is no blame he seems to have blocked it out. Or is it processing delay ? Either way this is likely to have delayed impact. The vet is going to ring in the morning to give us an update. I have asked that they try and do this before school so that we can offer a bit of reassurance ( hopefully.)to the children.

Anyway, here's hoping for a positive outcome .

This morning routine business

Back to the crazy school morning routine today. For the first time I can remember I lay in bed dreading it. Maybe it's a combination of being tired and the catch up of the last few weeks ( years!) It wasn't a nice feeling and certainly one that needs shaking off and sharp ish.

I gave Boy Wonder his medication a bit earlier in hope that it would help calm him down enough to help with his morning routine. It didn't make a difference which is likely to be because the whole intensity and time constraint of the morning routine is the issue. If he slept properly I would be tempted to get him up earlier to reduce the pressure on him but its weighing that up against an extra half an hour's sleep. 

The morning was a typical one, resulting in a mad dash to school. It was a trip to the community centre this morning to watch a Panto. Boy Wonder was very excited as was Cat Girl. 

I got back to the car and 'pause for thought' came on the radio. It was on the theme of mental stress and the only way to improve is to keep going and push through the other side. Very apt and absolutely right! 

So back to being productive. I spoke to the Pharmacist today as Boy Wonder is getting very skinny, to the point of skeletal. We think this is a combination of his appetite being suppressed due to the medication, being very active and his lack of attention when eating. He had lost weight at his last hospital appointment so he is now being monitored so rather than it becoming a big deal, I asked the Pharmacist if we could use a food supplement. He said that we could so will try this for a few weeks and see if it helps. I will also ask school to monitor his diet also so that we can keep an eye on things.

After art therapy, Boy Wonder went to football and then football again. Car Girl went for her swimming lesson and did really well. On settling down I gave Boy Wonder a build up drink milkshake that he loved (result!)

We will see how he gets on with it and hopefully it will do the trick! 

A Weekend of Two Halves

I left for a 'ladies do Christmas Shopping' day before Boy Wonder woke up this morning. Cat Girl was awake so I gave her the responsibility of looking after the boys. She thought this was funny. Superman had a play date planned for the afternoon that consisted of all the abandoned husbands and children going to a play centre. Before that however, Boy Wonder had his dance class.

The shopping trip was good and very productive. All Christmas presents are now purchased and just need to be wrapped. Santa has bought Boy Wonder a Raspberry Pi this year. We have been told that he should be able to use it but Superman is swotting up just in case!

On returning from shopping this evening, the children were settled and everyone seemed to have a good day with no notable incidents or accidents. A successful day all round then!

Sunday morning - we are putting up Christmas decorations, baking and then out to take Boy Wonder to his tap and theatre craft dance exams this afternoon.

I started off by cleaning out the animals, making sure their bedding was warm and dry before the snow kicks in! When I got back inside, Superman had the children up, washed, dressed and fed and the decorations out of the loft ready to put up.

The Christmas decorations took most of the morning, especially as Boy Wonder insisted on knowing the origin of each bauble! There's a lot of baubles on three trees! He lined the snowmen up perfectly and then hunted down the missing singing plane. ( Superman's favourite !)

We had dinner and then a visit from family. The children played outside with the kittens. Boy Wonder 'rescued' the kittens from next door's cat. They weren't keen on being rescued and once Superman had convinced Boy Wonder that they were okay and not going to get attacked, he reluctantly let them out again.

We left to take Boy Wonder to his dance exam , freestyle and tap today. He seemed absolutely fine on the way but as soon as we got there, his mood changed. The place was busy and crowded in the entrance where parents and children were waiting to dance or to pick up their children. There was a feel of seriousness / nervousness although I am not sure Boy Wonder picked up on anything other than it being different and crowded. He became anxious and agitated, so once he was dressed and ready, I had a quiet word with his teacher and left. He can hold it together a lot better when I'm not there and his teacher said that she would keep a close eye on him and take him outside if he needed some space.

Whilst waiting for Boy Wonder, Superman, Cat Girl and I did a bit of shopping as we needed white tights for Cat Girl's nativity play. We finished off at the soft play where Cat Girl is having her party next week as I had to finalise details. We then picked up a couple of reindeer gingerbread and went to pick up Boy Wonder.

I spoke with his teacher before Boy Wonder came out of his tap exam and she said that he had done well, a bit edgy and fidgety but okay. He wasn't happy that 'special needs' had been written on his form. I explained  to him later  that it was an old fashioned term for identifying that he may not understand the lady examiner's accent or gestures because he hasn't met her before. ' oh' he said ' is that all?' I think he was worried that they thought he couldn't dance very well. I told him that this is certainly not the case as all dancers are only put through for exams if his teacher thought they could do it.  He now has a couple of weeks to wait for the results which I seem to be more bothered about than him!

We came home and watched a DVD whilst having tea. It was 'A Diary of The Wimpy Kid' film which they both love. After lots of laughing  it was time for bed. Cat Girl seemed very tired this evening. Boy Wonder however seemed wide awake!

My Mum the First Aider!

Superman had the pleasure of taking the children to school this morning as he had a Govenor meeting. He went to the gym early and arrived home at 7.45am. I started to get Boy Wonder and Cat Girl up. I thought I would just make a start, do the medication, Cat Girl's bandage and then Superman could take over but by the time he returned they were practically up and sorted. Why can't it be like that every day?! I left at 8am to go to work, leaving them to get on with it.

Superman was also on pick up from school duty so I didn't see them until I returned from work. Boy Wonder had got a splinter in his hand at school and had been very worried about it. The teacher had volunteered to get it out for him but he stated that 'My mum is a qualified first aides,  she will know what to do?!' Such faith !

This evening I took Boy Wonder to his last show and he was very excitable. Once on stage he managed to contain it in most part and did really well. They will be singing the songs again at the Carol concert next month. Boy Wonder was the Toy Maker and sang elements of the song as a solo.  The older girl singing other parts of the song got her lines right tonight which was a relief ! Not because anyone noticed the prsvious night but because Boy Wonder pointed out her what mistakes she had made and what she should have said!

We stayed behind after the show for the disco and to see Super Gran and co who had been to watch.  They said that they enjoyed it and that he did well . Boy Wonder spent the next half an hour racing around before we left for home.

Boy Wonder settled down with his DS when we got home. Cat Girl was already asleep.

Sozzled on Sherry!

A morning much like every other school morning except a very tired Cat Girl made double the work. Shouldn't complain though as she is usually fairly easy! Boy Wonder required a firm tone to try and get him to settle down but as always this is in vain except for he fact that it makes me feel a bit better!!

The school day started off in 'wild child' mode but they managed to rein him in eventually. When I picked them up however, Boy Wonder was angry. He told me that he is missing the school football match because of silly dance and silly show! I explained that we had spoken about this and I thought he understood? He said that he did but wasn't happy because the boys would laugh at him for dancing.

I spoke to Boy Wonder about dance not being a girl thing and that you have to be very fit to dance. I went on to explain to him that on Strictly Come Dancing that he watches, footballers and rugby players dance and that they wouldn't be picked on! I finally said that if he makes it to the West End he would be the one laughing then! Yes okay so I went into a rant but it would be heartbreaking for him to give up because of  what he thinks other boys might think. Anyway by the time I had done he was smiling and raring to go.

He did well at dance today and is ready for his tap and theatre craft exams on Sunday. We then went over to the cousins for an hour before going to his performance. They played Mine Craft whilst Cat Girl and little cousin played 'holidays!'

We left just before 7pm and drove over to the theatre. He practised his lines and then stopped and looked confused. I asked him what was the matter and he said that he didnt know what 'sozzled' meant. this was one of his words that he has to say. I explained that it meant drunk. ' Oh that makes sense then!' he said 'What is Sherry?' It took a while but we got there!  Boy Wonder got ready and we went to sit down. I know that I am biased but he was fabulous. He sang loud and clear and put everything into it. They were all fabulous and most of the audience were teary eyed! Afterwards everyone stayed for coffee/ wine and mince pies whilst the kids danced to a mini disco.

We left just after 8.30 and got the kids home to settle down. Boy Wonder did his usual 'who forgot what line'  list but told me not to worry as he had told them! With his usual 'tact' I hope!

Boy Wonder and Cat Girl had half an hour with their Ds's before going to sleep.

A funny old night!!

Both seemed tired and reluctant to get up this morning, even the kittens were failing to rouse them! Eventually we got there and after showering and dressing Boy Wonder as he was unable to focus for long enough to do it himself; we went down for breakfast. After a lot more 'all over the placeness' we left for school.

At school we handed Cat Girl's party invites to her teacher to check that we hadn't missed anyone ( she told me later that we had missed 3!) and then went to see Boy Wonder's teacher to check in.

I picked them up after school and Boy Wonder seemed on edge. He put his leg out in front of Cat Girl as she was running towards the steps. I stopped him just in time, that could have been nasty. I asked Boy Wonder why he did it and he said that he needed to stop her as she shouldn't be running. I explained to him what could have happened and that he could have really hurt her. He said that he didn't mean to hurt her, just stop her.

We drove straight to Ju Jitsu via MacDonalds and ate Happy Meals in the car before dropping Cat Girl off. It was a slight change in routine today as I was going to stay with Boy Wonder to support during the dress rehearsal for the Christmas show.  Whilst in the car I asked Boy Winder about his day and if any of his friends had been upset ( a tip off I received!) He told me that two of his friends had fell out and were not nice to each other. He was clear that he wasn't involved but didn't know how to deal with it. This  would explain the tetchy mood. I reassured him that tomorrow is a different day and that I am sure it will be forgotten ( maybe.)

Boy Wonder got ready for the show once we got there and all in all it went very well. They are certainly a talented bunch of children and teachers. After the dress rehearsal we came home and settled down.

Boy Wonder sat down with his DS and Cat Girl went to get her pjs on. She then started to throw a massive paddy about onsies being too hot and pjs being too cold! This went on forever and she screamed, banged on the floor, shouted ...... Boy Wonder was shocked by such behaviour! 'Whatever is the matter with her?' He said. I explained the hot, cold problem to him and he said ' What else is there to put on?' Exactly my point!! I explained to Boy Wonder that she is probably just tired and he thought this was odd ' Why doesn't she just go to bed then ?' Such a simple solution !

After about half an hour Cat Girl calmed down, she chose the original pjs and settled into bed and I read her the same book I read her every night. She was soon asleep.

Boy Wonder took longer to settle but at about 10pm all went quiet and Super Man found him on the landing wrapped in a blanket. He moved him off to bed and eventually he fell to sleep.

Tummy ache and sore thumb!

A morning of the usual madness with the added extra of bandaging Cat Girl's hand and reassuring Boy Wonder that she is okay really!! We arrived at school and got them sorted , explaining to Cat Girl and her teacher that when washing her hands there really was no need to wash her bandage!

Boy Wonder stayed after school for science club and Cat Girl for after school club. His teacher reported that he had been complaining of tummy ache most of the afternoon but it appeared to be more anxiety lead than actual illness. There had been a change to the class schedule to Include carol practice. It may have contributed to him feeling anxious.

We went straight to piano after the clubs which went well. Boy Wonder then got ready for his Ju Jitsu grading which was being held in class time due to Sensi not being available at the weekend. Boy Wonder did really well and put a lot of effort in to his demonstrations. He is now a green belt with black stripe. We made our apologies for Boy Wonder not being able to attend for the rest of the week due to his Christmas performance at his drama club. We also asked if Cat Girl can attend with a bruised thumb, which they agreed would be okay but they would restrict some activities if necessary.

We arrived home about 8pm and settled Boy Wonder and Cat Girl down for bed. Both looked really tired tonight so hopefully they will sleep! Boy Wonder didn't complain further about tummy ache although did acknowledge that he had it earlier in the afternoon.

A meeting of some progress

Superman joined me in the school morning routine today as we had a school meeting first thing. He prepared Boy Wonder yesterday with how it will ' work' in the morning but oh how it didn't!! Superman isn't at all nieve about how difficult it can be to keep Boy Wonder on task but he was quite surprised how difficult he can be under a time constraint.

We arrived at school and I spoke with Cat Girl's teacher about her thumb and how unsettled Boy Wonder is about it and to keep an eye on them. Superman had the same conversation with Boy Wonder's teacher.

We met with the head, senco( and teacher ) and inclusion officer today to discuss the note in lieu. We didn't hold out too much hope regarding this meeting but were pleasantly surprised in most part. For the first time the Inclusion Officer used the word 'Autism' and Boy Wonder in the same sentence! She did attempt to quote text book delivery of anxiety management to us which didn't go down to well as I tried to explain to her that anxiety management for individuals with autism is totally different than anxiety management in isolation. She responded by asking how I knew that to which I replied ' because I live with him!' Maybe not the best response but it certainly made my point.  The actions agreed were that they would support the O.T assessment / report ( now that we had made it clear that the O.T is a specialist in autism and sensory integration within schools , not just someone we dragged off the street !) and work with its recommendations along with the Autism advisor and ed psych. Additionally they agreed to additional 1:1 time in the afternoon to discuss emotional and social anxieties and to put in a quiet time at the end of the day to remove him from the end of school  'madness.'  The autism advisor will also be contacted to support with transference of skills within school and to input into the O .T assessment.  In return we agreed to have the next review in January and hold back on taking the note in lieu to appeal until the school had the opportunity to address everything discussed. We will make a final decision here a couple of weeks before the deadline based on the progress made.

The rest of the day was fairly non eventful. Boy Wonder enjoyed his art therapy and double football. The local team training seems to be a lot more structured and suitable for his needs than it once was.

Cat Girl is now sporting a very bruised, fat thumb which is bothering her quite a bit.  Boy Wonder had been over the top with his concern and ' looking after her.'

Both went to bed quite early tonight, however Boy Wonder became quite panicky over noises that he could hear, thinking they were burglars. He finally got to sleep at 10.15pm.

Treasure Trail Fun

We decided on a treasure hunt today to give Superman an opportunity to take out his car and to get some fresh air. The treasure hunt was an online Company where you find the one you want to do and then pay a nominal fee. They then send you it in a download or through the post if you prefer.

We aimed to get up and out for 10am but it was more like 10.30am by time we got in the car. Boy Wonder struggled with the concept of the treasure hunt and asked countless questions like ' what if someone else takes the clues before us?' ' how many people will be there?'how do you know it will only be us?' We tried to explain to him that it wasn't quite like other treasure hunts that we had done.

Cat Girl was only bothered about whether or not there would be chocolate at the end! We got there and didn't really know what to expect or even if the kids would get it. However, the whole thing was fabulous. Boy Wonder really got into it once he visualised it and Cat Girl got quite a few of the clues. We walked around the fabulous village of Ashton in The Water and found the answers to the clues etched on old stone buildings and bridges. This was combined with a few snippets of local history which even made skulking around a grave yard interesting! Part way through we stopped off at the village shop for cake and sausage rolls and then went there again at the end for a sweetie reward! We submitted our answer to where the treasure was buried on line and got it right! We have now been entered into a prize draw to win £1000.00 but won't be holding our breath!

We arrived home about 1.30pm and started to prepare dinner for sister and family visiting. We had a lovely afternoon that consisted  of the children playing nicely, Boy Wonder and big cousin mainly playing on Minecraft  and listening to music and Cat Girl and little cousin playing teddy bears picnic and dolls house. We had dinner and chatted, lit the log burner to cosy up from the wintry weather outside and had a drink. The evening resulted in little cousin banging her head a couple of times and Cat Girl jarring her thumb.

We started to settle the children down for bed after our visitors left and noticed that Cat Girl's thumb was becoming quite swollen and she had limited movement. We put an ice pack on it but after 20 minutes it still looked like it was swelling further. Superman, to be on the safe side took her down to the hospital to be checked out. I settled Boy Wonder into bed but he became distressed about Cat Girl , saying that he was very worried. He had picked his mouse mat up that has a picture of himself and Cat Girl on it and took it to bed with him. I reassured him that she is fine and would be home soon.

Cat Girl returned from hospital at 10pm with a badly bruised/ swollen thumb. No fracture luckily so that's a relief. I told Boy Wonder the news who was clearly relieved but then became preoccupied with the detail of bandages and what it would look like! We spoke about it at length and he then went back to reading his book.  Tired grumpy children in the morning I think!

A quiet day....

A struggle to get up this morning as Boy Wonder was tired. He had a steady morning resting whilst Cat Girl and I went to her Ju Jitsu grading and then shopping.

Cat Girl did really well at her grading, receiving an anti bullying badge and then demonstrated a kata and a side break fall sliding kick. Her confidence has really come on which is great.

Boy Wonder went out this afternoon to the fire engine museum with his worker and seemed to enjoy it. He also went to Pizza Hut which he liked. In the meantime,Cat Girl and I went shopping for dolls house dolls and Super Man went to fetch his new car. A busy afternoon!

Cat Girl and I arrived home first and then Superman with the car ( that has gears!) and we took it a little drive. I am not used to cars that don't drive themselves anymore, needless to say, Superman was very on edge as I kept forgetting to change gear!

Boy Wonder returned from his trip and we were told that he had fun and he agreed to this statement, however spoke no more about it ! The rest of the evening he was quiet, a little argumentative if things weren't quite right but generally settled.

Grandparents visited, Dr Who was watched and he went off to bed to read. When we came up to bed at 10.30 he was asleep , result!! Don't want to speak too soon but maybe things are starting to settle for him.

A Busy Friday

A quick rush this morning to get up and get everything to the school in preparation for the Christmas Fayre. We arrived at school and parked in the teacher car park and after convincing Boy Wonder that I had permission to do this ( I actually did seek permission!) he calmed and helped me move the boxes into the school with Cat Girl and friends that we spotted waiting to go into school. 

Cat Girl was up got a star award in assembly, Boy Wonder was on the Golden Table for good manners and chose his girlfriend to sit with him  and they both showed certificates and medals. Cat Girl didn't want to stand up in assembly to show her Sumo medal so it was done whilst she sat. Boy Wonder however was happy to talk about his 200 metre swimming certificate!  Cat Girl received her award for excellent letters and sounds work. ( I think that means reading!) 

I arrived back at school to help set up for the school Christmas Fayre. The next four hours were a bit of a blur. It was manic, hectic, loud and lots of fun. Boy Wonder entered into the spirit of it and generally coped fairly well. He had his own wallet so just Went round spending bits of money on random items.

The fayre was good fun but tiring. We stopped off at a chinese takeaway on the way home and then arrived home to chill. 

Boy wonder seemed high yet tetchy this evening. It has been a busy day!!

Early Start

It was an early start this morning as we had to leave the house for 7.30am to get to the hospital appointment for Boy Wonder. It was like mission impossible as Boy Wonder didn't get to sleep until around midnight.

We dropped Cat Girl off at the Super Gran's and drove to the hospital. The morning city traffic was a nightmare and we arrived with five minutes to spare.  The Doctor saw us straight away and we spoke about the recent difficulties and the ADHD medication increase. The reality is that yes,  Boy Wonder is clearly struggling with anxiety, impulsivity and processing etc. which is also manifesting itself in physical symptoms such as sleeplessness, incontinence, stomach aches and headaches. But what do we do? The answer isn't to keep increasing the medication as symptoms ease in all areas during school holidays and even a fair amount at weekends. But neither can we sit back and allow him to feel this disjointed and anxious. I explained that we found it difficult that our eight year old boy had to be physically washed, dressed and supported to eat most mornings, not because he can't do it but because he cannot focus enough to do it.  The Doctor said that she would add a small amount of medication as an evening dose to give the melatonin a fighting chance of working. At the moment the ADHD meds are wearing off as he is taking the melatonin so it is fighting an uphill battle and loosing ! We went on to speak about the refused statement and she said that she was more than happy to support Boy Wonder further with pursuing this rejection as would be the lead Consultant. 

We got to school at 10.30am and dropped him off with a copy of the note in lieu they had been requested. He was reported to have a reasonable rest of the day at school.

We went straight on to MacDonalds and Jiu Jitsui after school. He was in an okay mood although had become upset at school when Cat Girl had fell over and hurt her knees. He seemed to disengage from talking about this.

Boy Wonder spent the evening at Jiu Jitsu and on return was high and giddy. He made a milkshake and whilst sat holding it, dropped it into his lap without appearing the notice, although was wet through! I got him changed and settled him into bed. Fingers crossed for a bit of sleep!

It's not funny! ( I know!)

A morning like every other school day morning resulted in a twist, torrential rain! Just as we were leaving the house the heavens opened and we got drenched just going to the car.

We got to school looking like drowned rats and I then unleashed my moan on the poor teaching assistant about the previous day. She said that she would pass on my concerns and was very empathetic about the situation. She also commented that he did appear unsettled yesterday and not his usual self.

It was a short day at work today then back for school pick up. On collecting the children Boy Wonder overheard a parent telling me about his youngest putting a stone in his ear and needing a trip to hospital to deal with it. As we got in the car Boy Wonder started firing endless questions at me regarding the exact procedure required for stone out of ear removal and basically wanted to know precise details. I attempted to play it down to calm him but was then accused of not caring. I said that I cared very much and hoped he was okay but I really couldn't answer his questions in the detail he required. I then gave him a reassuring smile. Boy Wonder responded by shouting at me that it wasn't funny!! I give up !

Boy Wonder appears to have lost all ability to read expression and process matters. This has never been his strong point but he can usually read familiar faces. This tends to happen when anxiety hits and his head becomes fuzzed.

We had tea and went off to drama where Boy Wonder seemed very high and making squeaking noises! It's his show next week so hopefully he will be more level by then!

At home Boy Wonder settled fairly early with his cat in his hammock, rocking side to side whilst reading a book.

Boy Wonder has an appointment with the paediatrician tomorrow to review his medication and ADHD presentation. I think we will have plenty to discuss, luckily she is a very clued up specialist. Boy Wonder is very fortunate to have such a good medical support.

Lipsal Hair Gel

Cat Girl woke up this morning with an horrendous cough. It came out of nowhere as she was fine yesterday! Her temperature was slightly raised so I gave her 'pink' medicine and after a short while she began to perk up.

Boy Wonder was then woken up and put in the shower. When I went back into him, he had curled up on the shower floor and was attemping to go to sleep! I got him out and helped to dry and dress him but as I did so, Boy Wonder complained of feeling dizzy. These children are falling apart today!

We went downstairs for breakfast and Boy Wonder become higher and higher and tetchy with it. He was obviously tired. Cat Girl looked a bit brighter now.

The bell went as we walked through the school gates so I quickly ushered them in and left. At around lunch time I received a text from a parent/ friend to ask if I was aware that Boy Wonder's class had a supply teacher today and a new one at that? I wasn't aware and thanked him for the warning!

When I picked Boy Wonder up I was asked to come into the classroom. I was given a piece of paper from the teaching assistant that said Boy Wonder had been agitated today, possibly due to the supply teacher. In the afternoon he had used lipsal to 'gel' his hair. I explained that we were unaware of the supply teacher and it is highly likely that Boy Wonder has reacted because of this.

We left to go to piano and Boy Wonder stated that he had tummy ache and had had it all day. I asked him about his day and he told me that the supply teacher was cool because he could do what he wanted but the routine was changed and he got bored. As the journey continued he became very verbally aggressive ( snappy) and couldn't tolerate talking at all.

Boy Wonder attended piano and then Jiu Jutsu with little problem. He seemed to like the routine of it.     Afterwards Superman  picked him up and they came home to watch football.   Boy Wonder sat in his hammock watching football, shouting orders at the players, the best being ' Go on Gerrard, what do you think you are doing? I will not tolerate that!'

Eventually he went to sleep with the chorus of Cat Girl coughing!

Hecklers.!!

A typical school morning of struggling to motivate Boy Wonder to get up and then battling to get him to shower, dress and eat breakfast. 

We arrived at school just before the bell and spoke to his teacher about the weekend events. Namely that he had done his project with little prompting and the little matter of the soft play incident. 

I picked Boy Wonder up at 1.30pm for his art therapy review. He appeared quite chilled which was nice but although he understood that I was coming to talk to his art therapist, once we got in the room he went about his work and wouldn't entertain time out to talk. I was clearly in the way. We agreed that the sessions would continue as they were having a positive affect on him by there being little to no anxiety in the evenings after the sessions. Although we haven't yet worked out exactly why this happens, we agreed that it is certainly worth carrying on. I also made a point of telling the therapist that last night was the first time that Boy Wonder has ever instigated art or craft of any kind at home and made a wonderful picture of a dolphin!

Whilst Boy Wonder finished his art session I waited in the waiting room. The phone rang and it was the Occupational Therapist. She arranged to visit Boy Wonder at school and then at home on the 9th December for the sensory assessment. I am looking forward to the outcome of this as he has never had an O.T assessment before and I have a feeling that it could be quite insightful.

We returned to school after the session just in time to start football practice. Boy Wonder was team captain today and seemed to enjoy this. The coach was very keen to see if Boy Wonder was going to the football training later as discussed last week. I said yes and he reassured me that it would be structured and good for him. 

Super Man took Boy Wonder to football training whilst I took Cat Girl swimming. We then hurried back to go and see a friend perform in a Christmas performance at the local theatre. 

The performance was 'The Christmas Carol,' they did very well and we enjoyed it. The children sat well and watched. Unfortunately we had a couple of loud, intoxicated women behind us who laughed loudly, heckled and generally spoke all the way through it. Boy Wonder was very confused by their behaviour and asked a lot if questions after! I spoke the ladies in the interval and asked them to settle down but still they continued! 

We arrived home at just after 10pm, Cat Girl already asleep and Boy Wonder reasonably settled. We got them into bed and relaxed!!

Do You Know That Man?!

Whilst the household was still asleep I managed to get some work done, but before long Boy Wonder was up and racing around. I had hoped for him to have a little lie in but no! After a while he settled in his little hammock that he has made out of a teddy hammock and cocooned himself. Here he stayed and watched TV , singing loudly and rocking.

Super Man took Boy Wonder and Cat Girl down to the park this morning on their bikes whilst I did a bit more work and then prepared dinner . Super Mam saw a family that he knew whilst there and sat talking to the man whilst the children played. Boy Wonder came over after a few minutes with a concerned look on his face and said ' Do you know this man?' Super Man reassured him that he did although said to me later that he thought it was obvious! Clearly not.

On returning home we had lunch and Boy Wonder and Cat Girl played outside with the kittens and some children off of the street. They played nicely until it got a bit dark and then came in for dinner. The Grandparents came round for dinner ( two sets of them ) and Boy Wonder entertained them with his usual joke book reading. It always amuses how he reads them with such a straight face whilst others laugh at them.

We all did some wrapping of gifts for the school Christmas fayre and Cat Girl kept us all going with her insistent tones of ' work harder men, work harder!' Boy Wonder opted out and played on his DS. He did insist on helping though after we had finished do found something to wrap and added it to the pile,

This evening as Cat Girl settled down in bed and Boy Wonder took to creating a picture of One Direction riding a Dolphin in the sea. He added shadows to it and decided to use it for his school home work project. That was easy then!


He settled down and played Mine Craft before bed.