Boy Wonder ended up running himself a bath last night and used pretty much all of the bath products in it. He said that it helped him to relax so we silently hoped this was the case! However, he stayed awake until the early hours. I fell asleep before him so not sure how late but judging by the state of him this morning, it was late enough!
Boy Wonder struggled out of bed and got into the shower. After twenty minutes he livened up to the point of hyper and I then spent some time battling with him as he was trying to bound down the stairs. Wet bodies aren't the easiest things to keep hold of, fresh out of the shower!
I dropped them off at school and went to work. I received an email from Boy Wonder's Clinical Psychologist saying that he was not retiring as soon as anticipated and wanted to come to the tribunal. That was the best news of the day, week and year!
On picking up from school, the snow started to fall. Cat Girl was very excited! Luckily it was too wet to settle so it wasn't problematic. Boy Wonder enjoyed dance and appeared more settled. He even said that he was starting to feel better although his tummy ache was still there. Cat Girl went to Ju Jitsu and is practising for her grading on Saturday.
Football was canceled this evening due to the weather so we came home and Boy Wonder played Minecraft. He later came downstairs to settle. I put some aloe heat rub on the soles if his feet to help him sleep. Yes we are desperate!!
Cat Girl went to bed and watched her programmes and we watched rubbish tv downstairs.
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Team Boy Wonder!
After another 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' reading marathon, Boy Wonder fell to sleep in the early hours. He woke again quite early and wanted to go straight onto Minecraft. We explained that this couldn't happen as he needed to get ready for school. Boy Wonder exploded into an angry rage and locked himself in the bathroom! Superman managed to unlock the door from the outside with his multi tool and then I dealt with the aftermath. In short, Boy Wonder stated that we shouldn't make him angry!
I helped Boy Wonder to get dressed and by this point he had moved into his erratic stage. I got Cat Girl ready and then we went downstairs. Once they had eaten breakfast I allowed ten minutes on the dreaded Minecraft before school.
On arrival at school I spoke to the teaching assistant about Boy Wonder's anger outburst and erratic presentation. She said that she would speak to the teacher and keep an eye on him. I gave Cat Girl's teacher the lovingly prepared letter from her G.P and she was allowed back into school!
Today was ' Search for a second opinion Educational Psychologist' day. I half expected this to be difficult but in fact after speaking to few, I found a lady who specialises in autism and complex needs. After a very in depth phone conversation and a chat with Superman we agreed that she would jump on board Team Boy Wonder. She arranged to visit to do the first part of the assessment next week at the school and follow up at home in the school holidays. She will certainly compliment the rest of the team!
After school the children went to clubs. Boy Wonder still appeared quiet and had been described as such in school today too. I caught up on his home school diary which had quite a bit in it that was likely to cause anxiety but hadn't been discussed.
This evening Boy Wonder spent time in his room watching football. He then went onto reading. Cat Girl went to bed settled and happy. She had seen her favourite supply teacher today at school!
I helped Boy Wonder to get dressed and by this point he had moved into his erratic stage. I got Cat Girl ready and then we went downstairs. Once they had eaten breakfast I allowed ten minutes on the dreaded Minecraft before school.
On arrival at school I spoke to the teaching assistant about Boy Wonder's anger outburst and erratic presentation. She said that she would speak to the teacher and keep an eye on him. I gave Cat Girl's teacher the lovingly prepared letter from her G.P and she was allowed back into school!
Today was ' Search for a second opinion Educational Psychologist' day. I half expected this to be difficult but in fact after speaking to few, I found a lady who specialises in autism and complex needs. After a very in depth phone conversation and a chat with Superman we agreed that she would jump on board Team Boy Wonder. She arranged to visit to do the first part of the assessment next week at the school and follow up at home in the school holidays. She will certainly compliment the rest of the team!
After school the children went to clubs. Boy Wonder still appeared quiet and had been described as such in school today too. I caught up on his home school diary which had quite a bit in it that was likely to cause anxiety but hadn't been discussed.
This evening Boy Wonder spent time in his room watching football. He then went onto reading. Cat Girl went to bed settled and happy. She had seen her favourite supply teacher today at school!
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Bonkers as a Box of Frogs!
I think we saw every hour last night. One very restless child ! We got up at 7am and started the morning routine. Boy Wonder struggled to function and appeared to be very tired. ( unsurprisingly.) Cat Girl got ready for school whilst Boy Wonder had a shower and then after dressing Boy Wonder which is becoming more difficult by the day, we went downstairs for breakfast.
On arrival at school we went straight inside as it was raining. I spoke with Boy Wonder's teacher and asked her if she had read the letter? She said that she had but said little more. I mentioned that I didn't have Boy Wonder's homeschool diary so hasn't written anything further in it. I explained that he had, had little sleep and had started his medication increase.
This afternoon I received a phone call from school to say that Cat Girl had diarrhoea and needed to be collected. I asked if she looked unwell and she said not really. I explained that it was likely to be her laxative medication as she suffers from constipation and that it was highly unlikely to be anything else. Anyway regardless of this she had to be collected ( although she already had a change of clothes and was comfortable) as policy stated that she may be contagious. I now was faced with the task of getting a 'fit note' from the G.P so that she didn't have to have two days off of school! If anyone has ever attempted to obtain a fit note for a child from the triage / emergency system in place at G.P surgeries you will know that this is not easy as in short you are insisting on an appointment to prove your child is well. Mmm!!
I picked Boy Wonder up from school and he appeared low in mood and very confused about Cat Girl as he hasn't been informed. We left school and picked Cat Girl up from Super Gran's and Biker Gramps who had been ' nursing' the very well Cat Girl back to full fitness. They had their tea here before going off to piano lessons. Boy Wonder remained low except for a couple of moments of engagement with Biker Gramps. When I asked him if he was okay he told me that he felt unwell and was tired. He ate his jam sandwiches and some marshmallows. I checked his bag for his home school diary and it wasn't there again.
At piano Boy Wonder started to come round a bit more, which is usually the case when he is with his tutor who is as bonkers as a box of frogs and very good with him. After the lesson we spoke about them writing a report on Boy Wonder's progress on music theatre, dance and piano and their teaching approach which is clearly very successful. They agreed that it would be a worthwhile report.
At home Boy Wonder went up his room and played on his computer. He later watched football before attempting to settle down and read. Cat Girl went to bed and watched her programmes for a little while before going to sleep. She makes it look so easy!
On arrival at school we went straight inside as it was raining. I spoke with Boy Wonder's teacher and asked her if she had read the letter? She said that she had but said little more. I mentioned that I didn't have Boy Wonder's homeschool diary so hasn't written anything further in it. I explained that he had, had little sleep and had started his medication increase.
This afternoon I received a phone call from school to say that Cat Girl had diarrhoea and needed to be collected. I asked if she looked unwell and she said not really. I explained that it was likely to be her laxative medication as she suffers from constipation and that it was highly unlikely to be anything else. Anyway regardless of this she had to be collected ( although she already had a change of clothes and was comfortable) as policy stated that she may be contagious. I now was faced with the task of getting a 'fit note' from the G.P so that she didn't have to have two days off of school! If anyone has ever attempted to obtain a fit note for a child from the triage / emergency system in place at G.P surgeries you will know that this is not easy as in short you are insisting on an appointment to prove your child is well. Mmm!!
I picked Boy Wonder up from school and he appeared low in mood and very confused about Cat Girl as he hasn't been informed. We left school and picked Cat Girl up from Super Gran's and Biker Gramps who had been ' nursing' the very well Cat Girl back to full fitness. They had their tea here before going off to piano lessons. Boy Wonder remained low except for a couple of moments of engagement with Biker Gramps. When I asked him if he was okay he told me that he felt unwell and was tired. He ate his jam sandwiches and some marshmallows. I checked his bag for his home school diary and it wasn't there again.
At piano Boy Wonder started to come round a bit more, which is usually the case when he is with his tutor who is as bonkers as a box of frogs and very good with him. After the lesson we spoke about them writing a report on Boy Wonder's progress on music theatre, dance and piano and their teaching approach which is clearly very successful. They agreed that it would be a worthwhile report.
At home Boy Wonder went up his room and played on his computer. He later watched football before attempting to settle down and read. Cat Girl went to bed and watched her programmes for a little while before going to sleep. She makes it look so easy!
Monday, 27 January 2014
Through the Barricade
Boy Wonder woke in a highly agitated/ flighty mood this morning. He went into the shower but this didn't appear to calm him any. After helping Cat Girl to get ready for school, I then tackled Boy Wonder which was a task and a half!
He barely ate any breakfast and wasn't taking in anything that I was saying. We left to go to school and it didn't feel that I was making the right decision but took him non the less on the basis that school rang if they thought he needed to come home. I spoke to Boy Wonder's teacher about his presentation and that we were concerned about him.
I spoke with his Psychiatrist today who confirmed our worry that Boy Wonder's mental health is deteriorating and that she will speak with the Art Therapist to observe his presentation today. I also spoke with him to update. She increased his anti anxiety medication which was something that she had been very reluctant to do before. She also confirmed her probable attendance at the tribunal if required.
I received an email from the O.T also confirming her attendance and pre hearing work so our side is now coming together!
On picking the children up from school, I dropped an update letter in to clarify the information from the Psychiatrist. Boy Wonder, after a dose of art therapy and football appeared brighter and was engaging well. Cat Girl was covered in flour after a messy activity and looked like a snowman!
On arrival at home we had tea and I spoke with Boy Wonder about what the psychiatrist had said. She had made it very clear to me that he must be told that his concerns had been listened to and taken seriously. He appeared to take this in and said that he just wanted the 'thing' to go away.
Cat Girl went swimming and after a fifteen minute drive around the car park again (3 weeks running) we managed to get parked and she was late for her lesson. I spoke with the reception about this and wrote the dreaded complaint. Cat Girl has now missed the equivalent of a lesson now in three weeks due to bad car park management.
Boy Wonder had stayed home with Superman and played Minecraft. When I returned we started to settle down and this resulted on me coming up to bed with him and reading. He had barricaded his door with his punch bag and two chairs in protest of me not responding to him immediately and changing his routine.
We read 136 pages of 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid.' Which we read in relays. As it approached midnight we put the book down and attempted the dreaded sleep. A further hour or so of tossing and turning and finally he slept!
Sunday, 26 January 2014
Come dine with us!
Sleep is still not happening, Boy Wonder is just not switching off until the early hours and then waking again after a few hours. He looks tired and is highly emotional.
Today was a rainy day and we decided to stay in and set the children a challenge. They were asked to make a two course dinner by choosing the menu and making it, decorating a paper table runner with drawings, glue and glitter and then pick after dinner activities. They were both very excited which was nice and Boy Wonder wrote down the specific instructions that he required. My job was to help with any hot or sharp bits!
They agreed the menu and I talked through the timings with Boy Wonder. He then set to work in scrubbing potatoes to put in the oven for jackets. Cat Girl made the angel delight and then set to work on the table cloth. They decided to make meatballs and salsa with the potatoes which was a little unusual but okay. Boy Wonder had episodes of panic when he looked at the time and didn't know how he would fit everything in! ( Welcome to my world!)
As dinner was served, Cat Girl called Superman from upstairs as he was decorating and Boy Wonder opened and poured the wine. He then sat everyone down in their places where their name badges were. We all had cock eyed cutlery loving laid out by Cat Girl. We congratulated them on their hard work and realised that they have probably learnt quite a bit from this fun activity. They both ate well without fuss due to the effort that they had put in to it and Boy Wonder said that he felt trusted as he had been able to use the cooker. (And did so very sensibly too) . I took the point to remind him that he did very well but mustn't use it alone until he is older. We then had a conversation on the specific age required!
After they had cleared up we played Hungry Hippos, Labyrinth and Cludeo in front of the fire with the rest of the home made wine ( for the adults) Cat Girl got a bit bored and went to dress up as a princess and although Boy Wonder genuinely won most games, he was clearly panicky about losing.
We watched Home Alone to finish off the evening and then Cat Girl went off to bed. She had been a lot better today. Boy Wonder was very difficult to settle and ended up going upstairs to read. He came down minutes later and flew a paper plane into the room that had a message on it 'boy Wonder Sad!' I went upstairs to him and we lay talking. He was very emotional and kept saying that there is something there that stops him sleeping. It comes when he is stressed or bored. We spoke about it for hours and never really resolved things although he did say that when he felt really angry or stressed at school, saying a wrong word helped him to release some of it. He also spoke briefly about a boy that he struggled to cope with as he talked a lot.
I reassured him and said that I would talk to his Doctor tomorrow about a possible solution to his sleep. Eventually he fell to sleep in the early hours.
Today was a rainy day and we decided to stay in and set the children a challenge. They were asked to make a two course dinner by choosing the menu and making it, decorating a paper table runner with drawings, glue and glitter and then pick after dinner activities. They were both very excited which was nice and Boy Wonder wrote down the specific instructions that he required. My job was to help with any hot or sharp bits!
They agreed the menu and I talked through the timings with Boy Wonder. He then set to work in scrubbing potatoes to put in the oven for jackets. Cat Girl made the angel delight and then set to work on the table cloth. They decided to make meatballs and salsa with the potatoes which was a little unusual but okay. Boy Wonder had episodes of panic when he looked at the time and didn't know how he would fit everything in! ( Welcome to my world!)
As dinner was served, Cat Girl called Superman from upstairs as he was decorating and Boy Wonder opened and poured the wine. He then sat everyone down in their places where their name badges were. We all had cock eyed cutlery loving laid out by Cat Girl. We congratulated them on their hard work and realised that they have probably learnt quite a bit from this fun activity. They both ate well without fuss due to the effort that they had put in to it and Boy Wonder said that he felt trusted as he had been able to use the cooker. (And did so very sensibly too) . I took the point to remind him that he did very well but mustn't use it alone until he is older. We then had a conversation on the specific age required!
After they had cleared up we played Hungry Hippos, Labyrinth and Cludeo in front of the fire with the rest of the home made wine ( for the adults) Cat Girl got a bit bored and went to dress up as a princess and although Boy Wonder genuinely won most games, he was clearly panicky about losing.
We watched Home Alone to finish off the evening and then Cat Girl went off to bed. She had been a lot better today. Boy Wonder was very difficult to settle and ended up going upstairs to read. He came down minutes later and flew a paper plane into the room that had a message on it 'boy Wonder Sad!' I went upstairs to him and we lay talking. He was very emotional and kept saying that there is something there that stops him sleeping. It comes when he is stressed or bored. We spoke about it for hours and never really resolved things although he did say that when he felt really angry or stressed at school, saying a wrong word helped him to release some of it. He also spoke briefly about a boy that he struggled to cope with as he talked a lot.
I reassured him and said that I would talk to his Doctor tomorrow about a possible solution to his sleep. Eventually he fell to sleep in the early hours.
Saturday, 25 January 2014
Billy Elliot in the Making!
Boy Wonder fell to sleep just before midnight and woke early. Not really what the Doctor ordered! After a leisurely breakfast and lengthily shower, he got ready for dance.
He appeared to be a little brighter today and was eating better. Cat Girl however was complaining of a sore throat and had a raised temperature.
We dropped Boy Wonder off at dance and nipped to my sister's to drop off a present for cousin. When we returned to pick him up, Boy Wonder had his ballet and theatre craft certificates. He got a distinction in his ballet exam and a merit on theatre craft! Needless to say that we are very proud and he was very pleased with himself and rightly so!
Ironically, this afternoon there was a programme on CBBC about three brothers who went to ballet. Two of them got into a dance school and one succeeded at auditions for Matilda. Boy Wonder watched with excitement, especially as they were talking about what they said if other kids laughed at them. Anyway, it appeared to get the message accross that dancing for boys is indeed cool!
We had a relaxing afternoon as Cat Girl was still under the weather and Boy Wonder was looking tired. We watched Tangled which was hard work with emotional children. luckily the thunderstorm wiped the internet connection so we had to go to DVD and this meant a lengthly run of Peppa Pig. The grandparents visited and then we watched tv before Cat Girl went to bed and Boy Wonder settled down,
I tried a few of my Forever Living products today. Aloe Gelly to soothe Cat Girl's throat which worked, omega 3 to help Boy Wonder's concentration ( will keep you posted
!) and Biker Gramps, Cat Girl and I are trying the aloe gel for dodgy guts! (IBS and suchlike.) Feeling hopeful that it works :-)
He appeared to be a little brighter today and was eating better. Cat Girl however was complaining of a sore throat and had a raised temperature.
We dropped Boy Wonder off at dance and nipped to my sister's to drop off a present for cousin. When we returned to pick him up, Boy Wonder had his ballet and theatre craft certificates. He got a distinction in his ballet exam and a merit on theatre craft! Needless to say that we are very proud and he was very pleased with himself and rightly so!
Ironically, this afternoon there was a programme on CBBC about three brothers who went to ballet. Two of them got into a dance school and one succeeded at auditions for Matilda. Boy Wonder watched with excitement, especially as they were talking about what they said if other kids laughed at them. Anyway, it appeared to get the message accross that dancing for boys is indeed cool!
We had a relaxing afternoon as Cat Girl was still under the weather and Boy Wonder was looking tired. We watched Tangled which was hard work with emotional children. luckily the thunderstorm wiped the internet connection so we had to go to DVD and this meant a lengthly run of Peppa Pig. The grandparents visited and then we watched tv before Cat Girl went to bed and Boy Wonder settled down,
I tried a few of my Forever Living products today. Aloe Gelly to soothe Cat Girl's throat which worked, omega 3 to help Boy Wonder's concentration ( will keep you posted
!) and Biker Gramps, Cat Girl and I are trying the aloe gel for dodgy guts! (IBS and suchlike.) Feeling hopeful that it works :-)
Friday, 24 January 2014
Rest Day
Boy Wonder had a little more sleep last night but still looked pale and off it this morning. He had a shower and I asked him how he felt? He said that he thought he was going to be sick and still felt tired. We decided that it would be best for him to stay at home. His first ever sick day!
I got Cat Girl ready for school and whilst Grandad sat with Boy Wonder, I took her to school. I spoke with Boy Wonder's teacher who agreed that he would probably benefit from a rest day rather than coming to school and adding to his anxiety.
Boy Wonder did indeed have a rest day, watching Harry Potter, playing Fifa 14 and a small dose of Minecraft. He said little all day, ate little and remained like this until Cat Girl arrived home from school with her school friend who was coming for tea. He had tea with them and livened up briefly before escaping to his room.
The girls ran around and played until it was time for her friend to go home. Cat Girl did her reading and went up to bed to watch tv before going to sleep,
Boy Wonder settled down with me and watched Top Gun. I used to love that film!
Hopefully after a couple of chill days Boy Wonder will perk up, it is quite disconcerting having him this quiet.
I got Cat Girl ready for school and whilst Grandad sat with Boy Wonder, I took her to school. I spoke with Boy Wonder's teacher who agreed that he would probably benefit from a rest day rather than coming to school and adding to his anxiety.
Boy Wonder did indeed have a rest day, watching Harry Potter, playing Fifa 14 and a small dose of Minecraft. He said little all day, ate little and remained like this until Cat Girl arrived home from school with her school friend who was coming for tea. He had tea with them and livened up briefly before escaping to his room.
The girls ran around and played until it was time for her friend to go home. Cat Girl did her reading and went up to bed to watch tv before going to sleep,
Boy Wonder settled down with me and watched Top Gun. I used to love that film!
Hopefully after a couple of chill days Boy Wonder will perk up, it is quite disconcerting having him this quiet.
Thursday, 23 January 2014
Sleepless Night
Wednesday started on a high again and resulted in an erratic sort of day with a sleepless night. I was at a late meeting and when I returned Boy Wonder bounded down the stairs asking to settle down with me whilst leaping about and making cat noises! Superman wasn't too impressed due to the fact that he did appear settled earlier in the evening but was obvious playing! It was 11pm and Boy Wonder was as lively as ever. We settled down for a short time but then went up to bed. Boy Wonder read for a while and didn't get to sleep until approx 3am.
This morning I woke Boy Wonder for his shower and he leapt out of bed and ran straight to the shower. He continued to leap about and make cat noise, one minute laughing loudly and the next minute crying and becoming visibly upset over nothing in particular. I had to tell him to calm as he was scaring his kitten who loyally sat with him whilst I attempted to get him dressed. Boy Wonder kept grabbing and bear hugging him so he ran off! He got very upset and stated that he would kill himself as he had upset Jet. I explained that Jet still loved him but had just been frightened a little. Boy Wonder then said that he would hurt himself by hitting himself in the face because he was naughty. Needless to say that I stopped him doing this and opted for distraction as this wasn't going to improve any other way!
We went downstairs and they had breakfast before going to school. Boy Wonder didn't settle and ate very little.
We arrived at school and I spoke to his teacher about his frame of mind. The supply teacher said that she would keep an eye on him and pass the information onto his teacher this afternoon.
On picking the children up from school, Boy Wonder's teacher expressed her concern that Boy Wonder appeared to be unwell as he had been complaining of tummy ache and feeling sick throughoutthe day. He also looked pale with red around his eyes. He did look exhausted and off it. We collected Cat Girl who was with her favourite supply teacher who had been covering her teacher for a few months when she started school. She had a hug and was told when she would be in again.
We got to the car and Cat Girl started to cry as she missed the teacher that she had just left. Boy Wonder remained very quiet, wouldn't eat his snack and just got angry when I asked him to change for dance. Although he became quite verbally aggressive, when the time came he went to dance without fuss.
I took Cat Girl to Ju Jitsu and after she had settled in, went to collect Boy Wonder. The dance teacher said that he had complained of feeling sick and had to sit out for some of it. I spoke with Boy Wonder about football practice and he said that he didn't feel we'll enough to go. He must be ill!
We collected Cat Girl and headed home. The children chilled in front of the tv and I nipped to the supermarket.
At bedtime there were more tears from Cat Girl about the teacher see missed. Boy Wonder settled down after a bit of erratic behaviour but once he was on my lap he was asleep within 25 minutest.
We had the tribunal documents today.I guess this is where it all starts again!
This morning I woke Boy Wonder for his shower and he leapt out of bed and ran straight to the shower. He continued to leap about and make cat noise, one minute laughing loudly and the next minute crying and becoming visibly upset over nothing in particular. I had to tell him to calm as he was scaring his kitten who loyally sat with him whilst I attempted to get him dressed. Boy Wonder kept grabbing and bear hugging him so he ran off! He got very upset and stated that he would kill himself as he had upset Jet. I explained that Jet still loved him but had just been frightened a little. Boy Wonder then said that he would hurt himself by hitting himself in the face because he was naughty. Needless to say that I stopped him doing this and opted for distraction as this wasn't going to improve any other way!
We went downstairs and they had breakfast before going to school. Boy Wonder didn't settle and ate very little.
We arrived at school and I spoke to his teacher about his frame of mind. The supply teacher said that she would keep an eye on him and pass the information onto his teacher this afternoon.
On picking the children up from school, Boy Wonder's teacher expressed her concern that Boy Wonder appeared to be unwell as he had been complaining of tummy ache and feeling sick throughoutthe day. He also looked pale with red around his eyes. He did look exhausted and off it. We collected Cat Girl who was with her favourite supply teacher who had been covering her teacher for a few months when she started school. She had a hug and was told when she would be in again.
We got to the car and Cat Girl started to cry as she missed the teacher that she had just left. Boy Wonder remained very quiet, wouldn't eat his snack and just got angry when I asked him to change for dance. Although he became quite verbally aggressive, when the time came he went to dance without fuss.
I took Cat Girl to Ju Jitsu and after she had settled in, went to collect Boy Wonder. The dance teacher said that he had complained of feeling sick and had to sit out for some of it. I spoke with Boy Wonder about football practice and he said that he didn't feel we'll enough to go. He must be ill!
We collected Cat Girl and headed home. The children chilled in front of the tv and I nipped to the supermarket.
At bedtime there were more tears from Cat Girl about the teacher see missed. Boy Wonder settled down after a bit of erratic behaviour but once he was on my lap he was asleep within 25 minutest.
We had the tribunal documents today.I guess this is where it all starts again!
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
A Funny Old Day!
It's been a funny old day! Boy Wonder awoke in a very high, erratic mood, worse than he has been in a long time. Getting him to participate in the most basic of tasks was a near impossibility and as a result I ended up doing everything for him. By the time we got to school my head was spinning ( but probably not as much as his!!) and I passed him over to his teacher with a sigh of relief.
I picked the children up after school and after hearing about Cat Girl's grazed knee we got ready to leave . Boy Wonder appeared quite low and after some initial engagement went into his own head and shut us out.
The play therapy worker arrived and Boy Wonder refused to spend time with her. He told me that he was worried as he kept forgetting everything as it wouldn't stay in his head. After some persuasion from the worker he came downstairs but it was very clear that he didn't want to be there. I managed to persuade him to engage for a short while but knew that I would pay for it later! Cat Girl enjoyed playing with the jelly game and the worker asked me questions about the house and if its difficult to heat ? (this was due to freezing her colleagues out last week during a midday meeting when we are usually at work, so the heating wasn't on!) She also asked Cat Girl some questions about her being happy and if Boy Wonder played with her? However only asked these when I left the room. Is it me or is the social services training a bit old hat?! Anyway one more session to go and hopefully we can forget all about this ridiculous idea!
As we set off for piano Boy Wonder became quite upset and said that he had tummy ache and felt sick. Typical anxiety symptoms. We got into the car and he remained very quiet throughout the journey. Piano was okay and he changed for Ju Jitsu but continued to complain of feeling unwell.
I spoke to Ju Jitsu about BoyWonder saying that he felt sick and told them to ring me if he needed collecting early. We also spoke about the up and coming awards and the concern that we have about Boy Wonder not achieving anything ( which has been the case at all previous events) and how this impacts heavily on his self esteem. I explained that due to Boy Wonder's complex needs, he struggles hugely with what he perceives to be failure They said that they would think about it and get back to me. I reassured them that we didn't except them to go against their usual procedures but had to consider Boy Wonder's well being and the impact this would have on him. We also spoke about Boy Wonder's attendance and was reassured that coming once a week was perfectly acceptable.
This evening was fairly settled. Cat Girl practised her spellings but burst into fit of giggles every time we got to 'wigwam!' We gave up after a while as the giggles were contagious and we weren't getting anywhere! It was fun though.
Boy Wonder returned from Ju Jitsu and appeared to be a bit brighter. He settled down on my knee and after an hour fell to sleep.
I picked the children up after school and after hearing about Cat Girl's grazed knee we got ready to leave . Boy Wonder appeared quite low and after some initial engagement went into his own head and shut us out.
The play therapy worker arrived and Boy Wonder refused to spend time with her. He told me that he was worried as he kept forgetting everything as it wouldn't stay in his head. After some persuasion from the worker he came downstairs but it was very clear that he didn't want to be there. I managed to persuade him to engage for a short while but knew that I would pay for it later! Cat Girl enjoyed playing with the jelly game and the worker asked me questions about the house and if its difficult to heat ? (this was due to freezing her colleagues out last week during a midday meeting when we are usually at work, so the heating wasn't on!) She also asked Cat Girl some questions about her being happy and if Boy Wonder played with her? However only asked these when I left the room. Is it me or is the social services training a bit old hat?! Anyway one more session to go and hopefully we can forget all about this ridiculous idea!
As we set off for piano Boy Wonder became quite upset and said that he had tummy ache and felt sick. Typical anxiety symptoms. We got into the car and he remained very quiet throughout the journey. Piano was okay and he changed for Ju Jitsu but continued to complain of feeling unwell.
I spoke to Ju Jitsu about BoyWonder saying that he felt sick and told them to ring me if he needed collecting early. We also spoke about the up and coming awards and the concern that we have about Boy Wonder not achieving anything ( which has been the case at all previous events) and how this impacts heavily on his self esteem. I explained that due to Boy Wonder's complex needs, he struggles hugely with what he perceives to be failure They said that they would think about it and get back to me. I reassured them that we didn't except them to go against their usual procedures but had to consider Boy Wonder's well being and the impact this would have on him. We also spoke about Boy Wonder's attendance and was reassured that coming once a week was perfectly acceptable.
This evening was fairly settled. Cat Girl practised her spellings but burst into fit of giggles every time we got to 'wigwam!' We gave up after a while as the giggles were contagious and we weren't getting anywhere! It was fun though.
Boy Wonder returned from Ju Jitsu and appeared to be a bit brighter. He settled down on my knee and after an hour fell to sleep.
Monday, 20 January 2014
A possible sleep solution?
Monday morning was met with a very tired Boy Wonder who had finally fallen to sleeping the early hours with a tonne of books on his bed! I woke him and bleary eyed he got up and shuffled into the shower where he fell back to sleep, curled into a ball.
Once awake and dried and dressed we came downstairs for breakfast. Cat Girl was also feeling a little grumpy but they both started to come round at the mention of pancakes for breakfast. The window cleaner was here this morning so caused some excitement as they chased him round the house, window to window! Boy Wonder was also very excited about taking the footballs to school.
We arrived at school and spoke to the teacher about bringing in the balls when I dropped the children off. Boy Wonder then went into class happily knowing that this had been sorted. Cat Girl skipped into her classroom, a lot happier than she was earlier.
I made a potentially very exciting purchase today! A weighted blanket for Boy Wonder. The Occupational Therapist had sent through the guidance and where I could get one from. There are so many things to consider with the weighted blanket that I didn't want to just wing it. Anyway watch this space to see how we get on! We are hoping that it will help to get him to sleep, replacing firm hold technique which is quite invasive for a growing boy.
Boy Wonder had football after school and won Man of the Match for excellent defending. He was very pleased. Cat Girl went to after school club and later went swimming. She is coming on well.
Boy Wonder's second football training is now moving to a Thursday so another discussion needs to be had about his after school routine. Was hoping that everything was settled now!
This evening they both settled down to watch Minecraft and then did some reading before going to sleep. Cat Girl fell to sleep quickly, Boy Wonder is still reading.
Once awake and dried and dressed we came downstairs for breakfast. Cat Girl was also feeling a little grumpy but they both started to come round at the mention of pancakes for breakfast. The window cleaner was here this morning so caused some excitement as they chased him round the house, window to window! Boy Wonder was also very excited about taking the footballs to school.
We arrived at school and spoke to the teacher about bringing in the balls when I dropped the children off. Boy Wonder then went into class happily knowing that this had been sorted. Cat Girl skipped into her classroom, a lot happier than she was earlier.
I made a potentially very exciting purchase today! A weighted blanket for Boy Wonder. The Occupational Therapist had sent through the guidance and where I could get one from. There are so many things to consider with the weighted blanket that I didn't want to just wing it. Anyway watch this space to see how we get on! We are hoping that it will help to get him to sleep, replacing firm hold technique which is quite invasive for a growing boy.
Boy Wonder had football after school and won Man of the Match for excellent defending. He was very pleased. Cat Girl went to after school club and later went swimming. She is coming on well.
Boy Wonder's second football training is now moving to a Thursday so another discussion needs to be had about his after school routine. Was hoping that everything was settled now!
This evening they both settled down to watch Minecraft and then did some reading before going to sleep. Cat Girl fell to sleep quickly, Boy Wonder is still reading.
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Labyrinth
Boy Wonder was up quite early this morning which was nice!! Shame it was the same morning that I had decided to clear out paperwork and attempt to become a little more organised. He watched Minecraft for a little while and then had a lengthily shower.
During my paperwork clearing I found all of Boy Wonder's early hospital test letters and results. These had been filed away so well that I thought they had been thrown away. I also found a book voucher from 2006 and two football ticket vouchers from 2009. I wonder if they are still valid!
After breakfast we went over to the sports warehouse to get some balls for the school. They sell large sacks of footballs for £2. Complete with a boot full of balls we headed off to get an incinerator bin to burn the old papers and then headed home.
Boy Wonder started his homework when we got back which asked him to write about how he would build a rocket and what he would need. He started off by listing what he would need to build a real rocket, metal, computer, rocket fuel. Superman then pointed out that he would struggle to make that if required so he crossed it out and put toilet roll, orange tissue paper and glue. I guess the second attempt is a little less ambitious!
This afternoon Boy Wonder played with the boy next door outside whilst it was nice and then inside later on. They mainly played with wrestling figures, the same sequence over and over which was Boy Wonder's influence I think!
Later this evening, after Superman had returned from taking Cat Girl to a party, he and Boy Wonder played Labyrinth. The game seemed to go on for quite some time and sounded tricky in part, however Boy Wonder won and was very pleased with himself. The game is very good for getting him thinking and problem solving so certainly something to encourage.
They both settled down for bed, Cat Girl with a crunchy bun and Boy Wonder with a snack and a book. Here's hoping for a settled evening.
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Original and Old Fashioned!
Friday was a steady day as far as Fridays go. Boy Wonder took some getting out of bed and by the time he was ready and downstairs, we had ten minutes to spare before needing to leave for school.
I spoke with Boy Wonder's teacher about him being wet at school yesterday, possibly at last break. She said that she would look out for this more so as she wasn't aware that it had happened.
The Occupational Therapist rang to talk about the meeting and her future involvement. She said that she would need to develop a sensory diet and train the staff in its use. She explained that this would require some 1:1 support hours which she would be requesting and then reviewing. This could get interesting!
Superman picked the children up from after school club and by the time I arrived home, Cat Girl was in bed but very warm and clammy. Her temperature was slightly high. Boy Wonder was watching wrestling and ended up staying awake until very late.
Today Boy Wonder went to dance and then out with his worker. Superman, Cat Girl and I went into town to buy Cat Girl a new hairbrush to get through that thick mop of hers. We also went to the Dolls House shop to buy some nursery furniture. She picked up some miniature toys for the toy box.
At home we did some baking and whilst I made flap jack and scones. Cat Girl made crunchy buns, better known as cornflake cakes! Friends came round for a coffee and to pick up eggs and we then had tea before grandparents came round and Superman and I went off to the hospital to see his aunt.
This evening as we settled down, Boy Wonder went into the kitchen for a snack. He came back with a scone and said 'I've done the original, old fashioned jam and cream.' Lovely! At least he is eating.
Cat Girl was asleep by 9pm but Boy Wonder is still wide awake.
I spoke with Boy Wonder's teacher about him being wet at school yesterday, possibly at last break. She said that she would look out for this more so as she wasn't aware that it had happened.
The Occupational Therapist rang to talk about the meeting and her future involvement. She said that she would need to develop a sensory diet and train the staff in its use. She explained that this would require some 1:1 support hours which she would be requesting and then reviewing. This could get interesting!
Superman picked the children up from after school club and by the time I arrived home, Cat Girl was in bed but very warm and clammy. Her temperature was slightly high. Boy Wonder was watching wrestling and ended up staying awake until very late.
Today Boy Wonder went to dance and then out with his worker. Superman, Cat Girl and I went into town to buy Cat Girl a new hairbrush to get through that thick mop of hers. We also went to the Dolls House shop to buy some nursery furniture. She picked up some miniature toys for the toy box.
At home we did some baking and whilst I made flap jack and scones. Cat Girl made crunchy buns, better known as cornflake cakes! Friends came round for a coffee and to pick up eggs and we then had tea before grandparents came round and Superman and I went off to the hospital to see his aunt.
This evening as we settled down, Boy Wonder went into the kitchen for a snack. He came back with a scone and said 'I've done the original, old fashioned jam and cream.' Lovely! At least he is eating.
Cat Girl was asleep by 9pm but Boy Wonder is still wide awake.
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Calamities and Boredom
Last night ended up being a bit crazy. Firstly Cat Girl had a pretty impressive nose bleed whilst in bed which just started from nowhere. This resulted in Boy Wonder getting panicky over the amount of blood and the seriousness of the situation. After much reassurance, he accepted that Cat Girl was okay. Cat Girl on the other hand didn't appear to be that concerned once she got over the initial shock!
Boy Wonder ended up settling down, downstairs with me and fell to sleep after about an hour of firm hold. I woke him to take him up to bed and as he walked out of the lounge door he put his fingers near the hinges and trapped them as the door shut. He cried immediately and I untrapped him whilst Superman grabbed an ice pack. I took him upstairs and had a good look at his fingers but they weren't cut or bruised, just some slight indents. He fell to sleep quickly and didn't seem to be in any pain.
This morning I dosed Cat Girl up on paracetamol as she still had a slight temperature and then checked on Boy Wonder's hand. It looked fine and he remembered nothing about it. We got ready in the usual fashion and managed to get to school just before the bell went. I spoke with Cat Girl's teacher about her nose bleed and cold just in case there was a reoccurance.
After school we went to clubs. Whilst getting changed, Boy Wonder stated that he was wet and had been for most of the afternoon. He went to dance and stated that he worked very hard and whilst Cat Girl went to Ju Jitsu, I nipped to buy Boy Wonder some new undies.
I picked Boy Wonder up from dance and helped him to change for Ju Jitsu. He started talking to me about death and his fear of dying. I tried reasuring him but he was mainly concerned about what he would do when he was dead and would he be bored? Some questions are so difficult to answer. Superman met us at Ju Jitsu and I went off to the school fundraiser meeting.
When I arrived home, Superman had put the children to bed. Cat Girl seemed a lot better and Boy Wonder was fairly settled.
Boy Wonder ended up settling down, downstairs with me and fell to sleep after about an hour of firm hold. I woke him to take him up to bed and as he walked out of the lounge door he put his fingers near the hinges and trapped them as the door shut. He cried immediately and I untrapped him whilst Superman grabbed an ice pack. I took him upstairs and had a good look at his fingers but they weren't cut or bruised, just some slight indents. He fell to sleep quickly and didn't seem to be in any pain.
This morning I dosed Cat Girl up on paracetamol as she still had a slight temperature and then checked on Boy Wonder's hand. It looked fine and he remembered nothing about it. We got ready in the usual fashion and managed to get to school just before the bell went. I spoke with Cat Girl's teacher about her nose bleed and cold just in case there was a reoccurance.
After school we went to clubs. Whilst getting changed, Boy Wonder stated that he was wet and had been for most of the afternoon. He went to dance and stated that he worked very hard and whilst Cat Girl went to Ju Jitsu, I nipped to buy Boy Wonder some new undies.
I picked Boy Wonder up from dance and helped him to change for Ju Jitsu. He started talking to me about death and his fear of dying. I tried reasuring him but he was mainly concerned about what he would do when he was dead and would he be bored? Some questions are so difficult to answer. Superman met us at Ju Jitsu and I went off to the school fundraiser meeting.
When I arrived home, Superman had put the children to bed. Cat Girl seemed a lot better and Boy Wonder was fairly settled.
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Time to reflect
Late night, rushed morning and then a day of meetings. Boy Wonder was his usual self topped off by Cat Girl being a bit off it. Not a great combination!
The meeting had positive elements but no real outcomes. In short it is likely that Boy Wonder's support needs will be decided in court which will be long winded and time consuming but the only real solution as we see it. As it stands, there seems to be a huge divide between health and education which won't be resolved without an independent opinion we don't think. The anxiety that Boy Wonder presents with is detrimental to his health and well being but not to his school day presentation. However everyone agrees that the anxiety is very much an issue but education will not accept that they have more of a specific part to play in it.
Today has been a day of thinking and rethinking priorities and plans, life style and life changes. Although this is not something to jump head on in to we are certainly planning to future proof which will allow us to be even more flexible with Boy Wonder's needs and still provide some sort of quality family life.
This evening consisted of a very unsettled Boy Wonder and a feverish Cat Girl, the grande finale being a Cat Girl nose bleed which was rather messy and sent Boy Wonder into a tizz. She is okay now and has just fallen to sleep.
The meeting had positive elements but no real outcomes. In short it is likely that Boy Wonder's support needs will be decided in court which will be long winded and time consuming but the only real solution as we see it. As it stands, there seems to be a huge divide between health and education which won't be resolved without an independent opinion we don't think. The anxiety that Boy Wonder presents with is detrimental to his health and well being but not to his school day presentation. However everyone agrees that the anxiety is very much an issue but education will not accept that they have more of a specific part to play in it.
Today has been a day of thinking and rethinking priorities and plans, life style and life changes. Although this is not something to jump head on in to we are certainly planning to future proof which will allow us to be even more flexible with Boy Wonder's needs and still provide some sort of quality family life.
This evening consisted of a very unsettled Boy Wonder and a feverish Cat Girl, the grande finale being a Cat Girl nose bleed which was rather messy and sent Boy Wonder into a tizz. She is okay now and has just fallen to sleep.
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
They will have me to deal with!
Another late night meant that the morning was less than successful and resulted in Boy Wonder still being in the shower fifteen minutes before we were due to leave. Boy Wonder was very hyper and difficult to co ordinate. He ate breakfast in a fashion and ran to the car.
The school day appeared to be okay although Boy Wonder seems to be having issues with Maths and is taking regular time out to process what he is meant to be doing. As the work is getting harder, Boy Wonder is really starting to have to think about things which he doesn't like doing. He has always been used to things just being easy so not knowing things instantly makes him feel like he is failing in his work.
After school, the play therapist came over for the second session. They played with play-doe and Cat Girl used her imagination to make various things. Boy Wonder made a dart board and a football pitch. He spoke very little and appeared to get agitated by small talk and the therapist not working quick enough for him! As soon as the session drew to a close we got ready to go to piano. Boy Wonder became high and skittish. He bounced around the room and kept shouting that he was going outside to the car. I stopped him several times as he was not in control and was likely to run off.
We went outside together and got into the car. Boy Wonder seemed to settle once we got going. We went to piano first and then Ju Jitsu. Boy Wonder went to both without fuss and seemed to enjoy them.
Later at home Boy Wonder spoke about tomorrow's meeting that he was aware of as we had talked about it last night after he asked why I had met with his teacher. He said that he wanted help at school and he better get it if not they would have him to deal with! Yes they probably would! I explained that we were doing our best to help him and if he wanted to write his thoughts down for the meeting he could do so. Equally, if he didn't that was okay too.
Boy Wonder spent some time watching Minecraft and then read books and did some writing. I am not sure if some of the writing is for the meeting but I am sure that he will tell me if it is.
The school day appeared to be okay although Boy Wonder seems to be having issues with Maths and is taking regular time out to process what he is meant to be doing. As the work is getting harder, Boy Wonder is really starting to have to think about things which he doesn't like doing. He has always been used to things just being easy so not knowing things instantly makes him feel like he is failing in his work.
After school, the play therapist came over for the second session. They played with play-doe and Cat Girl used her imagination to make various things. Boy Wonder made a dart board and a football pitch. He spoke very little and appeared to get agitated by small talk and the therapist not working quick enough for him! As soon as the session drew to a close we got ready to go to piano. Boy Wonder became high and skittish. He bounced around the room and kept shouting that he was going outside to the car. I stopped him several times as he was not in control and was likely to run off.
We went outside together and got into the car. Boy Wonder seemed to settle once we got going. We went to piano first and then Ju Jitsu. Boy Wonder went to both without fuss and seemed to enjoy them.
Later at home Boy Wonder spoke about tomorrow's meeting that he was aware of as we had talked about it last night after he asked why I had met with his teacher. He said that he wanted help at school and he better get it if not they would have him to deal with! Yes they probably would! I explained that we were doing our best to help him and if he wanted to write his thoughts down for the meeting he could do so. Equally, if he didn't that was okay too.
Boy Wonder spent some time watching Minecraft and then read books and did some writing. I am not sure if some of the writing is for the meeting but I am sure that he will tell me if it is.
Monday, 13 January 2014
A Day of Pre Meetings
Another unsettled night resulting in a 1am sleep time after firm hold and weighted blanket afterwards. Even after Boy Wonder had fallen to sleep it was evident that he wasn't truly rested due to the amount of movement.
I woke him up this morning and put him in the shower. After twenty minutes of lying down in it, curled into a ball and letting the shower rain on him, I got him out and dried and dressed him. Throughout the process he jumped about, making the task a near impossible one.
Breakfast consisted of more jumping about, spilling his milk all over the breakfast bar and generally not focussing on the task a great deal.
We arrived as at school and off loaded bags. After the bell went I stayed behind to meet with the Autism specialist advisor to discuss the O.T report. In short she agreed with it and said that it explained Boy Wonder's needs well. We discussed how some of the recommendations could be implemented and about possible equipment that would help. There was a consensus that movement breaks, processing breaks and anxiety breaks needs different strategies which needed further definition.
After school, I had a further meeting with Boy Wonder's teacher to update his IEP. We became sidetracked with a discussion over support required and where it fits within the school system. In short, Boy Wonder's emotional needs that are mainly exhibited in the home environment cannot be identified on his support requirements in school as within a mainstream setting this is not recognised within the criteria. This made sense although doesn't help us any and although it had probably been communicated to us before, several times we always held the belief that there was a responsibility for all schools to cater for emotional and social needs, but no. In light if this, we need to seriously consider where we want this 'battle' to go .
Boy Wonder went to football although wasn't happy as he said that he had hurt his foot. It became evident that this was more to do with the fact that the school meeting had over run and this had impacted on his routine. Also, there wasn't any sign of injury and he walked and ran on it without difficulty. He soon settled once he was diverted when on the pitch.
I took Cat Girl swimming and on return they both watched Minecraft whilst having tea. Cat Girl then settled down and Boy Wonder read. Here's hoping for a more settled night!
I woke him up this morning and put him in the shower. After twenty minutes of lying down in it, curled into a ball and letting the shower rain on him, I got him out and dried and dressed him. Throughout the process he jumped about, making the task a near impossible one.
Breakfast consisted of more jumping about, spilling his milk all over the breakfast bar and generally not focussing on the task a great deal.
We arrived as at school and off loaded bags. After the bell went I stayed behind to meet with the Autism specialist advisor to discuss the O.T report. In short she agreed with it and said that it explained Boy Wonder's needs well. We discussed how some of the recommendations could be implemented and about possible equipment that would help. There was a consensus that movement breaks, processing breaks and anxiety breaks needs different strategies which needed further definition.
After school, I had a further meeting with Boy Wonder's teacher to update his IEP. We became sidetracked with a discussion over support required and where it fits within the school system. In short, Boy Wonder's emotional needs that are mainly exhibited in the home environment cannot be identified on his support requirements in school as within a mainstream setting this is not recognised within the criteria. This made sense although doesn't help us any and although it had probably been communicated to us before, several times we always held the belief that there was a responsibility for all schools to cater for emotional and social needs, but no. In light if this, we need to seriously consider where we want this 'battle' to go .
Boy Wonder went to football although wasn't happy as he said that he had hurt his foot. It became evident that this was more to do with the fact that the school meeting had over run and this had impacted on his routine. Also, there wasn't any sign of injury and he walked and ran on it without difficulty. He soon settled once he was diverted when on the pitch.
I took Cat Girl swimming and on return they both watched Minecraft whilst having tea. Cat Girl then settled down and Boy Wonder read. Here's hoping for a more settled night!
Sunday, 12 January 2014
Sleepless Night
It always amuses me somewhat that even now we get lulled into a false pretence by Boy Wonder, thinking that after a busy day yesterday that he would actually sleep last night. In fact he managed to stay up until 5am! We put him to bed at 11pm after failing to settle him downstairs. He woke us up at 2am and right through to 3 am saying that he couldn't sleep. He informed us that he had made use of his time by reading 'The Twits' and then reading about deadly creatures in one of his fact books. After writing a poem and doing several word searches he said that he couldn't make himself tired.
I decided to get into bed with him and use firm hold to try and get him to sleep but after a further hour this wasn't having the desired affect. I then found his old weighted blanket and put that on his back and eventually he fell to sleep, it was just after 5am!
We had made plans to go out with grandparents today, some National Trust place to blow the cob webs away. However, due to Boy Wonder's late night we stayed in this morning and went out after dinner instead. Boy Wonder got up about 10am and after a lengthily shower was very spritely!
After a brief visit from cousin to get some eggs,we had a cooked brunch. Boy Wonder ate well and then got ready to go out.
We picked up the grandparents and drove to Calke Abbey. It was icy cold and a little bit drizzly but nether the less was lovely. Boy Wonder found a fabulous tree where he could crawl into it and put his head through a large branch . Cat Girl joined him for a photo. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=621318904572464&id=559661697404852&substory_index=0
We then went for a hot chocolate and onto the park. Boy Wonder bought some gems from the shop that the lady told him were rare! He was very excited by this.
We headed off home to settle in front of the fire and to watch a film. Cat Girl then went up to bed, quickly followed by Boy Wonder who settled down to play FIFA14. He came back downstairs with a code breaker for me to solve so obviously got bored of the game quite quickly. I feel that the earlier day ban we put on Minecraft has caused him too flit between activities and not settle.
I decided to get into bed with him and use firm hold to try and get him to sleep but after a further hour this wasn't having the desired affect. I then found his old weighted blanket and put that on his back and eventually he fell to sleep, it was just after 5am!
We had made plans to go out with grandparents today, some National Trust place to blow the cob webs away. However, due to Boy Wonder's late night we stayed in this morning and went out after dinner instead. Boy Wonder got up about 10am and after a lengthily shower was very spritely!
After a brief visit from cousin to get some eggs,we had a cooked brunch. Boy Wonder ate well and then got ready to go out.
We picked up the grandparents and drove to Calke Abbey. It was icy cold and a little bit drizzly but nether the less was lovely. Boy Wonder found a fabulous tree where he could crawl into it and put his head through a large branch . Cat Girl joined him for a photo. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=621318904572464&id=559661697404852&substory_index=0
We then went for a hot chocolate and onto the park. Boy Wonder bought some gems from the shop that the lady told him were rare! He was very excited by this.
We headed off home to settle in front of the fire and to watch a film. Cat Girl then went up to bed, quickly followed by Boy Wonder who settled down to play FIFA14. He came back downstairs with a code breaker for me to solve so obviously got bored of the game quite quickly. I feel that the earlier day ban we put on Minecraft has caused him too flit between activities and not settle.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Tap is Easy!
Well the first week back at school is over and it wasn't too bad really. My optimism may be on overdrive but it does seem that the O.T report has been digested somewhat as the teaching staff are understanding Boy Wonder's oddities and supporting him through them. For example the guided reading book and Boy Wonder's interpretation. Instead of waiting for clues of distress they are proactively working with him to talk about probable difficult elements, to reduce his misinterpretation.
We have a meeting with the autism education specialist on Monday and then an IEP meeting later in the day so will be able to discuss the OT report in detail before the big meeting on Wednesday.
When I arrived home from work last night at about 9pm, Boy Wonder was fast asleep. His home school diary had made reference to him looking very tired in school after the lack of sleep from the previous night. He was so exhausted that he slept through till 9am. An absolute rarity !
Boy Wonder went to dance this morning and some of his dance exam results had come back. He got a distinction in his Tap exam which we already knew about but nether the less is fabulous, although Boy Wonder still states that Tap is easy so of course he did well!
This afternoon after Superman had made Boy Wonder and Cat Girl his burger speciality, Super Gran and Biker Gramps came over and took the children to cousins house whilst Superman and I went to visit a relative in hospital. We took her a selection of cakes and sweets to save her from hospital food! After having a good old chat about pretty much everything, we headed off to meet the children and other family for my Niece's birthday.
After a lovely evening of the children playing and adults talking and eating, we came home and relaxed. Happy Birthday missey for tomorrow xxx
We have a meeting with the autism education specialist on Monday and then an IEP meeting later in the day so will be able to discuss the OT report in detail before the big meeting on Wednesday.
When I arrived home from work last night at about 9pm, Boy Wonder was fast asleep. His home school diary had made reference to him looking very tired in school after the lack of sleep from the previous night. He was so exhausted that he slept through till 9am. An absolute rarity !
Boy Wonder went to dance this morning and some of his dance exam results had come back. He got a distinction in his Tap exam which we already knew about but nether the less is fabulous, although Boy Wonder still states that Tap is easy so of course he did well!
This afternoon after Superman had made Boy Wonder and Cat Girl his burger speciality, Super Gran and Biker Gramps came over and took the children to cousins house whilst Superman and I went to visit a relative in hospital. We took her a selection of cakes and sweets to save her from hospital food! After having a good old chat about pretty much everything, we headed off to meet the children and other family for my Niece's birthday.
After a lovely evening of the children playing and adults talking and eating, we came home and relaxed. Happy Birthday missey for tomorrow xxx
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Say What You Think
This morning was little more successful and was a bit too good to be true. Boy Wonder showered and dressed himself and although very slow, did so without too many prompts. Breakfast was a little less successful but nether the less we got through it and left for school. And that's where the idilic story ends!
Once in the car, Boy Wonder started to talk through his routine which didn't include Ju Jitsu this evening. I questioned this and he went into a fit of rage. In short he wasn't going to Ju Jitsu / Kobudo
and I couldn't make him. It wasn't his usual routine and that was that! In my defence it was his usual routine but this wasn't the time for confrontation. He got out of the car and bolted into school. His friends said good morning to him and he pushed them away. The teaching assistant saw him come into the classroom and looked at me for some sort of explanation. I told her about the matter and she went over and diverted Boy Wonder with a 'job.' I left the classroom after saying goodbye to him and getting the cold shoulder.
After school Boy Wonder went straight into attack mode regarding his evening activities. He told me in no uncertain terms that he doesn't like change, he doesn't like being told what to do and he is struggling to adjust back into his routine. Although I am very aware of this, it was nice to hear Boy Wonder say it and recognise his areas of difficulty. After twenty minutes of debating his routine we agreed on a way forward which was much the same as the original plan.
I dropped Boy Wonder off at dance and Cat Girl at Ju Jitsu . I then read Boy Wonder 's home school diary. Apparently today he had discussed with the teaching assistant how he didn't like school and didn't want to come back after the holidays. A day of say what you think today? Which can't be a bad thing!
Boy Wonder returned home after Ju Jitsu and played on Minecraft for an hour, had some high calorie snacks and went to bed. He has done well with his eating today again which is great news.
Once in the car, Boy Wonder started to talk through his routine which didn't include Ju Jitsu this evening. I questioned this and he went into a fit of rage. In short he wasn't going to Ju Jitsu / Kobudo
and I couldn't make him. It wasn't his usual routine and that was that! In my defence it was his usual routine but this wasn't the time for confrontation. He got out of the car and bolted into school. His friends said good morning to him and he pushed them away. The teaching assistant saw him come into the classroom and looked at me for some sort of explanation. I told her about the matter and she went over and diverted Boy Wonder with a 'job.' I left the classroom after saying goodbye to him and getting the cold shoulder.
After school Boy Wonder went straight into attack mode regarding his evening activities. He told me in no uncertain terms that he doesn't like change, he doesn't like being told what to do and he is struggling to adjust back into his routine. Although I am very aware of this, it was nice to hear Boy Wonder say it and recognise his areas of difficulty. After twenty minutes of debating his routine we agreed on a way forward which was much the same as the original plan.
I dropped Boy Wonder off at dance and Cat Girl at Ju Jitsu . I then read Boy Wonder 's home school diary. Apparently today he had discussed with the teaching assistant how he didn't like school and didn't want to come back after the holidays. A day of say what you think today? Which can't be a bad thing!
Boy Wonder returned home after Ju Jitsu and played on Minecraft for an hour, had some high calorie snacks and went to bed. He has done well with his eating today again which is great news.
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Feed Me!!!
We are well and truly back into school mode but unfortunately I am a little out of practice with drying and dressing a child that is leaping around the room! We managed to get downstairs at 8.15am, fifteen minutes before we needed to leave. Breakfast eaten, we dashed out of the door.
I spoke with his teacher this morning about the book and although she initially thought that I would ask her to pull the plug on it, I explained that I thought the book would be a good opportunity for Boy Wonder to learn with the right support about this type of emotional text.
After school we came home and Boy Wonder dashed straight upstairs to watch Minecraft. However he did come off when asked, well after the third request which was still good! We went off to drama and Cat Girl to Ju Jitsu without too much problem. They both came out of clubs happy and excitable.
In the meantime I had been to the supermarket to stock up on high calorie / full fat food for Boy Wonder. Now this was some challenge! Our society pretty much takes the fat out of everything. Eventually I managed to get some full fat yogurts, cheese chunks, chocolate mousse and spreadable butter.
We arrived home and I started to feed Boy Wonder. Little and often snacks approximately every hour was the strategy used and he ate everything. In fact he actually asked for snacks. Result!
Whilst listening to music , Boy Wonder fell to sleep on my lap, It was quite late.
I spoke with his teacher this morning about the book and although she initially thought that I would ask her to pull the plug on it, I explained that I thought the book would be a good opportunity for Boy Wonder to learn with the right support about this type of emotional text.
After school we came home and Boy Wonder dashed straight upstairs to watch Minecraft. However he did come off when asked, well after the third request which was still good! We went off to drama and Cat Girl to Ju Jitsu without too much problem. They both came out of clubs happy and excitable.
In the meantime I had been to the supermarket to stock up on high calorie / full fat food for Boy Wonder. Now this was some challenge! Our society pretty much takes the fat out of everything. Eventually I managed to get some full fat yogurts, cheese chunks, chocolate mousse and spreadable butter.
We arrived home and I started to feed Boy Wonder. Little and often snacks approximately every hour was the strategy used and he ate everything. In fact he actually asked for snacks. Result!
Whilst listening to music , Boy Wonder fell to sleep on my lap, It was quite late.
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Back to School
This morning started early as Superman went off to the airport to catch a flight to Aberdeen for work stuff ( just for the day.) I organised the school things and then woke Boy Wonder to get him into the shower. He sleepily staggered into the bathroom and fell back to sleep in the shower. He took some coaxing to get out and needed full help to dry and dress before we were ready to go down for breakfast. I got Cat Girl ready and we had breakfast.
Boy Wonder seemed a bit all over the place and difficult to co ordinate but eventually we got out of the door to go to school. On arrival I spoke to Boy Wonder's teacher and she gave me a copy of the guided reading book that had caused him some upset re. Dying in his sleep. Something to read tonight, however interestingly the first line states that the 100 year old lady died in her sleep so this is what he had latched on to.
I spoke with the ADHD nurse today about Boy Wonder's diet and weight. She said she will send me some bumph about ADHD specific diets but basically it is a high calorie intake and regular snacks between meals. In short a diet most of us could only dream of! She also said that he would need two high calorie snacks at school and would write a letter to this affect if required. I said that I would request it at the meeting next week and pass her contact details on for clarification if required.
I picked the children up after school and went home to get ready for their first play therapy session. The worker brought the flipping frogs game which started out okay until she attempted to change the rules to help make it easier for Cat Girl. Boy Wonder stated in no uncertain terms that this was cheating and then started bouncing around the room. The game was finished and Cat Girl showed the worker her dolls house. Boy Wonder explained the specifics of the dolls house and then became quite stressed about the thought of going to Ju Jitsu. We spoke about the difficulty Boy Wonder has with falling back into routine after the holidays. After complaining of tummy ache, shouting and slamming doors the worker said that it was time for her to leave. We also left for piano and Ju Jitsu.
Boy Wonder settled as he got to piano. His tutor said that he did well and was very impressed with his music reading ability but needed to think of a strategy to get Boy Wonder to recognise the rhythm of the tune rather than just read the notes and play them. He explained that most children find this bit easier than learning the notes and reading music but Boy Wonder is the other way round!
He went to Ju Jitsu without fuss and said that he enjoyed being back. He came home and had his hour on Minecraft. Whilst he settled down I read ' The Wreck of Zanzibar.' I think a lot of it will go over Boy Wonder's head, however there are quite a few parts in it that describe death or near death which I think he will focus in on. Something to discuss further tomorrow. There is going to be no getting away from Boy Wonder reading this type of literature as he grows up so it is a case of being aware of what he is reading and being on hand to explain and reassure.
Boy Wonder fell to sleep downstairs at about 10.30pm. Now to get him to bed without waking him too much ......
Boy Wonder seemed a bit all over the place and difficult to co ordinate but eventually we got out of the door to go to school. On arrival I spoke to Boy Wonder's teacher and she gave me a copy of the guided reading book that had caused him some upset re. Dying in his sleep. Something to read tonight, however interestingly the first line states that the 100 year old lady died in her sleep so this is what he had latched on to.
I spoke with the ADHD nurse today about Boy Wonder's diet and weight. She said she will send me some bumph about ADHD specific diets but basically it is a high calorie intake and regular snacks between meals. In short a diet most of us could only dream of! She also said that he would need two high calorie snacks at school and would write a letter to this affect if required. I said that I would request it at the meeting next week and pass her contact details on for clarification if required.
I picked the children up after school and went home to get ready for their first play therapy session. The worker brought the flipping frogs game which started out okay until she attempted to change the rules to help make it easier for Cat Girl. Boy Wonder stated in no uncertain terms that this was cheating and then started bouncing around the room. The game was finished and Cat Girl showed the worker her dolls house. Boy Wonder explained the specifics of the dolls house and then became quite stressed about the thought of going to Ju Jitsu. We spoke about the difficulty Boy Wonder has with falling back into routine after the holidays. After complaining of tummy ache, shouting and slamming doors the worker said that it was time for her to leave. We also left for piano and Ju Jitsu.
Boy Wonder settled as he got to piano. His tutor said that he did well and was very impressed with his music reading ability but needed to think of a strategy to get Boy Wonder to recognise the rhythm of the tune rather than just read the notes and play them. He explained that most children find this bit easier than learning the notes and reading music but Boy Wonder is the other way round!
He went to Ju Jitsu without fuss and said that he enjoyed being back. He came home and had his hour on Minecraft. Whilst he settled down I read ' The Wreck of Zanzibar.' I think a lot of it will go over Boy Wonder's head, however there are quite a few parts in it that describe death or near death which I think he will focus in on. Something to discuss further tomorrow. There is going to be no getting away from Boy Wonder reading this type of literature as he grows up so it is a case of being aware of what he is reading and being on hand to explain and reassure.
Boy Wonder fell to sleep downstairs at about 10.30pm. Now to get him to bed without waking him too much ......
Monday, 6 January 2014
Helpful Boy Wonder!
This morning I started to organise the school bags ready for tomorrow, write in the home / school diary ( a bit of an essay!) and generally get sorted for back to routine!
Boy Wonder woke up in a very high mood but once breakfast and medication were done he started to settle. In fact he stated very clearly that he was going to be 'helpful Boy Wonder' today. And indeed he was helpful. He showered and dressed himself, helped Cat Girl to pick her clothes as she was being awkward and generally organised himself. It was lovely and so refreshing! We must have gained about half an hour due to Boy Wonder doing so well. We spoke about our routine for the day which included art therapy and football, the relief on his face when he heard this was immense. I think in most part he has really missed his daily activities.
We went into town to the bank and then to get Boy Wonder some black football socks and them both new drink bottles. We went into the game shop and they both bought a DS game in the sale. Boy Wonder had started to become quite anxious and throughout the journey to town and around town. In the game shop he walked away from me, I shouted after him and caught up with him, explaining that walking off wasn't acceptable and he started to cry, saying over and over that he was sorry. We left town as we had been to the bank and two shops as agreed. Once back in the car, Boy Wonder went very quiet again and when we went to order food at the drive thru, Boy Wonder was very clear that he only wanted chicken and black currant and nothing else.
We arrived at art therapy and Boy Wonder went in for his session. Cat Girl did some colouring and I rang a couple of people regarding the school meeting next week. Lots of messages left rather due to it being the first day back. Boy Wonder looked really happy when he came out but this quickly reverting to high anxiety. He went into panic about being asked to use the toilet before leaving, negotiating the traffic to get back to the car and getting in the car. He then settled again.
We drove to the DIY store to get some clips for his hammock. Boy Wonder got out of the car and walked off. I asked him to stop before crossing the road but he didn't and walked aimlessly accross. I shouted him but he didn't respond. I quickly caught up with him and asked him why he hadn't stopped and waited and he started to cry and repeatedly said 'I'm sorry alright ! ' I reassured him that he was okay and no harm had come to him whilst reminding him of the dangers of crossing the road. However, he really wasn't taking it in. There seems to be a lot of zoning out lately which is worrying.
We went to the barbers that was very busy so decided to go home and call back later. Once home we put up the hammock and chilled out for a bit.
This evening Boy Wonder went to football in his new Barcelona top and I took Cat Girl swimming. She enjoyed her first session back and actually did some swimming! Afterwards we went to meet Superman and Boy Wonder at the barbers for haircuts.
Hair cuts done and showers had to rid the bits of hair that send Boy Wonder nutty, we settled them down. Cat Girl fell to sleep quickly but Boy Wonder remained awake. He got into his hammock and nodded off but when Superman went into his room to turn of the computer, he woke up again. He ended up coming back downstairs to settle with me but became panicky over the programme they was on - Bridgrt Jones. We put something else on and he calmed. It is likely to take some time to get him to sleep tonight I think.
Boy Wonder woke up in a very high mood but once breakfast and medication were done he started to settle. In fact he stated very clearly that he was going to be 'helpful Boy Wonder' today. And indeed he was helpful. He showered and dressed himself, helped Cat Girl to pick her clothes as she was being awkward and generally organised himself. It was lovely and so refreshing! We must have gained about half an hour due to Boy Wonder doing so well. We spoke about our routine for the day which included art therapy and football, the relief on his face when he heard this was immense. I think in most part he has really missed his daily activities.
We went into town to the bank and then to get Boy Wonder some black football socks and them both new drink bottles. We went into the game shop and they both bought a DS game in the sale. Boy Wonder had started to become quite anxious and throughout the journey to town and around town. In the game shop he walked away from me, I shouted after him and caught up with him, explaining that walking off wasn't acceptable and he started to cry, saying over and over that he was sorry. We left town as we had been to the bank and two shops as agreed. Once back in the car, Boy Wonder went very quiet again and when we went to order food at the drive thru, Boy Wonder was very clear that he only wanted chicken and black currant and nothing else.
We arrived at art therapy and Boy Wonder went in for his session. Cat Girl did some colouring and I rang a couple of people regarding the school meeting next week. Lots of messages left rather due to it being the first day back. Boy Wonder looked really happy when he came out but this quickly reverting to high anxiety. He went into panic about being asked to use the toilet before leaving, negotiating the traffic to get back to the car and getting in the car. He then settled again.
We drove to the DIY store to get some clips for his hammock. Boy Wonder got out of the car and walked off. I asked him to stop before crossing the road but he didn't and walked aimlessly accross. I shouted him but he didn't respond. I quickly caught up with him and asked him why he hadn't stopped and waited and he started to cry and repeatedly said 'I'm sorry alright ! ' I reassured him that he was okay and no harm had come to him whilst reminding him of the dangers of crossing the road. However, he really wasn't taking it in. There seems to be a lot of zoning out lately which is worrying.
We went to the barbers that was very busy so decided to go home and call back later. Once home we put up the hammock and chilled out for a bit.
This evening Boy Wonder went to football in his new Barcelona top and I took Cat Girl swimming. She enjoyed her first session back and actually did some swimming! Afterwards we went to meet Superman and Boy Wonder at the barbers for haircuts.
Hair cuts done and showers had to rid the bits of hair that send Boy Wonder nutty, we settled them down. Cat Girl fell to sleep quickly but Boy Wonder remained awake. He got into his hammock and nodded off but when Superman went into his room to turn of the computer, he woke up again. He ended up coming back downstairs to settle with me but became panicky over the programme they was on - Bridgrt Jones. We put something else on and he calmed. It is likely to take some time to get him to sleep tonight I think.
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Frozen!
A very late night resulted in a late start and a grumpy little sole. We had a steady morning around the house. The children were babysat by Grandparents for a couple of hours whilst Superman and I nipped out to do some work related 'stuff.'
When we arrived back it was just after lunch time. Boy Wonder had refused his lunch and Cat Girl had opted for cake! We rectified this with the usual jam sandwiches. Boy Wonder had been playing on Minecraft whilst we were out and was very subdued on our return. We made the decision to go out for the afternoon but as the weather was awful, had limited options.
We decided on the cinema, to go and watch 'Frozen.' Boy Wonder seemed non fussed but Cat Girl was keen to go. We suggested that we call in at the toy shop on the way so that Boy Wonder could buy the wrestling mask that he wanted. This seemed to cheer him up!
A brief twenty minutes in the toy shop, Rey Mysterio mask purchased and a bracelet making kit for Cat. Girl and we went off to the cinema. The cinema was busy and the trailers went on for quite a while. Just as it got to the part where the film usually starts, a Disney short film was shown about Mickey Mouse. Boy Wonder didn't like this at all. It wasn't meant to be there as it wasn't a trailer or an advert. He wasn't happy and it went on for about five minutes, five long minutes!
The film eventually started and as usual Boy Wonder asked lots of questions throughout. What we didn't expect however, was for the King and Queen ( parents of the young starring princesses) died within the first few minutes. This wasn't great and Boy Wonder asked why this had happened ? (Which wasn't made clear in the film ) and then spent some time squirming in his seat. This is likely to contribute to his death obsession and nightmare material! It just goes to show that we can't always protect them from their fears as much as we endeavour to.
We arrived home and Boy Wonder played a game with Superman and then played wrestling whilst wearing his new mask. Cat Girl and I made rubber band bracelets which took some practice!
On settling down, Boy Wonder wore his mask and talked at me for sometime about wrestling and the use of masks. What was funny though was the fact that he said that Rey Mysterio has hair like Daddy's, except for the patch! Got to love him!
Boy Wonder settled down upstairs but so far he has been up and down stairs several times. Think it will be another late one!
When we arrived back it was just after lunch time. Boy Wonder had refused his lunch and Cat Girl had opted for cake! We rectified this with the usual jam sandwiches. Boy Wonder had been playing on Minecraft whilst we were out and was very subdued on our return. We made the decision to go out for the afternoon but as the weather was awful, had limited options.
We decided on the cinema, to go and watch 'Frozen.' Boy Wonder seemed non fussed but Cat Girl was keen to go. We suggested that we call in at the toy shop on the way so that Boy Wonder could buy the wrestling mask that he wanted. This seemed to cheer him up!
A brief twenty minutes in the toy shop, Rey Mysterio mask purchased and a bracelet making kit for Cat. Girl and we went off to the cinema. The cinema was busy and the trailers went on for quite a while. Just as it got to the part where the film usually starts, a Disney short film was shown about Mickey Mouse. Boy Wonder didn't like this at all. It wasn't meant to be there as it wasn't a trailer or an advert. He wasn't happy and it went on for about five minutes, five long minutes!
The film eventually started and as usual Boy Wonder asked lots of questions throughout. What we didn't expect however, was for the King and Queen ( parents of the young starring princesses) died within the first few minutes. This wasn't great and Boy Wonder asked why this had happened ? (Which wasn't made clear in the film ) and then spent some time squirming in his seat. This is likely to contribute to his death obsession and nightmare material! It just goes to show that we can't always protect them from their fears as much as we endeavour to.
We arrived home and Boy Wonder played a game with Superman and then played wrestling whilst wearing his new mask. Cat Girl and I made rubber band bracelets which took some practice!
On settling down, Boy Wonder wore his mask and talked at me for sometime about wrestling and the use of masks. What was funny though was the fact that he said that Rey Mysterio has hair like Daddy's, except for the patch! Got to love him!
Boy Wonder settled down upstairs but so far he has been up and down stairs several times. Think it will be another late one!
Saturday, 4 January 2014
The makings of an Obsessional Interest
The start of Friday wasn't great. A very high Boy Wonder versus a very mardy Cat Girl who had been found wide awake late last night, cuddling her kitten! Boy Wonder bounced around the house whilst I attempted to dry and dress him, not an easy task! I decided to pass on the next big task of breakfast on to Super Gran and Biker Gramps who were on babysitting duty for the day.
We arrived at the Grandparents, Boy Wonder laden with his lap top, DS and Minecraft books and Cat Girl crying and stropping because I was going to work and she was tired. A few messages received throughout the day suggested that Cat Girl had cheered up and Boy Wonder was engaging in activities. He later played Minecraft with his cousin and uncle. They stopped for tea and I picked them up afterwards.
That evening, Cat Girl was very giddy and over tired. She went up to bed fairly soon after getting in ( without the kitten!) and was asleep soon after. Boy Wonder seemed distracted and skittish. He finally came to settle down on my lap. We spoke about the next few days and that he would be going back to school on Tuesday, just to try and give him a timeframe. He responded angrily by saying ' I hate school. I am not going back!' I asked him if there was any particular reason and he said ' I just hate it, alright and you can't make me go !' Wonderful ! I explained to Boy Wonder that Mummy and Daddy know that he finds school difficult and that we are trying to do everything we can to help make things better for him, but this could take some time. He said that he knew but that was all he said. I lightened the conversation up by saying ' Well we don't need to talk about this now as we still have some holiday time left.' He fidgeted some more, got up for snacks and finally fell to sleep about 11ish.
This morning we left Boy Wonder to lie in. He had, had an unsettled night as usual. When up and about he was high and erratic. Jumping around, singing and shouting whilst dressing, eating breakfast and getting ready for the day. Superman took Boy Wonder to his activity group that started at 11am until 4pm. He was very excited.
Cat Girl and I took down the Christmas decorations and then did some baking. Superman returned home and started to strip the bedroom walls. We had a very productive day. Boy Wonder returned from his activity and seemed to have a good time. He wanted to know immediately what the football scores were and then started looking for wrestling figures on the Internet. He seemed to be in a good frame of mind and was engaging with us.
The evening Grandparents visited. Boy Wonder remained in his bedroom throughout the visit. Although we attempted to get him downstairs on a couple of occasions, he quickly made his excuses and went back to his room again. This evening he is watching Minecraft videos on the Internet. It seems that Minecraft is becoming a bit obsessional. Something to monitor I think.
We arrived at the Grandparents, Boy Wonder laden with his lap top, DS and Minecraft books and Cat Girl crying and stropping because I was going to work and she was tired. A few messages received throughout the day suggested that Cat Girl had cheered up and Boy Wonder was engaging in activities. He later played Minecraft with his cousin and uncle. They stopped for tea and I picked them up afterwards.
That evening, Cat Girl was very giddy and over tired. She went up to bed fairly soon after getting in ( without the kitten!) and was asleep soon after. Boy Wonder seemed distracted and skittish. He finally came to settle down on my lap. We spoke about the next few days and that he would be going back to school on Tuesday, just to try and give him a timeframe. He responded angrily by saying ' I hate school. I am not going back!' I asked him if there was any particular reason and he said ' I just hate it, alright and you can't make me go !' Wonderful ! I explained to Boy Wonder that Mummy and Daddy know that he finds school difficult and that we are trying to do everything we can to help make things better for him, but this could take some time. He said that he knew but that was all he said. I lightened the conversation up by saying ' Well we don't need to talk about this now as we still have some holiday time left.' He fidgeted some more, got up for snacks and finally fell to sleep about 11ish.
This morning we left Boy Wonder to lie in. He had, had an unsettled night as usual. When up and about he was high and erratic. Jumping around, singing and shouting whilst dressing, eating breakfast and getting ready for the day. Superman took Boy Wonder to his activity group that started at 11am until 4pm. He was very excited.
Cat Girl and I took down the Christmas decorations and then did some baking. Superman returned home and started to strip the bedroom walls. We had a very productive day. Boy Wonder returned from his activity and seemed to have a good time. He wanted to know immediately what the football scores were and then started looking for wrestling figures on the Internet. He seemed to be in a good frame of mind and was engaging with us.
The evening Grandparents visited. Boy Wonder remained in his bedroom throughout the visit. Although we attempted to get him downstairs on a couple of occasions, he quickly made his excuses and went back to his room again. This evening he is watching Minecraft videos on the Internet. It seems that Minecraft is becoming a bit obsessional. Something to monitor I think.
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Green Face Sickness
Boy Wonder was pacing late into the night saying that he felt unwell. He couldn't elaborate on that verbally so I asked him to draw a picture or write down how he felt. He went to his room and came back shortly after with a picture that he had drawn on himself with a green face and a circle in his tummy that was red with a blue outer circle. Boy Wonder explained that the green face meant that he is ill and the red bit in the tummy meant pain. He eventually settled down after quite a lot of reassurance that he would be okay after a good sleep. ( and he would wake up in the morning !)
This morning Boy Wonder and Cat Girl went the Grandparents laden with tablets and a laptop. What happened to toys?! They said that Boy Wonder had been very quiet and disengaged throughout the morning.
I spoke with Boy Wonder's Psychologist about his eating and weight. He was concerned as much as we were and after sorting out a weight/ height appointment for later in the day, we discussed possible distraction techniques whilst eating. He also suggested getting some literature for Boy Wonder on healthy eating and help him to make a healthy eating plan. Although we agreed that this had potential for becoming obsessive, we agreed that as he is no where near a suitable daily intake, it was probably a safe tactic.
I picked the children up mid afternoon and took Boy Wonder to his clinic. He remained very quiet and said that he felt sick. At the clinic we were pleased to find that he hadn't lost weight but had stayed more or less the same. Good old Complan!! At least we can now concentrate on a developing a healthy menu plan rather than worrying too much about his weight. Although this remains our worry and wasn't shared with Boy Wonder who accepted that the clinic appointment was just routine.
On the way home, Boy Wonder threw up all over the back seats of the car!
We arrived home and after cleaning Boy Wonder and the car, Biker Gramps and Super Gran came over as its was Biker Gramps birthday. Afterwards Boy Wonder played on Minecraft . He announced that he is planning his next biggest challenge , building the Barcelona fC stadium on Minecraft. He made a start this evening.
As we settled down he watched a programme on dolphins which he said he preferred to watch whilst upside down. Consequently he spent the the next half hour jumping around and throwing his legs in the air. I sat, fingers crossed hoping that he wasn't going to be sick again. Luckily this seems to have passed. He later lay on my lap and tried to getting sleep but was very, very fidgety!
This morning Boy Wonder and Cat Girl went the Grandparents laden with tablets and a laptop. What happened to toys?! They said that Boy Wonder had been very quiet and disengaged throughout the morning.
I spoke with Boy Wonder's Psychologist about his eating and weight. He was concerned as much as we were and after sorting out a weight/ height appointment for later in the day, we discussed possible distraction techniques whilst eating. He also suggested getting some literature for Boy Wonder on healthy eating and help him to make a healthy eating plan. Although we agreed that this had potential for becoming obsessive, we agreed that as he is no where near a suitable daily intake, it was probably a safe tactic.
I picked the children up mid afternoon and took Boy Wonder to his clinic. He remained very quiet and said that he felt sick. At the clinic we were pleased to find that he hadn't lost weight but had stayed more or less the same. Good old Complan!! At least we can now concentrate on a developing a healthy menu plan rather than worrying too much about his weight. Although this remains our worry and wasn't shared with Boy Wonder who accepted that the clinic appointment was just routine.
On the way home, Boy Wonder threw up all over the back seats of the car!
We arrived home and after cleaning Boy Wonder and the car, Biker Gramps and Super Gran came over as its was Biker Gramps birthday. Afterwards Boy Wonder played on Minecraft . He announced that he is planning his next biggest challenge , building the Barcelona fC stadium on Minecraft. He made a start this evening.
As we settled down he watched a programme on dolphins which he said he preferred to watch whilst upside down. Consequently he spent the the next half hour jumping around and throwing his legs in the air. I sat, fingers crossed hoping that he wasn't going to be sick again. Luckily this seems to have passed. He later lay on my lap and tried to getting sleep but was very, very fidgety!
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
Happy New Year!!
New Years Eve brought the final touches to the decorating of Boy Wonder's bedroom. I did the easy bit and ordered the curtains, wall stickers and bed set which should be here in a few days.
Superman reported that Boy Wonder had been very quiet all day, hardly eating anything despite regular encouragement, and saying very little.
On my return from work we prepared to go out for the evening. First to my sister's to see them and Grandad London, then to a friend's and finally on to Superman's Brother's. It was going to be a busy night and although Boy Wonder had been well prepared, we were pretty apprehensive about the whole thing.
Boy Wonder remained quiet for much of the evening unless there was a specific activity happening and then he engaged. He ate very little and became preoccupied by minute details such as specific times for events, meanings of words such as 'pumps' and ' bed spreads.' We played bingo at the last party which Boy Wonder enjoyed after taking a while to get into the rules. He also danced a bit to 1D and playing Fifa 14 on the computer. Cat Girl played in the conservatory and even danced a bit too!
We saw in the New Year and then made our way home. Boy Wonder was very lively at this point and jumped around his room for some time.
This morning we met friends at the local pub for breakfast. Boy Wonder looked tired and remained very quiet throughout. He ate half a slice of toast and stood and hugged Superman for some time. .
Later on Sister, Grandad London and families came over for dinner and stayed for the evening. Boy Wonder spent a lot of time in his room with his cousin playing Minecraft, He came down for dinner, hardly saying a word. Superman had a chat with him and he stated that he was worried about eating .
He takes Concerta for his ADHD which suppresses his appetite a bit so we have to ensure that he eats well. However over the past couple of weeks he appears to be becoming food phobic. He explained that he can feel food inside him, going into his stomach and giving him pain. He also says that potato clogs up his throat making it difficult for him to breathe. We are getting to a point where he is eating very little and is now starting to refuse the supplement drink that we give him also. Boy Wonder ate a small amount of chicken but nothing else. He later had a bit of chocolate and ice cream.
Boy Wonder taught the guests how to play Top Trumps and consequently beat them until they started getting good! Uncle set up the Raspberry Pi and gave Superman a crash course in it.
Boy Wonder settled down late although he is looking very tired.
Happy New Year!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)