Stef had us in stitches last night......so funny. The boys were fighting over a video game.....Steve came in to adjudicate the fight, and Stef was tapping the top of her head like she does when she is annoyed. Steve called the boys "dickheads" ....and then Stef made the sign for "dickhead". To find out what else she knew, Steve asked her what the sign for "get f$%^$" was. OMG< she knew it too!
I know that sounds kindof bad, but normal teenagers use that sort of language, and its great that she has the same thoughts as they do..that she doesnt think in the simple baby language that her supposed IQ would. It means she actually thinks like a normal teenager! I have often felt that Stef thinks like a normal kid, just her lack of communication skills don't allow her to convey all thats in her head. Who knows what she really knows or thinks?
Things are starting to look better. Its amazing how when Steve is home, it all seems to be so much better. What seemed like a pretty crappy week at the time, just seemed to melt away with a cuddle. I still have a fair bit to do, but hey...no one is going to die if it isnt done right this minute. Stuff it all!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
time wasters
Our schools have a total infestation of headlice......Its awful! Yesterday, Stef was sent home early because they found some on her. OMG, there goes 2 1/2 hours treating all the kids! It seems that Stef gets them at both schools and I would hate to think how many times Ive treated her in the last 12 months.
On a positive note, I have been taking Stef for a ride on her 3 wheeler again. Thursday I did it for the first time in ages but it was cut short because a storm was coming. We got home just in time......before it totally poured. Yesterday, Stef put her helmet on and I said, "you want to ride today Stef" and she said "Yes riding time". She even did her helmet up which has been an issue in the past.
Steve gets home today!! Woohoo!! I can't wait for a cuddle. Its amazing how it all feels so much different when the burdens are shared. As they say, a burden shared is a burden halved!
Oh and the champix are starting to kick in. Im probably smoking a bit less, but also, only feel like half the cigarette..4 days to go, and then I give up totally!
A busy weekend ahead. Have to do Rainbow club stuff on Saturday...a fund raiser and then collecting fees for 3 hours.
My car is due back from the panel beaters today.....was supposed to be yesterday but thats ok.
On a positive note, I have been taking Stef for a ride on her 3 wheeler again. Thursday I did it for the first time in ages but it was cut short because a storm was coming. We got home just in time......before it totally poured. Yesterday, Stef put her helmet on and I said, "you want to ride today Stef" and she said "Yes riding time". She even did her helmet up which has been an issue in the past.
Steve gets home today!! Woohoo!! I can't wait for a cuddle. Its amazing how it all feels so much different when the burdens are shared. As they say, a burden shared is a burden halved!
Oh and the champix are starting to kick in. Im probably smoking a bit less, but also, only feel like half the cigarette..4 days to go, and then I give up totally!
A busy weekend ahead. Have to do Rainbow club stuff on Saturday...a fund raiser and then collecting fees for 3 hours.
My car is due back from the panel beaters today.....was supposed to be yesterday but thats ok.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Sometimes my life is just GR
I'm trying really hard to keep positive, but hell its taking a bit at the moment.
Yesterday was just one of those days with the kids. Started off bad when I tried to make the lunches. Melinda had after I went to bed, eaten 8 jam donuts! Her compulsive eating is sometimes a real problem. She lied to me and said it must have been Stef who ate them. I know that it wasnt Stef though. Stef would leave bits of them around, and wouldnt put the empty packet in the bin outside. It annoys me totally that MJ can bald face lie and then say whatever when you pull her up on it. She finally admitted it but even that was disrespectfully. I just didnt have the energy last night to push it.
Work went ok, but I was tired and distracted by a stupid management consultant who is totally wasting my time. I will be so glad when he has gone as he is such a stupid man. Then I picked up the boys from school. Brent was in a rage about having to redo his English SAC. He just wouldnt understand that its a long bow to draw to say that Stem cell research was basically to increase the rich's power in the world. I took me about half an hour to get him to calm down enough to see a little bit of reason. He finally did, after I explained that stem cell research is being done in China to help kids like Stef and basically if I had the $100 000 I would take her. But how great that would be if it becomes a treatment that is more available to help the very severely afflicted autistic to communicate.
The next issue I had was that Stef broke the railing holding up the slats on her bed...meant that she had to sleep on her mattress on the floor last night which didnt go down well. It was close to 1am when she finally went to sleep.
Then, at 7pm......Melinda said, oh I have to cook banana bread for an assessment task for health. I had to then go to the shop to get bananas and other stuff to make it. No thanks mum or nothing. She finally got on to make it, and then dropped the cake tin as she was putting it in the oven.....cake mix right through the oven.....cooking onto the hot surface. I scooped up what I could, put it back into the tin, and cooked it. But my oven is a mess. This will be a big test of the self cleaning oven!
Anyway, Im behind in my housework plans due to my friend arriving on my doorstep for 4 hours on Tuesday and having to do a bit of running around on Tuesday for rainbow club...Im getting emails putting pressure on me to get the stuff done for them, emails about my casual work, and heaps to do.
I really need to take a step back, scream at the fence to get rid of the tension and then just get on with the job, doing the best I can.
Can't wait til Steve gets home, just to give me a cuddle!
Yesterday was just one of those days with the kids. Started off bad when I tried to make the lunches. Melinda had after I went to bed, eaten 8 jam donuts! Her compulsive eating is sometimes a real problem. She lied to me and said it must have been Stef who ate them. I know that it wasnt Stef though. Stef would leave bits of them around, and wouldnt put the empty packet in the bin outside. It annoys me totally that MJ can bald face lie and then say whatever when you pull her up on it. She finally admitted it but even that was disrespectfully. I just didnt have the energy last night to push it.
Work went ok, but I was tired and distracted by a stupid management consultant who is totally wasting my time. I will be so glad when he has gone as he is such a stupid man. Then I picked up the boys from school. Brent was in a rage about having to redo his English SAC. He just wouldnt understand that its a long bow to draw to say that Stem cell research was basically to increase the rich's power in the world. I took me about half an hour to get him to calm down enough to see a little bit of reason. He finally did, after I explained that stem cell research is being done in China to help kids like Stef and basically if I had the $100 000 I would take her. But how great that would be if it becomes a treatment that is more available to help the very severely afflicted autistic to communicate.
The next issue I had was that Stef broke the railing holding up the slats on her bed...meant that she had to sleep on her mattress on the floor last night which didnt go down well. It was close to 1am when she finally went to sleep.
Then, at 7pm......Melinda said, oh I have to cook banana bread for an assessment task for health. I had to then go to the shop to get bananas and other stuff to make it. No thanks mum or nothing. She finally got on to make it, and then dropped the cake tin as she was putting it in the oven.....cake mix right through the oven.....cooking onto the hot surface. I scooped up what I could, put it back into the tin, and cooked it. But my oven is a mess. This will be a big test of the self cleaning oven!
Anyway, Im behind in my housework plans due to my friend arriving on my doorstep for 4 hours on Tuesday and having to do a bit of running around on Tuesday for rainbow club...Im getting emails putting pressure on me to get the stuff done for them, emails about my casual work, and heaps to do.
I really need to take a step back, scream at the fence to get rid of the tension and then just get on with the job, doing the best I can.
Can't wait til Steve gets home, just to give me a cuddle!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Day 5- Getting there!
Steve is away again...Bangkok this time. The first night is always the worst. I think it was about 3am when I finally got to sleep. I hear every noise. The second night I am usually too stuffed to hear a thing. The kids cope well when he is away. Its just different but very much business as usual. I find it harder. I miss that emotional support.
I have finally caught up on washing woohoo. Now I just need to make sure I do 3 loads a day to keep up to it. I still have a pile of ironing though, but just on a basketful, so it will take a couple of hours. Today I will finish decluttering the laundry. Oh what fun!
I have heaps of stuff to do today. Lots of catching up to the Rainbow club stuff. I am finding it a bit frustrating at the moment. As with any club, only about 3 or 4 people are willing to put themselves out to help run it. Unfortunately, especially when it comes to disabilities, people have the expectation that it will all be handed to them on a plate. They don't see Rainbow club as a club, but as a charity. It sucks. If I didnt care so much, I would drop out of it all together but I want to see all kids with disabilities learn to swim and be safe in water. I really must get more publicity going.
I have heaps of work stuff to do too. Must get on with it in a big way today. Time to get some projects finished ready for a clean slate.
The 100 day challenge is on day 5. So far so good. At least I am working towards my goals pretty consistently.
Anyways, time to get going
I have finally caught up on washing woohoo. Now I just need to make sure I do 3 loads a day to keep up to it. I still have a pile of ironing though, but just on a basketful, so it will take a couple of hours. Today I will finish decluttering the laundry. Oh what fun!
I have heaps of stuff to do today. Lots of catching up to the Rainbow club stuff. I am finding it a bit frustrating at the moment. As with any club, only about 3 or 4 people are willing to put themselves out to help run it. Unfortunately, especially when it comes to disabilities, people have the expectation that it will all be handed to them on a plate. They don't see Rainbow club as a club, but as a charity. It sucks. If I didnt care so much, I would drop out of it all together but I want to see all kids with disabilities learn to swim and be safe in water. I really must get more publicity going.
I have heaps of work stuff to do too. Must get on with it in a big way today. Time to get some projects finished ready for a clean slate.
The 100 day challenge is on day 5. So far so good. At least I am working towards my goals pretty consistently.
Anyways, time to get going
Monday, October 4, 2010
Day 4/100 day challenge and back to school!
Woohoo! Kids are back at school!! Normality hits! As much as I don't like having to get up everyday and get the kids going, I really like the routine that school term brings. The kids all got up this morning without too much hassle, even Melinda who stayed up till 3am watching the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games. Melinda was hanging out to be back at school. As much as she hates to admit it, she loves it and is really quite good at school when she gets her organisational shit together. I have been desparately trying to catch up on the washing.....like about 15 loads yesterday, but this morning I walked into her room and freaked about how much washing was sitting around, and the clean stuff, just thrown on the floor. HMMM, bloody child. Isnt it bad enough that I have to do absolutely everything for Stef without having it to do for the other 3 as well. Oh well, will clean it up later today with her help and will throw out any clothes that no longer fit.
Today as my declutter challenge, I am still in the laundry. Woohoo, one load of washing left to do, and half of the room decluttered. Next step is the fabric stash in there...time to sort through and either sew up the baby/toddler fabric to give away or donate it to the opshop. I may just give it to a friend who makes kids clothes for the women's refuge. Its scary that these girls walk out of their homes with nothing...not even a change of clothes for their kids. Our local sewing guild donates clothing to give to these families. Stef really needs new clothes too...but being very long in the body, its hard to get her off the rack stuff, all the tops are too short, and the trousers are too shallow. It usually means she has a 4 inch gap between the tops and her bottoms. Must sit down over the next week or so and design some new stuff. I gave Melinda a drawing tablet for her computer but its incompatible for her mac so I will take it back to design outfits for stef (I am hopeless at drawing usually, but so much easier on the pc. I guess I was sent a lot of different skills for a reason....sewing and design is one of them that I look at and think Gee, I am so glad I can do that.
Anyway, washing machine has finished again, so out to put out some more before the rain!
Today as my declutter challenge, I am still in the laundry. Woohoo, one load of washing left to do, and half of the room decluttered. Next step is the fabric stash in there...time to sort through and either sew up the baby/toddler fabric to give away or donate it to the opshop. I may just give it to a friend who makes kids clothes for the women's refuge. Its scary that these girls walk out of their homes with nothing...not even a change of clothes for their kids. Our local sewing guild donates clothing to give to these families. Stef really needs new clothes too...but being very long in the body, its hard to get her off the rack stuff, all the tops are too short, and the trousers are too shallow. It usually means she has a 4 inch gap between the tops and her bottoms. Must sit down over the next week or so and design some new stuff. I gave Melinda a drawing tablet for her computer but its incompatible for her mac so I will take it back to design outfits for stef (I am hopeless at drawing usually, but so much easier on the pc. I guess I was sent a lot of different skills for a reason....sewing and design is one of them that I look at and think Gee, I am so glad I can do that.
Anyway, washing machine has finished again, so out to put out some more before the rain!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
100 day challenge!
Ok, I have started a 100 day challenge. If you havent heard me talking about it before, its 100 days where I work each day towards my set goals.
My goals for this 100 days are:
1. To lose 10kg
2. Give up smoking
3. To organise the house, get rid of clutter from every room.
4. To be more creative.
5. To have a nice garden, vegetables and fresh eggs.
6. To finish of work projects and have rainbow club stuff up to date.
7. To get more help for Stef and our family.
8. To be more financially aware and making the most of what we have.
Each week, I break down the tasks to smaller chunks and each day do something to move forward on each goal.
The first time I did the 100 day challenge, was about 3 years ago, where we decided that we needed to move. Bit by bit, we did things around the old house to get it ready for sale. At the start of my 2nd one hundred day challenge we had made the decision to sell, and we did!
Its amazing how when you set your mind to your goals, and work on them each day that things actually start to happen pretty quickly.
This 100 day challenge is about tidying up my life so that I can move on to new challenges with a clean slate, mentally and physically. Its about getting rid of emotional and physical clutter. Both for me, and those around me. Its about getting the help we will need for Stef, and getting ready to help her move on to young adulthood. Its about helping Brent gear up for his final year of school and Melinda moving onto year 10 work next year which is a pretty vital year. Its about getting Jack more mentally organised. The kids need me to be far more organised, the house to be one of peace, and to have a sanctuary that they deserve. Its about organising breaks for them and for us so that we can approach life in a less stressed manner.
Today, I have worked on decluttering the laundry and have worked in the garden a while. Its a beautiful spring day...so sunny and warm!
We went to the outskirts of Lara, and watched the bike riders in the world championship ride past. Cheering them on. I had a conversation with one of the swiss riders at the supermarket the other day....he was saying how great it was to have such terrific fresh food available and how cheap it was. Its something that we take for granted a lot I guess, especially when it is so easy to grow stuff ourselves. Can't wait to have my vege garden at its peak....oh and we have raspberries and blueberries and strawberries....yummo.
Anyway......onward...
My goals for this 100 days are:
1. To lose 10kg
2. Give up smoking
3. To organise the house, get rid of clutter from every room.
4. To be more creative.
5. To have a nice garden, vegetables and fresh eggs.
6. To finish of work projects and have rainbow club stuff up to date.
7. To get more help for Stef and our family.
8. To be more financially aware and making the most of what we have.
Each week, I break down the tasks to smaller chunks and each day do something to move forward on each goal.
The first time I did the 100 day challenge, was about 3 years ago, where we decided that we needed to move. Bit by bit, we did things around the old house to get it ready for sale. At the start of my 2nd one hundred day challenge we had made the decision to sell, and we did!
Its amazing how when you set your mind to your goals, and work on them each day that things actually start to happen pretty quickly.
This 100 day challenge is about tidying up my life so that I can move on to new challenges with a clean slate, mentally and physically. Its about getting rid of emotional and physical clutter. Both for me, and those around me. Its about getting the help we will need for Stef, and getting ready to help her move on to young adulthood. Its about helping Brent gear up for his final year of school and Melinda moving onto year 10 work next year which is a pretty vital year. Its about getting Jack more mentally organised. The kids need me to be far more organised, the house to be one of peace, and to have a sanctuary that they deserve. Its about organising breaks for them and for us so that we can approach life in a less stressed manner.
Today, I have worked on decluttering the laundry and have worked in the garden a while. Its a beautiful spring day...so sunny and warm!
We went to the outskirts of Lara, and watched the bike riders in the world championship ride past. Cheering them on. I had a conversation with one of the swiss riders at the supermarket the other day....he was saying how great it was to have such terrific fresh food available and how cheap it was. Its something that we take for granted a lot I guess, especially when it is so easy to grow stuff ourselves. Can't wait to have my vege garden at its peak....oh and we have raspberries and blueberries and strawberries....yummo.
Anyway......onward...
Friday, October 1, 2010
Its a beautiful spring day!
The sun is shining, the house is pretty clean, and today I'm feeling pretty positive.
Yesterday, we won the war against City of Greater Geelong regarding a Disabled Car Park permit. Its amazing how if you put the pressure on the beureaucrats (sp) via the elected representatives, that the criteria magically changes. Its a win! Next step is the education department. It's ridiculous that Stef and Brent get the same funding for school and that Stef gets roughly half that of a physically disabled child who is capable of doing the same things. There is always a battle to fight with these kids. The other is our access to speech therapy and of course respite care.
Stuff them all, Its time to make waves and believe me, I can surf them all!
Got a fair bit to do today...always heaps to do. Rainbow club stuff needs doing, work stuff, and of course getting the kids ready to go back to school on Monday. Oh and course Stef has emptied her wardrobe on to the bedroom floor again! Washing Washing Washing and always messes to clean up. I really need to get my diary out and make a list!
My new job is great. I love that its so cut and dried. My tasks are set according to deadlines and that I work pretty independently with it. I love how I can leave at the end of the day with the work finished and the plan for the following week already in place. Its great that nothing hangs over my head. For a person with ADHD, its great that I can plan out my time, no decisions to be procrastinated on.What is a huge laugh for me though, is that my boss sees me as incredibly organised and is even adopting some of my techniques to keep myself on the task.
Today I am going to take some time outside. Time to work on the garden a bit, and the sunshine and vitamin D will do me the world of good.
Yesterday, we won the war against City of Greater Geelong regarding a Disabled Car Park permit. Its amazing how if you put the pressure on the beureaucrats (sp) via the elected representatives, that the criteria magically changes. Its a win! Next step is the education department. It's ridiculous that Stef and Brent get the same funding for school and that Stef gets roughly half that of a physically disabled child who is capable of doing the same things. There is always a battle to fight with these kids. The other is our access to speech therapy and of course respite care.
Stuff them all, Its time to make waves and believe me, I can surf them all!
Got a fair bit to do today...always heaps to do. Rainbow club stuff needs doing, work stuff, and of course getting the kids ready to go back to school on Monday. Oh and course Stef has emptied her wardrobe on to the bedroom floor again! Washing Washing Washing and always messes to clean up. I really need to get my diary out and make a list!
My new job is great. I love that its so cut and dried. My tasks are set according to deadlines and that I work pretty independently with it. I love how I can leave at the end of the day with the work finished and the plan for the following week already in place. Its great that nothing hangs over my head. For a person with ADHD, its great that I can plan out my time, no decisions to be procrastinated on.What is a huge laugh for me though, is that my boss sees me as incredibly organised and is even adopting some of my techniques to keep myself on the task.
Today I am going to take some time outside. Time to work on the garden a bit, and the sunshine and vitamin D will do me the world of good.
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