Wednesday 9 January 2013

9/1 Happy New Year! No January blues here..

And finally a new post!! And a very Happy New Year to you all.  Yes, I know it has been about a month since I last wrote, but what a month it has been.  Today both boys went back to school, so now in the peace and calmness I have come home to make a lovely cup of tea which I will enjoy, listening to the total silence around me.  Well, the serenity might be slightly over stated, as it is not even 9.30 am, and I have already been up for four hours.  I have done the dishwasher, am on my third load of washing, stripped the beds, made three breakfasts, two pack lunches, dressed two boys, done some admin, taken the dog for a mini walk before the big walk later, and am on my third cup of tea.  But that is relatively serene in this house :)  Dave is away for a few days with work, so no one to blame for the mess but me.....

Christmas went very well, and I can say I don't think Alex could have been any happier and calm.  He spent most of the holidays singing away.  His language is coming on so fast, I am astounded on a daily basis, and keep having to double take to realise what he has just said.  Little sentences appearing, pure magic.  What is beautiful is you would think we would get immune to the excitement after a while as his language develops, but the truth is I can still feel as tearful and proud over a new progression now, as when he first started making sounds.  Alex is passing milestones I never assumed he would reach in his whole life, so I am just energised with the prospect of what is to come.  Well, that is the good side.  The bad side is all these new skills are also making him more challenging, and his behaviour is getting very hard to handle.  Hitting out at anyone who comes close, breaking a lot of things regularly, causing massive damage round the house, and developing a very strong will.  I tried another round of toilet training over the holidays,  which was met with a very defiant 'No!'. Great communication, but not exactly progress.  So with each leap of ability we get a mixed bag of fantastic new skills, which brings on their own frustrations and behaviours.

These pictures are from the holidays. The first is when I found Alex in the kitchen, having emptied two weeks of his prescription nutritional shakes out, and mixed with four pints of milk, leaving a nice congealed mess............and the second photo is finding him in his bedroom having done a little rearranging of his things :)


Thomas also started at a new school this week.  The last week of term was a whirlwind, and one of the many reasons I have been hiding under a rock for the last few weeks.  It has been a really tough decision to move him again, which is something I never thought I would do, but we had to weigh up all the issues, and make the call.  The phrase' damned if you do, damned if you don't ' springs to mind.  But having started him at the new school, it immediately feels a good call.  It would just be good if I didn't spend my entire life beating myself up about the decisions I make.  Its one thing fighting like hell for your children, its another to feel the confidence you are fighting for the right thing, and not even time will tell.  We call it 'Sliding Doors', after the film of the same name showing how you can never know what the other path would be in life if you had taken it.  I console myself with the thought that you make the very best of whichever path you are on, and find a way of making it work.  So I will do all I can to help Tom settle in, though I suspect he won't need my help, and will do a great job of making new friends and making his mark.  Seven year olds are far more resilient than 39 year olds :)

Lucie has been a pleasure over the holidays.  Alex keeps going into the cupboard under the stairs to pull out her jacket to take her out.  She is really settled now and fits in with our daily life with ease.  It has taken a few months, but I need to plan and think about her less now, as it all becomes second nature.  So in dog world, no news is good news.

Well, as today is my first time alone at home for a month, I have a tonne of jobs to do, so better get a plan together. No January blues for me, its all feeling rather bright today :)

1 comment:

  1. Hi Alice, lovely to come across your blog! I was goggling some info on assistance dogs in Legoland and your blog listing came up! I have shared your blog on Clive's facebook page too!

    Check out our blog when you have the time http://assistdogautism.blogspot.com

    cheers
    Fiona

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