Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Headache's, party plan & ballet lessons

I've been trying to stick to a very strict routine this week. For the beginning and the end of the day there is no problems... but I tend to become unglued through out the day. Especially on days like today when I have  a headache. I get them regularly and I know if I push myself too much the headache will last for days, but if I cut right back for a day it should go away. Still feel bad that I'm not sticking to the routine though.

At least I got to the gym today! I am loving the gym, I always feel so much better after going there!

My big thing I have to complete right now is my invitation letter to friends and family asking them to help get me started with party planning. I hate asking it of them, but there is no other way for me to start, and I'm hoping they won't mind just this once. Problem is that I can't get the words to flow well enough. I want to ask for help without sounding like I'm being pushy, or trying to gain their sympathy... but I still want enough urgency to get through so that some actually will help!

Very confusing....

I asked my daughter's ballet teacher today if she could have individual lessons next year, and she said she'd ask the centre director if it was ok. She also said that my daughter is one of the best in her class and can be relied on to remember the steps even when the teacher forgets!

My daughter wants to audition for the Australian School of Ballet when she is 9 (1.5 years away). She knows there is a lot of competition and even if she is really good, she still might not get in, but she wants to try. And I want to do everything I can to help her be successful if she can be... ergo individual ballet lessons! It's a good thing I'm working again - otherwise I'd never be able to afford it!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Wow, it's been a while!

Sorry I disappeared off the radar there for a while, I promise I wasn't ignoring responses, I just haven't been back to this site at all since my last post. Life got a bit in the way, and totally distracted me away from blogging.

I'm actually busier than ever now. My son is going through a really bad patch right now so I'm nearly always completely stressed. In the last 3 weeks he has had screaming fits at least once sometimes 3 times a day, headbutted walls, hit a baby, refused to sleep, refused to move etc. He generally has one or two bad spots through the year, but this is one of the worst we've experienced. I just hope it lets up soon, because I just know there is going to be problems again in the summer holidays when his routine goes out of whack!

On a brighter side though he has come out with some corkers lately! At the doctors when a lady was very kindly reading a story to him, he looked closely at her teeth, then said "you're teeth are yellow", then anounced "Hands up if your teeth are yellow"!  Then just today, he had such a screaming fit that he actually vomited, after cleaning him up I drove him around for a while to try and calm him down. Eventually he said "this is nice, I'm happy now". Then when I asked him what we could do to keep a smile on his face... his answer was "lipstick"! Did I ever mention just how literal autistic children can be??

I'm going through some difficulties with my daughter as well. I've always let the little things go in the past, because I've had so much to deal with already that it was all I could do to keep up with the big things. Anyway, recently I've decided I just have to be strict about the little things too otherwise they'll turn into big things. However this is led to a battle of wills between my daughter and I. I don't think she liked malleable mummy trying to be a hardass! I took her to the psychologist on Monday as I think she really needs to talk to someone. She has to deal with being the sibling of a special needs child along with being old enough to understand my separation but young enough for it to still confuse her. If it was just normal 7 year old stuff, I wouldn't worry so much, but her naughty behavior is really over the top... so if there is a reason for it that I don't know, she'll at least be able to share it with someone because she isn't sharing it with me!

The interesting thing is that she is perfect everywhere else. Ballet, school, friends houses, her dad's house. She has obviously taken on board everything I've taught her... she just applies it outside of my presence! At least I do have the comfort of everyone telling me how wonderful she is as I know she is... I just wish she'd show that to me a bit more often!

Another interesting thing is that when I'm trying to be strict but not succeeding, she plays up more, but when I truly stand my ground, she sometimes backs off with the behavior. I know she really needs and subconsiously wants me to give her firm boundaries... so I'm really trying to pick up my game there. I've got to get over the cuddly pushover mummy, and become firm (but still cuddly) mummy. I think things will improve in the house if I keep remembering this.

I'm all blogged out for now... chat later about 2 other new things in my life! I've lost 7kgs & just started doing party planning!