Happy Halloween - a special day in more ways than one

The kids and me had loads of fun yesterday!! Middle son had his first ever Trick or Treating! He was very excited and managed to get lots of sweets. Fun was had all around. The boys normally go to there dads on a Saturday, but the football was on and that was obviously more important than seeing the boys. Again his loss.

Earlier on in the day Lou had a school friend around. And we witnessed some amazing moments. Her friend has tuberous sclerosis. He is verbal and has a lot more understanding than Lou. He happily played with middle son. But what was amazing was how Lou reacted when he came in. She kept looking at him, this is rare. She must have recognised him from school, she smiled lots. And for a couple of fleeting moments she touched his face. But best of all she gave him a cuddle!!! She doesn't do this with middle son, perhaps because he is a tad 'in your face'. She hasn't done this with any other children. She disappeared upstairs as things were perhaps getting too much for her. But yesterday was a very special day.

Halo♥

New Beginnings

It's been a while since i last posted, you will see why shortly.

Firstly Lou has started 'big' school! Yep, she looks gorgeous in her school uniform. Very smart. Well if she can keep the tights or socks on long enough! The class room is all new and very ASD friendly, there is a play area outside, which has a covering for wet weather. Its great! Its a school for profound, severe and complex needs and she is one of 6 in her class. She seems to have settled in very well. I'm due to go and see a very special harvest festival at her school next week.

During July I discovered, via email, that my husband had cheated on me. He was bragging this to someone he had only just met on the net. He was bragging about how much he paid for it too. As you can imagine i was devastated. that not only had he gone behind my back and paid for sex on a few occasions but he was bragging about it. His excuse to me was that 'all' men do it from time to time. 12 years of my life i gave to him, no more though. I have been through so much with Lou, i needed support not betrayal. Perhaps its for the best, he was everything bad in a person. People say he is the opposite to me, so its for the best now. The future seems very daunting though. never imagined i would be on my own. He looks after my sons at the weekend but he refuses to look after Lou. Which breaks my heart. He doesn't know what he's missing. I cant say i was so surprised, this man didn't like to go and see Lou at her special needs preschool because 'it wasn't his thing'.

I dont have any family near by but i am starting to build a network of friends, new beginnings.




Halo♥

2 years on....

Lou Lou was diagnosed with Autism 2 years ago today...she was aged 2 years and 3 weeks.

How time has flown by.

Still not nodding, shaking head or pointing. very rarely a word pops out and it's not in communication. Still not much eye contact.

But she's just starting to wave...lol ...ok she waves like the queen and in the wrong direction but hey it's coming!!!

and a certain little girl had her 4th birthday recently!! I think she enjoyed the day. She loved playing in the pool in the garden. Pouring water over her older brothers head, she must have known he needed a hair wash!! But best of all was her hand made birthday cake! She loved it.

I brought her school uniform yesterday and I must say it was a novelty after having two boys I never imagined a school uniform could be so cute!! Pretty embroidered flowers on her pinafore and two, yes two (one blue and one grey) skirts! I love buying her pretty clothes and the new school uniform is no exception.

On Tuesday Lou Lou, my younger son and myself went to the Rare Breeds Centre with her Special Needs Preschool as a goodbye outing. It was a lovely day but it's been sad that she has left her preschool now. They have been wonderful with her and very kind to me. It's a end of an era.

Halo♥

Potatos, Pica and Poo

Things are more settled here lately, which is good because the summer holidays are fast approaching and it needs to be as calm as it can before the huge change of routine begins.

Lou Lou's Special Needs High Chair arrived this week, she has taken to it very well. The old chair was not designed for an almost four year old and she would often rock across the kitchen in it! This new Breezi Chair is just perfect and she looks very grown up sitting at the table with her brothers.




We had a trip to the hospital today. Mainly because of the awful bowel problems she's been having. I'm having to change a poo'y nappy 4-9 times a day. She had an X-Ray,which confirmed our suspicions of constipation. The registrar told me to up her dose of medication from 2 to 6 sachets at day. As you can see by the photo above she is a very good eater and its not her diet that's causing the constipation its the fact that perhaps due to her sensory processing difficulties she dislikes the feeling of pooing. and constantly tries to 'hold' it in. Of course if we hold it in it can cause all sorts of problems. Unfortunately i cant explain this to her because of her level of understanding.
The second reason for our trip to the hospital is that she needed a blood test, this takes 3 people to hold her down. Before the needles and things go in her arm she is upset because of the people holding her. The blood tests are necessary because she has been eating raw potato peel, orange peel and a bit of play doh. The paediatrician tells me its Pica. But fortunately she hasn't been eating some of the other bizarre things that people with Pica eat.

Check out my new blog - http://halo-rainbow.blogspot.com/ it's purely photos, videos and pictures - as sometimes words aren't needed. You will see how useful the new high chair box is - she loves it!

Halo♥

Castle Capers!

Wasn't the weather just gorgeous today?!

So i decided to take the kids somewhere nice, as they are back to school next week. I have to think about what we are going to do and where to go with Twinkle as places like the Beach are a no no due to her trying to get away, not a lot of shade and it being near on impossible to run on sand! (well for me anyway not Twinkle!)

Leeds Castle isnt that far and we hadnt been for many years, a new friend had taken her family recently, she has an autistic son and he has a blog.


We pushed Twinkle through the castle grounds in her Major Buggy (special needs buggy). Passed the lakes. We went to the restaurant first for dinner. We then went to see the birds in the Avery. We saw the birds of prey show, which middle son really enjoyed. Then the maze, which Twinkle didn't go in to but the boys did. It didn't take us long in the maze and we went onto the play area. The boys went into the 'older kids' play area and Twinkle went into the younger kids play area. We didn't stay there too long because it was so hot and no shade. We got ice-creams but Twinkle didn't like the coldness of the ice-cream...she put her fingers in her ears when trying it! So she ate the cone instead.

On our way back to the exit we decided to sit for a few minutes near the lake by the castle. Twinkle really wanted to get out of her Major Buggy. We thought it would be nice for her to run around with the boys and take some more photos. We stood between her and the lake...as you can see by the pic below she made her get away!! hot on her heels were the boys! Luckily she was heading away from the lake because she was too quick for the boys!

All in all it was a lovely day, with only a few small meltdowns, one being when she was on her reins on the way to the car, too many people about she couldn't cope and was biting her hand, so we put her in the 'safety' of her Major buggy again.

I just love that photo of her 'legging it'!


Halo♥

Little Miss.....

Firstly thank you so much to Rebel Mother for giving me this award. It's always nice to get an award as I'm never sure what I'm writing is really of interest to anyone. I'm really glad she likes it. Who's for a lovely cup of Rosy?....



Twinkle at this moment is playing 'catch' with my eldest son, who is trying his hardest to throw the ball (scented) with his left arm. After breaking his wrist on Monday at school (indoor football). It is really nice to see her interacting with him. This time last year she would only give him fleeting glances and the rare touch. My youngest son was upset the other day. He is convinced she doesn't like him as she tries her best to get away from him all the time. He said ' she doesn't love me', i tried to explain to him it will come in time. She doesn't interact with children her own age...adults and older children are of interest to her. Perhaps she feels younger children are too unpredictable for her senses.

I brought some Little Miss books (from the Mr Men range) the other day. I really feel i should be reading age appropriate books to her rather than the baby/toddler books i have. She did like the baby/toddler books but its time to move on. And it was a success she really likes them...especially the Little Miss Naughty book!! She looked at my face when i read them to her, which was lovely!

I have had some appointments to visit Twinkles new school, meet her new teachers, meet her new therapists and see her new classroom. I have lots of forms to feel out and school uniform to order. I have transport to organise. I cant believe how quick it's come around!!

I am going to be trying out some aromatherapy with Twinkle. I feel the transition to school could be a stressful time for her and want to try everything i can to make it less of an anxious time for her. The de-stress roller oils are in the post. I will let you know how i go with them (or how she goes with them).

Lastly if anyone wants to chat more with me i'm on Facebook (I'm friends with a few of you on there already) just send me a email or comment.

Halo♥

Newt

I feel a new nickname coming....

Twinkle has had a very eventful weekend. We all went down to the corner of England to visit the in-laws. Was a lovely sunny day. They were out in there garden when we arrived. We had to take it in turns to guard the steps leading to the top part of there garden, where there was a large summer house, green house and a lovely big pond...full of very large fish. Koi et al i believe.

Twinkle enjoyed playing about around the bottom part of the garden. But all the time having a glint in her eyes. She was planning something, i could tell, although i wasn't too sure what she was planning. There were children (and adults) jumping on next doors trampoline. She stimmed with excitement when they appeared above the fence every now and then. Was she planning an escape to join them?

It was my husbands (her dad) time to guard the stairs. Twinkle's uncle had just been guarding them and had gone to the top of the garden to sit on a bench and text his girl friend. My husband reached over to show mum-in-law a photo on his iphone, i looked at the photo too. That was it Twinkle saw her chance. She was off...perhaps she has my athletic genes...(i ran for Kent in the 100 meters sprint in my young days) . I shouted....(her name) ....husband turned around she was half way up the steps...my eldest son ran too....we called her uncle who was still up there...he was our only chance now...she had out witted my husband and eldest son.......The pond flashed in my mind...too late....

SPLASH...."she's in" shouts uncle....She was most certainly in....with the Koi ....up to her neck in pond water. She had performed the most amazing 'bomb' into the pond. All those weekly trips to the swimming pool with her respite lady had paid off.

Uncle pulled her out and brought her down. She was standing there with a pleased look on her face and if she could talk I'm sure she would have explained how much she enjoyed that. As it happens she didn't need to say anything the look on her face said it all. She was fully clothed, shoes and all. Luckily i had brought some spare clothes.

New nickname? Newt perhaps??

Halo♥