Wednesday, May 11, 2011

There's No Time Like the Present to Start Again


This week we have been starting again....again and again and again :)

This is the start (again) of my blogging.  It has been hard to get back into it.  This year, I am having a year that includes me.  I'm actually going to attempt to have a life too.  And it is coming together.

I have handed over the fundraising to Grandma and Grandpa for a year (Thanks Guys!!!) and that means no markets and no sewing unless I really want to.  I am now the Mother of a school-age child that is attending school 4.5 days per week and that means that I am also now a Working Mother.  I work as a Naturopath, seeing patients in a health food store 1 day per week and I have my own clinic room at a wonderful Yoga studio called Power Living.  The studio is truly becoming my 2nd home due in part to seeing lots of new clients (full day next week!  Yeeha!) and also due to the large amount of Yoga that I'm doing too.  Love, love, love Yoga....I feel like I have my brain back!

This week we have also been starting Ayla's schooling over again.  I sat in on her mainstream school class on Monday (just in the background) and took notes of things that needed to be adjusted, items that the 'disability' organisation haven't come through on and ways of fitting in Ayla's stepping, toiletting and feeding into the normal rhythm of her classroom's days.  It was an absolute eye-opener!  The kids are fantastic with her and the teacher is just inspiring.  I was amazed at how the kids could politely ignore Ayla's yabbering and pulling their hair whilst they were participating in classroom activities, but gravitate towards her and give her their full attention when their attention wasn't required elsewhere.

We have also started again with Ayla's 'speech device'.  We purchased an iPad earlier in the year so that we could create a speech device using the App, Proloquo2Go.  Much cheaper than purchasing an actual AAC device.  iPad + Proloquo2Go = $1050........AAC speech device = $14 000.  Just a small difference!  I have to say that Proloquo2Go is an AMAZING app.  Fully programmable and customisable to Ayla's needs and completely user friendly......we'll see if Ayla's LSA (Learning Support Assistant) Joan agrees when her and the iPad meet for the first time next week ;).

This afternoon, I spent a couple of hours putting together just a couple of things that might come in handy at school.....and I can change them if they're not.  The most exciting part is that next week, for the first time this year, Ayla will be able to participate in her classroom's 'News' segment of the morning....kinda like the old 'Show and Tell' that you and I remember.  I've typed in Ayla's 'news' and next week we will present it to her class (seriously, it lasts all of 1 minute...LOL!) and I will also try to get a video of it to post for you all.  I'm feeling all choked up just thinking about it....let's see if I can avoid bawling on the day.

So, there you go....all shiny and new :)

3 comments:

Bec said...

You go girl. We also need to gaet our own lives back, as what we don't have we can't give! You are an inspiration and i'll be following you all the way xx

Robync said...

Here you go again, you never cease to amaze me, and you never give up trying. I hope that Ayla's communication device eventually opens up her world to us. I hope that her development through interaction with other children continues, and that some how we find a way of raising the money for the therapy that allows you more me time.
It is hard, very hard to raise the sort of money needed, what we need now is a miracle or a win fall, because the therapy is the most important thing we do for Ayla, and the rewards are worth it. Go Ayla and rest a while Lis.

love you heaps
mum
xx

S said...

So sad I didn't get to see you while we were in Canberra - i am still dizzy from the mad dash and spin..looking forward to show and tell. x