The Pendulum

I've taken this quote from the ABR blog by Leonid Blyum because, although he talks A LOT!, he comes out with phrases that make it seem as though he has experience of having a special needs child himself. He doesn't. He is just super committed to these kids and he cares enough to put himself in our shoes....even if it's just for a moment.

You find yourself on a swinging pendulum – from exaggerated optimism to equally exaggerated concerns and fears. You are easily excited (especially when a child is still young) but you are easily scared as well. That’s a heavy emotional tax that zaps one’s energy really fast; and as the years go – excitement vanishes or translates into a pure chase of “last hope” while the scares become more and more real, especially with under consistent ‘hawkish’ pressure.

That’s the cost of ‘blurring’. It’s a universal trait of a human nature that we are most stressed and demoralized by some vague gloomy threat, where the vagueness itself makes it seemingly omnipresent and incapacitating as a result.

Toilet Training Record

Yay!!! We broke a record today! Three Wee's and Two Poo's in the potty...Woo hoo!

It's all in the timing at the moment but I am guessing that's what it is all about when you first start...and if it's not, then don't tell me! Don't burst my bubble. I would much rather remain totally ignorant :)

I must say though, that both Steven and I have witnessed Ayla determinedly rolling toward the potty, placed her on it and she has done a wee....so maybe she is trying to tell us sometimes. There have also been plenty of times that she has rolled to the potty and there has been no wee.....Alright! I'm imagining it....sigh

Bunnings Fundraising BBQ

We have been really lucky to have drawn a place for a Bunnings Fundraising BBQ this Saturday 16 January....lucky because apparently another group cancelled and lucky because our special friend Nicole put in an application letter for us...Thanks Nicole!

So from 8am until 3.30pm we will be selling yummy organic and gluten-free sausages at Bunnings Nerang. I have Mum and Dad coming down from Bundaberg to help out and have had a couple of offers of help from friends/family too.

So, if you're in the area, please come down and join us for a sausage and help raise funds for Ayla's ABR therapy.

I'm sure that I will partaking in a sausage or three....YUM!

Two Minute Fruit Gelati

I have a really eclectic mix of a whole lotta nothin' on this blog....and now I'm going to add something else.....a recipe.

How does this relate to Ayla? She likes the Banana one...not so fussed with the Mango. What am talking about? Something super decadent, super indulgent, super duper YUMMY! And absolutely healthy...seriously, as a Naturopath, I would be happy for my clients to indulge in this daily or even more than that! It is a fruit 'gelati' that really does only take 2 minutes from ingredients to your tastebuds and is 98% FRUIT.

Mango 'Gelati'
Frozen Mango pieces (equivalent of 1 mango)
1 tablespoon of milk
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Whizz all this up in a food processor or blend until it resembles soft serve. EAT!

Banana 'Gelati'
2 Frozen Bananas chopped up
1 tablespoon of milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whizz up in the food processor or blender until it resembles soft serve. EAT!



YYYYYYYYYYYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Mum................Bring down more Mangoes next week!

Frustrated

She does look a little frustrated in this photo....but seriously this post is more about me.....Me Me Me. I'm Frustrated.

Ayla woke this morning in a seemingly good mood but from breakfast on I have had tantrums, whingeing, whining, grizzling, no sleep, a bit more grizzling and now I'm at the point where I just want to flee the house...without her!

I can tune out...to a point but eventually the constant whining batters its way through all of the walls you put up to protect your sanity.

I'm frustrated because I have listened to non-stop whining, crying and tantrums all day. I'm frustrated because Ayla can't tell me what the problem is. I'm frustrated because I can't get anything crossed off my 'To Do' list that is currently a mile long and seemingly getting longer by the minute. I'm frustrated because not even a bath or pikelets have tempered her mood. I'm frustrated that I can't seem to help or fix whatever is the problem. I'm frustrated that, even as I sit here typing and venting, there is no relief to the frustration because the whining continues.

I know that none of this is Ayla's fault. I know that its all about my perception of the situation. I know that tomorrow will be different....it better be. And I know that our situation is a whole lot better than a lot of other families. But when Steven gets home at 3:00.....I'm outta here.....I'm going grocery shopping by myself!!!! Anonymous! No Whingeing!!!

END RANT

Potty Training the Special Needs Child....Diary of a Wombat Style

If you're reading this because you think I have some idea on exactly how to do this.....you are very sadly mistaken. I haven't got a clue! Sorry to disappoint :)

What I can impart is possibly some humour.

Above is a photo of the sign that sits against our wall on the way to the kitchen. It's a spot that we pass by several times per day. It's slightly out of the way from the lounge room where Ayla plays but she is more than capable of getting to it. Our thoughts were that if Ayla could grasp the idea of touching the sign when she needs to go to the toilet then she may actually have a way of letting us know when she needs to go. That being said, let me now share with you the last 30 minutes....."Diary of a Wombat" style.

5.30pm Rolling toward kitchen...giggling. Touch the Toilet sign. Mum does the toilet sign with her hands, picks me up and carries me to the potty in the toilet.

5.31pm Sitting on potty, playing handsies with Mum. Grizzle and do finished sign. Mum takes me off the potty and says "False Alarm"

5.35pm Returned to the lounge room.

5.37pm Rolling toward kitchen...giggling. Pick up toilet sign and chew it. Mum does the toilet sign, and carries me off to the potty again.

5.38pm Sitting on potty, insisting that I'm finished. Mum takes me off the potty and says "False Alarm".

5.42pm Returned to the lounge room.

5.45pm Found my way to the Christmas tree and desperately reach through the wooden playpen.....managed to get a tickle from the tree. Got Bored.

5.50pm Rollin toward the kitchen....Hey! There's the toilet sign, touch it and see what happens.

5.51pm Sitting on potty again. Bored. Finished. "False Alarm"....back to the lounge room.

5.55pm Playing on floor, farting and grunting. Nowhere near the toilet sign. Picked up by Mum and she puts my hand on toilet sign....off we go again.

5.56pm Did a wee....."Yay...Hip Hip Hooray", says Mum.....No poo though...suckers!

5.58pm Got to flush toilet....must be some sort of reward.

6.00pm Back in the lounge room.

6.03pm Rolling toward toilet sign...Mum pushes highchair in front of it. Think she's had enough....and now we're on the way to the Bath.


And the funniest part of all of this.....I'm going away for one night (well, 36 hours to be exact) and it's all up to Grandma and Grandpa.....Have Fun!!!!