New Years Eve!
Tales about Kaylia .... sans Risperdal!
She has to be watched like a hawk now .... if she's quiet, you better watch out!
She seems to want to throw things out ... either in the bin .... or flush 'em down the loo! She was given a lovely twirly toy for Christmas .... it's gone .... and the evidence suggests that it went down the loo!
She likes to just flush the loo .... and put a whole roll of paper in too! Of course the loo then blocks ..... and she was thus able to flood the bathroom the other day.
So we are learning to be vigilant!
I had a real "blond moment" today .. (or is it a grey moment?) ..... I was vacuuming and wanting to change fittings on the machine. I couldn't find the attaching adapter ..... I looked all over the place for it ..... then realised that the adapter was part of the hose! I was holding it in my hand! Duh!
Midday: She's off at the lake with AJ while we catch up with office work. I've been creating a summary of the past two years medication record with the changes and what we have seen. It's very interesting.
Evening
We've been watching "The Fellowship of the Ring" ..... We went to see "The Hobbit" last night and FoR is the next in the story.
..... but at 9pm Kaylia and I are settling to sleep. I'll wake at midnight for the loo run .... and I'll see the New Year in!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
#790 Sunday 30 December
The weight reducing effect of being off Risperdal continues .... Kaylia has lost 300gms this week. Our theory that R may be contributing to the anxiety seems to be right. We've reduced the Lovan and she still hasn't needed the top up.
Now we're wondering if we should ask the doctor if we can try something other than R. There are several alternatives ... some we have tried before ... and others that haven't been tried.
With our much greater awareness of the anxiety/stimming balance, we're better equipped to make a good decision. When we were trying to find a workable medication mix two years ago, our knowledge and awareness was much less.
Another theory is that we may be able to reduce both R and Lovan since we now know that R contributes to the anxiety.
It's a complex problem.
Today we're at a family post-Christmas gathering. Tonight we'll Skype with a potential au pair #14 for the second half of 2013. This person is from Scotland and the prospect of "... a wee Scots lass" is a grand thing!
Now we're wondering if we should ask the doctor if we can try something other than R. There are several alternatives ... some we have tried before ... and others that haven't been tried.
With our much greater awareness of the anxiety/stimming balance, we're better equipped to make a good decision. When we were trying to find a workable medication mix two years ago, our knowledge and awareness was much less.
Another theory is that we may be able to reduce both R and Lovan since we now know that R contributes to the anxiety.
It's a complex problem.
Today we're at a family post-Christmas gathering. Tonight we'll Skype with a potential au pair #14 for the second half of 2013. This person is from Scotland and the prospect of "... a wee Scots lass" is a grand thing!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
#789 Saturday 29 December
Oops .... missed one! Yesterday was busy with office work in the morning followed by lunch in the middle of the day .... then back to Midland office to interview a new staff person.
Through it all Kaylia was a delight. The change in medication is still giving her a good time. At times its very hard to get her attention ... but she's still remembering the correct social responses most of the time.
On the theory that the R may have had a side effect of contributing to the anxiety, we have made a slight reduction in the Lovan dose.... it seems to be better. She's not needing the top up of Lovan and she's still very happy. Her sleep is much more restless though .... a known effect of R is that it helps kids sleep.
The new data we have gathered will help us to assess the effect of returning to R in a couple of weeks time.
Through it all Kaylia was a delight. The change in medication is still giving her a good time. At times its very hard to get her attention ... but she's still remembering the correct social responses most of the time.
On the theory that the R may have had a side effect of contributing to the anxiety, we have made a slight reduction in the Lovan dose.... it seems to be better. She's not needing the top up of Lovan and she's still very happy. Her sleep is much more restless though .... a known effect of R is that it helps kids sleep.
The new data we have gathered will help us to assess the effect of returning to R in a couple of weeks time.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
#788 Thursday 27 December
Evening
As I write I'm downstairs in the basement office .... me on my computer and Kaylia beside me on Naomi's computer. She is quite adept ..... she can turn on, start programs, maximise screens .... all the while she is bouncing up and down on the swivel chair and chortling with pleasure.
Now she's found some containers of Playdoh .... these are much more important!
Today has been a busy day .... we're painting the entry room upstairs ..... it has some tricky scaffold work required to reach the top of a wall in the stairwell. It's looking good ... it will be worth the effort.
As I write I'm downstairs in the basement office .... me on my computer and Kaylia beside me on Naomi's computer. She is quite adept ..... she can turn on, start programs, maximise screens .... all the while she is bouncing up and down on the swivel chair and chortling with pleasure.
Now she's found some containers of Playdoh .... these are much more important!
Today has been a busy day .... we're painting the entry room upstairs ..... it has some tricky scaffold work required to reach the top of a wall in the stairwell. It's looking good ... it will be worth the effort.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
#787 Wednesday 26 December
Boxing Day .... is that because we need to get rid of all the boxes?
Kaylia is very happy this morning ... she has Mummy all to herself for a 'sleep-in' and she's having a great time! I can hear her from two floors down!
Today .... we are NOT going to the post Christmas sales! No Way! Probably it will be swimming somewhere .... maybe the lake.
Afternoon
Things didn't turn out that way .... it's way too hot! Kaylia is happy in her room .... stimming away. We were discussing whether it is OK for her to be doing this ..... my thoughts are that this is the first time she has been able to just relax. Pre-Risperdal she was stimming too ... but then she was so full of anxiety that she couldn't relax with it. Now the Lovan allows her to be herself without the anxiety. She may have a set-back as a result of not being able to concentrate on language ..... but I think she should be allowed to enjoy this time.
Evening
Kaylia and I went for a car drive after tea and she had her new favorite (Taylor Swift - Trouble) on repeat .... she was happy. Now we're downstairs in the basement office ... she has You-tube playing her Wiggles etc .... while I'm at my computer writing the blog. How cosy!
Kaylia is very happy this morning ... she has Mummy all to herself for a 'sleep-in' and she's having a great time! I can hear her from two floors down!
Today .... we are NOT going to the post Christmas sales! No Way! Probably it will be swimming somewhere .... maybe the lake.
Afternoon
Things didn't turn out that way .... it's way too hot! Kaylia is happy in her room .... stimming away. We were discussing whether it is OK for her to be doing this ..... my thoughts are that this is the first time she has been able to just relax. Pre-Risperdal she was stimming too ... but then she was so full of anxiety that she couldn't relax with it. Now the Lovan allows her to be herself without the anxiety. She may have a set-back as a result of not being able to concentrate on language ..... but I think she should be allowed to enjoy this time.
Evening
Kaylia and I went for a car drive after tea and she had her new favorite (Taylor Swift - Trouble) on repeat .... she was happy. Now we're downstairs in the basement office ... she has You-tube playing her Wiggles etc .... while I'm at my computer writing the blog. How cosy!
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
#786 Tuesday 25 December
Happy Christmas to you all!
I hope you had a good night. naomi excelled herself in the culinary delights with a mouth-watering roast ... followed by a Christmas Eve spent watching a movie .... and Zoe took Kaylia to another 'carols by candle light'. Again, Kaylia really loved it.
Afternoon:
Christmas has been good .... a quiet start followed by the "Kaylia Present Extravaganza"! Many, many presents for Kaylia ..... and she had a ball unwrapping them. She REALLY gets into unwrapping. There were many dingle dangles so she is in stimmy heaven.
We went to Mim's for lunch and Kaylia was given a CD of Taylor Swift (Red) .... it has one of her current favourites on it .... "Trouble" ..... and on the way home, the CD went into the player and we listened to "Trouble" over and over all the way home! We all sang along .... it was a raucous, happy drive.
Evening:
We've had a pleasant evening with family up to our place for tea. As usual Kaylia was right into opening her presents. Now we're 'chillin' .... a fitting conclusion to Christmas Day!
I hope you had a good night. naomi excelled herself in the culinary delights with a mouth-watering roast ... followed by a Christmas Eve spent watching a movie .... and Zoe took Kaylia to another 'carols by candle light'. Again, Kaylia really loved it.
Afternoon:
Christmas has been good .... a quiet start followed by the "Kaylia Present Extravaganza"! Many, many presents for Kaylia ..... and she had a ball unwrapping them. She REALLY gets into unwrapping. There were many dingle dangles so she is in stimmy heaven.
We went to Mim's for lunch and Kaylia was given a CD of Taylor Swift (Red) .... it has one of her current favourites on it .... "Trouble" ..... and on the way home, the CD went into the player and we listened to "Trouble" over and over all the way home! We all sang along .... it was a raucous, happy drive.
Evening:
We've had a pleasant evening with family up to our place for tea. As usual Kaylia was right into opening her presents. Now we're 'chillin' .... a fitting conclusion to Christmas Day!
Monday, December 24, 2012
#785 Monday 24 December
Christmas Eve! It's a special one ... we are trying to meld Austrian and Australian customs. The differences aren't big but it's interesting.
Stop press .... important!
I weighed Kaylia this morning ..... she has been off the Risperdal for 2 weeks and she's lost 2kg! This is terrific. We won't be able to keep her off the 'R' fo more than a month .... so it won't make a big difference to her 'over-weightness' .... but it shows that the weight gain probably isn't a long term problem. Once we can get Kaylia to a point where she can 'self-manage' the stimming etc (that the R controls), then she can stop taking R and her weight will return to a healthy level.
Last night AJ and Zoe took Kaylia to a "Carols by Candlelight" nearby ..... and she loved it! She danced and danced ..... and knocked AJ over so she could sit on top of her!
Last night I created a 'BlogBook' PDF for the period 11 Jan to now ..... it's been an interesting time and having the blog in the correct order makes it so much easier to read ..... all 169 pages of it! The blog statistics are becoming impressive .... 24,000 views, 450 pages of writing, readers all over the world ...... I wish we could know a little about the readers .... clearly some read the blog because they know us but there must be many, many readers who are reading it for some other reason. I wonder what it is.
Later:
This is a musing ramble ... so be patient! In 1976 Anne & I bought an Engel car fridge in Alice Springs. It has served me well over the years .... 36 years now ..... and has never given any trouble. I've often remarked on it's longevity so I thought I'd see if the manufacturers keep track of the 'oldies'. Their website shows a picture of one bought in 1962 that died in January this year! So they are interested in the old ones. I sent them an email with the details. Maybe in another 14 or 15 years time, my Engel will be breaking a record.
Stop press .... important!
I weighed Kaylia this morning ..... she has been off the Risperdal for 2 weeks and she's lost 2kg! This is terrific. We won't be able to keep her off the 'R' fo more than a month .... so it won't make a big difference to her 'over-weightness' .... but it shows that the weight gain probably isn't a long term problem. Once we can get Kaylia to a point where she can 'self-manage' the stimming etc (that the R controls), then she can stop taking R and her weight will return to a healthy level.
Last night AJ and Zoe took Kaylia to a "Carols by Candlelight" nearby ..... and she loved it! She danced and danced ..... and knocked AJ over so she could sit on top of her!
Last night I created a 'BlogBook' PDF for the period 11 Jan to now ..... it's been an interesting time and having the blog in the correct order makes it so much easier to read ..... all 169 pages of it! The blog statistics are becoming impressive .... 24,000 views, 450 pages of writing, readers all over the world ...... I wish we could know a little about the readers .... clearly some read the blog because they know us but there must be many, many readers who are reading it for some other reason. I wonder what it is.
Later:
This is a musing ramble ... so be patient! In 1976 Anne & I bought an Engel car fridge in Alice Springs. It has served me well over the years .... 36 years now ..... and has never given any trouble. I've often remarked on it's longevity so I thought I'd see if the manufacturers keep track of the 'oldies'. Their website shows a picture of one bought in 1962 that died in January this year! So they are interested in the old ones. I sent them an email with the details. Maybe in another 14 or 15 years time, my Engel will be breaking a record.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
#784 Sunday 23 December
Yesterday we managed to wear ourselves out by painting a room ... then Kaylia was struck by 'transition woes' .... she has trouble handling changes in circumstances ... in this case the change from school to holiday. Last night she was upset that she couldn't go to school the next day. Then she had a bad night. She woke at 4 am and that was it ... she was able to manage herself till 6am but then she wanted the day to start!
To have a bad night after tiring ourselves out with the painting ..... phew! It's hard to cope today.
The change in medication has been interesting. It's very clear that the Risperdal is essential for Kaylia's learning. After two weeks with out it, she has reverted to being highly stimmy .... in some ways this makes her a bit easier to manage .... she looks after herself by stimming! It is very hard to get her attention when we want to talk to her though. She's really off in la-la land. As we expected, her appetite has reverted to the days of old ..... she hardly wants to eat anything. The urge to eat is now just habit and if she asks for food, she usually doesn't eat it.
Disaster (of a form) struck for Zoe this morning ... she took Kaylia to the local swimming pool ... and found that the staff had allocated ALL the pool to the lap swimmers .... with no space for kids like Kaylia. A bit strange I think ..... it meant a short swimming session for her.
Evening .... I've just noticed that the blog has passed a little milestone today ..... twenty four thousand views!
To have a bad night after tiring ourselves out with the painting ..... phew! It's hard to cope today.
The change in medication has been interesting. It's very clear that the Risperdal is essential for Kaylia's learning. After two weeks with out it, she has reverted to being highly stimmy .... in some ways this makes her a bit easier to manage .... she looks after herself by stimming! It is very hard to get her attention when we want to talk to her though. She's really off in la-la land. As we expected, her appetite has reverted to the days of old ..... she hardly wants to eat anything. The urge to eat is now just habit and if she asks for food, she usually doesn't eat it.
Disaster (of a form) struck for Zoe this morning ... she took Kaylia to the local swimming pool ... and found that the staff had allocated ALL the pool to the lap swimmers .... with no space for kids like Kaylia. A bit strange I think ..... it meant a short swimming session for her.
Evening .... I've just noticed that the blog has passed a little milestone today ..... twenty four thousand views!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
#783. Saturday 22December
Season Greetings to you all!
This post is my annual newsletter ... added to the blog to ensure that no one misses out! We were in Bali last Christmas and although the “Team Kalylee” blog has a full account, the usual summary of the year didn’t happen. So here goes!
The progress for Kaylia during 2012 has been quite remarkable! During the December/January period in Bali we hit upon the concept of administering small ‘top up’ doses of her anxiety medication as the need became evident. This tactic has made a huge difference to Kaylia and to our quality of life. Prior to this she was frequently suffering from anxiety and we suffered with her as we tried to cope with the behavior that resulted. Now? The anxious Kaylia is unusual now. It still happens but we’re more skilled at recognizing the signs and getting in early with the medication. As a result her general happiness has blossomed and her learning has greatly improved. During the year her use of language has grown amazingly ... to the point where an actual conversation with her is now possible. She is still quite lazy in this area and avoids speaking if she can get away with it .... But she can speak! As you can imagine, we can now get much more enjoyment from the interaction with her.
Kaylia has now finished Year 3 at school and goes into Year 4 at the South Ballajura Education Support Centre. She absolutely LOVES going to school! In the car on the way to school she is often jiggling with excitement. It a huge change from Years 1 and 2.
Fortunately this year has been a period of good health for us .... High stress but no major problems. My wrist operation during 2011 has meant freedom from the constant pain. I have restriction in movement and I need to be wary of knocking it ... but it’s a big improvement. The operation removed the offending bone from the wrist and fused the other bones together.
Family? We began 2012 with Kat Baker on board. Kat was our 11th aupair and she stayed with us till August. She has moved on to be a ‘hostie’ with Emirates Airline. AJ from Canada took over and will be with us till February 2013. In September we were delighted to welcome Zoe back with us. Zoe was our 9th aupair and she has returned to make a life in Australia. She is still battling to get permission for long term residence in Australia but once we jump that hurdle, we look forward to her being part of the family for quite a while!
Business? Our accountant tells us that the first two years of a new business are always a battle and this has proved accurate. Since we’ve started two new businesses in this period, we have decided that we were mad to do so! The stress levels during the years have been intolerable ... and continue so. The villa in Bali has “turned the corner” and it’s receiving very positive reviews from guests who stay there. The business in Midland is really humming ... and bursting the seams of the current site. We have many dedicated staff working with us to provide life-changing services for children. This is not saying that it is easy ... it’s not! The future with a reduced stress load will be wonderful! Especially when Naomi finishes her study. This takes 2 days per week.
Well .... that's what 2012 has meant for us .....
We hope your year has been just as good for you and that you have a satisfying Christmas!
Best Wishes from Ian, Naomi and Kaylia.
This post is my annual newsletter ... added to the blog to ensure that no one misses out! We were in Bali last Christmas and although the “Team Kalylee” blog has a full account, the usual summary of the year didn’t happen. So here goes!
The progress for Kaylia during 2012 has been quite remarkable! During the December/January period in Bali we hit upon the concept of administering small ‘top up’ doses of her anxiety medication as the need became evident. This tactic has made a huge difference to Kaylia and to our quality of life. Prior to this she was frequently suffering from anxiety and we suffered with her as we tried to cope with the behavior that resulted. Now? The anxious Kaylia is unusual now. It still happens but we’re more skilled at recognizing the signs and getting in early with the medication. As a result her general happiness has blossomed and her learning has greatly improved. During the year her use of language has grown amazingly ... to the point where an actual conversation with her is now possible. She is still quite lazy in this area and avoids speaking if she can get away with it .... But she can speak! As you can imagine, we can now get much more enjoyment from the interaction with her.
Kaylia has now finished Year 3 at school and goes into Year 4 at the South Ballajura Education Support Centre. She absolutely LOVES going to school! In the car on the way to school she is often jiggling with excitement. It a huge change from Years 1 and 2.
Fortunately this year has been a period of good health for us .... High stress but no major problems. My wrist operation during 2011 has meant freedom from the constant pain. I have restriction in movement and I need to be wary of knocking it ... but it’s a big improvement. The operation removed the offending bone from the wrist and fused the other bones together.
Family? We began 2012 with Kat Baker on board. Kat was our 11th aupair and she stayed with us till August. She has moved on to be a ‘hostie’ with Emirates Airline. AJ from Canada took over and will be with us till February 2013. In September we were delighted to welcome Zoe back with us. Zoe was our 9th aupair and she has returned to make a life in Australia. She is still battling to get permission for long term residence in Australia but once we jump that hurdle, we look forward to her being part of the family for quite a while!
Business? Our accountant tells us that the first two years of a new business are always a battle and this has proved accurate. Since we’ve started two new businesses in this period, we have decided that we were mad to do so! The stress levels during the years have been intolerable ... and continue so. The villa in Bali has “turned the corner” and it’s receiving very positive reviews from guests who stay there. The business in Midland is really humming ... and bursting the seams of the current site. We have many dedicated staff working with us to provide life-changing services for children. This is not saying that it is easy ... it’s not! The future with a reduced stress load will be wonderful! Especially when Naomi finishes her study. This takes 2 days per week.
Well .... that's what 2012 has meant for us .....
We hope your year has been just as good for you and that you have a satisfying Christmas!
Best Wishes from Ian, Naomi and Kaylia.
Friday, December 21, 2012
#782 Friday 21 December
The world is supposed to end today. Outside (at 6:30am) the birds are singing and the sun is shining ..... I think the prediction is wrong.
We've taken Kaylia off Risperdal during the school break .... this is the one that controls her stimmy behaviour and allows her to concentrate. It also makes her hungry. Without it we can see a different girl. She is much harder to engage .... much more stimmy .... and no where near as hungry. The big question is whether we can stand it! I think it makes her behave in ways that demand constant 'eye-ball' supervision .... much more than we've grown accustomed to.
We'll see. We have 42 days to observe and assess the effects.
The search for "Number 13" .... the new AJ .... has begun. AJ leaves on Feb 8 so we need to locate the right person. It's a bit more complex this time as the new person has to fit in with three adults .... Zoe as well. Not just Naomi and I. It's going to be an interesting selection process!
We've taken Kaylia off Risperdal during the school break .... this is the one that controls her stimmy behaviour and allows her to concentrate. It also makes her hungry. Without it we can see a different girl. She is much harder to engage .... much more stimmy .... and no where near as hungry. The big question is whether we can stand it! I think it makes her behave in ways that demand constant 'eye-ball' supervision .... much more than we've grown accustomed to.
We'll see. We have 42 days to observe and assess the effects.
The search for "Number 13" .... the new AJ .... has begun. AJ leaves on Feb 8 so we need to locate the right person. It's a bit more complex this time as the new person has to fit in with three adults .... Zoe as well. Not just Naomi and I. It's going to be an interesting selection process!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
#782 Wednesday 19 December
Some of you may know of Kaylia's love of showers .... a shower is a very calming thing for her as well as being a routine. A few of you will know of her delight in playing with the shampoo in the shower. This is a very expensive 'interest' as she likes to empty the shampoo container! She hasn't done this for a long time as I had impressed on her that it was 'naughty' to do that. .... but today .... she struck again! She emptied about $30 worth of shampoos down the drain and put the empty containers in the bin!
Needless to say she will have to be watched like a hawk again.
Needless to say she will have to be watched like a hawk again.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
#781. Tuesday 18 December
I've just had an incredibly deflating experience ... we were in Big W shopping for Christmas presents for all the ankle biters .... when my gaze passed over a vision of ultimate tool shop desire! It was a small saw with two countra rotating blades... and the big price tag said $19!!!! My knees went weak and the room began to spin ... could it really be possible??
And then the balloon burst. The staff were restocking the shelves and I watched as the staff person proceeded to replace the price tag with one that read .... $249. My hopes shattered as I came thumping back to earth ...... Misery
Ah well ... I was consoled by being able to purchase a really scary remote controll tarantula .... it's huge! One of the kids will love it.
And then the balloon burst. The staff were restocking the shelves and I watched as the staff person proceeded to replace the price tag with one that read .... $249. My hopes shattered as I came thumping back to earth ...... Misery
Ah well ... I was consoled by being able to purchase a really scary remote controll tarantula .... it's huge! One of the kids will love it.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
#780 Sunday 16 December
We've been planning our strategies for the school holidays. This is pretty important where Kaylia is involved as she needs have a clear idea of what is planned for her day. When this isn't done she then 'nags' for whatever comes into her head .... and boy! ... does that become wearing!
Today she went swimming in the morning with Naomi, then in the afternoon I took her to Bunnings. Today she didn't like the playground there ... too many kids! So it was on to a different playground down by the river. It has a good 'flying fox' and an excellent water play area. This was very good on a warm afternoon and she didn't want to leave!
As I write, Kaylia has been looking over my shoulder at the computer screen 'background' .... it's a photo of her in a swimming pool in Ubud about two years ago. She likes going over the memories.
Today she went swimming in the morning with Naomi, then in the afternoon I took her to Bunnings. Today she didn't like the playground there ... too many kids! So it was on to a different playground down by the river. It has a good 'flying fox' and an excellent water play area. This was very good on a warm afternoon and she didn't want to leave!
As I write, Kaylia has been looking over my shoulder at the computer screen 'background' .... it's a photo of her in a swimming pool in Ubud about two years ago. She likes going over the memories.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
#779 Saturday 15 December
The traitor! This morning I was drying her after her shower and she says "...thankyou Zoe!"
Seriously though .... this 'thankyou' was unprompted .... so it means that she recognized that the response was needed in the situation ... and she almost used an appropriate response. This is real progress! I feel that the rate of progress (in her acquisition of social responses) has accelerated over the past months. This could be due to several factors ....
- the excellent job being done by AJ and Zoe in 'keeping on her case' .... consistent reinforcement
- the 'mental relaxation' Kaylia must be experiencing due to the consistently lower anxiety levels because of the improved use of Lovan.
- the general developmental progress
Any way ... what ever the causes, the results are excellent.
After breakfast, AJ was quizzing Kaylia about what she needed to do to get ready for her morning trip to the beach ..... AJ had no problems gaining and keeping Kaylia's attention. Kaylia had no problem comprehending the questions and then working out the correct response ... then actioning them! What a far cry from twelve months ago!
Seriously though .... this 'thankyou' was unprompted .... so it means that she recognized that the response was needed in the situation ... and she almost used an appropriate response. This is real progress! I feel that the rate of progress (in her acquisition of social responses) has accelerated over the past months. This could be due to several factors ....
- the excellent job being done by AJ and Zoe in 'keeping on her case' .... consistent reinforcement
- the 'mental relaxation' Kaylia must be experiencing due to the consistently lower anxiety levels because of the improved use of Lovan.
- the general developmental progress
Any way ... what ever the causes, the results are excellent.
After breakfast, AJ was quizzing Kaylia about what she needed to do to get ready for her morning trip to the beach ..... AJ had no problems gaining and keeping Kaylia's attention. Kaylia had no problem comprehending the questions and then working out the correct response ... then actioning them! What a far cry from twelve months ago!
Friday, December 14, 2012
#778 Friday 14 December
We have a new friend in the house ..... BoB has just arrived and he has fixed our internet connection problems! He's really friendly and very easy to get along with. He looks good too! (I'm talking about the new modem/router that arrived an hour ago.)
We've been battling with connection problems for weeks now .... and found that the problems were due to failing hardware. The nice people at Westnet sent me a new one (gratis) ... and ....Hey Presto! Fixed!
It's been illuminating to see just how 'net withdrawal' symptoms have presented. I don't like it!
.
Kaylia is off at the 'yake' with AJ .... that's Lake Leschenaultia at Chidlow. She loves it there.
She's just come home and I overheard her saying "Awesome" .... this is a saying of AJ's and it's very good that Kaylia has picked it up!
We've been battling with connection problems for weeks now .... and found that the problems were due to failing hardware. The nice people at Westnet sent me a new one (gratis) ... and ....Hey Presto! Fixed!
It's been illuminating to see just how 'net withdrawal' symptoms have presented. I don't like it!
.
Kaylia is off at the 'yake' with AJ .... that's Lake Leschenaultia at Chidlow. She loves it there.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
#777 Thursday 13 December
Kaylia is turning into a very 'canny' girl! She negotiates for things that she wants ... and when she doesn't meet immediate success, she changes tactic and tries a different bargaining chip. This can have very funny results at times.
.
She has also decided that she wants people to sit in particular places in the loungeroom in the evening. Last night she tricked Zoe. Kaylia led Zoe by the hand toward her bedroom .... and we thought "Ah ... she's ready to sleep and wants Zoe for the bedtime routine."
.... but no ..... once she had Zoe out of the seat and a safe distance away, Kaylia left Zoe there and went back to the seat and sat down herself!
.
She has also decided that she wants people to sit in particular places in the loungeroom in the evening. Last night she tricked Zoe. Kaylia led Zoe by the hand toward her bedroom .... and we thought "Ah ... she's ready to sleep and wants Zoe for the bedtime routine."
.... but no ..... once she had Zoe out of the seat and a safe distance away, Kaylia left Zoe there and went back to the seat and sat down herself!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
#776 Wednesday 12 December
We had a 'sort of' night out last night ... the office Christmas party! A good night ... thanks AJ. Kaylia was fast asleep when we got home. She often stays awake waiting for us when we sneak out.
.
Yesterday we had a 'bloggable event' .. we constantly battle to get Kaylia to use correct social behaviour ... such as greeting a person when she enters a room. We try to get her to look at the person and say "Hello XXX". Yesterday she came home and just said "Hi!" .... it was perfect in the situation ... so good that it seemed hilarious in the moment. But it's a good indicator of progress being made.
.
Another anecdote .... last night as I was going out she gave me a big hug and asked ".... goo ger?" (Good girl?). She clearly likes reassurance (of which she gets a lot!) .... I see this as an indicator that she is slowly building external contact through the autism wall.
I've just returned from the city and I noticed this in Forrest Place ....
Kaylia will love it .... walls of water fountains rising and falling!
While in the city, a special moment occured .... the 12th minute of the 12th hour of the 12th day of the 12th month of the 12th year!
What were you doing at that minute?
And as I drove in the driveway I could see a big storm brewing .... spectacular sight with the dark storm clouds as a backdrop to brightly lit leave in the trees.
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Yesterday we had a 'bloggable event' .. we constantly battle to get Kaylia to use correct social behaviour ... such as greeting a person when she enters a room. We try to get her to look at the person and say "Hello XXX". Yesterday she came home and just said "Hi!" .... it was perfect in the situation ... so good that it seemed hilarious in the moment. But it's a good indicator of progress being made.
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Another anecdote .... last night as I was going out she gave me a big hug and asked ".... goo ger?" (Good girl?). She clearly likes reassurance (of which she gets a lot!) .... I see this as an indicator that she is slowly building external contact through the autism wall.
I've just returned from the city and I noticed this in Forrest Place ....
Kaylia will love it .... walls of water fountains rising and falling!
While in the city, a special moment occured .... the 12th minute of the 12th hour of the 12th day of the 12th month of the 12th year!
What were you doing at that minute?
And as I drove in the driveway I could see a big storm brewing .... spectacular sight with the dark storm clouds as a backdrop to brightly lit leave in the trees.
Monday, December 10, 2012
#775 Monday 10 December
Summer is coming ... the weather is pretty hot and everyone is grumpy. Kaylia is "spaced out" .... it's been one of those days that you just don't want to be here!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
#774 Sunday 9 December
One of the harder aspects of Kaylia's poor verbal ability is that it is difficult to understand just what is going on inside her head! At times it looks as though its not much .... and then she comes out with little bursts of brilliance and I realise that she's like an iceberg .... we only see a tiny portion of the thinking that is going on.
Much of the thought processing that we take for granted as being correct is only so because our society says it is correct .... it's not correct in itself. So with Kaylia I have to consider what is going on and try to remove the "filters" that society creates.
Is she wrong/deficient? .... or just different?
It's great to see the way her use of language is improving ... take for instance saying "Thankyou Xyz"to the person who has given you something .... for a long time the battle was to get her to just say 'Thankyou'.... then she would say thankyou but she gets the wrong person .... she wasn't actually understanding what she was saying. In the past few days I've noticed that she is now getting the right person most of the time. This afternoon I overheard her practicing (while she was stimming ...) ... she was saying "Thankyou AJ"over and over! Then later she thanked Zoe and used the correct name ... so it isn't rote learning ... she is actually understanding.
Evening
IT is agin me! The modem is failing and a new one is on the way. At present we can connect by cable ... but wireless will not work on the laptops ... but wifi is fine on the iPhone and iPad. Go figure!
Today I did the wrong thing while trying to find a fix .... and my lovely ultrabook turned into a brick! Reformat, restore .... ho hum .... reinstall all the programs. That will teach me to create a disk image!
Much of the thought processing that we take for granted as being correct is only so because our society says it is correct .... it's not correct in itself. So with Kaylia I have to consider what is going on and try to remove the "filters" that society creates.Is she wrong/deficient? .... or just different?
It's great to see the way her use of language is improving ... take for instance saying "Thankyou Xyz"to the person who has given you something .... for a long time the battle was to get her to just say 'Thankyou'.... then she would say thankyou but she gets the wrong person .... she wasn't actually understanding what she was saying. In the past few days I've noticed that she is now getting the right person most of the time. This afternoon I overheard her practicing (while she was stimming ...) ... she was saying "Thankyou AJ"over and over! Then later she thanked Zoe and used the correct name ... so it isn't rote learning ... she is actually understanding.
Evening
IT is agin me! The modem is failing and a new one is on the way. At present we can connect by cable ... but wireless will not work on the laptops ... but wifi is fine on the iPhone and iPad. Go figure!
Today I did the wrong thing while trying to find a fix .... and my lovely ultrabook turned into a brick! Reformat, restore .... ho hum .... reinstall all the programs. That will teach me to create a disk image!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
#773 Saturday 8 December
It's been WW3 on the IT front today .... the modem is doing really weird things and the net connection drops out every few minutes. The ISP has been monitoring the situation and they're sending a new modem.
Kaylia of course is oblivious to this. For her, the world revolves round her routines. She spends ages in the shower and then changes to dingle-dangles ....
While we keep her anxiety levels under control she is happy.
At the moment we're sitting on the lounge and the dog has decided to bark at something. Even though he's outside, Kaylia still can't cope with it and she's pressing her ears tightly against me to try to block the sound. She does the same whenever a baby is round too.
I hope we can find an effective solution to this as she grows older.
Kaylia of course is oblivious to this. For her, the world revolves round her routines. She spends ages in the shower and then changes to dingle-dangles ....
While we keep her anxiety levels under control she is happy.
At the moment we're sitting on the lounge and the dog has decided to bark at something. Even though he's outside, Kaylia still can't cope with it and she's pressing her ears tightly against me to try to block the sound. She does the same whenever a baby is round too.
I hope we can find an effective solution to this as she grows older.
Friday, December 7, 2012
#772 Friday 7 December
It was Kaylia's class Christmas party at school today .... AJ and Kaylia had made cookies to take and the cookies were a hit! Clearly Kaylia had made them the way she liked them .... and the other kids had similar tastes!
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Behind the cookies you can see jelly cups ... another special for Kaylia.
Tonight she has decided that she will sleep downstairs in her own room! This is good!
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Behind the cookies you can see jelly cups ... another special for Kaylia.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
#771 Thursday 6 December
What a day!
After dropping Kaylia off at school, I returned home and soon after there were cries from the house ..... investigation showed that a baby Mopoke ... a tawny Frogmouth .... was sitting just outside our house! It was too young to fly ... lots of downy feathers. A phone call to a sanctuary told us what to do ..... catch it and take it to them in Lesmurdie. So here is our tawny Frogmouth in the bag we used to transport him.
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We will keep tabs on his progress and maybe bring him back here for release when he is old enough.
After dropping Kaylia off at school, I returned home and soon after there were cries from the house ..... investigation showed that a baby Mopoke ... a tawny Frogmouth .... was sitting just outside our house! It was too young to fly ... lots of downy feathers. A phone call to a sanctuary told us what to do ..... catch it and take it to them in Lesmurdie. So here is our tawny Frogmouth in the bag we used to transport him.
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We will keep tabs on his progress and maybe bring him back here for release when he is old enough.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
#770 Wednesday 5 December
The night lights at the villa
8am ... in the Prada lounge at the airport. Looking around, I think that this place is a haven for IT junkies .... every one has either a laptop or a phone connected to the wifi!
Afternoon: The flight was a good one ... no delays this time. I'm getting old though .... in the departure lounge, there were about three times more passenger than seats! Most people were sitting on the floor. I though of doing this ... and I couldn't face the struggle of getting up again. So I stayed standing. The old days where a young person would offer their seat to an older person are far gone!
At Perth airport, the plane didn't have an air bridge ... so it was down the stairs and trudge to the terminal. Since customs, passports etc are on the ground floor, I expected that we would walk straight into that area .... but no .... we had to climb up stairs to the first floor, then take the escalator down to the ground floor again. I'm not sure that I needed that exercise!
8am ... in the Prada lounge at the airport. Looking around, I think that this place is a haven for IT junkies .... every one has either a laptop or a phone connected to the wifi!
Afternoon: The flight was a good one ... no delays this time. I'm getting old though .... in the departure lounge, there were about three times more passenger than seats! Most people were sitting on the floor. I though of doing this ... and I couldn't face the struggle of getting up again. So I stayed standing. The old days where a young person would offer their seat to an older person are far gone!
At Perth airport, the plane didn't have an air bridge ... so it was down the stairs and trudge to the terminal. Since customs, passports etc are on the ground floor, I expected that we would walk straight into that area .... but no .... we had to climb up stairs to the first floor, then take the escalator down to the ground floor again. I'm not sure that I needed that exercise!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
#769 Tuesday 4 December
Mr Fixit (the electrician) was here this morning. With the help of my 'diagrams' I was able to explain the problem and he understood ..... "OK - extra switch needed!"Soon after the switch board has a new circuit breaker that has been added to separate the different circuits. It should fix the problem we have had of the power failing .... this had been due to the fact that all the power was being funneled through one circuit breaker instead of four!
I made a new friend today .... Amelie .... a Canadian who teaches English online from Bali. One of those moments where paths cross. I'm developing a group of friends in Sanur .... it's good. The teaching is a very interesting thing .... the school hires staff to coach conversational English with students from all over .... and they handle all the Indonesian visa issues! It makes you think!
I also learned about writing too .... that's making me think! To write is a dream/urge that I have long cherished ..... but how to begin? ... and today I learned of ....
National Novel Writing Month
www.nanowrimo.org/
NaNoWriMo is an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world.
It's making think hard. Too late for this year but I can prepare for next year!
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.... and it's fortunate that I began thinking because I just checked my flight details and my flight is 9am tomorrow! Not tomorrow night as I had thought! I arrive Perth at 1240 .... lunchtime .... not midnight. Suddenly I have lost a day and I must pack up everything tonight ready for a 6:30am start tomorrow.
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.... and it's fortunate that I began thinking because I just checked my flight details and my flight is 9am tomorrow! Not tomorrow night as I had thought! I arrive Perth at 1240 .... lunchtime .... not midnight. Suddenly I have lost a day and I must pack up everything tonight ready for a 6:30am start tomorrow.
Evening
Everything is packed away ready for departure. 6:30am to the airport for a 9am flight arriving Perth 12:40
Tonight I varied my routine and had nasi goreng bakso .... very good! About $1.60
On the walk home I diverted to measure the walk from the beach to the villa ......
Beach to Mertasari = 350 paces
Mertasari to Belanjong = 30 paces
Mertasari to villa = 100 paces
It's about 480 paces total .... a little bit further than we had guesstimated.
Monday, December 3, 2012
#768 Monday 3 December
B^%$^^ grey cells!
After struggling most of yesterday with the lack of internet, I woke at 3am with a brain-wave. After a while of net searching on the iphone ..... which has a net connection .... I finally found a good site. Now at 4:30am, I have internet on the laptop again! Yay!
The solution? ..... turn the laptop 90 degrees! It was the orientation of the antenna. I'll have to remember that one!
(Later .... my pleasure didn't last long. The next time I turned on .... no wifi! But I now know the solution .... you stand up and start turning round and round till it finally decides to connect!)
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Update on the mystery wiring? Last night .... when all was dark ... I turned on lights and visible power items all round the house .... so I could watch from the garage the effect of turning switches on and off. I managed to identify nearly all the switches .... and while doing this, I found that none of those switches turn off the mystery circuit!!! I then checked the last main breaker .. this controls the garage and pump room. The mystery circuit is turned off by this switch ..... but the breaker also turns off the main bedroom!!! ... and the living room ..... and the second bedrooms! These should not be connected at all!. The plot thickens! I think I now know enough to allow an electrician to fix the problem.
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A side benefit from all this work is that I have found that the architect's plans and drawings have only a slight resemblance to the actual circuitry! During construction, the electricians seemed to have decided that they would build it the way they wanted to ... not the way the plans said it should be done!
11am The electrician has been arranged to come and fix the wiring problem.
My new friend the Telkom guy is coming soon to install a good hotspot .... so that residents will always be able to get good WIFI.
This is turning out to be an expensive trip! I had hoped that I would spend very little this time .... but with the modem, hotspot, electrical and waterproofing !! Phew
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4pm The new hotspot has been installed and we now have excellent wifi at all points in the villa ... even in the loo in bathroom 2! It doesn't fix my problems .... to get my laptop to connect I must do a dance with it! I start it connecting and then turn around in circles till it finds the signal. A bit of net surfing has told me that this problem is completely normal for the wifi card used in the laptop. The professional IT guys cannot understand why the manufacturers continue to use this brand of card.
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I've bought a big drum of waterproofing paint and some fibreglass sheeting to strengthen the weak areas.
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It's now pouring down outside. ..... when it rains, frogs come out and start hopping all over the lawn .... are they dancing in the rain?
I forgot to tell you of the morning "puppy drama" ..... first thing this morning I could hear a yapping out the front .... I found that someone had dumped two puppies next to the rubbish bin in the jalan. They appeared to be one .... maybe two days old.... eyes still closed. I tried to give them water and milk but they were too young to lap. Putu thought that they would be 'adopted' fairly quickly .... and sure enough within a few hours they were both gone. It saved me having to deal with the problem of what to do with starving puppies.
After struggling most of yesterday with the lack of internet, I woke at 3am with a brain-wave. After a while of net searching on the iphone ..... which has a net connection .... I finally found a good site. Now at 4:30am, I have internet on the laptop again! Yay!
The solution? ..... turn the laptop 90 degrees! It was the orientation of the antenna. I'll have to remember that one!
(Later .... my pleasure didn't last long. The next time I turned on .... no wifi! But I now know the solution .... you stand up and start turning round and round till it finally decides to connect!)
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Update on the mystery wiring? Last night .... when all was dark ... I turned on lights and visible power items all round the house .... so I could watch from the garage the effect of turning switches on and off. I managed to identify nearly all the switches .... and while doing this, I found that none of those switches turn off the mystery circuit!!! I then checked the last main breaker .. this controls the garage and pump room. The mystery circuit is turned off by this switch ..... but the breaker also turns off the main bedroom!!! ... and the living room ..... and the second bedrooms! These should not be connected at all!. The plot thickens! I think I now know enough to allow an electrician to fix the problem.
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A side benefit from all this work is that I have found that the architect's plans and drawings have only a slight resemblance to the actual circuitry! During construction, the electricians seemed to have decided that they would build it the way they wanted to ... not the way the plans said it should be done!
11am The electrician has been arranged to come and fix the wiring problem.
My new friend the Telkom guy is coming soon to install a good hotspot .... so that residents will always be able to get good WIFI.
This is turning out to be an expensive trip! I had hoped that I would spend very little this time .... but with the modem, hotspot, electrical and waterproofing !! Phew
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I've bought a big drum of waterproofing paint and some fibreglass sheeting to strengthen the weak areas.
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It's now pouring down outside. ..... when it rains, frogs come out and start hopping all over the lawn .... are they dancing in the rain?
I forgot to tell you of the morning "puppy drama" ..... first thing this morning I could hear a yapping out the front .... I found that someone had dumped two puppies next to the rubbish bin in the jalan. They appeared to be one .... maybe two days old.... eyes still closed. I tried to give them water and milk but they were too young to lap. Putu thought that they would be 'adopted' fairly quickly .... and sure enough within a few hours they were both gone. It saved me having to deal with the problem of what to do with starving puppies.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
#767 Sunday 2 December
It's 10 am and I've been working on the electricals in the house since 7am. So far I've been able to define the mysteries .... but not able to de-mystify them! I'm creating drawings that show what exists and what each part does .... hoping to narrow down to find just where the mystery wires are actually connected.
The next step is to turn off switches on the main board and check if that also turns off the mystery wires.
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The strange thing about this problem is that the quality of the wiring workmanship in the circuit breaker boxes is very good .... so why is one part really good and another part really bad?!!
Later:
Well ... the mystery wires are not on the main bedroom circuit nor the living area circuit .... where could they be??? (Sounds like "Where is the green sheep?") The next circuit to try is the pump room circuit .... before I can check that I must double check & identify the four circuits coming from the main switch.
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BTW please excuse my ramblings ... it helps to clarify my thinking if I have to explain it to you.
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4pm. I've been to Hardys .... DVDs & food .... Back in a bemo.
Now the wifi is playing up again. The connection is ok because the phone has wifi .... the laptop can't make the connection.
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The strange thing about this problem is that the quality of the wiring workmanship in the circuit breaker boxes is very good .... so why is one part really good and another part really bad?!!
Later:
Well ... the mystery wires are not on the main bedroom circuit nor the living area circuit .... where could they be??? (Sounds like "Where is the green sheep?") The next circuit to try is the pump room circuit .... before I can check that I must double check & identify the four circuits coming from the main switch.
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BTW please excuse my ramblings ... it helps to clarify my thinking if I have to explain it to you.
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4pm. I've been to Hardys .... DVDs & food .... Back in a bemo.
Now the wifi is playing up again. The connection is ok because the phone has wifi .... the laptop can't make the connection.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
#766 Saturday 1 December
December already!
This morning I'm meeting a friend for 'brunch' ..... the morning (at 10am) has been busy already ... I've been up on the roof checking the water proofing before the rains set in. Bad news .... the material used last year has deteriorated badly in places. I think an annual coating will be needed. Ketut is happy to do it so I'll buy a large supply before I leave.
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Evening. The day has been busy .... The Internet battle has been won ... not the war ... just the battle. It was working at midday and then I messed it up again and had to call our new friend back again to repair what I had done .
Then the day finished with difficult negotiations with a client. Phew!
This morning I'm meeting a friend for 'brunch' ..... the morning (at 10am) has been busy already ... I've been up on the roof checking the water proofing before the rains set in. Bad news .... the material used last year has deteriorated badly in places. I think an annual coating will be needed. Ketut is happy to do it so I'll buy a large supply before I leave.
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Evening. The day has been busy .... The Internet battle has been won ... not the war ... just the battle. It was working at midday and then I messed it up again and had to call our new friend back again to repair what I had done .
Then the day finished with difficult negotiations with a client. Phew!
Friday, November 30, 2012
#765 Friday 30 November
Black Friday! I tried moving the modem to get better wifi .... and it stopped working! Hours of frustration later I gave in and called for help .... The verdict is that a fault in the villa wiring just happened at the same time and that's why it won't work. We're now waiting for a Telkom tech to come and find the fault. I'm a jinx!
So now I just have Internet on my phone.
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I was walking near the villa and .... Plop! Down dropped a little squirrel right beside me.
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It now 10:30 and I'm eating at Sal/Pepe! I'm staying up to see if the new security man actually arrives. Security ... has been conspicuous by its absence... despite being paid for. The current guy has been fired and we'll see what the new guy is like.
My milkshake has just arrived .... it has a huge glob of ice cream!
So now I just have Internet on my phone.
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I was walking near the villa and .... Plop! Down dropped a little squirrel right beside me.
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My milkshake has just arrived .... it has a huge glob of ice cream!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
#764 Thursday 29 November
This morning (before breakfast) Kaylia began humming the tune to a kids exercise DVD ... we hate this tune as it's very monotonous .... Naomi made up some new words for the tune ... "School is good" .... and Kaylia promptly made up her own words .... "Holiday is good" !! she is quite sophisticated musically. Last night Naomi and Kaylia were alternating with successive lines of a song .... Kaylia held the tune really well.
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The significance of the "Holiday is good" bit is that despite the fact that we have been very careful to give no obvious signs that I'm going to Bali tonight, she has worked it out from the little clues. Autism is a strange malady .... she is oblivious to many cues in the world around her .... yet at the same time she is clearly taking in other cues. It may be related to motivation .... there's a lot of motivation to do with holidays .... and little motivation to behave the right way in social situations.
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You may have read of the wild storms that have hit Perth in the past 24 hours ... we have escaped any damage.
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At the airport, I settled down for a little nap ... and fell sound asleep! I woke with a start as the flight was beginning to board.
Take off was on time for a change .... I'm flying on Virgin rather than Air Delaysia! The plane took off just after sunset and was quickly into clouds.... then through the clouds .... and there was the moon! Just rising in the east, it was red ... then quickly changed to a yellow new moon. It was what I imagine as a 'bombers moon' ..... shining over the cloud surface. It's a fitting start to the trip.
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The significance of the "Holiday is good" bit is that despite the fact that we have been very careful to give no obvious signs that I'm going to Bali tonight, she has worked it out from the little clues. Autism is a strange malady .... she is oblivious to many cues in the world around her .... yet at the same time she is clearly taking in other cues. It may be related to motivation .... there's a lot of motivation to do with holidays .... and little motivation to behave the right way in social situations.
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You may have read of the wild storms that have hit Perth in the past 24 hours ... we have escaped any damage.
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At the airport, I settled down for a little nap ... and fell sound asleep! I woke with a start as the flight was beginning to board.
Take off was on time for a change .... I'm flying on Virgin rather than Air Delaysia! The plane took off just after sunset and was quickly into clouds.... then through the clouds .... and there was the moon! Just rising in the east, it was red ... then quickly changed to a yellow new moon. It was what I imagine as a 'bombers moon' ..... shining over the cloud surface. It's a fitting start to the trip.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
#763 Wednesday 28 November
The poor girl (..... can you hear the cynical tone?) .... she was very tired and sleepy yesterday. I spose I shouldn't be too hard on her .... after all, she has no control over the effect of the moon on her.
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Listen to me! A few years ago I would have laughed at the notion that the phases of the moon could actually have an effect on a child .... but now? The evidence is irrefutable. We watch the lunar calendar and plan accordingly.
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Morning: She's a different girl today .... at school she is laughing and giggling as usual.
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Listen to me! A few years ago I would have laughed at the notion that the phases of the moon could actually have an effect on a child .... but now? The evidence is irrefutable. We watch the lunar calendar and plan accordingly.
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Morning: She's a different girl today .... at school she is laughing and giggling as usual.
Monday, November 26, 2012
#762 Monday 26 November
We've been moon-struck again! The full moon is a few days away and it's all happening again. Last night she woke at 3:30am .... well behaved but wide awake. So we were all awake too .... for the rest of the night. She was able to be distracted by ABC4kids for a fair while... and then the timer for the last hour.
She wasn't much good at school today .... Not surprising!
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She wasn't much good at school today .... Not surprising!
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Sunday, November 25, 2012
#761 Sunday 25 November
Sunday mornings are pancake time..... and sleep in time! One morning each week we get to sleep a little longer. And Kaylia loves the cuddle time.
Kaylia says "Pizza Hut" (she was reading what I had written and I said "What do you want to say?" )
So I now have a new goal .... to get Kaylia to the point where she can write her own contribution to this blog! Stay tuned!
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Kaylia and I were in the car today and she was clearly thinking about all the shops as we were driving past .... "What's that? ..... What's that?" There's a lot going on inside her head .... but you never know because she refuses to talk. She has the words and knows how to use them .... she just refuses to do so!
Kaylia says "Pizza Hut" (she was reading what I had written and I said "What do you want to say?" )
So I now have a new goal .... to get Kaylia to the point where she can write her own contribution to this blog! Stay tuned!
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Kaylia and I were in the car today and she was clearly thinking about all the shops as we were driving past .... "What's that? ..... What's that?" There's a lot going on inside her head .... but you never know because she refuses to talk. She has the words and knows how to use them .... she just refuses to do so!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
#760 Saturday 24 November
Sitting on the balcony tending the BBQ
This is 7 metres off the ground and looks out over a national park in the distance. That is ... it would look out over the park if we didn't have a very happy box tree right next to the balcony! Things probably don't get much better.
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We've just been shopping and Kaylia has had a good time.
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During tea, Kaylia had sensed that a walk was next on the agenda .... and that was it! No more eating ... she was amazingly excited and she could barely wait till Zoe finished her tea .... they're out walking as I write .... in the middle of a thunderstorm! Zoe loves getting wet while she walks and Kaylia does too.
This is 7 metres off the ground and looks out over a national park in the distance. That is ... it would look out over the park if we didn't have a very happy box tree right next to the balcony! Things probably don't get much better.
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We've just been shopping and Kaylia has had a good time.
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During tea, Kaylia had sensed that a walk was next on the agenda .... and that was it! No more eating ... she was amazingly excited and she could barely wait till Zoe finished her tea .... they're out walking as I write .... in the middle of a thunderstorm! Zoe loves getting wet while she walks and Kaylia does too.
Friday, November 23, 2012
#759 Friday 23 November
Zoe took Kaylia for a walk this evening .... the 'walk' turned into a 'run' and Zoe reported that Kaylia was incredibly excited by it all .... and she ran so fast that she was towing Zoe along by the hand and laughing her head off as she did it! This is a good development and I hope it continues.
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As Naomi and I were driving home this afternoon we were commenting on Kaylia's bubbly, pleasant personality ..... she is such a joy to have in our lives. It's no wonder that Kaylia has such a fan club.
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I had a very quick peek at the 'birds in the wall' ..... they're lookin' good! Mother bird was sitting.
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As Naomi and I were driving home this afternoon we were commenting on Kaylia's bubbly, pleasant personality ..... she is such a joy to have in our lives. It's no wonder that Kaylia has such a fan club.
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I had a very quick peek at the 'birds in the wall' ..... they're lookin' good! Mother bird was sitting.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
#758 Thursday 22 November
I'm getting too old for this game! (Parenting that is.) Last night I was zonked and needing to sleep .... and Kaylia wanted to be up! After being woken many times from near sleep I finally lost it and sent her downstairs to her room. There are lessons to be learned from last night.
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You remember the birds in the 'hole in the wall' ? (see #728 17 October ) .... well the chicks have just hatched! I had a very quick peek in the nest and there are 4 little chicks without feathers. It's a good spot for the birds ... safe from most threats.
This is a little video of the hatchlings.
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You remember the birds in the 'hole in the wall' ? (see #728 17 October ) .... well the chicks have just hatched! I had a very quick peek in the nest and there are 4 little chicks without feathers. It's a good spot for the birds ... safe from most threats.
This is a little video of the hatchlings.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
#757 Wednesday 21 November
We had "Date Night" last night .... (thanks Zoe!) .... we went to see Breaking Dawn 2. At the risk of being accused of "finger down the throat" behaviour, I must say that the film was a delight! The images and camera work left me wanting to see it over again .... I think I'll have to buy a copy just so I can do "grabs" ... top marks from me!
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It's really good that Kaylia can now accept our absence and go to sleep without us. The next step will be to try an overnight absence!
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Evening
We're back from shopping. Kaylia loves going shopping ... if we go to the local IGA, she can have a 'jelly cup' ! ..... and she still loves to look at the nappies. She really .... really .... wants to wear nappies at night .... but we can't go back to that!
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I've worn myself out again ... more house repairs .... downstairs this time.
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It's really good that Kaylia can now accept our absence and go to sleep without us. The next step will be to try an overnight absence!
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Evening
We're back from shopping. Kaylia loves going shopping ... if we go to the local IGA, she can have a 'jelly cup' ! ..... and she still loves to look at the nappies. She really .... really .... wants to wear nappies at night .... but we can't go back to that!
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I've worn myself out again ... more house repairs .... downstairs this time.
Monday, November 19, 2012
#756 Monday 19 November
Kaylia has had a quiet day .... not much stimming.... tired. She should sleep well tonight.
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Tonight was a little celebration .... a significant step was made in the process of Zoe gaining a visa to stay in Australia .... Yay!
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Tonight was a little celebration .... a significant step was made in the process of Zoe gaining a visa to stay in Australia .... Yay!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
#755 Sunday 18 November
It's late afternoon and although she's had a good day, she has hit the wall and she's miserable. I think it will be an early night for her! Tomorrow is the first school day for two weeks where the day hasn't been SWIMMING ALL DAY! She will be very annoyed when she finds out! School has had swimming lessons ... and of course Kaylia is highly approving of that.
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I've just made a batch of "Tuna Treat" cookies .... YUM! They don't get a chance to cool down ... I luv 'em and every one else seems to share the feeling. (Thanks Anne!)
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After tea Kaylia was trying to get each of us individually to go in the car .... no one was interested. So she changed tack! She gathered all four adults together ... then when she had carefully arranged us .... CAR! It was a really good try.
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I've just made a batch of "Tuna Treat" cookies .... YUM! They don't get a chance to cool down ... I luv 'em and every one else seems to share the feeling. (Thanks Anne!)
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After tea Kaylia was trying to get each of us individually to go in the car .... no one was interested. So she changed tack! She gathered all four adults together ... then when she had carefully arranged us .... CAR! It was a really good try.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
#754 Saturday 17 November
Kaylia's been "doing it tough" this afternoon ..... we were visiting Maxine's and Kaylia was in a bad way with high anxiety. It was one of those time when Lovan just didn't seem to have any effect. I resorted to Panadol before heading for home ... and that seemed to help. It's now an hour after getting home and she is in her room with the door shut ... happily sorting through her toys. I really hate it when she is having a bad time. It gets me highly anxious in response.
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While at Maxine's, our cousins Rob & Gwen from Bruce Rock were there and we had a long talk about autism .... I had forgotten that Gwen's sister has two children on the spectrum. They are now adults but it means that Rob & Gwen are very familiar with our experience with Kaylia. I come across so many people 'in the autism boat' that it feels as though people dealing with autism are the norm rather than the exception.
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..... but never fear! Our wonderful government has a plan to fix this problem ...... the definition of autism is being changed next year and then there will be a much smaller number of people with the problem! Isn't that wonderful!
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While at Maxine's, our cousins Rob & Gwen from Bruce Rock were there and we had a long talk about autism .... I had forgotten that Gwen's sister has two children on the spectrum. They are now adults but it means that Rob & Gwen are very familiar with our experience with Kaylia. I come across so many people 'in the autism boat' that it feels as though people dealing with autism are the norm rather than the exception.
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..... but never fear! Our wonderful government has a plan to fix this problem ...... the definition of autism is being changed next year and then there will be a much smaller number of people with the problem! Isn't that wonderful!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
#753 Thursday 15 November
Home again after a long day at the office .... joking ..... yet not joking! A full day seems like a long time when you're reconciling loan accounts etc ... they can do your head in! ... and it doesn't get any easier as my hair becomes more grey and more ... widely separated?
Now I'm down in the cool basement office.
On Tuesday I moved the office down from the front room to the basement .... which is the coolest room in the house. A good spot for summer.
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Kaylia has just got out of the shower ... part of her routine after school is to spend a good while in the shower .... it helps her to unwind and relax.
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Evening
We went for a drive after tea .... 'down the hill' to Midland. We were driving past the 'Playstation' where Kaylia spent many hours in their large ballpit as a young 'un. This time Kaylia points to it .... "I want Playstation!" .... and we had to explain to her that she's too big.... they won't let her in any more. Sad. Fortunately she can still go to 'Peek a Boo' in Bali!
Now I'm down in the cool basement office.
On Tuesday I moved the office down from the front room to the basement .... which is the coolest room in the house. A good spot for summer.
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Kaylia has just got out of the shower ... part of her routine after school is to spend a good while in the shower .... it helps her to unwind and relax.
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Evening
We went for a drive after tea .... 'down the hill' to Midland. We were driving past the 'Playstation' where Kaylia spent many hours in their large ballpit as a young 'un. This time Kaylia points to it .... "I want Playstation!" .... and we had to explain to her that she's too big.... they won't let her in any more. Sad. Fortunately she can still go to 'Peek a Boo' in Bali!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
#752 Wednesday 14 November
I was about to begin a 'rant' and realised that the extent of the rant would not be suitable for this blog! I'll put the rant in another blog.
I've been talking to another carer who manages the medication for their 'caree' .... the success that we currently have with Kaylia's medication seems to be unusual. The actual dosage of Kaylia's medicine varies on a daily basis since we base it on observed symptoms rather than a set regimen.
We have found a a method that gives Kaylia a good 'quality of life' .... and this result appears to be the exception rather than the rule. We are fortunate.
On the way to school today we were in Naomi's car (instead of mine) and since she didn't have the usual songs on the iPod, she was singing them instead!
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IT update .... I'm loving my 'new' laptop .... I love the way it turns on and off almost instantly when the lid is closed. It handles all the work I do with ease and is about one third the weight of my 5 year old Dell. .... and all for $50! Buying used IT equipment has some real advantages.
I've been talking to another carer who manages the medication for their 'caree' .... the success that we currently have with Kaylia's medication seems to be unusual. The actual dosage of Kaylia's medicine varies on a daily basis since we base it on observed symptoms rather than a set regimen.
We have found a a method that gives Kaylia a good 'quality of life' .... and this result appears to be the exception rather than the rule. We are fortunate.
On the way to school today we were in Naomi's car (instead of mine) and since she didn't have the usual songs on the iPod, she was singing them instead!
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IT update .... I'm loving my 'new' laptop .... I love the way it turns on and off almost instantly when the lid is closed. It handles all the work I do with ease and is about one third the weight of my 5 year old Dell. .... and all for $50! Buying used IT equipment has some real advantages.
Monday, November 12, 2012
#751 Monday 12 November
Once again I've been pondering the nature of a blog .... is it a diary? ... or a record of musings? ... or a vehicle for ranting!
I think this blog is mainly the first ... with a fair smattering of the second .... and tempered by an odd rant at times.
The original purpose of this blog was to cater to a group of "Kaylia fans" ... so it needs to be a diary of kaylia's life in the main. As yet she can't write in it herself ... hopefully that will come. Won't it be a grand thing if she can write the blog herself! That would be a 'red letter day' indeed.
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We frequently ponder the future that is in store for Kaylia .... will she reach the stage of being capable of independent living? It seems a 'big ask' at this time but maybe she will continue to improve at the rate we have seen this year ...... If this rate of improvement continues I feel hopeful that she will actually make it.
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I think this blog is mainly the first ... with a fair smattering of the second .... and tempered by an odd rant at times.
The original purpose of this blog was to cater to a group of "Kaylia fans" ... so it needs to be a diary of kaylia's life in the main. As yet she can't write in it herself ... hopefully that will come. Won't it be a grand thing if she can write the blog herself! That would be a 'red letter day' indeed.
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We frequently ponder the future that is in store for Kaylia .... will she reach the stage of being capable of independent living? It seems a 'big ask' at this time but maybe she will continue to improve at the rate we have seen this year ...... If this rate of improvement continues I feel hopeful that she will actually make it.
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Sunday, November 11, 2012
#750 Sunday 11 November
There've been a couple of 'bloggable events' today .... firstly we were at breakfast and Kaylia has become accustomed to having to negotiate for anything she wants to do ... because she usually asks for things that mean having to adjust plans. This morning she says "Can I go to Aunty Moo's?" ... (we had already planned to do this) ... Naomi says "Yes!" ... and Kaylia's jaw dropped ... she was 'floored' .... what - I don't have to argue about it?
We laughed our heads off to see her expression.
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Then later - when we were at Aunty Moo's .... they have two dogs. The dogs were outside and looking through the glass door. One had his nose just in the dog flap. Kaylia goes over ... lifts the flap ... and drops the flap on his nose! The dog sits back with a puzzled expression .... "What was that for?"
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Kaylia loves being there ... she has a routine of pacing around the rooms ... I think she likes the different floor textures ... smooth tiles, wood etc
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She was 'tacting' well today ... we were driving south on Roe Hwy and she pointed to the hospital turn off saying "doctor". I thought she was wanting to go there ... Then I realised she was just telling me about it! This is good progress.
We laughed our heads off to see her expression.
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Then later - when we were at Aunty Moo's .... they have two dogs. The dogs were outside and looking through the glass door. One had his nose just in the dog flap. Kaylia goes over ... lifts the flap ... and drops the flap on his nose! The dog sits back with a puzzled expression .... "What was that for?"
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Kaylia loves being there ... she has a routine of pacing around the rooms ... I think she likes the different floor textures ... smooth tiles, wood etc
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She was 'tacting' well today ... we were driving south on Roe Hwy and she pointed to the hospital turn off saying "doctor". I thought she was wanting to go there ... Then I realised she was just telling me about it! This is good progress.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
#749 Saturday 10 November
I was watching Kaylia last night and wondering if her play pattern is changing .... she seemed to be more self-absorbed but not in a stimmy way. I wonder if she is doing more thinking and imagining. It will be good if that is so.
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Teddy has had a haircut this morning.
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Its a bit of a worry when I spend much, much more on his coiffure than I spend on my own!
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This afternoon she has been a bit strange .... she has been gathering toys and throwing them in the bin! Then she gathered Naomi and I and put us in her bedroom .... we had to stay there for a while. I'm not too sure just what is going on. At present she has refused a drive in the car and an icecream!
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The following is in today's paper ... it's a subject I feel strongly about .... that we should have the right to decide our own time and method of "departure". We certainly should not have a group of (insert any derogatory term here) politicians deciding such important matters.
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Teddy has had a haircut this morning.
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Its a bit of a worry when I spend much, much more on his coiffure than I spend on my own!
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This afternoon she has been a bit strange .... she has been gathering toys and throwing them in the bin! Then she gathered Naomi and I and put us in her bedroom .... we had to stay there for a while. I'm not too sure just what is going on. At present she has refused a drive in the car and an icecream!
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The following is in today's paper ... it's a subject I feel strongly about .... that we should have the right to decide our own time and method of "departure". We certainly should not have a group of (insert any derogatory term here) politicians deciding such important matters.
Friday, November 9, 2012
#748 Friday 9 November
I can hear the wings flapping as time flies by .....
Zoe is counting down the days to Christmas! It's going to be a different sort of Christmas this year .... Austrian / Canadian / Australian
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Last night we heard of another family with problems much worse than ours .... our hearts go out to them. We're so fortunate .....
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Kaylia's 'negotiating' continues at "full steam"! As soon as we begin one activity (eg dinner) Kaylia is thinking about what is next .... and she begins her strategy of getting us to agree to a 'trade off' so she can get what she wants .....
..... that's one interpretation of what may be happening. Another interpretation is that her anxiety makes her cycle through the possible 'next thing' in her set of routines ..... as long as we agree to something, she's soothed.
Zoe is counting down the days to Christmas! It's going to be a different sort of Christmas this year .... Austrian / Canadian / Australian
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Last night we heard of another family with problems much worse than ours .... our hearts go out to them. We're so fortunate .....
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Kaylia's 'negotiating' continues at "full steam"! As soon as we begin one activity (eg dinner) Kaylia is thinking about what is next .... and she begins her strategy of getting us to agree to a 'trade off' so she can get what she wants .....
..... that's one interpretation of what may be happening. Another interpretation is that her anxiety makes her cycle through the possible 'next thing' in her set of routines ..... as long as we agree to something, she's soothed.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
#747 Thursday 8 November
We've been discussing Kaylia's current therapy staus among ourselves ..... she has made such good progress this year that her needs are changing. She now is needing social training more than anything else. Of course with four adults in the house .... all insisting that she use proper sentences .... all pushing her to use appropriate social responses .... she doesn't get much rest!
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This is the ideal situation to encourage her progress.
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This is the ideal situation to encourage her progress.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
#746 Wednesday 7 November
This is Zoe's "bling rack" .... on the wall in her room .......
.... you like? The bling is pretty spekky I think.
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Later
The rack is so good that a second rack is on the 'to do' list!
.... you like? The bling is pretty spekky I think.
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Later
The rack is so good that a second rack is on the 'to do' list!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
#745 Tuesday 6 November
My "new" laptop came today it's very kool! I like it. Since it's essentially a 'freebie' , I'm very pleased with it.
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For years I have lusted after a computer that was just "on" when I wanted it..... the iPad is great but it won't run "real" software and doesn't have USB .... but this Acer is pretty close to being perfect! It starts up with a one second delay. Now if it could just shrink and expand as needed ......
The screen background is some of Kaylia's artwork from school ... quite good!
Kaylia is getting a bit of 'excess anxiety' at night ... a change in characteristics and we don't know why.....
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For years I have lusted after a computer that was just "on" when I wanted it..... the iPad is great but it won't run "real" software and doesn't have USB .... but this Acer is pretty close to being perfect! It starts up with a one second delay. Now if it could just shrink and expand as needed ......
The screen background is some of Kaylia's artwork from school ... quite good!
Kaylia is getting a bit of 'excess anxiety' at night ... a change in characteristics and we don't know why.....
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Monday, November 5, 2012
#744 Monday 5 November
Oh for the days of Guy Fawkes night! Good memories.
One of the good things about Bali is ..... fireworks! The noise gets pretty annoying but .... gee they can be fun.
One of the good things about Bali is ..... fireworks! The noise gets pretty annoying but .... gee they can be fun.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
#743 Sunday 4 November
This morning was "daddy time" .... Kaylia and I spent the morning visiting and shopping together. She can be good company during such outings ... she doesn't say much but that means that you don't have any arguments either :-) When we arrived home, Naomi had had a brain-burst! The shire has been distributing large bags for the kerbside rubbish collection ..... Kaylia loves having a "ball pit" .... ergo ... a large bag would make an excellent "ball pit" when a supply of balls is added! (The bags are available from Bunnings.) .
Soon after ..... we have moved all Kaylia's stocks of balls into a "ball pit" on the balcony.
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Kaylia is happy!
Soon after ..... we have moved all Kaylia's stocks of balls into a "ball pit" on the balcony.
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Kaylia is happy!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
#742 Saturday 3 November
Last night I was speaking with a person whom I hadn't seen for over a year .... they asked about Kaylia and it was so good to be able to tell them about the progress Kaylia has made since then. We are so fortunate.
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Conversely I also overheard another child being discussed .... and it sounded just like Kaylia 5 years ago! Now that Kaylia tells us how happy she is feeling, I can recognise just how unhappy she was back then.
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One of her favourite "after tea" routines is one she calls 'pink blanket' ..... she takes one of us over to the lounge and we sit together with her blanket draped over us. We sit together in a little 'private world'. I think it's the closeness she enjoys .... she looks into your eyes very intently and gets very close. It's just a little time of togetherness.
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Evening
Kaylia had a lovely time with Naomi this afternoon .... making up a game that involved singing and play-doh .... I'm not sure how it worked but Kaylia really enjoyed it.
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I've been battling rats .... our house has many places where a rat can squeeze through .... so they do! And Teddy goes mad! He barks his head off .... and we get sick of the barking. So I'm trying to set traps and baits .... and clean out all the hidden spots where the rats like to nest.
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Conversely I also overheard another child being discussed .... and it sounded just like Kaylia 5 years ago! Now that Kaylia tells us how happy she is feeling, I can recognise just how unhappy she was back then.
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One of her favourite "after tea" routines is one she calls 'pink blanket' ..... she takes one of us over to the lounge and we sit together with her blanket draped over us. We sit together in a little 'private world'. I think it's the closeness she enjoys .... she looks into your eyes very intently and gets very close. It's just a little time of togetherness.
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Evening
Kaylia had a lovely time with Naomi this afternoon .... making up a game that involved singing and play-doh .... I'm not sure how it worked but Kaylia really enjoyed it.
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I've been battling rats .... our house has many places where a rat can squeeze through .... so they do! And Teddy goes mad! He barks his head off .... and we get sick of the barking. So I'm trying to set traps and baits .... and clean out all the hidden spots where the rats like to nest.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
#741 Thursday 1 November
It's good to be home! Kaylia is clearly glad to have me back ... big smile on her dial!
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Remember the battle with constipation? ..... I'm told that last night the system became 'un-bunged' in a big way! It seems that the bathroom needed a fire hose to wash away the mess. Hopefully this will have cleared the internal pipework .... if it has, then the next step is to allow the intestines to return to their proper size ... so the problem doesn't happen again.
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Remember the battle with constipation? ..... I'm told that last night the system became 'un-bunged' in a big way! It seems that the bathroom needed a fire hose to wash away the mess. Hopefully this will have cleared the internal pipework .... if it has, then the next step is to allow the intestines to return to their proper size ... so the problem doesn't happen again.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
#740 Wednesday 31 October
As I write, 2 guys from "Mr Fixit" are fitting lamp sockets inside the ceiling facade in the bedroom ..... the wires were there and a switch provides power ... but no lights!
The builder of this place was truly b-a-a-d. The guys have been unable to find any solution to the bathroom problems .... they clearly know what they're about so I don't feel bad that I have been unable to find it.
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Evening
The conclusion is that I have to rewire that section. I've worked how I can 'chase' in some new conduit from the switch to the light fitting ... a bit of cement to patch it and paint over .... voila! It's a worry that there are live wires in the wall that we have no idea where they come from. I'll terminate them safely and leave them there.
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[This space for homies to write something about Kaylia!]
The builder of this place was truly b-a-a-d. The guys have been unable to find any solution to the bathroom problems .... they clearly know what they're about so I don't feel bad that I have been unable to find it.
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Evening
The conclusion is that I have to rewire that section. I've worked how I can 'chase' in some new conduit from the switch to the light fitting ... a bit of cement to patch it and paint over .... voila! It's a worry that there are live wires in the wall that we have no idea where they come from. I'll terminate them safely and leave them there.
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[This space for homies to write something about Kaylia!]
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
#739 Tuesday 30 October
Today should be busy ..... but then things might not happen and it won't be busy! Time will tell.
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11am
The window carving is in place. It looks good. I think we'll buy more carvings from this place.
2pm .... the TV man has just made his house call .... I am very impressed! Within seconds he had located the fault and minutes later he has removed the part and replaced it. Cost .... $8 .... a new TV was $170
Needless to say we have kept his contact details ... he repairs all the equipment we have.
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Evening
Tea at the same place again .... I ordered the usual and I heard him mutter ".... not spicy" ..... so I say "Ya ... spicy!" When the meal comes it is a delight. The first two nights were good but the spicy version is much better!
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11am
The window carving is in place. It looks good. I think we'll buy more carvings from this place.
2pm .... the TV man has just made his house call .... I am very impressed! Within seconds he had located the fault and minutes later he has removed the part and replaced it. Cost .... $8 .... a new TV was $170
Needless to say we have kept his contact details ... he repairs all the equipment we have.
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Evening
Tea at the same place again .... I ordered the usual and I heard him mutter ".... not spicy" ..... so I say "Ya ... spicy!" When the meal comes it is a delight. The first two nights were good but the spicy version is much better!
Monday, October 29, 2012
#738 Monday 29 October
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At some point today, the new window carving is to be delivered and installed .... it's going to happen on Bali time! (Later: really Bali time ... tomorrow!) Till then I will be trying to find a TV repairer, a new TV, some plastic sheeting to make the pool fence completely child-proof, some new light fittings to fix all the garden lights ..... same old, same old!
Putu and Ketut have bought a brand new motorbike .... it's a very nice one too!
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This is an shot of Kaylia in the departure lounge at Bali on the way home in September. It must have been noisy but she's happy!
Afternoon:
Well I never ..... the TV repairman makes house calls! He's coming to fix the TV tomorrow.
I went to ACE to get more paint ... and found that I hadn't brought my credit card .... annoying. This system of getting cash to Bali is working well but I don't want to use it up by not having credit cards!
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We need many (....many many ....) replacement garden lights. I've found that they cost half the price in the local shop compared with going to Mitra-10 .... Mitra-10 charge 90,000 for a globe where the local shop charges 60,000 for the complete fitting!
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Evening
I've been doing the accounts for the expenses that Putu manages. Then fitting garden lights. It's a little fiddly and takes about 20 minutes per light..
Tea at Wr Parahyangan .... very cheap and good .... 16,000 for nasi goreng ayam.
Then walking to find DVDs .... sheesh ... nearly all on the list were sold out! I'll try again tomorrow.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
#737 Sunday 28 October
Bewdy! Overnight I won an eBay auction of a 6 month old Acer S3 Ultrabook for much less than half the new price ... $400
... and it was paid for by selling the old Buzzacot stationery engine .... so the actual cost of the laptop is the $50 I paid for the engine 10 years ago. eBay is such fun!
Over the years I have had a lot of enjoyment from eBay "wheeling and dealing" .... in 1998 I bought a 5Kva generator for a carton of beer .... I fixed it up and next year swapped the generator for a mobile welder ..... two years later I sold the welder for enough to buy a brand new MIG welder .... which I sold a few months ago for $900. A carton of beer turned into $900! Great stuff!
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Today? I'm still pondering the bathroom wiring problem .... there has to be a way to find out where the wires go ....
After fixing the lights on the outside of the villa wall, I have now noticed that there are about 10 lights inside the villa that have also stopped working .... ah well .....
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I slept all morning! I must be still needing it.
.Lunch at Warung Blanjong again.... prices are much higher today. Last night there was no service charge or tax .... today there is.
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This afternoon, I'm making an insect screen for the window in bathroom 2.
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Evening
The screen is going well ... once the window carving is put in place tomorrow, I will be able to complete the screen. The dreaded IT problems have struck again ... one of the LCD TVs has died .... just out of warranty! Fortunately they are not an expensive item. I'll replace it and see if the old one is worth repairing. In Bali, it may well be an option.
... and it was paid for by selling the old Buzzacot stationery engine .... so the actual cost of the laptop is the $50 I paid for the engine 10 years ago. eBay is such fun!
Over the years I have had a lot of enjoyment from eBay "wheeling and dealing" .... in 1998 I bought a 5Kva generator for a carton of beer .... I fixed it up and next year swapped the generator for a mobile welder ..... two years later I sold the welder for enough to buy a brand new MIG welder .... which I sold a few months ago for $900. A carton of beer turned into $900! Great stuff!
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Today? I'm still pondering the bathroom wiring problem .... there has to be a way to find out where the wires go ....
After fixing the lights on the outside of the villa wall, I have now noticed that there are about 10 lights inside the villa that have also stopped working .... ah well ......
I slept all morning! I must be still needing it.
.Lunch at Warung Blanjong again.... prices are much higher today. Last night there was no service charge or tax .... today there is.
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This afternoon, I'm making an insect screen for the window in bathroom 2.
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Evening
The screen is going well ... once the window carving is put in place tomorrow, I will be able to complete the screen. The dreaded IT problems have struck again ... one of the LCD TVs has died .... just out of warranty! Fortunately they are not an expensive item. I'll replace it and see if the old one is worth repairing. In Bali, it may well be an option.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
#736 Saturday 27 October
A good night .. I slept well. I needed it after the past few night.
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The plan for today? ... mid-morning I'll do a Lottemart run to procure enormous quantities of coffee and lemon tea to take back .... I have about 16kg available so ...... a carton is 5 x 100 sachets = 500 x 20 grms = 10kg. That leaves 6 kg for tea .... 25gm per sachet = 6 bags of 36 sachets.
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Till mid-morning I'll try to trace the errant electrical problems .... lights that appear to have no switch .... switches that don't seem to do anything ...... wires that poke out of the wall without apparent purpose ..... the builders were a strange mob!
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Later: .... it's still a mystery! I put a signal generator on the unknown wires and followed the tone ... it just wanders off and doesn't go anywhere! More thinking needed.
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After this I went off to Lottemart to get the coffee and tea ..... then a bottle of gas for the generator .... then a stop at a small hardware shop near the villa .... its fast becoming one of my favorites as it always has many of the things I need. This time it was light fittings and electrical stuff..
Lunch at Mama Putu's ... I do like the way their cook does rendang!
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In the afternoon .... I hit the sack big time and slept most of the afternoon ... I clearly still need the sleep.
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Then I just had to try out the new massage place next to Nessa .... it was very good for 50,000!
After that I tackled fitting the new lights at the outside front wall. It looks good now.
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I tried out Warung Blanjong for tea ... nasi campur again and it was very good. I'll go there again. They have cooking lessons there (I recall someone saying that they wanted cooking lessons.) Home via an icecream shop.
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The plan for today? ... mid-morning I'll do a Lottemart run to procure enormous quantities of coffee and lemon tea to take back .... I have about 16kg available so ...... a carton is 5 x 100 sachets = 500 x 20 grms = 10kg. That leaves 6 kg for tea .... 25gm per sachet = 6 bags of 36 sachets.
.
Till mid-morning I'll try to trace the errant electrical problems .... lights that appear to have no switch .... switches that don't seem to do anything ...... wires that poke out of the wall without apparent purpose ..... the builders were a strange mob!
.
Later: .... it's still a mystery! I put a signal generator on the unknown wires and followed the tone ... it just wanders off and doesn't go anywhere! More thinking needed.
.
After this I went off to Lottemart to get the coffee and tea ..... then a bottle of gas for the generator .... then a stop at a small hardware shop near the villa .... its fast becoming one of my favorites as it always has many of the things I need. This time it was light fittings and electrical stuff..
Lunch at Mama Putu's ... I do like the way their cook does rendang!
.
In the afternoon .... I hit the sack big time and slept most of the afternoon ... I clearly still need the sleep.
.
Then I just had to try out the new massage place next to Nessa .... it was very good for 50,000!
After that I tackled fitting the new lights at the outside front wall. It looks good now.
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I tried out Warung Blanjong for tea ... nasi campur again and it was very good. I'll go there again. They have cooking lessons there (I recall someone saying that they wanted cooking lessons.) Home via an icecream shop.
Friday, October 26, 2012
#735 Friday 26 October
Last night was a doozy! I wrote about it but it didn't save. I wrote "I'm sitting in departure .... waiting for an Air Delay-sia flight .... 2 hours late"
The plane eventually did the right thing and I got to bed at 2:30am. This morning I'll walk down to the villa .... guests are in the villa so I stayed at "Sunhouse" nearby ..... it's nice .... but right on the road and so it's noisy! I'm looking forward to the quiet of the villa. I got up at 6am because the traffic noise wouldn't allow a "sleep in".
I've made a friend here .... Charlie
Charlie is from Geraldton .... closer to Bali! I also met another couple from Wales UK ... we all came round to "view" the villa. I think we may have some future guests as they were very enthusiastic.
.
Evening
Well .... despite sleep deprivation, it has been a productive day. Made took me shopping for a carving for the window in the second bathroom .... we went to Batubulan and I choose a really nice carving .... it will be fitted on Monday. Then I'll arrange an insect screen.
.
While in Batubulan, Made took me to a small warung for lunch ... I had the best nasi campur ever! Delicious!
.
Then it was back home to crash and sleep for an hour. Ketut erected the pool fence that he has made ... it is a good job but just needs a few small refinements.
.
Then it was off to the printers to order staff name badges ..... then to Hardys for food shopping. I discovered their stocks of bulk nibblies .... a wide variety of delicious savoury treats.
I was going to go out for tea but I decided to cook for myself instead. I might have an early night tonight!
The plane eventually did the right thing and I got to bed at 2:30am. This morning I'll walk down to the villa .... guests are in the villa so I stayed at "Sunhouse" nearby ..... it's nice .... but right on the road and so it's noisy! I'm looking forward to the quiet of the villa. I got up at 6am because the traffic noise wouldn't allow a "sleep in".
I've made a friend here .... Charlie
Charlie is from Geraldton .... closer to Bali! I also met another couple from Wales UK ... we all came round to "view" the villa. I think we may have some future guests as they were very enthusiastic.
.
Evening
Well .... despite sleep deprivation, it has been a productive day. Made took me shopping for a carving for the window in the second bathroom .... we went to Batubulan and I choose a really nice carving .... it will be fitted on Monday. Then I'll arrange an insect screen.
.
While in Batubulan, Made took me to a small warung for lunch ... I had the best nasi campur ever! Delicious!
.
Then it was back home to crash and sleep for an hour. Ketut erected the pool fence that he has made ... it is a good job but just needs a few small refinements.
.
Then it was off to the printers to order staff name badges ..... then to Hardys for food shopping. I discovered their stocks of bulk nibblies .... a wide variety of delicious savoury treats.
I was going to go out for tea but I decided to cook for myself instead. I might have an early night tonight!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
#734 Thursday 25 October
Creeping out ......
Last time I went to Bali on my own, Kaylia was p....d off that she wasn't going too .... and this caused problems. So this time I will creep out without letting her know. She is used to us being late home from meetings etc .... so she should be OK. It's worth a try.
I have my bags in the car .... not visible .... and I'll go to the airport while she's at the pool this afternoon.
.
5:00pm. This afternoon I came close to making a hole in the roof as I jumped in response to a blood curdling scream from AJ! She had just confronted a bobtail lizard for the first time!
It was an opportunity to show AJ and Zoe what lovely creatures they are.
Last time I went to Bali on my own, Kaylia was p....d off that she wasn't going too .... and this caused problems. So this time I will creep out without letting her know. She is used to us being late home from meetings etc .... so she should be OK. It's worth a try.
I have my bags in the car .... not visible .... and I'll go to the airport while she's at the pool this afternoon.
.
5:00pm. This afternoon I came close to making a hole in the roof as I jumped in response to a blood curdling scream from AJ! She had just confronted a bobtail lizard for the first time!
It was an opportunity to show AJ and Zoe what lovely creatures they are.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
#733 Wednesday 24 October
Kaylia really gets a 'buzz' from having her set of people gathered round her. This is very obvious in the evening after tea ..... we all sit round with our ..... book, iPad, computer, whatever ..... while she has a DVD playing while she stims in front of the TV (shudder)! Sometimes the TV has morphed from an inane something (like 'Nightgarden') into 'Spics and Specs' .... and we are permitted to watch an adult program ..... with the TV nazi standing in front of the screen! Sometimes she will choose to sit next to one of us and cuddle very closely .... or she flops all over us! Then .... at some moment .... she states "Mummy, Daddy .... Get Up!" .... and we troop upstairs to bed. She then lies in bed ..... positively glowing, purring ..... from the pleasure of being with Mummy and Daddy.... and then she's asleep.
It's good!
.
Monday, October 22, 2012
#732 Monday 22 October
While driving Kaylia to school this morning I was musing on her music listening habits ..... it's a 30 minute drive and she usually listens to one song over and over for the first 20 minutes ... then changes to a variety of a few more that she rotates between .... not the complete song .... just part of one then change to another. This continues till we get to school.
I ponder about what is happening in her mind that makes her want the same song over and over. I haven't found an answer yet. Maybe she will be able to tell me one day.
I ponder about what is happening in her mind that makes her want the same song over and over. I haven't found an answer yet. Maybe she will be able to tell me one day.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
#731 Sunday 21 October
Another day has slipped past .... I think it was because Naomi had a short day yesterday and finished soon after midday. Then we all went "op shopping" ..... even I found a bargain! Kaylia spent lots of time in the toy section as usual ..... I pointed to some dolls and asked "What's this?" .... expecting her to say 'girl' or 'doll' .... but she says "Zoe!"
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Today? I was sick so I didn't join in the morning trip to the lake. Since I was only sick in the morning, it must be 'morning sickness'! I must be expecting something ..... or maybe it was a 'pregnant pause'.
During the afternoon recovery time I actually watched a DVD .... or I should say I watched part of a DVD .... Kaylia came home and she won't allow anyone other than her to have a DVD on the player .... so I'll finish the movie another time. An easy choice as "The King's Speech" is such a powerful film that I can't wait to get back to it.
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Naomi is in painting mode ..... painting the basement. We're moving our "home office" down there again ..... reclaiming the entry area to use as a visitor reception cum parent retreat.
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Kaylia joined Zoe and AJ for an evening walk .... the report was that she really enjoyed the walk. We have to make sure it happens more often!
.
Today? I was sick so I didn't join in the morning trip to the lake. Since I was only sick in the morning, it must be 'morning sickness'! I must be expecting something ..... or maybe it was a 'pregnant pause'.
During the afternoon recovery time I actually watched a DVD .... or I should say I watched part of a DVD .... Kaylia came home and she won't allow anyone other than her to have a DVD on the player .... so I'll finish the movie another time. An easy choice as "The King's Speech" is such a powerful film that I can't wait to get back to it.
.
Naomi is in painting mode ..... painting the basement. We're moving our "home office" down there again ..... reclaiming the entry area to use as a visitor reception cum parent retreat.
.
Kaylia joined Zoe and AJ for an evening walk .... the report was that she really enjoyed the walk. We have to make sure it happens more often!
Friday, October 19, 2012
#730 Friday 19 October
It is so good to see how happy Kaylia is at present. She has an expression ".... happy feet!" (from the movie) She will just come out with it and, from the context and her behaviour, she clearly means that she is telling us that she's feeling happy.
.
Last night Naomi was singing to her and Kaylia began singing too. Then she began singing a different song ... a lullaby. She clearly thought it was bed time as she waited till Naomi sang it and then went off to bed!
As you can see, we are beginning to experience some rewards for the years of hard work ..... still a long way to go but she is such a delight at times.
.
Evening
During therapy Kaylia was being asked "Where do you go when you're hungry?" (meaning the kitchen). .... she says "....to Daddy!"
.
Last night Naomi was singing to her and Kaylia began singing too. Then she began singing a different song ... a lullaby. She clearly thought it was bed time as she waited till Naomi sang it and then went off to bed!
As you can see, we are beginning to experience some rewards for the years of hard work ..... still a long way to go but she is such a delight at times.
.
Evening
During therapy Kaylia was being asked "Where do you go when you're hungry?" (meaning the kitchen). .... she says "....to Daddy!"
Thursday, October 18, 2012
#729 Thursday 18 October
Naomi's birthday today! Happy Birthday!
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We came downstairs to find a surprise awaiting her ..... a special breakfast! .... complete with cake and flowers! Well done Zoe and AJ.
.
Tonight it will be a celebration outing to Nandos .... believe it or not, this is a special treat!
.
We came downstairs to find a surprise awaiting her ..... a special breakfast! .... complete with cake and flowers! Well done Zoe and AJ.
.
Tonight it will be a celebration outing to Nandos .... believe it or not, this is a special treat!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
#728 Wednesday 17 October
When Kaylia was in pain on Monday, we were reminded of the bad meltdowns that we used to get years ago .... now I'm thinking ... "How many of those bad meltdowns were the result of pain from some cause? Did she have constipation then?". I recall though that then .... as now..... we could recognize a different 'timbre' to the crying ... and we used to give her pain killers.
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This whole inability to communicate ..... it's a terrible thing.
.
On a different front .... did you see the article about Aspergers in the UK? A guy who 'hacked' the US defense computers 10 years ago has been facing extradition to the US ... his disability has been recognized and the extradition stopped as a result.
.
...... at the office, there's a small hole in the wall outside .... some birds have made it their home!
..... and while we're looking at photos ... some flowers around the home and office.
.
This whole inability to communicate ..... it's a terrible thing.
.
On a different front .... did you see the article about Aspergers in the UK? A guy who 'hacked' the US defense computers 10 years ago has been facing extradition to the US ... his disability has been recognized and the extradition stopped as a result.
.
...... at the office, there's a small hole in the wall outside .... some birds have made it their home!
..... and while we're looking at photos ... some flowers around the home and office.
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