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.
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