#492 Saturday 21 January

How long till school starts again??? ..... pleeaasse!!!



It's hard to handle her need to be entertained. There are very few activities where she is able to generate her own interest .... instead she cycles between a range of activities which all have a high level of adult input. It gets very wearing ... the upside is watching her personality developing. Her sense of humor continues to grow .... and her singing! Last night we were all in the car .... and a song was on the radio .... a current popular one with a clear repeated 'riff' ... the song finished and then we hear Kaylia singing that 'riff' for the next few kilometers!



Yesterday she went outside and I thought "oh .... out to the swing .... good". I went out a few minutes later ... and she was not there! I eventually found her in the next door neighbor's swimming pool (and I was stung twice by a wasp while persuading her to come home.)



At the time I told her she was "a naughty girl" ..... Later she was clearly starting to repeat this line! I had to swiftly repair the damage I'd done ..... and assure her that running away was naughty   .... but she was a good girl.



We're constantly trying to build a positive "self-image" within her mind .... I think we have achieved this and this is one of the key reasons that Kaylia is such a happy cheerful child despite her problems.








I stand corrected ... Or rather I sit corrected! I'm sitting on the lounge and Kaylia brings in her mobile dolls house .... and she's playing with it! I'm not sure that it is imaginary play .... but it's clearly not 'stimmy' play.



Evening: we've had a beaut few hours at Dennis and Stana's place .... Kaylia has been in the pool the whole time!

#491 Friday 20 January

It 6am and its pouring with rain. I love a good thunderstorm!

We've noticed a change in Kaylia's medication needs..... the need for the midday top up of Lovan has changed. In the time since we began the top up (early December) we have been able to identify the behaviours that tell us when she needs it .... in the past week since we got home we haven't been seeing the 'indicators' as much. We therefore haven't given the top up. This is interesting data to add to our knowledge bank.

We are still "holding our breath" to see if Zoe has been able to gain an invitation to work at a school nearby. I hope she gets an answer before we all expire!

#490 Thursday 18 January

It was a real 'blog moment" in the car today .... we were driving along and Kaylia pipes up "Subway!!" ..... and then chortled her head off! She clearly said it as a joke!

She's growing into a delightful child. Hard work ... but she really has her moments. She clearly has a good sense of humor and when she can actually tell us what the joke is, life is going to be interesting.

Kaylia, Kat and Naomi went to Lake Leschanaultia this morning.

#489 Wednesday 18 January

I feel as though I've won Lotto!  (I haven't but it feels good.)  I picked up the car that's replacing the Jeep and it's really good .... a Magna Verada ... top of the wozza model ... in very good condition ... and it feels like a very good price.  Kaylia likes it ... "bwoo car!"



As I previously said, Katie has sent a newsy letter ......
The letter is reproduced her with Katie's permission.

#488 Tuesday 17 January

Busy day!  We've sold the Jeep and bought a cheaper car ... this frees up some money for the villa.  So bye - bye Jeep, hello Magna.

Kaylia has been to the beach again.  This morning she had started her clothes changing routine and I called out to her " .... change back into the other clothes and don't put those into the washing basket!"  ..... and she knew what I had said and just did it.  I was gob-smacked!  She has improved so much.

Later:  Lesson 1,589 .... after Kaylia has asked for a wacky thing (such as cutting open her squishy toy),  never ... never turn your back on her!  Within minutes of being refused, she had worked out how to do it and there was pink gooey mush over the blanket and floor!

Naughty Kaylia!

#487 Monday 16 January

Kaylia is doing well.  This morning she managed to play quietly for much longer before she began her routine of "pool ... shops .....playground".

Kat is going to be away for  four and a half weeks in March/April.  She's going back to the US for a wedding ( ... you know ... the dress one .....)  Of course this means that we need to be making plans.  I think I'd go bonkers completely (even more than now .... ) if we don't find a "Kat look-a-like" for that period ..... someone who can help out till Kat returns.

The villa has been exciting today .... a tree outside the villa has been attacked by termites and has to be removed.  The guys did it today but managed to damage the garage wall in the process!  It must have given the workers a fright!





Today I've been holding the fort in the office ... the office is closed for 2 days while repairs are made to large cracks in the walls (caused by subsidence).  This doesn't stop the phone ringing though ... so someone must be here.

#486 Sunday 15 January

We've just finished a lovely Skype session with Zoe ... we miss her heaps!
While talking to Zoe, Kaylia was there and she was asked if she "wanted a shower" .... she replied ".. or a bath!"   This is a quite a complex response and it's a good example of Kaylia's growing speech ability.  Another example .... I'm frequently struck by the way she now just answers questions or follows instructions ..... 6 months ago we would need to get her attention first, then wait while she processed what was being said ... we'd have to prompt for a response .... and maybe she'd be able to answer.     The difference between then and now is amazing!

This morning Kaylia and I were at the swimming pool .... about half the people there were clearly disabled.  I could identify people that could easily be the "Kaylia that might have been" without all the ABA intervention we (including you) have done over the years.
While swimming it occured to me that as Kaylia gets bigger and stronger, I'm growing weaker.  It's hard work now for me to get out of the pool  ... let alone lifting her out.  (She still wants to be lifted every now and then!) I guess this is an issue that arises for all carers .... eventually we become physically incapable of being a carer.  This is why it is important that we find someone younger who will take over that role one day.

We had a lovely letter from Katie recently ... she is doing really well and she's now teaching at an ABA type school!  Well done!  (I'll ask her permission to reproduce her letter for you all.)  ...oh ... and I forgot ... she's got a bloke!!