#851 Tuesday 25 March

Last night after we had finished tea, we adults were sitting round the table  .... having a normal adult type discussion of things .... world events, opinions etc ..... and it struck me that it is a huge improvement for us to be able to do this.   While we were talking, Kaylia was just playing in the lounge-room .... and occasionally coming over to check on what we were doing.  She was happy and calm.  What a change from the old days.

Her previous pattern was that her anxiety would mean that she had to move onto the next thing in her routine .... a drive .... or bedtime ..... it always meant that we were under pressure to manage her anxiety.  Failure to manage the anxiety would result in rising tension to avoid a melt-down.

The fact that Naomi and I can relax at times like this means that we are enjoying our time with Chris and Lara in a very different way to our times with previous au-pairs.  Chris and Lara will head off on their round Australia trip in a month's time .... we will miss them.

Of course it also means that Kathi will be with us in one month's time ..... and it's 4 weekends till we head off to Wave Rock again!  I've just checked ... the water level in the salt water pool is low (because of the lack of rain) but still swimable .... so Kaylia will be happy.

This is the pool in it's proper state .... we've never seen it this good!


This is the same pool in March 2013 ...... at the moment it has even less water in it .... and it is therefore much more salty!

Kaylia is "in session" with therapy as I write ..... and she is having a tea party with imaginary friends!!  This is amazing progress.  The next goal will be for her to do this in her own time .... unprompted ....