#1528 Saturday 15 April

Well!...... we've found a new "spot"!  This morning we all went to the Bunbury swimming pool and it's quite a magical spot .... indoor ... with a water slide, a fountain, bubble spots, an area with a current that you can swim against .... all extra to the main pool and the usual wading pool.   Having this facility just minutes from Mom's place means that weekend visits will be very attractive.  So far the 2 day trial visit has gone very well.  The goal was to see how Kaylia handled being in a new place ..... her reaction has been good so it bodes well for future visits.

In the afternoon we went to Busselton .... mainly for Naomi to attend a friend's birthday party.  While this was in progress, Kaylia and I went down to the chocolate factory ..... which was packed!  It was a queue to get off the road into the car park .... then a wait to get a parking spot ..... and then inside it was standing room only!  I managed to make some purchases and then we escaped.  Amazingly Kaylia was not upset at all.  I think it was a familiar place and she was puzzled by the number of people.

After this adventure we collected Naomi and headed back to Mim's for tea and bed.  It's now 10:30pm and she's still not asleep.  She's nearly there but it's been a battle tonight.  I thought last night was bad but tonight is worse.

#1527 Friday 14 April

Sleep in ..... Yay.  Then pack up and into the car.   Drive to Bunbury .... It's good to see Mim and Steve again..... but Kaylia is upset.  She was expecting to go to Busselton and she can't understand why we're not going there.  Naomi has been doing lots of preparing .... but it hasn't sunk in.  So she sat down and did some more schedule .... now she is a bit happier and we're have an afternoon rest.

#1526 Thursday 13 April

This morning we had a discussion with Kaylia of the options she had for today.  One of the options was "Bayswater Waves" pool ..... this gained an immediate enthusiastic response...... and then she wanted a bubble bath!  Go figure!

This afternoon we scored a big freebie!  A truck load if firewood.  I haven't had wood like this to split for years .... and then I had the Kanga with the good blocksplitter. Now all I have is an axe!  I think the quantity of firewood will justify the purchase of a hydraulic block splitter.

#1525 Wednesday 12 April

After sleeping in till 10am! .... she had Friendship Club again today ....   It was yoga this time.  The leaders reported that she was very good at it.

By tea time she was very tired ... and now it's 8pm and she has put herself in bed.

#1524 Tuesday 11 April

Therapy this morning.  It was good to hear her happy sounds during the session.  I must find out what the current goals are.

Now it's baking time .... Kaylia loves that.  They're going to make mini muffins.

After that it will be flop time .... I sort of collapse around 2pm these days and it suits Kaylia .... she is always happy to have time with me.

#1523 Monday 10 April

It's 8:30am and she's been in the bubble bath since 7.   In that time the water has reached a depth of about 5cm!  She has the tiniest trickle of water coming from the tap and she is happy to stim off the falling trickle. She sits in the water and sings away..... she doesn't want any company ..... she is happy in her little world.

Today is the first day of the school holidays and we have the usual daunting task of how to occupy her.  When she gets bored, it becomes much more likely that something will trigger an anxiety attack.  So we aim to have a schedule for her day .... so she can see what is coming and fit it into her "routine".

Today she will have the Autism West activity in the afternoon .... a dance class.  This is down Fremantle way so she gets several of her favourite things in one parcel..... a drive .... "Friendship Club ..... and another drive.

4pm. I went with Ash and Abbie today to show them where it is ...... when we arrived Kaylia waltzed straight in and took over some activities .... she's very clearly at home there.

#1522 Sunday 9 April

It's 8:30am on a "sleep in" Sunday morn ..... Kaylia is in the bubble bath .... Naomi is in bed .... and I'm cooking.  We found out last night that Ashley had never tasted Vegemite .... so we thought of Vegemite scrolls .... and during the night I thought of damper .... so I was up early to experiment. I also have a Teflon sheet ... intended for the BBQ ..... and it's brilliant for baking on too.

Kaylia is calling out for "two bubble bath" ..... wanting another measure of bubble juice .... but she has the water running at the tiniest trickle and there's very little water in the bath .... so I said "No more bubble bath till the water is over your knees!"

Later:. As we were walking out the front door for our Sunday drive, I asked K "Where's your phone?".  She shrugs .... hands up ... "I don't know.".   Wow!  How appropriate .... and yet funny at the same time.   School has been so good for her .... much of her aural comprehension and body language is just spot on. It's so good.