#1654 Saturday 23 September

Yay!  We have power again.  We had a very strong storm on Friday morning.... the strongest since we have been here... 15 years.  At about midday a tree was blown over in the next street and it brought down the power lines.  We have been without power for 30 hours and it feels like a lifetime!  No internet! 

 

Then.... about an hour after the power went off yesterday,  there was a tremendous BANG!..... a large tree in next door's yard had fallen over and landed in our yard.... just missing the side room and demolishing the "aviary".... damaging the roof over the spa.... and ruining the roof over the tractor.  




It looks like a big mess but the damage isn't too serious.  We lodged an insurance claim immediately and they had a team out to clean up within a very short time.

After a night using torches for lights.... and a camp stove for coffee .... we're very glad to have power again.















These are the clean up team hard at work .... I wasn't allowed to help .... "We're insured!" was the catch-cry.


The vehicle with the 'chipper' got stuck on the steep slope and had to be towed out.

#1653 Wednesday 20 September

Kaylia had a tough time last night.  She couldn't settle to sleep..... she seemed very upset with constant looping.  I stayed with her and kept reminding her of school tomorrow.... today that is..... and of how she needed to sleep so she could go to school. .... frequently coaching her to slow down her racing breathing.... and "no talking"!   Eventually she settled... but it was a battle.

In all this episode,  it was clear that she is a very obedient,  pleasant person..... with a massive anxiety issue.

Kaylia's "Operator Manual"  .....   last night I printed this little booklet off for Nita and Sverrin......   it had been written for school about 8 years ago and it's surprising to see how much of it is still valid.  I can email a copy to you if you'd like.

I saw a strange advertisement today..... "Nothing is better than XYZ" ..... OK... if "nothing" is better, then I'd better use "nothing"!

#1653 Tuesday 19 September

We frequently ponder the ways that our life would be different if Kaylia had been a typical teenager.....  it's hard to imagine. 

She is such a happy, cheerful person.... when she is upset with her anxiety attacks or with her reaction to pain, she is still not a resentful sullen person.  She presents a totally transparent personality.... it draws you in so you feel her pain with her. 

4pm  The above was written at 4am ..... now she is home from school and in her room ..... yelling her head off!  I wonder if she will grow out of her habit of yelling with happiness and excitement?  This is not a habit for a normally developing child ..... so maybe she won't grow out of it!

#1652 Sunday 17 September

Sunday sleep in...... but Kaylia is not sleepy.  She has been wanting to go "upstairs" and I've been trying to keep her downstairs so that Naomi can have a good rest.  It hasn't worked.

When Naomi got in the car to go to work yesterday she found that the huge red gum tree next to the letterbox had dropped a very large branch.  Fortunately it had fallen in a way that left the driveway clear.  Sverrin and I had quite a task sawing it up and clearing the mess. ..... more firewood!

3pm She's having a battle.... trying desperately not to "loop" ....
I give her a time interval till her next opportunity for her to obsess on school... or Bali..... or Busselton.

Much of our time is spent "managing" Kaylia.... it can get quite mind numbing.