#734 Thursday 25 October

Creeping out ......
Last time I went to Bali on my own, Kaylia was p....d off that she wasn't going too .... and this caused problems.  So this time I will creep out without letting her know.  She is used to us being late home from meetings etc .... so she should be OK.  It's worth a try.
I have my bags in the car .... not visible .... and I'll go to the airport while she's at the pool this afternoon.
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5:00pm. This afternoon I came close to making a hole in the roof as I jumped in response to a blood curdling scream from AJ! She had just confronted a bobtail lizard for the first time!

It was an opportunity to show AJ and Zoe what lovely creatures they are.

#733 Wednesday 24 October

Kaylia really gets a 'buzz' from having her set of people gathered round her. This is very obvious in the evening after tea ..... we all sit round with our ..... book, iPad, computer, whatever ..... while she has a DVD playing while she stims in front of the TV (shudder)! Sometimes the TV has morphed from an inane something (like 'Nightgarden') into 'Spics and Specs' .... and we are permitted to watch an adult program ..... with the TV nazi standing in front of the screen! Sometimes she will choose to sit next to one of us and cuddle very closely .... or she flops all over us! Then .... at some moment .... she states "Mummy, Daddy .... Get Up!" .... and we troop upstairs to bed. She then lies in bed ..... positively glowing, purring ..... from the pleasure of being with Mummy and Daddy.... and then she's asleep.
It's good!
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#732 Monday 22 October

While driving Kaylia to school this morning I was musing on her music listening habits ..... it's a 30 minute drive and she usually listens to one song over and over for the first 20 minutes ... then changes to a variety of a few more that she rotates between .... not the complete song .... just part of one then change to another.  This continues till we get to school.
I ponder about what is happening in her mind that makes her want the same song over and over.  I haven't found an answer yet.  Maybe she will be able to tell me one day.

#731 Sunday 21 October

Another day has slipped past .... I think it was because Naomi had a short day yesterday and finished soon after midday. Then we all went "op shopping" ..... even I found a bargain! Kaylia spent lots of time in the toy section as usual ..... I pointed to some dolls and asked "What's this?" .... expecting her to say 'girl' or 'doll' .... but she says "Zoe!"
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Today? I was sick so I didn't join in the morning trip to the lake. Since I was only sick in the morning, it must be 'morning sickness'! I must be expecting something ..... or maybe it was a 'pregnant pause'.
During the afternoon recovery time I actually watched a DVD .... or I should say I watched part of a DVD .... Kaylia came home and she won't allow anyone other than her to have a DVD on the player .... so I'll finish the movie another time. An easy choice as "The King's Speech" is such a powerful film that I can't wait to get back to it.
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Naomi is in painting mode ..... painting the basement. We're moving our "home office" down there again ..... reclaiming the entry area to use as a visitor reception cum parent retreat.
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Kaylia joined Zoe and AJ for an evening walk .... the report was that she really enjoyed the walk. We have to make sure it happens more often!

#730 Friday 19 October

It is so good to see how happy Kaylia is at present.  She has an expression ".... happy feet!" (from the movie) She will just come out with it and, from the context and her behaviour, she clearly means that she is telling us that she's feeling happy.
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Last night Naomi was singing to her and Kaylia began singing too.  Then she began singing a different song ... a lullaby. She clearly thought it was bed time as she waited till Naomi sang it and then went off to bed!
As you can see, we are beginning to experience some rewards for the years of hard work ..... still a long way to go but she is such a delight at times.
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Evening
During therapy Kaylia was being asked "Where do you go when you're hungry?" (meaning the kitchen). .... she says "....to Daddy!"

#729 Thursday 18 October

Naomi's birthday today!  Happy Birthday! 
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We came downstairs to find a surprise  awaiting her ..... a special breakfast! .... complete with cake and flowers!  Well done Zoe and AJ.
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Tonight it will be a celebration outing to Nandos .... believe it or not, this is a special treat!

#728 Wednesday 17 October

When Kaylia was in pain on Monday, we were reminded of the bad meltdowns that we used to get years ago .... now I'm thinking ... "How many of those bad meltdowns were the result of pain from some cause? Did she have constipation then?". I recall though that then .... as now..... we could recognize a different 'timbre' to the crying ... and we used to give her pain killers.
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This whole inability to communicate ..... it's a terrible thing.
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On a different front .... did you see the article about Aspergers in the UK? A guy who 'hacked' the US defense computers 10 years ago has been facing extradition to the US ... his disability has been recognized and the extradition stopped as a result.
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...... at the office, there's a small hole in the wall outside .... some birds have made it their home!








..... and while we're looking at photos ... some flowers around the home and office.