Skip to main content

Ah, my friends...

It's a few days until the 90 dry days begin, and I've just realised that the 1st to the 3rd of September (ie the first three days of the challenge) are a weekend away for my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary. My husband's family are the most generous of hosts when it comes to food and -- shock horror -- WINE. And we have to take the kids, so it will be challenge with a capital Ch. It's also the day The Dog's ADHD meds run out, although a few frantic phone calls this afternoon may just about avert disaster on that front. My final horrendous realisation is that one of my children has no PE trainers for next week, yet chances of me taking an autistic child to Clarks in the week before schools go back are NIL.

There are so many things I should write about tonight, but the sad truth is that I've had a glass or two of wine. I think I should sign off and attempt to get coherent in the morning! Although it might be best to stay a bit less coherent if the shoe shop awaits...

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Day 11: A Grumpy Post, featuring Tea

So, somehow four days have gone by since I last managed a blog post. My intentions were good, but time and a pressing need for tea were against me. Tea in the company of friends is definitely a satisfying way to pass the hours, but does detract from the accomplishment of missions. The truth is that I've been slightly shell-shocked and distracted by the return to school and the dreaded after-school activities. The Big Boy is slowly settling in to secondary school, but the other two have struggled with the changes to our routine. I'm not sure if I've already mentioned that kids with ASD really hate change, and like life to be predictable. Somehow I forgot to prepare them for a different morning routine, and I've been paying the price. School went back last Tuesday and that night all three kids stumbled into my bed at some point, unable to sleep and looking for comfort. The cat was already there. Yes, we have a cat (furry domestic pet) as well as The Cat (less furry, les

Day 52: Holidays SEN-style

October half term. A week without school. A time where many fly away to top up on sunshine before the cold, hard winter really sets in. For those who stay at home, there are meet-ups with other families or friends, day-trips out and sneaky glasses of wine for the Mums who are co-ordinating the whole thing. Luckily there's not much sun at this time of year, so the 'yard arm' does not apply. I'm only on Day 52 though, so there's no drinking my way through this one. So what will we do this half term? The Cat will recover from the stresses of school by wearing as few clothes as possible - only underpants are obligatory around here, and even that takes some persuasion. Many autistic children are also diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, and in The Cat's case, his skin is so sensitive that just wearing clothing can make a day harder than it should be. Noise and smells are similarly problematic. So at the beginning of the holidays, and on Saturdays, we have

Day 71: ‘Tis the season...

Let me list a few things that disturb The Cat: A long build-up to an exciting event School being ‘different’ Being asked to sing Surprises (e.g. presents) Large family gatherings  Music that he hasn’t pre-approved Mummy singing along to anything at all, or even humming Candles Unfamiliar smells, like, say, a tree indoors Cooking smells Any strong smell (with the bizarre exception of the little boy wee smell that he leaves on bathroom floors and walls) Changes in routine Sitting at a table for more than ten minutes Noisy chatter or laughter Loud bangs (from, say, a cracker) Seeing girls (e.g. his kind, beautiful, little girl cousin) Food other than pizza, salmon or sausages  Going places he has to wear clothes Cake that isn't chocolate Talking to anyone other than Mummy, The Dog or The Friend Mummy talking to anyone other than him Thinking about anything other than Pokemon, Greek mythology or Minecraft And a few of The Dog’s dislikes: Weeks where his sp