School Holidays.

Don't you just love school holidays????

Well most parents are in 2 minds about school holidays.

1. What do we do with the kids?
2. Who is going to look after them while we work??
3. What can the kids do on holiday that isnt going to cost a fortune???

Me???? I think....... Holiday? What holiday????

As a teacher I love saying good bye to my class of 25.  I also think the above.  What holiday??  We teachers tend to call them "Non Contact Time!"  I spend the first week at school preparing for the next term and the second week is my time with my kids.
I guess I am lucky in that I can spend time enjoying the things the kids like to do.  BUT gosh some down time without kids is also nice.

In comes my mum and dad!  I don't know what I would do without them.

Mum and dad took the boys for the first week so that I could get all my school work done in peace.
I managed to get a bit of retail therapy in, get my nails done, spend some time with my "sistas" and have a couple of date nights with hubby.

BLISS

The second week I have spent at the beach with my parents and my boys.  It was has been great.
It is Wednesday (Gosh I hope I am not going to jinx it!) and Kalin has only had 2 melt downs.  One was when I was still in Auckland and the other one was with me.  They were pretty bad.  Luckily the melt down with mum and dad was at home and there was only them and Aaron home.  The melt down with me was while we were on the beach.  All the boys friends were great.  They know about ASD so they knew just to get out of his way and to not listen to what he says.  But it was the other people on the beach who I was worried about.  I needn't have worried as they also just ignored his behaviour.
We have had some great days as well!
The weather has been a bit of a mixed bag but it hasn't stopped the kids from getting out and swimming, picnicking, mowing lawns and riding on their motor bikes.
I love the far north!!!


More holidays on PhotoPeach

Its moments like these I need ....

Have had a very trying evening this evening!  Started off with Kalin coming to my school and me saying "I need to have a very serious talk to you!"  I was going to talk to him about the hitting at school and the saying NO that needed to stop but he had other ideas!
He began to tell me about what happened at lunch time.  Well . . . the email that I got from the teacher was not was I was expecting.  It sounds as though Kalin is looking for people to pick on! booooo!
Any way after this little talk came a massive meltdown.  The kicking, hitting, swearing!  Back to how he was post medication and diet!  I even had my neighbour come rushing over to help.  It was a doozie!
Finally managed to get him into the car and 5 minutes later he was back to his normal happy self!
Got home and the kids were playing outside.  Kalin wanted to go play and I said 'no not until you tidy your bedroom"  WELL melt down again.  This time I saw different aspect of his behaviour.  He purposefully started to kick me trying to make to angry.  His teacher has been saying he does this at school but this is the first time I have seen it.  He kept kicking (not hurting) and kicking until I yelled.  It took him about an hour to calm down.  During this time I got video footage of him banging his head against the wall and of him hitting himself.
Im at my wits end.  I have sent an email to his phycologist so hopefully will get a meeting with her soon.
He is staying home tomorrow.  He can stay with nana and do some gardening and some baking.

It's moments like these I need ....

 

DARN IT!!!!!

I always think after the fact!!  I should NOT have answered the phone today!!!  Got a phone call today just after 9.30am.  Didn't even think, picked it up and said "Hello"
It was the principal of Kalin's school to tell me that he was not having a good day and that I needed to pick him up.  Explained that I couldn't leave at that moment so it would have to be at 10.30.
When I got there, I found Kalin's teacher sitting on the floor, him under the table and the class in disarray!  Apparently he had lost the plot!  It was safer for the teacher to take the rest of the class out and let him go.
I was more shocked at the fact that he had said "No" to his teacher first and then to me.  He has never said "No" in a defiant manner before.
I had arranged to take him to my mother in laws as there was no way I could have him at school with me.  That was a mission!!!  Finally bribed him with (GF) fudge!
Fast forward to 5.00pm.
Home after picking Kalin up from nana's.  He was in a right state!  Crying, no sobbing!  Couldn't understand why and he couldn't tell me.  It was so sad.
Then the annoying behaviour starts.  The obnoxious yelling/screaming/noises that just pi$$ everyone off.  The hitting, then throwing things and then the kicking!  Finally managed to talk to him and calm him down - another bribe, spa with mum.
Phone rings - move into bedroom so I can hear and it is the Deputy Principal of his school informing me that as a result of the "assault on child and assault on adult an immediate stand down period of 2 days will be enforced starting tomorrow"  (ok it may not have been those exact words but thats what I heard!)
WOW, not what I was expecting!  Meanwhile the bell has rung and the boys are at it again.  Round 2!  Im still on the phone, the boys are fighting again and I see RED!  Cut my phone call short and then totally loose it!!!
I have never been so angry before.  I actually scared myself!  Ended up slamming the bedroom door and just crying, actually sobbing!!!!  I think this scared Kalin as he came into our room and started rubbing my back and telling me to "breath deeply, in through your nose, out through your mouth.  It will be alright mum!  Count to 10 ..." OMG all the things that I tell him to do when he has lost the plot!  At least I know he listens to me.
Anyway finally calmed myself down enough to tell the boys how much I love them and how sorry I was.
Roll On Holidays!!!
Hope we win lotto tonight and then I can spend time at home with both kids home schooling them!

Home made mosquito trap

Quick and effective mosquito trap.

All  you need is a 2l bottle.

Cut off the top and glue or tape the piece together, then fill with 1 cup of water mixed with half packet of yeast and ½ sugar.  The mosquitos are drawn to CO2 which we exhale and since yeast produces CO2 they will go in the bottle and no be able to escape.

Haven't tried this myself but I think a couple of these painted and decorated will look great around the swimming pool.

Kalin's lunch part 2

So Kalin's lunch doesn't look quite like the photo below.  I changed the recipe a bit and added some carrot, some lime juice, some garlic aioli and made rice paper spring rolls.  I made 4 to start with to get a gauge of the taste.  Turned my back and they disappeared!
So I guess it was a success!

Had to make a second lot of dip for tomorrow.  Hopefully it will last longer than 1 day!  

But if it doesn't then that's ok, cause at least I know he is eating.

Lunch for Kalin

We have had Kalin's hair tested and he is intolerant to msg and wheat.  Add that to ASD and he is one very challenging young man.  We have started on a new food regime for him, cutting out all msg products (nightmare) and giving him gluten free (expensive).

Mum seems to think is behaviour has changed but I guess because I am with him everyday I dont seem to see the changes.

Am going to cook this for lunch today and see how he likes it.  Im sure he will as he loves advo and shrimp.  Just hoping all the sauces are msg free.

Shrimp Avocado Salad

Ingredients
2 pounds boiled or steamed shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 avocados, cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons diced red onion
For the Dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper, to taste 

Diver Dan

Kalin in his diving gear getting ready to get us some kai.