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.

Christmas Holidays in the Far North

Christmas Holiday on PhotoPeach

Technology!

What would we do in this house without technology? Had mum and dad down for the evening before they flew off to Australia for a Golfing holiday and this is what mum and the boys did!

Nothing like a conversation to keep the lines of communication open. Aaron has my iPhone and is on the laptop at the same time! He was skypeing Ana and Caleb in Australia.

Kalin dresses up!

One of the teachers at school has got a dress box for her class. Kalin had a great time playing in it and came home as a penguin. I think he even slept in this costume. In fact this photo is just before we were due to go to school!

Wet and Windy Monday

Thank you Queen Elizabeth for giving us a day off! While I was in the kitchen cleaning out our pantry, Mike and the boys were playing with the leggo. I think Aaron and Kalin managed to play nicely for a whole 5 minutes before the fighting started!

Kalin's first missing tooth

Kalin's tooth has been loose for some time but we didn't realise just how loose it was! It came out while he was eating a banana!
Hope the tooth fairy remembers!!!!

SHAME!

The other day we had a 7's rugby tournament. I had 2 teams going. It was a mad panic in the morning getting ready to leave. Tarp sorted for sitting on, lunch (enough for those boys who forgot theirs etc) warm jacket etc!
I got to school and was asking some of my boys to put this, that and the other equipment into the school van when one of my lovely boys turned around and said
"Oh Miss! Open your eyes when you get dressed mannnnn!"
hmmmmm! Needless to say I quickly jumped into my car and went home to change!
The boys were still cracking up at the end of the day!

My friend

Hmm very nice.
Aaron and I with Mils.

Fishing

Mum and dad went fishing last night (Sunday) and this is what dad got!

About 22 pounds!!! Well done mummy and daddy.
And to top it off I get this one sent to me!
The view from mum and dad's conservatory. PARADISE!!
Why am I living in Auckland I wonder????

Relay for Life

My mum and dad are such amazing people! A couple of weekends ago mum organised a team of people to compete and raise money for Cancer Society Relay for Life. A 24 hour walk-a-thon.
She was part of the Kaitaia Lion's club. Not sure how much money they raised I will update when the final count has been made.
There was awesome music played by a special friend and her band Kerfew, and another friend Kylie took some amazing photos.
Love the "Lions" in the front of the bus.











Lorriane's caravan, which looked like the place to hang out after a couple of hours walking.
The amazing team.
My amazing, wonderful parents. . .

Blog roll

On the right hand side are 2 blogs. Love to learn is Kalin's class blog and Rising Stars is my classroom blog. Check them out!

My awesome brother, niece and nephew

Riwai (my brother) and his lovely kids, Anahera and Caleb live in Australia. We get to spend time together every other year which isn't alot but we have a blast when we get together. Mum and Dad go and see the kids a couple of times a year so we always have lots of photos to share.
We love skyping when we all have some spare time in our busy lives.

I love this photo of my whanau!

Aaron's weekend on his own!

On Saturday, Tyler (our next door neighbour from a while ago) had is birthday. Kalin was going to spend the day with nana so that Aaron could go to the party on his own. Kalin ended up going to Waiheke for the night so Aaron had the whole of Saturday and Sunday with mum and dad.
The birthday party at Tyler's was great! Got to play 'the chocolate game' playstation, eat cake and do all of this without a little brother in tow.


On Sunday, he finally got to make his Star Wars ship that he got a couple of months ago.
It took a couple of hours but finally it was complete.
3 days later and it is still in one piece!

Big boy Riding on 2 Wheels

Kalin has had a two wheeler bike for a year now (thanks Sinead and Stefan and inOrganic) and has been riding the trike that his dad was riding when he was Kalin's age. We went to say farewell to Richard today and Kalin had his bike at dad's work. He was riding it up and down the drive way of Toyota when Richard yell out "Why have you got training wheels on your bike when you dont even use them?" To which Kalin replied "Take my training wheels off dad!"
So Mike took them off.
It took a couple of goes and a few tears (TUI AD! YEAH RIGHT!) but he got it!
LOOK! NO TRAINING WHEELS!