Schools Back FROM summer - Part two watch out mainstream

Part 2

Day 3 

MAINSTREAM!!!  OMG now Peanut has an EA for half of the day there is a Class EA and a Class teacher and about 20 kids  - So completely different set up from Early intervention, I didn’t think I would be this nervous I have some saint johns wort and a big mug of sugary tea ( even though I’ve been sugarless in my hot drinks for weeks) and I still feel like throwing up  He is Super excited and we walked to school no stress (Fucking slow though  a 5 minute walk took over 15 minutes !!)  unpack his bag show him where to put things and walk in  he says hello to the teacher with  prompting and  heads over to the toys  the teacher  goes over and tells him in the morning they play with puzzles and books and no toys yet. We got a little grumpy  “ I want to play” to which I said yes you can play with the puzzles or you can read a book  “NO!”  you see the teachers recoil  I go and grab him a puzzle and he settles down. As we are playing some other boys head over to the toys and get the same treatment and the teacher reads them a story until the music teacher arrives that is when  I made a swift exit he said good bye and gave us a kiss and I walked away I should have felt better but I still felt sick  and I will until I pick him up in one piece.  BREATH MUMMY BREATH

Pick up time, some other parents had made an effort to ask me how Peanut had settled even though they had no idea who I was. I then get ushered in I walked in and got "Oh hi mummy I had a good day" like a little robot LOL YAAAAHH the Sub EA talked to me Peanut did super well the only moan /whine was cause they told him to stop eating and go play! He didn't wee all day until I got there and he didn't drink so perhaps a little stressed he wanted to sit on the teachers chairs, they were firm with him and gave him his own chair which he didn't like but he joined in with most things ( music and painting) and when he wouldn't his only option was the do 1:1 learning with the EA who I’m so bummed was a sub cause she was AMAZBALLS! (she was there all day) he showed me a book they read and was excited to show me all the things he learnt about the book using lots of words, he came home happy and talking up a storm! I have never seen him come home from school this happy. He was pretend playing with Shrimples leading the play and singing songs I’ve never heard so he must have learnt them in music class.  I’m really excited that peer role models are just what the doctor ordered.

Day 4 

Shrimples is slightly upset this morning he does not have his hat but after explaining hats are left at school  he hurries off to school to grab his hat, he unpacks his bags and sits to does puzzles, Shrimples and another boy sit with him. The puzzle is of a face and its missing and eyebrow so I quickly leave before this upsets him to much and lead Shrimples to his class.

Shrimples first day was only half a day but he turns up cute as a button and a few kids know him already and excitedly announce his arrival, him and Earstar sat down talking about shoes and doing puzzles and that was it I sat for a bit and then walked home.

For me I hear you ask  or I don;t hear you ask but Im just assuming  you will want to hear about it or not if not Skip to the next bit.

Gym Induction and  PT session  got the outfit happening and the trendy new sports bra. I sat with the PT and we talked about how over weight I am  ummmm lol  not pleasant but I made a joke out of most of it then she ran me through what I needed to to do I felt great after 1.5 hours

I have signed up for stampede with a few other crazy SN mums its running and climbing through mud obstacles and even live electricity   GO ME !! So I need to get fit I of corse after my session was is so much pain  LOL my muscles ached for a good 4 days

That night Peanut didn’t fall asleep until 9:30 and was up at 4:50  his little brain working over drive chatting away to himself

Day 5

Went off without a hitch Nynie arrived, we took the boys to swimming lessons where Peanut jumped around like a wound up spring and Shrimples screamed the house down about going the deep end.

We great weekend tiring the boys out. A lot of Scripting from Peanut, No eye contact and little listening skills. We spent Sunday in the lagoon and it started to get a bit better. 

This morning is Monday of the new week and the SHIT HIT THE FUCKING FAN  ( I would say mind my language but they say people who swear more are more trustworthy, and TBH my morning was SHIT !)

Peanut was so upset to be going to Merriwa school and not princess school I had to drag him in crying I made things worse ( as I was not in a mood to be a sn parent) I pushed him through the class room door and closed it behind him smiling at the teacher as I quickly retreated  I got to the car and a wave of awfulness sweep over me.

I’m a SN mum I’m ment to be more understanding more compassionate, gentler, more prepared and have 100 times thicker skin than your average run of the mill vanilla kids mums. But I broke down tears and all I wanted to do was run back to school and give Peanut a huge hug and make sure he is okay. Backpacker talked me off a ledge and now I just feel like I need a stiff drink.  Tomorrow morning Backpacker is coming with me for school drop off and we are going to reassess whats goes on and see what we can do.  Its so hard to work out what it is upsetting peanut if its a tantrum or a melt down does he understand and just not want to go? Does he not get it, its only day 1 of week 2 surely it will take some time is it the fact they don't push him at Mainstream or the the fact princess school has a better playground.  Stay tuned to find out It might take a while ( if we ever do we will let you know)

He is 5 !!

Peanut  turned 5 on the 12th of Jan and had a great party... way to many kids for me but he coped fine  it was a bit much for Shrimples half way through took himself for a nap but came out smiling and Happy I think for Shrimples it was very hard watching  Peanut get pressies and him not getting anything  but instead of moaning or crying ( like he usually does ) we had a chat about it before the party and he did really well. 

Peanut started back at speech and had a massive meltdown ( weve had a few hard weeks on that respect). We got his report and I don't like to read it LOL its like most reports we get which say in testing he was  blah blah blah behind and severe this and severe that  but we feel due to Peanuts lack of compliance and attention he could have tested better ( so really same old shit)

But we have had some good times these holidays Shrimples is now in Level 2 for swimming lessons and Peanut is going into a mainstream swimming class  (which we will see how that goes - insert Snort-). Shrimples is actually quite a good swimming and confident if he can stand or is in lesson but out in someone else pool he freaks out and worries alot where as Peanut is not so great in lessons but  super confident with his arms bands on ( hardly inflated) and can stay in the water for hours blowing bubbles  kicking and  plodding about constantly making noise  ( which  means I really need to get to the  Naturopath again - YES Im a hippy) 


Work has been slow for both backpacker and I so our finances are HURTING! lol but we keep our chins up and struggle on through.  We are actually looking into buying a house through a shared ownership scheme as rent keeps going up and up.  Of corse it would mean a tiny house with next to no back yard but as least we would own it (or have a mortgage on 70% of it LOL.) 

Peanut had his Chromosome microarray tests yesterday and now we have to wait 4 months for the results.  It was fairly traumatic for all involved I shed a tear and backpacker looked scared for his little man. Which is F -ing Silly ( we are drongos) its just a blood test and Im thankful both boys are healthy and dont need alot of them. It took 5 of us, the first needle came out cause he wriggled and screamed the second needle came out half way through cause of the self retraction thingo and the third needle finished the trick.. he was such a good boy despite the screaming and wriggling. He got a bag of m&ms and a prize and went and wee'd in a cup.  As per usual with Peanut after something traumatic he talks alot more. 
Who knows what it will bring maybe nothing but I feel it was to important not to have him tested. 

In general  Peanuts Communication is getting better ( at home anyway ) recently Ive heard the boys have conversations limited ones yes but actually conversations and this morning I even heard this 

Shrimples "you wear a nappy"
Peanut "NO you are a nappy"
Shrimples " No your a nappy"
Peanut "NO you nappy"

these sorts of things are music to my ears a little laughter and teasing between brothers. 

Also hear these things constantly! 

Peanut "do you want to ride bike with me?"
Shrimples "NO!"

but don't worry  Shrimples gets the same 

Shrimples "want to come on the trampoline with me?"
Peanuts "No I don't want to go trampoline"

But we also get them agreeing and saying okay and going along with each other. 

Swimming and Stimming

Peanut and Shrimples started swimming lessons again today. 

We have tried a few different places that did not work out. Until I thought Stuff it Im going to ask at my old swim school (where I taught under 3 year olds and where the boys used to swim when we first moved up here) I asked If I could cap the class at 2 kids ( mine)and have the best teacher and explained the reasons (one being Peanut and Shrimples tend to walk all over doormats like most kids their age).  They made a lesson time for us before anyone else started 8:30am and gave us bubbles (a happy 35 - 40 year old english woman who is super enthusiastic and seems to really enjoy her job - even though I know she is underpaid and stinging and stinking with the chlorine after each shift). 

Peanut screamed all the way through his last lessons at the special needs swimming program just 5 months earlier, he would not listen and not kick or blow bubbles or float on his back, and Shrimples had not been to swimming lessons in 6 months and those lessons where parent & baby lessons cause we just could not afford to have both of them in lessons.

We got our services providers to make up some visuals and I went last week to chat to the teacher and informed her if she treated Peanut as if he was not capable he would act that way. 

The lessons started great she greeted them told them to sit on the edge, peanut started to point at the noodles and said "noodles now, now noodles", she was fun but firm and told him they were going to play games, They sat on the side kicking their legs Shrimples was a little champ and Bubbles asked Peanut to watch Shrimples. They used the kick boards, played games and Peanut did everything he was asked, as she took each one out deeper the other had to watch on the side at times and this was a struggles for both of them Shrimples had to be told twice to go back and wait and Peanut about 4/5 times but he GOT IT !!! he was waiting on the edge jumping up and down constantly happily stimming through out the whole lesson. 

Shrimples was a little star and I was so impressed with him he listened well and was so good! Peanut has a little bit further to go but my god she got him jumping off the side blowing bubbles kicking his legs and floating on his back! they both kept their goggles on for the whole lesson! 
There was lots of clapping and praise for both boys and they loved it !!  

As I sat on the side watching I was so proud, Proud I had made this decision and stuck to it, proud I had stood up and told them what I wanted out of the lessons and got everything organised (sometimes I can just book something in and let others take charge forgetting I know my kids best and when things go wrong I sit and say nothing and just pull them out), Proud of Shrimples being so good at listening and doing so well at swimming and giving everything a good go and proud of Peanut for over coming things that were a struggle for him in the past with no help from anyone from the start of the lesson to the end he had mastered things that he couldn't in a previous 10 week block.

 Watching Peanut jumping up and down stimming away with the biggest grin on his face while Shrimples would turn and give me a thumbs up my eyes started to well up. 
Together we can do anything, we just got to find our groove!