I'm drowning.
There is so much ready to pounce on us in the coming months it feels like everything is LOOMING over us like a teetering tower of monster blocks about to splat us under the weight.
Return to school, return to the Risperdone, Feral Aspie having anxiety attacks at Every.Little.Thing in his daily routine including using public transport and snapping his Myki card in half yet again - those suckers cost $10 a pop to replace, we've replaced 2 so far with a 3rd on the horizon cos Metcards are being phased out.
*sigh*
Return to Feral Aspie being bullied, misunderstanding others' social meanings, not hearing/processing what is said to him, getting hold of the wrong end of the stick and/or missing complete instructions from teachers.
He gets a free netbook through the school this year - I am FREAKING that he'll vague out and leave it on the bus, drop it, put it down to tie his shoelaces then walk off without it, play rugby with it (don't laugh, he played rugby while his broken arm was in a cast. And wondered why it hurt even more.It may have been the reason he had to have surgery to straighten the break.).
He turns 16 at the end of this year, which means we have to apply for adult carers allowance for him, which means we have to fill in a forest of paperwork and jump through hoops.
And plus HE'S TURNING 16.
Sixteen....SIXTEEN.
He already thinks he knows everything (yes, he does, if we're cataloguing dinosaurs, transformers, Hot Wheels cars, the family of arachnids and Minecraft).
Now there's news articles detailing how those with high functioning autism will lose their diagnosis, how Aspergers will disappear into being lumped into the autism umbrella, the scare-mongering is running rife.
In the long run there's going to be an ugly transition period where parents are going to have to fight to retain their kids original diagnosis, if only to claw back the measly few pennies they are granted to 'assist' with their child's disability.
Cos the freaking label might suddenly disappear like smoke when this new book gets published but the freaking disability doesn't.
I.Am.Drowning in a sea of anxiety, worry, panic attacks and all I can see when I try to look forward is a swirling black mess.
Showing posts with label anxiety attacks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anxiety attacks. Show all posts
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Things I know
Today is Sans Pants & Bra Saturday!!
Which I shamelessy pinched from both Kelley and Shae.
Following on from Sans Pants & Bra Friday Evening.
Woop, woop.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know TMI.
Get over it, I did *snort*
The Feral Aspie is distracting himself from the thunder - which isn't actually thunder but the construction of another multi-storey apartment building nearby but sounds like some Greek Goddess is chucking a tanty over the top of the house - and is relaxing by blowing up zombies and skeletons.
Apologies to the Accidental Insect Pornographer, Kim, despite your high Klout level in Zombies when the zombie apocolypse starts I'll be hiding behind him!
The things I know are that my gorgeous boy is needing time out from mainstream school and this toenail was a blessing.
That I hesitated signing off to not register to homeschool again next year (you have to register each year in Victoria).
That maybe I'll register again just in case and look to part-time homeschooling/mainstream schooling for taking the pressure off.
That things got so bad a few weeks back that my beautiful, clever Aspie told me he was considering suicide.
And that he'd thought of different ways to do it.
That I watch him like a hawk, surreptitiously, and worry each time he walks out the door to go to school.
That the TV show Glee the other night proved my point when Santana was called out on her bullying, that she was feeling so miserable inside and was trying to make others feel the same misery.
That there is a horrible epidemic amongst our gorgeous kids that are making them so angry and unfullfilled with themselves that they are destroying each other just to survive.
That the mental health system sucks hairy dogs' balls.
That I have my splendid, happy boy right at this moment in time and that makes everything right in the world.
Which I shamelessy pinched from both Kelley and Shae.
Following on from Sans Pants & Bra Friday Evening.
Woop, woop.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know TMI.
Get over it, I did *snort*
The Feral Aspie is distracting himself from the thunder - which isn't actually thunder but the construction of another multi-storey apartment building nearby but sounds like some Greek Goddess is chucking a tanty over the top of the house - and is relaxing by blowing up zombies and skeletons.
Apologies to the Accidental Insect Pornographer, Kim, despite your high Klout level in Zombies when the zombie apocolypse starts I'll be hiding behind him!
The things I know are that my gorgeous boy is needing time out from mainstream school and this toenail was a blessing.
That I hesitated signing off to not register to homeschool again next year (you have to register each year in Victoria).
That maybe I'll register again just in case and look to part-time homeschooling/mainstream schooling for taking the pressure off.
That things got so bad a few weeks back that my beautiful, clever Aspie told me he was considering suicide.
And that he'd thought of different ways to do it.
That I watch him like a hawk, surreptitiously, and worry each time he walks out the door to go to school.
That the TV show Glee the other night proved my point when Santana was called out on her bullying, that she was feeling so miserable inside and was trying to make others feel the same misery.
That there is a horrible epidemic amongst our gorgeous kids that are making them so angry and unfullfilled with themselves that they are destroying each other just to survive.
That the mental health system sucks hairy dogs' balls.
That I have my splendid, happy boy right at this moment in time and that makes everything right in the world.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Day 1 of the Triffid Takeover of Mah Brain
Well, apparently I'm supposed to be feeling a tad nauseous on the new happy pills.
I was supposed to start off on half tablets due to the nausea side effects but, me being the stingy old cow that I am, I went for the cheaper version which is almost impossible to snap in half unless you have thumb nails of STEEL, baby!
So, I figured if I was gonna have my head down the S bend for half a tab I may as well go the effort for a full one.
Touch wood, fingers crossed so far no chundering on the horizon.
I don't expect to get my happy on straight away as it takes time to build up but I am pleased there's no spewy happening.
Although I've just noticed a slight metallic taste in my mouth...hmmm, may need to sort that with some morning tea.
-----------------------
As for going postal....
There's a few incidents that have been let go through to the keeper of late - cos we've been a little busy with stuffs - but I've been on the warpath and have gone a little postal on some arses.
First up is the local Woolworths store where an assistant in the liquor store accused Aspie teen of stealing a half empty bottle of cola he was currently necking after he took ONE step into the store with his father then stepped back out of the store.
Second, same store earlier this week apparently a toy rep was having a shitty day so took it out on Aspie teen who was poking the siren buttons on some Matchbox trucks (in OPEN packaging to encourage kids to poke the siren buttons, I might add) and roared at him,
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
When he told me this last one this morning I explained that next time someone asks him such an obviously stupid bloody question to tell them his mother said to say he was knitting a damn jumper and what colour did they want theirs in.
Mamma Bear then trotted over, switched on the computer and got some phone numbers to lodge complaints - a HUGE apology from the store manager who is following it up with the liquor assistant and the toy rep. company
Also, waiting for a call back from someone else.
Which is all I'll say at this juncture as it's probably going to get really ugly, judging by past UNprofessional behaviour.
Now, some sauteed field mushrooms and tomatoes on toast for morning tea sounds perfect!
I was supposed to start off on half tablets due to the nausea side effects but, me being the stingy old cow that I am, I went for the cheaper version which is almost impossible to snap in half unless you have thumb nails of STEEL, baby!
So, I figured if I was gonna have my head down the S bend for half a tab I may as well go the effort for a full one.
Touch wood, fingers crossed so far no chundering on the horizon.
I don't expect to get my happy on straight away as it takes time to build up but I am pleased there's no spewy happening.
Although I've just noticed a slight metallic taste in my mouth...hmmm, may need to sort that with some morning tea.
-----------------------
As for going postal....
There's a few incidents that have been let go through to the keeper of late - cos we've been a little busy with stuffs - but I've been on the warpath and have gone a little postal on some arses.
First up is the local Woolworths store where an assistant in the liquor store accused Aspie teen of stealing a half empty bottle of cola he was currently necking after he took ONE step into the store with his father then stepped back out of the store.
Second, same store earlier this week apparently a toy rep was having a shitty day so took it out on Aspie teen who was poking the siren buttons on some Matchbox trucks (in OPEN packaging to encourage kids to poke the siren buttons, I might add) and roared at him,
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
When he told me this last one this morning I explained that next time someone asks him such an obviously stupid bloody question to tell them his mother said to say he was knitting a damn jumper and what colour did they want theirs in.
Mamma Bear then trotted over, switched on the computer and got some phone numbers to lodge complaints - a HUGE apology from the store manager who is following it up with the liquor assistant and the toy rep. company
Also, waiting for a call back from someone else.
Which is all I'll say at this juncture as it's probably going to get really ugly, judging by past UNprofessional behaviour.
Now, some sauteed field mushrooms and tomatoes on toast for morning tea sounds perfect!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Anxiety - Teh Shizzle that dictates my sons life
I have a sore back - strained lumbar muscles, aggrevated old injury due to a 'moment' with my beautiful Aspie kidlet.
This is all I'm expanding on except to say I lurve Voltarin and various pain meds, hot water bottles and my darling kidlet who is unable to control some behaviours due to the overwhelming anxiety he deals with every day.
His anxiety is Teh Shizzle - if it was a person it would be The Fonz (from Happy Days) except it'd be the Fonz's evil twin cousin sitting on his shoulder telling him to be the bad arse biker dude, to scare the crapola outa everyone and to bask in the FEAR he inspires in those around him.
BUT.
That is not how my Aspie teen works; he is a kind, gentle soul who goes out of his way to help others,who strives his best to do good and who sobs uncontrollably when he knows he's mucked up and hurt someone.
This isn't a kid growing into being a bad person who'll end up in gaol.
This is a kid growing into being a person trying to negotiate the boundaries anxiety throws up in everyday situations and trying to find his footing in everyday situations you or I would think nothing about...who might end up in gaol through misunderstandings.
My biggest nightmare.
Teh Shizzle is an awe inspiring, fearsome anxiety where he goes into auto-pilot; it's kill or be killed, attack or be hurt, such is his anxiety and paranoia.
(which some twat believes will be helped be sending him back to an overcrowded high school, did I mention this? Oh yes, I did, let's just repeat this 'joke')
You can have a fabulous conversation with him one minute and then suddenly he'll turn into a screaming virago if he misunderstands/misinterprets what your meaning is - which is common on the Spectrum.
Teh Shizzle is something to behold ; it's an all consuming anxiety that drives superhuman strength, it crosses all boundaries and defies logic/commonsense and makes science into a lie such is his twisting argument.
BUT - it only happens with his father and I - he contains his stress until he is home where he "can let it all hang out", where (typical Aspie) he feels comfy and can regurgitate the anxiety that's been growing inside of him.
He is perfectly well behaved with other people so please do not feel intimidated in not meeting this wonderful personc or others like him.
Personality disorder/ schizo-effective disorder as he was diagnosed back in the day?
Farked if I know.
Autistic-driven anxiety as another specialist would have it?
Farked if I know.
Asperger's anxiety combined with hormones?
Farked if I know.
Tourette's anxiety attack?
See above.
(have you seen a pattern here? I am not an expert on any of Teh Shizzle, I am but a commuter taken along for a ride until Teh Shizzle decides we've reached the end of the penny section and boots me off when the Aspie teen bursts into great floods of tears and I need to cuddle him until he settles again).
Teh Shizzle is more then mere anxiety; anxiety is so underestimated in its powerful hold on people it's swept under the carpet and many don't consider the strength anxiety wields over the sufferer.
Teh Shizzle is HUGE, it is the mammoth wave about to dump you into the beach leaving you breathless, scared and completely out of control.
Teh Shizzle will not take mercy on you; it will not give a fat rat's clacker how scared it makes you, how it screws with your life or twists your thinking.
Teh Shizzle is a bitch.
And it is an insidious parasite that hitches a ride with my Aspie teen, it sucks his happiness away like a blood-starvd leech, it pushes its way into his everyday life and colours his experience to its own bent.
We don't like Teh Shizzle.
If you know someone battling anxiety, please don't dismiss it; it can be a massive hurdle for people to overcome in everyday activities and showing some understanding is a big help.
Thanks for reading :)
This is all I'm expanding on except to say I lurve Voltarin and various pain meds, hot water bottles and my darling kidlet who is unable to control some behaviours due to the overwhelming anxiety he deals with every day.
His anxiety is Teh Shizzle - if it was a person it would be The Fonz (from Happy Days) except it'd be the Fonz's evil twin cousin sitting on his shoulder telling him to be the bad arse biker dude, to scare the crapola outa everyone and to bask in the FEAR he inspires in those around him.
BUT.
That is not how my Aspie teen works; he is a kind, gentle soul who goes out of his way to help others,who strives his best to do good and who sobs uncontrollably when he knows he's mucked up and hurt someone.
This isn't a kid growing into being a bad person who'll end up in gaol.
This is a kid growing into being a person trying to negotiate the boundaries anxiety throws up in everyday situations and trying to find his footing in everyday situations you or I would think nothing about...who might end up in gaol through misunderstandings.
My biggest nightmare.
Teh Shizzle is an awe inspiring, fearsome anxiety where he goes into auto-pilot; it's kill or be killed, attack or be hurt, such is his anxiety and paranoia.
(which some twat believes will be helped be sending him back to an overcrowded high school, did I mention this? Oh yes, I did, let's just repeat this 'joke')
You can have a fabulous conversation with him one minute and then suddenly he'll turn into a screaming virago if he misunderstands/misinterprets what your meaning is - which is common on the Spectrum.
Teh Shizzle is something to behold ; it's an all consuming anxiety that drives superhuman strength, it crosses all boundaries and defies logic/commonsense and makes science into a lie such is his twisting argument.
BUT - it only happens with his father and I - he contains his stress until he is home where he "can let it all hang out", where (typical Aspie) he feels comfy and can regurgitate the anxiety that's been growing inside of him.
He is perfectly well behaved with other people so please do not feel intimidated in not meeting this wonderful personc or others like him.
Personality disorder/ schizo-effective disorder as he was diagnosed back in the day?
Farked if I know.
Autistic-driven anxiety as another specialist would have it?
Farked if I know.
Asperger's anxiety combined with hormones?
Farked if I know.
Tourette's anxiety attack?
See above.
(have you seen a pattern here? I am not an expert on any of Teh Shizzle, I am but a commuter taken along for a ride until Teh Shizzle decides we've reached the end of the penny section and boots me off when the Aspie teen bursts into great floods of tears and I need to cuddle him until he settles again).
Teh Shizzle is more then mere anxiety; anxiety is so underestimated in its powerful hold on people it's swept under the carpet and many don't consider the strength anxiety wields over the sufferer.
Teh Shizzle is HUGE, it is the mammoth wave about to dump you into the beach leaving you breathless, scared and completely out of control.
Teh Shizzle will not take mercy on you; it will not give a fat rat's clacker how scared it makes you, how it screws with your life or twists your thinking.
Teh Shizzle is a bitch.
And it is an insidious parasite that hitches a ride with my Aspie teen, it sucks his happiness away like a blood-starvd leech, it pushes its way into his everyday life and colours his experience to its own bent.
We don't like Teh Shizzle.
If you know someone battling anxiety, please don't dismiss it; it can be a massive hurdle for people to overcome in everyday activities and showing some understanding is a big help.
Thanks for reading :)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Digging diligently at Dunolly....
.... is my Aspie teen's idea of heaven.
Dunolly has this magical ability to settle a cloak of calmness all about Aspie teen's shoulders the moment we step off the bus into the main street Broadway.
Unfortunately we haven't had a chance to shift our carcasses up there since December...or was it January?I can't remember, too much crap in between drinks and between my ears since then.
This distance ed lark has whiskers on it with the extra pressure and anxiety caused by deadlines and constant phone calls from teachers; the whole idea was for him to have to answer to someone other than his Mama as educator but all it's done is given him a shedload more issues.
Today he rocked himself to sleep on the couch after fretting about schoolwork - yet again.
So, I'm pulling the pin.
We're taking tomorrow off, playing hookey, going on a homeschooling excursion of our choice, wandering off into the wide blue yonder; we'll probably park our carcasses at the museum to drink in the peace and soul-restoring tranquility of the fossils.
Yes, dead stuff is good.
It doesn't generally talk back.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Ausblogcon lightbulb moments and Real! Live! Adult! Human Beings!
This weekend just gone I ranned away to Sydney to the Aussie Bloggers Conference and, not only did I recharge my mental batteries by socialising with Real! Live! Adult! Human Beings! (who didn't suddenly chuck a wobbly and have a meltdown at my feet....although they were more than welcome to, I was so freaking nervous I'd have probably stepped over them and given them a time out in my vagueness *snort*)...
But anywho!
I got to meet some fanTABulous people who I've been reading for umpteen gazillion years, they are all wonderful.
Yes, they're Real! Live! Adult! Human Beings!
*gasp*
(Does it show that I don't get out much...?)
Something...well, several things 2 speakers in particular made a point of mentioning rang bells with me.
The first was to be careful what you blog - heck, sure we all think we're being careful but hindsight is always 20:20 and looking back over some of the confidences I've shared about Aspie teen there are a number of things he could easily misconstrue or see in a completely wrong light.
Cos the internet is forever.
Will he wonder, in years to come, if I loathed him at those times?
Did I, perhaps, write these posts as payback for his personal mental hell we've travelled with him?
The answer is, of course, no to both of these hypothetical questions but it needs to be made clear.
Another point was made by a chickybabe with a fabulously wicked wit and manner, Carly - she was, essentially, talking about how people think they know all about her medical condition just by watching a single doco when it actually varies from person to person, her comment was ;
And it hit home that while I might babble about what my son is going through from a parents perspective only he can really explain/explore what is happening.
I can certainly tell you how many walls he's smashed, how he's burned up enough calories in a single meltdown to make a weight loss company CEO green with envy or how we're all on tenterhooks just waiting for the next upset.
Yes, I can babble that crap til the cows come home but I cannot slip inside my boy's wonderfully fragile head and tell you how he thinks, what he thinks about, what irritates him, what makes him happy, all that guff.
Only he can do that.
So, having a little cry on the bus on the way home on Monday morning (after I'd cleverly tucked the free Kleenex tissues in my backpack that was in the luggage compartment under the bus *snort*) I thought about how I needed to discuss with Aspie teen about him joining this blog.
He has said yes but there are no promises as to when or what he will blog; he's finding the demands of distance ed quite difficult (even doing only 4 subjects) and anxiety-causing on most days.
We have sat and chatted about what I've written, some days I have asked him if I can mention certain incidents, other gut-wrenching things I've deliberately omitted cos there is no need to share some of the really graphic crap with you (and neither Aspie teen or myself would thank me for doing so).
Taking each day as it comes and, most probably, we'll be returning to home schooling where he can feel more in control and enjoy learning again.
And he might blog.
But anywho!
I got to meet some fanTABulous people who I've been reading for umpteen gazillion years, they are all wonderful.
Yes, they're Real! Live! Adult! Human Beings!
*gasp*
(Does it show that I don't get out much...?)
Something...well, several things 2 speakers in particular made a point of mentioning rang bells with me.
The first was to be careful what you blog - heck, sure we all think we're being careful but hindsight is always 20:20 and looking back over some of the confidences I've shared about Aspie teen there are a number of things he could easily misconstrue or see in a completely wrong light.
Cos the internet is forever.
Will he wonder, in years to come, if I loathed him at those times?
Did I, perhaps, write these posts as payback for his personal mental hell we've travelled with him?
The answer is, of course, no to both of these hypothetical questions but it needs to be made clear.
Another point was made by a chickybabe with a fabulously wicked wit and manner, Carly - she was, essentially, talking about how people think they know all about her medical condition just by watching a single doco when it actually varies from person to person, her comment was ;
"Only the person with the condition can really explain or discuss it."
And it hit home that while I might babble about what my son is going through from a parents perspective only he can really explain/explore what is happening.
I can certainly tell you how many walls he's smashed, how he's burned up enough calories in a single meltdown to make a weight loss company CEO green with envy or how we're all on tenterhooks just waiting for the next upset.
Yes, I can babble that crap til the cows come home but I cannot slip inside my boy's wonderfully fragile head and tell you how he thinks, what he thinks about, what irritates him, what makes him happy, all that guff.
Only he can do that.
So, having a little cry on the bus on the way home on Monday morning (after I'd cleverly tucked the free Kleenex tissues in my backpack that was in the luggage compartment under the bus *snort*) I thought about how I needed to discuss with Aspie teen about him joining this blog.
He has said yes but there are no promises as to when or what he will blog; he's finding the demands of distance ed quite difficult (even doing only 4 subjects) and anxiety-causing on most days.
We have sat and chatted about what I've written, some days I have asked him if I can mention certain incidents, other gut-wrenching things I've deliberately omitted cos there is no need to share some of the really graphic crap with you (and neither Aspie teen or myself would thank me for doing so).
Taking each day as it comes and, most probably, we'll be returning to home schooling where he can feel more in control and enjoy learning again.
And he might blog.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Peter Pan Aspie
I still have trouble getting my head around the fact Aspie teen will never be 'normal', nor that he will have a fully independent life as you and I know.
Two steps forward, one step back: he's actually been looking at his distance ed website and trotting through all the study groups but another couple of major meltdowns last night and this morning saw us back at square one.
Why the meltdowns?
Who frigging knows.
He says he was suddenly scared by me calling out to hubby in another room (which we do every.single.day) although he'd had a moment earlier in the day and briefly refused to keep his appointment with his (long-known) psychologist.
Pressure?
Anxiety?
Yep, but we get lulled into a false sense of security when he's sitting on the couch watching telly then suddenly explodes for no apparent reason.
It doesn't help the psychologist told us she'd had another Aspie boy in, same age, trying to control his rage attacks.
Hellloooo, deja vu, I think we've been on this merry go round before....although I think we forgot to get off.
He cannot cope with most day to day social things - he actually walked to the nearby shop last weekend for the first time on his own.
He was shaking and rocking afterwards.
He says he doesn't mind supermarkets yet he has to go dig holes in the backyard or hammer pieces of wood to relax after we've tackled one.
He says he gets scared at our voices, that smells make him angry, people looking at him wrong upset him and, of course, he argues with the tv when the presenter states something that is incorrect.
Most times he can pass for a NT and then it all falls to shit.
We relax after 2 days of reasonable behaviour and then ka-boom, the house is smashed, hubby is pummeled and the dam bursts with floods of tears, shaking, rocking, grunting and tight, clinging hugs as he's scared himself with his behaviour, not to mention the gaps in his memory as he can't exactly remember what it was that he did.
He has a monstrously high IQ yet he cannot cope with mundane things.
This is my wonderful, fantastic, beautiful kid, who will forever be a kid.
Two steps forward, one step back: he's actually been looking at his distance ed website and trotting through all the study groups but another couple of major meltdowns last night and this morning saw us back at square one.
Why the meltdowns?
Who frigging knows.
He says he was suddenly scared by me calling out to hubby in another room (which we do every.single.day) although he'd had a moment earlier in the day and briefly refused to keep his appointment with his (long-known) psychologist.
Pressure?
Anxiety?
Yep, but we get lulled into a false sense of security when he's sitting on the couch watching telly then suddenly explodes for no apparent reason.
It doesn't help the psychologist told us she'd had another Aspie boy in, same age, trying to control his rage attacks.
Hellloooo, deja vu, I think we've been on this merry go round before....although I think we forgot to get off.
He cannot cope with most day to day social things - he actually walked to the nearby shop last weekend for the first time on his own.
He was shaking and rocking afterwards.
He says he doesn't mind supermarkets yet he has to go dig holes in the backyard or hammer pieces of wood to relax after we've tackled one.
He says he gets scared at our voices, that smells make him angry, people looking at him wrong upset him and, of course, he argues with the tv when the presenter states something that is incorrect.
Most times he can pass for a NT and then it all falls to shit.
We relax after 2 days of reasonable behaviour and then ka-boom, the house is smashed, hubby is pummeled and the dam bursts with floods of tears, shaking, rocking, grunting and tight, clinging hugs as he's scared himself with his behaviour, not to mention the gaps in his memory as he can't exactly remember what it was that he did.
He has a monstrously high IQ yet he cannot cope with mundane things.
This is my wonderful, fantastic, beautiful kid, who will forever be a kid.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Woot, we've almost slayed this beastie, let's line up the new one!
The insane festive season is almost done and dusted.
Give me a Hell Yeah!
And a high five.
And a hammock, foot massage, maybe a neck rub and a tall, tanned piece of eye candy to peel me a grape.
Aspie teen has had a few ups and downs but it is sooooooo much easier staying away from the insanity, not dragging him into the maelstrom, even avoiding big family gatherings.
It's just too cruel to make him deal with large amounts of people en masse then wait for the expectant meltdown afterwards.
Which involves a lot of broken things and pain for the parental units here, not to mention the stress and headaches all round.
And even more knocks to the poor kid's self-esteem which he doesn't need.
He catches up with rellies at quieter times and in smaller groups, leaving everyone with much happier memories and experiences.
We managed to hit Dunolly before Chrissy and saw the fab street decorations with the trees lit up in solar-powered fairy lights, shop windows brightly coloured and private gardens flickering with pretty lights in the pitch dark, which helped calm Aspie teen as he loves his home away from home.
As the Myer windows are unveiled and the Myer street parade takes the masses to the streets - we take to the road and head for the hills....of the Great Divide and beyond!
So, tomorrow night will be another quiet one for us all as we potter about and cheer in 2011 in our own fashion.
And probably explore a shedload of audiobooks from Yarra Plenty Library to celebrate!
Give me a Hell Yeah!
And a high five.
And a hammock, foot massage, maybe a neck rub and a tall, tanned piece of eye candy to peel me a grape.
Aspie teen has had a few ups and downs but it is sooooooo much easier staying away from the insanity, not dragging him into the maelstrom, even avoiding big family gatherings.
It's just too cruel to make him deal with large amounts of people en masse then wait for the expectant meltdown afterwards.
Which involves a lot of broken things and pain for the parental units here, not to mention the stress and headaches all round.
And even more knocks to the poor kid's self-esteem which he doesn't need.
He catches up with rellies at quieter times and in smaller groups, leaving everyone with much happier memories and experiences.
We managed to hit Dunolly before Chrissy and saw the fab street decorations with the trees lit up in solar-powered fairy lights, shop windows brightly coloured and private gardens flickering with pretty lights in the pitch dark, which helped calm Aspie teen as he loves his home away from home.
As the Myer windows are unveiled and the Myer street parade takes the masses to the streets - we take to the road and head for the hills....of the Great Divide and beyond!
So, tomorrow night will be another quiet one for us all as we potter about and cheer in 2011 in our own fashion.
And probably explore a shedload of audiobooks from Yarra Plenty Library to celebrate!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Hello and thankyou!
Hello my uber-sexy readers!
We are still alive although I have nfi how what with the sheer insanity of Silly Season shopping (I want it! I must Have IT NOW!!! Gimme Gimme Gimme! Getouttamyway!).
Yeah, friggin' insane.
We are getting some suggested strategies on handling Aspie teen with his quirky behaviour.
I say quirky with a slightly hysterical giggle as there's all sorts of things rearing their heads in his behaviour of late - increased Tourette's grunting, humming, lining his toys up again, scratching and cutting himself (hell-lllloooooo) mishearing conversations/hearing auditory comments no one has made (hell-llloooooo, again) being ever so slightly paranoid and thinking we're out to get him (yeah, I can hear what you're thinking from this distance) as well as the usual suspects of needing routine, guidence, yada, yada, yada.
So.
We've been disappearing up the Calder Highway to our favouritest little country town for some mental relief for the geek kid; he can relax, there's no stress, no threat, in fact he walked to the shops TWICE on his own from the caravan park, approx. 1 km round trip.
Yeah, a massive humongous thing cos this 14 year old hasn't got that much courage or road safety to cross the road here in Melbourne (too stressful and ramps up his anxiety) whereas he knows cars stop at the pedestrian crossing and he can see what traffic there is for miles up the road.
He's started a small dig on our land where he's found a shedload of pottery, bricks, mudbricks and a large piece of dressed stone.
He lurves his archaeology.
We inquired at the local historical society but they haven't much in the way of info on our land although they are fabulous and are searching through their records.
We'll be parking ourselves at the dining table for Chrissy Day and probably disappearing up the Calder Highway again in the New Year to get Aspie teen away from the hyped up stress and into his archaeology dig.
Merry Christmas to you all, you wonderfully supportive people xxxxx
We are still alive although I have nfi how what with the sheer insanity of Silly Season shopping (I want it! I must Have IT NOW!!! Gimme Gimme Gimme! Getouttamyway!).
Yeah, friggin' insane.
We are getting some suggested strategies on handling Aspie teen with his quirky behaviour.
I say quirky with a slightly hysterical giggle as there's all sorts of things rearing their heads in his behaviour of late - increased Tourette's grunting, humming, lining his toys up again, scratching and cutting himself (hell-lllloooooo) mishearing conversations/hearing auditory comments no one has made (hell-llloooooo, again) being ever so slightly paranoid and thinking we're out to get him (yeah, I can hear what you're thinking from this distance) as well as the usual suspects of needing routine, guidence, yada, yada, yada.
So.
We've been disappearing up the Calder Highway to our favouritest little country town for some mental relief for the geek kid; he can relax, there's no stress, no threat, in fact he walked to the shops TWICE on his own from the caravan park, approx. 1 km round trip.
Yeah, a massive humongous thing cos this 14 year old hasn't got that much courage or road safety to cross the road here in Melbourne (too stressful and ramps up his anxiety) whereas he knows cars stop at the pedestrian crossing and he can see what traffic there is for miles up the road.
He's started a small dig on our land where he's found a shedload of pottery, bricks, mudbricks and a large piece of dressed stone.
He lurves his archaeology.
We inquired at the local historical society but they haven't much in the way of info on our land although they are fabulous and are searching through their records.
We'll be parking ourselves at the dining table for Chrissy Day and probably disappearing up the Calder Highway again in the New Year to get Aspie teen away from the hyped up stress and into his archaeology dig.
Merry Christmas to you all, you wonderfully supportive people xxxxx
Friday, August 27, 2010
Domestic violence
I'd like to send a big thank you to Matthew Newton.
Thank you, because everyone is talking about violence towards women.
Thank you, because everyone is discussing how it is still not taken seriously enough.
Thank you, because Aspie teen was watching The 7PM Project while they were discussing domestic violence.
Thank you, because he has recognised that he was hitting me in his meltdowns and has equated this as the same as domestic violence.
Thank you, because my 13 yr old Aspie kid has learned that it's not ok to hit women.
Thank you, because if this stops him from this behaviour now then it might stop him from hitting a girlfriend in the future.
I sincerely hope Matthew gets the help he needs and that his former girlfriend recovers quickly but if we can take something, anything positive away from this whole ugly, disgusting mess then it is that other young males get the clear message that it's not ok to hit women.
Thank you, because everyone is talking about violence towards women.
Thank you, because everyone is discussing how it is still not taken seriously enough.
Thank you, because Aspie teen was watching The 7PM Project while they were discussing domestic violence.
Thank you, because he has recognised that he was hitting me in his meltdowns and has equated this as the same as domestic violence.
Thank you, because my 13 yr old Aspie kid has learned that it's not ok to hit women.
Thank you, because if this stops him from this behaviour now then it might stop him from hitting a girlfriend in the future.
I sincerely hope Matthew gets the help he needs and that his former girlfriend recovers quickly but if we can take something, anything positive away from this whole ugly, disgusting mess then it is that other young males get the clear message that it's not ok to hit women.
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