Pre Holiday weeks were very tricky.

Sam and I made roti/chapati...Sam even touched the dough and got really good at rolling it out. He washed up whilst I cooked them on the hot skillet...you can only have so much peril in one morning. He asked if we could have them with Dad and Owen for our evening meal....'but can it be our surprise?'.

He also did the washing up, humming away happily to himself.

We watched some wildlife stuff with Owen, then Owen asked if we could do some maths on Khan. He got quite frustrated...mainly because his friend kept skyping him he he was 'doing his learning!' .

I did some gardening and harvested the first of our salad greens. There was quite a bit of weeding but I really felt up for it today...have had a much better day pain wise. 'Whoop' .

Today we took Sam for a second opinion regarding his difficulties. We saw a really good consultant but it meant an early start and a drive to Stratford. At the end of the consultation the Dr was sure that Sam has ASD/PDA, possibly dysgraphia ( which I need to look up) and she diagnosed him with ADHD..which we have long suspected.

It's a bitter sweet time for us. Obviously, no one wants their child to have a diagnosis of anything. However, after years of our concerns being dismissed, we also felt some relief at being told it wasn't our fault and that we were correct to get a 2nd opinion. Sam was delightful throughout the whole day and perfectly happy with his diagnosis..'I like being me Mum'.

In order to have the ASD/PDA side officially diagnosed, Sam now has to see a Consultant Psychologist and both reports consolidated..so we have set that up. 

I have sat and cried in private over the last few days, no matter what you suspect yourself, it's still hard to hear it in clinical terms and there is a sort of grieving process...not because your child has changed in anyway...they are still the much loved bundle of wonder...just that you wish some things were easier for them. You can also feel a little alone, especially as a home edder, where the strategies to help your child come solely from you as a parent and educator. 

Luckily I am able to talk to my friends and they offer their usual love and support as we go through this transition.

The rest of the week was tricky in all sorts of ways. Both boys were tired and over wrought and getting them to engage in any task was challenging. I decided to give us the rest of the week off. They attended jujitsu and played with friends.

One day they went to the cinema to watch the Fantastic Four movie , which they thoroughly enjoyed , devouring a packet of peanut M & M's and Haribo minions whilst wriggling about and asking ten thousand questions. On the way back , they stopped off for pizza , which was swiftly despatched upon arrival back at Whitzend.

The children have also been talking incessantly about building a new server in Minecraft where they can become millionaires. As luck would have it I spotted a link for an online course and was ardently encouraged to sign them up for it....we can take bets later as to whether I end up doing the course myself.

Sam is struggling with remembering how much time it is till our holiday is. Ok I will accept, it's driving me slightly mad. I drew up a chart and he can mark the days off and hopefully not have to ask me 10 times per day...usually when I am busy doing something else and lose my train of thought. 

Just a simple thing but it's really worked well and I kicked myself for not doing it sooner.

We also went swimming and I managed to get Owen to stay in the pool for 45 mins and no meltdown. He can usually manage 20 but then gets tired/distracted....fill in as appropriate. So today the first time he asked to leave I offered to play tig with him. I was a bit crafty and made myself hard to chase on and off. This ensured he kept working his core muscles and didn't get cold. He gets cold really easily. We also pretended we were crabs and scuttled left and right. Good fun..I wonder if it will work next week...hmmm.

Blokey and Sam went shopping. Sam still has some birthday money left and wanted to see if he could spend it in Game.

Owen had a fallout with a friend, so we chatted through ways it could be resolved. We also discussed how you can disagree about things and still stay good friends.

We watch films, I crocheted, chatted and played games together. Sam decided to try a tofu stir fry...and he liked it!

Card games and learning about mammals this morning. We made falafel and I put together a salad.

I made a baby blanket for a friend.

Wildlife documentaries, playing with friends and a new game which they found fun and soothing called Agrio.

http://www.crazygames.com/game/agario

The lead up to our holiday week was really fraught. Stress levels went through the roof, both mine and the children's.

I decided to reduce all demands down to a bare minimum but it was still hard for us all. It's really one of those situations where you can only prepare them so much. They have to experience the flight and new place and as parents we have to wing it. I feel confident they will enjoy their holiday but it's the longest we have taken then away from home, no internet, no iPads and most likely no TV...all the things they use at home to calm themselves. Sam is particularly nervous of the thought of flying but I know he will love the opportunity to swim everyday. *bites nails* . wIsh us luck....

Bottle tops, pegs animals, trips out...and collapse

Sam watched some Wildkratts then we made bottle tops insects together. After which he asked if we could do some Khan academy.

Owen watched more history programmes and then came we did the insect activity. He also wanted to make some peg leg creatures..deciding at the last minute to make one of his sheep into a man bursting out of a cloud. We had a good chuckle at that one. 

Both boys still find using scissors quite hard , but no longer shrink away in horror at the thought of having a go. They did really well with their cutting today...even though they still find it rather frustrating on the more fiddly bits.

After we had finished our craft project Owen did a some maths on Khan with me.

A trip to Weston Park. I was so pleased I managed the journey ok and we had a fabulous day. The boys met some new friends there and played for hours. It was just what I needed. There was an older child , who was just the kindest boy, and brought a massive box of plastic guns. He got all the children playing a game and made sure no one, no matter how small, were left out. The children had a fabulous time playing in a group of bout 15 ..big deal.

We also went on the little train..the boys had a cuddle, which doesn't happen as much as it used to.

In the evening they went to jujitsu and I put two very tired little boys to bed later.

Thankfully I had left us a free day today..just as well the boys were still very tired. Friends called round for them but they decided they just wanted a quiet day, doing their own thing.

We did some maths in the morning and the they had free play. Whilst they were busying themselves, I got some chores out of the way.

Trip to Nanny and Grandad's to celebrate Nancy's birthday. We gave her a card and present, played hangman, and had dinner . The boys impressed their grandparents with their knowledge of WWII. Then back home and playing with friends online.

We had a trip to the dry ski slope with the North Staff Autism Assoc. It was our first outing with them since joining and we were made very welcome. The children resisted leaving the house but once there perked up and had a ball. We all ( yes me too) had a short skiing lesson then moved on the tubing...which I am told 'it the best thing EVER!". They were both exhausted afterwards. Hoping we can do more activities in the future now the children have seen what fun it is

We had a slow start to the day and went to see Inside Out.

Afterwards we did a little shopping and took the boys for a pizza.

We all got up early today, to benefit from a quieter swimming experience. Owen was really reluctant to go, so we discussed how we could make it easier for him. Blokey and I helped him with his technique and all the extra effort we put in paid off...he had a much better experience in the pool and was very cheerful when we left. Taking him to the disabled changing room with me, meant he was so much calmer and receptive.

Sam is such a strong swimmer now he regularly does 10 or more lengths. Sadly it makes Owen feel a bit deflated but we had a family chat yesterday about why Owen has to try extra hard because his brain doesn't send the right signals to all his limbs. Also how the more he practices the more his body will remember what to do. Sam was very sweet and encouraged Owen along whilst he was swimming.

Mammals, playing outside , baking and swimming

We started off our week with Wildkratts and Khan academy. Sam and Owen worked on decimals, multiplication and after lunch we played  in the park with friends, dodging showers and a thunderstorm. Despite the boys having to travel back in their undies we enjoyed the exercise machines and play equipment when the sun came out from behind the clouds. Owen is a bit reluctant to have his photo taken at the moment, but allowed me a few this week.

We had to rearrange plans today. One of our friends was going through a tough time and I had some awful cluster attacks. We decided to try again tomorrow and concentrate on stuff at home for now. The boys have jujitsu class tonight, so all is not lost.

More Wildkratts  were watched after breakfast, whilst I unpacked the shopping and tidied the kitchen.

Sam and I did some maths whilst Owen watched his history programme..we practiced additions, decimals and learn how to add fractions. Sam and I also played speedy match and chess, which he beat me at...AGAIN.

Owen told me about the Rotten Rulers he'd been finding out about. I asked him if he thought most rulers were pretty rotten, because they seemed to kill a lot of people and take land and money. He's explained that he thought:

Owen: King Alfred the Great..well he was quite nice..but he had a sore bum and didn't like talking about it..he had to sit on a cushion.

He also learned about King Henry the 8th and was chortling along at how the King had to win at everything.....hmm maybe he related to that and has Kingly thoughts on the matter.

Owen and I worked on decimals, fractions and division and Sam went off to build on his server with a friend. Owen is getting along really well and is grasping maths concepts. I have to admit I am pretty woeful on remembering fractions, so I am brushing up on my skills too. It actually helps the children to see me doing this, as it's not me 'telling them' , more working together and they laugh when I get some things wrong. *whispers* this happens a lot ...especially when my head hurts as much as it does today...I think I may need an injection soon...yowzers!

The children played out under the trees with one of the neighbours boys , then they ate ice lollies....Owen had Monster Munch because that's how he rolls.

It was rather hot so Owen decided to come in and help me with a new bread roll recipe. They didn't rise as much as I expected but I am sure it's because I needed to add a bit more water. Definitely one to try again when I am not being pumped with questions from a small boy ...we have 12 rolls for dinner later and that's the main thing.

http://mortgagefreeinthree.com/2014/07/30-minute-rolls/

The boys are very flollipy this morning...they usually are the day after jujitsu, so we sit and chat over breakfast, look at photos of the Harry Potter Experience and decide we definitely NEED to go sometime.

After breakfast the boys chill out watching wildlife programmes, I join them after doing a bit of gardening. 

Today it's Blue Planet and The life of Mammals .there are lots of 'Oh's' and 'ah's' as we watch and chat.

In the afternoon we headed off to the park on our bikes. The sun was dazzling and the boys can go much faster on their new ( to them) bikes. Thankfully I can still keep up.

A few friends joined us and there were lots of chats, visits to the shop for drinks and playing. Then a quick bike back for our evening meal, after which they played with Blokey on the Xbox.

It's been a busy couple of days and both children looked tired this morning. We had a gentle start with Wildkratts for Sam. When Owen came down he watched it with Sam whilst eating his breakfast....then he had a 2nd breakfast, all that fresh air yesterday must have given him an appetite. 

He talked about a 'horrible dream' he had where we weren't his parents anymore and he wasn't getting given any food.

Sam asked if he could do some Khan academy , so we looked at that but he was stimming a great deal so I kept it to a minimum and he needed more help than usual.

Owen wanted to watch Horrible Histories whilst I was working with Sam and once we were finished he asked to do some Khan academy. Bless him..he was really struggling with something but kept on going and watched a video to try and gain greater insight....me too. I was so proud of how hard he tried.

In the afternoon, they played online and then came downstairs to watch more wildlife programmes. I have got used to the way they totally immerse themselves in one or two subjects. This can go on for quite a while and then they saturate themselves and move on to other topics. Wildlife and maths are the current ones...with a bit of Art thrown in...who knows what will come next? *plays thrilling Muzak *

A visit to neurology again for me today..I wasn't sure what to expect this time. The children were very helpful and I dropped them off at their Grandparents before heading on to the hospital. 

Much to my excitement , there was my Gammacore Device waiting for me and I was shown how to use it. I am really hoping this becomes an ally against the crippling head pains I am getting.

Meanwhile back at the grandparents house the children have been playing card games. There is much amusement as I show them my new device.

The next day I head off to have lunch with friends, the boys are taken shopping by Blokey. Owen is keen to see if he can get some Lego, he really wants to have a project to do with his Dad. Sam isn't sure if he wants to buy anything but takes his money and gift vouchers anyway.

Back home in the afternoon, Blokey cut the grass and I do a few chores around the house, the children play with friends. After our evening meal we all sit down to play games and watch a new BBC series. We are all looking forward to the next episode.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0619k4f

We all slept till 9 am today, so got to swimming later than usual. It got quite busy and noisy in there, so Owen and I were struggling to focus. We still managed many lengths and some diving but we were very tired when we got home.

The rest of the day Blokey worked in a guitar he's building in the garage, I pottered about and the boys played with friends online and watched videos. Later in the afternoon Owen wanted to build one of his Lego kits with Blokey.

He only needed a little help, mainly to check he was following the sequence of tasks and was utterly delighted about his first build...an aeroplane.

Getting into our groove...again..

It's always hard after big eventful weeks to get back on an even keel. I have to work hard to help the boys into a loose routine that stops them getting too stressed but also allows them free time to pursue their special interests.

It's often quite hard to convince them about this. However, I know from past experience that they currently lack the skills to self regulate and if left become bored and very stressed. Their sleep is affected and meltdowns happen more frequently, as they find it hard to recognise what is troubling them. I find myself walking a very thin and precarious line at these times,  where I doubt myself a great deal. 

Often it isn't until activities are set in place again and the house becomes calm that I believe I have done the right thing. I hope as time goes by that the children will be able to recognise and act on their own initiative, to manage their anxiety/boredom, without my input. At the moment, we have reached the stage where they now recognise the need for intervention, once they have felt the benefits of it. It's a big step forward but I do find myself wishing transitions were much easier. So, all though we did well this week, there were times I felt the boys fought me all the way. Despite that we still had great fun and learnt plenty of new skills.

We did lots of maths related activities today...so Buy it Right got an airing and Khan academy was looked at. 

Owen is loving his new atlas and it is his current preferred bedtime reading.

More Reading and looking at our new atlas today. We also did an online art class about Cubism and Picasso. At the end we made Picasso inspired dog paintings together. You can find this lesson and 5 others here:

http://carlasonheim.blogs.com/kids_art_week/

The boys enjoyed some play with friends in the afternoon and went to their jujitsu lesson.

Sam was raring to go from 6 am (blergh) by 7 am we had learned a great deal on how the volcanoes, on Hawaii have shaped the entire Eco system. 

https://camp.withgoogle.com/activities/week3/what-will-you-find-in-the-wild

We then moved on to learn more about the life in earths oceans. As we were starting to watch Owen joined us and was so engrossed he ate his breakfast whilst it was on.

We talked about what we saw and the boys were really enthusiastic. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008044n

We also had a look at the new window 10 update but I still haven't found my way round it.

Whilst I did a coding course with Future Learn, the children had free play with friends.

Blokey had a few hours off in the afternoon, so Owen and he went into town. Sam stayed home with me.

We started with another art class. After talking about Modigliani we worked on portraits inspired by his work. 

The children remembered we had been lucky enough to see one of his paintings at Birmingham Art Gallery and Museum. I explained how he was interested in African face masks..like the ones they saw at Liverpool.

The children then did a portrait of me in that style. 

Owen

Sam

Sam watched some Wildkratts about Zebras and something he calls Googly Eyes *snigger*. As I was working with Sam, Owen watched some history programmes, then we all looked at Blue Planet. It was the Deep...they laugh as so many of the weird, bioluminescent, creatures freak me out with their nightmarish looks. Some I did find utterly beautiful and mesmerising too.

Blokey had to go to an early meeting in Birmingham today. He's not happy, he has to have a group photo done and is convinced the camera will steal his soul.

So the boys got up earlier and therefore me too...I am not feeling great this last couple of days and I have used the easier ( on me ) things from our, every growing, list of activities.

We looked at sounds, music and dance with Camp Google. Also watched how to build a sound wave 'machine ' and a speaker. We also saw some people doing some hip hop and talked about what makes people want to dance. 

The children are really enjoying the Blue planet series and asked if we could watch some more of that. We learnt about Marlin, Tuna , Sei Whale and Mantaray.

And mostly I felt a bit like this.

We have managed to book a week abroad on a cheap deal. With this being our first time abroad with the children, they are rather anxious about flying, Sam in particular. With this in mind we decided to visit the Manchester Airport today.

It was a good move, both boys had a ball going up and down on the lifts, tube like walk ways and moving 'pavements'. They thought it was all very 'Star Trek'. We made enquiries about ASD support and the staff were incredibly helpful.

After we had visited the whole airport ( my feet were aching) , we drove into Wilmslow and had a pub lunch. Owen was over tired and rather tricky until we got some food into him. We had a lovely meal and then drove on home where the boys chilled out doing their own things. We had a snack of homemade bread for dinner.

This morning Sam and Blokey went swimming. I wasn't well enough to go today so Owen decided he would rather do things with me. We worked on his coordination with the DVD the Occupational therapist recommended. After that Owen decided to put his Lego kit together. 

Normally, this would involve him watching me do it but today he carefully worked through the instructions alone. He asked for help with one tricky bit but was really pleased with himself when he finished the entire project. I was so proud of him, as some parts were decidedly tricky for him to work with.

It's funny because I often think we haven't 'done much' but writing helps me see what processes are working and how we are moving forwards. It's a very useful exercise to keep the Home Ed wobbles at bay because some weeks I feel utterly useless, but on reflection, we have often done more than I originally thought.