Prepared for Anything.....

Weekend is relax-time so I curled up under the blankets watching a random TV show, I was going over everything in my head that was needed to be done for tomorrow……….

Do washing…… finish clearing out clutter…… help A.J. tidy up his room…… gather up everything A.J. needs for preparing a school homework routine …… visit with Mum and Dad……

I finally began drifting off to sleep….

The alarm goes off at 6.30am and as I roll over to turn it off, I ponder the idea for just a few more zzz’s although I continue out of bed and head for the shower. Walking past A.J.’s room I find him curled up at the end of his bed totally wrapped in his crocheted rug I made him.

He refuses to part with this, like his dressing gown, both have become ‘security blankets’.

With remote control in hand he was in the process of turning on his Sony game system.

Turning to see me, a smile comes over his face ……”and there you go”……his latest saying to everything that is seen or done…”you always know when I’m awake”….

“Yes”, I said “and I always will”, as I continue on I smiled to think timing is everything.

Definitely on a win-win at the moment!

Busily rushing around the house, cleaning-up and tidying everything, then arranging A.J. to come and visit with great-Nan and great-Pop for lunch and a chat; A.J. loves visiting his great-Pop listening to the stories of “days gone by” the historical stories that they chatter about; discussing the similarities and differences to different eras and places.

Absorbing as much knowledge as he can handle and giving out as many questions as his Pop can take in one sitting.

No matter how settled and relaxed they become, all of a sudden A.J. will jump up and come to where ever I happen to be, standing directly in front of me, he will look straight at my face and say “OK it’s time, we have to go, now”, and with that we say our goodbyes and head out to the car.

Heading back home A.J. settles down for “a rest” on his bed while I prepare the tea, after busily doing a few things needing attention I realised that A.J. was still sleeping, I’m happy that he is so relaxed although he never sleeps during the day (or night-time without assistance) so do I wake him or let him go a little longer, then risk him being up half the night, so after two hours with tea all but ready I slowly manage to wake him although he only managed a portion of food, 1 glass of juice and 3 glasses of water then put himself back to bed. Hmmmm I think he may be coming down with a bug or something…..

In the morning after very little sleep, A.J. is awake looking and feeling a lot better.

Being in a good mood A.J. agrees to a quick trip to do shopping, happily singing to himself, I felt it was the best time to get out and about for some retail therapy and a change of environment.

After checking most of the shops in our complex I noticing A.J. becoming disoriented by the sudden rise in shoppers, with the noise and confusion he started his ritual finger chewing and pacing around me. Just a few more things and then head to the checkout, too many people, so I gently rub A.J.’s shoulders massaging and ‘brushing’ motion in the hope of keeping him settled enough to make it through, with gentle tones and calmly assuring him “it won’t be long and we’ll be straight home”.

Today has been a fairly mixed emotion day, A.J. decided to play one of his new Sony games only to find the data on the game was too much to load into his system, after a major emotional moment he removed himself and went out for time on the trampoline to calm and self-regulate.

So pleased with how he had managed this by himself I agreed to allow him time on the iPad, with a password needed to open it each time it shuts down, he had begun to play around with the settings, and then the mayhem began, due to changing the password he then forgot it, becoming so frustrated and upset with himself with the result being he was now totally locked out.

His world began to crumble believing he was “totally useless” he lost control and the emotional roller coaster began; while I have to agree I was also a little ‘peeved off’ as well, due to the fact I had repeatedly warned him not to change it.

Emotionally drained from all the events of the day A.J. reluctantly put himself to bed in total disgust with himself, probably a good thing for us all.

New Road……

We are already halfway through the first school term and I am so pleased with the progress, knowing I can be truly settled in the knowledge of how the school has handled everything, with only a couple of unsettled moments that was maintained in a low-key manner, without the big "DRAMA' of receiving a phonecall regarding 'behaviour' or 'issues', then having it placed in our hands to take him home and dealt with.

A.J. is also so calm, settled, and still in happy-place mode.

I am now trying to learn how to spend my days catching up on things that need doing, completing half-finished craft projects, anything to fill up the hours and distract me!

It takes time and adjustment to accept that everything really is going to be ok, to stop that niggling little voice, to realise we have achieved the best outcome and it really is happening, not just a dream!

Last week we woke to the rumbling of road workers out the front; digging up the tar and re-surfacing the road. Although A.J. was awake it has definitely had an effect on his sensory balance with the rattles, squeaks, and scraping noises directly outside the door.

Finding ways to desensitise A.J.’s heightened emotional being is definitely something we haven't yet really worked on, and although he is coping well we see the pacing and unsettled body movements that visually display the effects.

Taking him out the front to watch the process in action he was quite amazed and confused to see how they so easily cut through the road base, break it up and transfer it on conveyor belt into the truck, spending the next half hour before leaving for school going through many variables of the process.

During the process while A.J. Is at school the vibrations of the machines working to deposit the new hotmix on the road shakes the whole house and the stench of the tar is so pungent, I hope it settles before I return from school pickup.