Keeping up

I was thinking about the jones's today - Hannah has meant that I rarely get up more than a feeble attempt to compete with them - and hence I have developed a great respect for those that still give it a go. Hannah spends so much of her time - "keeping up" that I am in total AWE.

Today we signed up Kit to a local soccer club. I didn't put Han down - yet another place wehere she has to be accomodated and 'fit in' - I think she has enough on her plate - although judging by the fun she had last night at our informal soccer game ... I made the right decision. She absolutely loved it - but noone really slowed the game down for her at all - even though she really WANTED to get the ball and would have LOVED it - only her father gave her a single go. She had fun though - running wild with the kids. She so wants to be engaged. School has been a great experience for her. She is gaining in confidence all the time - unfortunately the little girl she is most drawn to was having a really off day and was not interested in any other kids much at all. Sigh - well as you and I know - you can't make kids behave like adults - they aren't and this little girl is lovely - she too is struggling a bit with all the adjustments of 'big school' - and she doens't have the complicating 'someting extra' that Han does.

Tonight I talked about a possible dance class for Hannah - a lady we know (who has worked with special olympics and volunteers at the swimming club for kids with disabilities is starting one up near us - R's mother put forward the idea of her daughter (who is Hannah' alltime FAVOURITE being) - coming along as a 'helper'. We will see - I think it's a great idea but don't want to call her up too soon - I'm hoping it's something she'd consider doing for a long time - even when Hannah is a terrible teenager having adventures and meeting boys at the Up Club.

term 1

Kit's 'favourite toy' for school homework was this plane he made with his Pop out of scraps of timber - how cool is that? You gotta love this kid.
hannah's 'favourite toy' for school homework activity.
A big day at school - the routine kicks in...

Oh dr@t just lost a whole paragraph. Anyways things in the dock are going well. I am back at Uni - studying 'numeracy' which is good but scary. I have arranged to help at the school with Multilit - it is a reading program for kids who need a bit extra help - there is a team of parent volunteers (including my MIL who is starting at the twins school too - she already takes part in a similar program in Redfern). I have the form to say I can help in the kinder classroom one morning a week too. I think that will be fun. I love watching their brains work. The older students I teach generally don't engage their brain or are adept at not showing me that it is 'working' so it is nice to see the young ones giving it a go.

I get to babysit my neice tomorrow while her mother has a radiotherapy appointment - she is at the tail end of treatment and we are all praying for a good report once they test to see how the treatments have gone - given that she was pregnant for a lot of it - she has certainly had an intense 12 months. The baby is her 4th so I am hopeful that she will be like her brother and sleep well on my watch - so I am taking some uni work to look at with me. Then I will have lunch with my SIL which will be lovely - I am enjoying these days where I help out at the school then have a couple of hours free in the afternoon before going to get them.

When she told us she was pregnant I suggested she call the baby Mary Shelley - we could nickname her 'frankie' (for frankenstein) or get her into any Catholic school in Aus - and yep - I bet she regrets ignoring my advice now - Oct 17 - Saint Mary MacKillop - Australia's first.

They are settling into Kindy. The teachers have been keen to talk with hannah's EI team and have implemented suggestions made by them. I am very happy with things so far - we are all learning how to make it work best and I think they are doing a great job so far. Hannah likes going, is gaining confidence in approaching her peers. She is talking more at home and using some words at school - they have been great about using visuals and have spoken to the other children about 'difference' a couple of times - giving them achance ot ask questions about DS and hannah in particualr. I ahve to say that I have been impressed with the gentle care the other children have shown her - and not just the kinders but some fo the bigger kids too. I sent home a letter to all families in Hannah's 'voice' to promote awareness and discussion - and a number of parents have commented on it and many have kept an eye out for Hannah. I am very pleased with this. there is no point pretending she is 'typical' so long as we aim high for her (and we certainly are - this school hasn't had a student with DS before!) Then I think we are all doing our best by her.

At the moent they are discussing toys so to help Hannah talk to the class about her choice (she chose a 'baby' doll that her Grandpa bought ehr) I took some pictures of her playing with her and then asked Hannah the guiding questions as outlined by her teacher - I then made up a little booklet of her answers.

Speaking of 'Graa' He is staying with us for a few months at the moment - a real treat. We all like having him around - and Hannah in particular just LOVES her Graa. Kit too has enjoyed getting Graa to play board games with him each night while I prepare dinner. It is nice to have him here with us. Speaking of which if Graa tries to let Kit win too many - he can't Kit gives him 'help' and 'hints' so that everyone gets a turn at winning. My boy is someone special.

On Sat DH and I took advantage of our live-in Graa and went to see Sexy Tex as the Man in Black at the opera house. It was FANTASTIC. So many songs I remembered from my youth - I have always loved Johnny Cash - and saw him at the horden pavillion in the early 80s when he toured here. During the concert he sang 'Sunday Morning Coming Down' and that brought a tear to my eye - Mum wasn't especially a fan but she liked that song - and indeed it is a beautiful one.

Tonsils and adenoids

We got the twins some Toy Story lego as part of Hannah's recuperation package.
We survived! TOday is day 6 and Hannah seems to be doing great - I am holding back the pain meds - will see how she goes at eating some breakfast and adjust then if need be. She was of course a trooper. Just before she went down a little girl cam back quite distressed from the anesthetic - "I'm going to break this hopsital. It's yukky" sort of stuff - she had great verbal skills!! One conversation with her mum was just gorgeous although it was horrible to hear her so upset - "If we break the hospital what will happen to all the sick people?" and she replied with venomous passion poor love "...They can stay sick forever!".

It didn't set the best tone to take Hannah down to theatre - and even though I knew the anaesthetic hadn't affected Hannah like that before - the thought that she might be so upset made me felel teary - it was all I could do to hold it together - so DH took her in to the theatre while they put the mask over her face. Needless to say she came out great - had her iceblock and just wanted cuddles and some sleep. Not an easy desire to fulfil in a room with 2 other sick kids - both with very sore throats. Oh how a single room would have been good. The other families were lovely but the kids did disturb each other a bit then at 2 in the morning a little one with asthma came in. The hospital experience was a little 'down market' to our others however the staff and our ENT are great.

Han had a couple of quiet days where we just dosed her up on painstop and panadol. Yesterday we cut the painstop and today I'll see how she goes - she may only need 1 dose of panadol. She has been missing school so I might give her a half day on Tuesday - I am there for a 'training session' for the reading program so can check in on her easily.