Friday 2 March 2012

Happy Amelia

This afternoon I asked Amelia a question that I regularly ask.......

"How are you ?"

Immediately the answer shocked me.
I did not realise how much I do not hear it.

She said "good".

Recently the answer has been sad.
Complaining, depressed and generally "not good".

This whole week she has been smiling, laughing and saying insanely clever "one liners".

We are all loving it, even people that do not see her regularly are noticing the difference.

From the minute she arose this morning she did not want to go to mainstream school (her 1 day !).
But she has had a happy day and may even attempt the two days she is meant to attend next week.

YESTERDAY - Had a meeting with Amelia's OT. We discussed all of the equipment Amelia needs right now and what she will need in the near future.
Things like shower chairs, a hoist to get into the bath, computer software, communication devices, cutlery, motorised wheelchair (and then car conversion), handles on toilets, ramps and handrails etc etc etc.

Amelia and I also drove to a "showroom" in Mornington.
I received a quote for $2400.
This was for everything that I saw that we needed right now.
I never knew any of these products existed.

 Overall VERY OVERWHELMING.

So I had a 3 drinks last night and fell asleep at 7:20pm.
Woke up at 6:30am this morning.
I think that I totally blacked out and shut down.

We will be attending an appointment soon to look at motorised wheelchairs.

The irony ????
Amelia LOVES the special school.
LOVES the bus that comes and picks her up.
LOVES that she needs a motorised wheelchair.

She is genuinely excited about it all.

Me?

I am torn.
Sad that she needs all of these things
BUT
so, so, so happy because I have not seen her this happy in a while.

There is so much more to talk about like NEW RESEARCH and TRIALS and TOM but I am too tired right now.

So I will leave you with something Amelia said yesterday.
We had just got home from taking Tom to basketball training.
"While I get tea ready, what would you like to do or play?" I asked.
She said in a theatrical voice
"Take me to your leader".
"What?" I asked laughing.
"The Computer.......I want to play games".

Maybe it was a "had to be there" but I found it very witty.

Will speak soon.

Amanda

xxx

Wednesday 29 February 2012

Lots and Lots xxx

Today has been a really good day.

Enjoy it while you can people....

I am only now realising that I feed off my children's energy.
If they are happy, I am happy.
If they are sad, I am stressed.
If they are angry, I am stressed.
If they are stressed, I AM STRESSED.

Yesterday Amelia brought tears to my neighbour's eyes as she approached the special school bus.
It was the first day of this bus picking her up and dropping her home.
Her choice, not mine.

Today she ran out the door (crashing her walker into walls and doors) and attempted to run up our very steep driveway.
Amelia was giggling and smiling as she tried to run.
So today she brought happy tears to my eyes.



The staff on the bus are hilarious and full of fun.
What a wonderful start to the day for all of us.

REWIND.............
Last Thursday we left for Mildura.
We managed to do 1300 km in four days !!

Scott's Gran turned 90 on the Saturday and we had a great time catching up with Scott's cousins and there young families.

All the Great- Grandchildren with Gran.


Gran's children and grandchildren.


No matter where you were in Victoria last weekend, there was a MASSIVE heatwave.
Thank goodness for Kylie's pool.


Queen Amelia and Princess Caitlyn (our gorgeous niece).


Tom on "the tube" in the Murray River.
Amelia also SHOCKED us all and had a turn too!!!!
Unfortunately I cannot show you those photo's.


There is A LOT going on at the moment concerning new equipment for Amelia.
Tomorrow I am having a meeting with our OT to try and write down a list.
Everyone is telling me to " look at this " , "research that" and "you need to order".
So as I leave to google electric wheelchairs, car conversions, cutlery and shower chairs, I would like to tell you a story.

For the privacy of the children involved, no names will be used........

Once upon a time a little girl started at a Special School.
She made friends very quickly and spoke of them often.

Then one day the little girl came home and kept talking about one boy in her class.
The mother of the little boy said he constantly talks about this little girl too.

He told his mum that he thinks she is pretty.

The little girls mummy thinks this is so cute.
They like each other.
The little girls daddy is not so sure.

The mummy of the little girl already adores this boy so she is pleased that they are establishing a friendship.

The next day the mummy discovers that the boy is almost 12 years old.
This little girl is only 8.

Oh dear.
What will the little girls daddy think now ??!!

The little girls mummy had to go into the classroom today and this gorgeous boy asked for the little girl's phone number.
The mummy cannot wait to tell the daddy about this.

And we end the story today with after the little girl came home from her new special school and her mummy asked about "what she did at playtime?"

The little girl answered innocently "WE played mummy's and daddy's".

Mummy could not contain herself anymore.
She fell to the ground in hysterical laughter.
Mummy was going to need to film the daddy's facial expressions tonight.

Who was the dad?
The boy.

Who was the mum?
A different little girl.

"What were you then?" the mummy asked the little girl.

"THE STEPMUM !!!!!!"


xxx