No want it, school

Yesterday we were getting the school books ready and Jono happens past the table. He sees what we are doing and pipes up, " no want it, school". We all had a laugh then were quite amazed that he came up with this sentence by himself. He's been extremely chatty the past few months lots of 3-4 word sentences about a whole range of things, it's wonderful.
So this morning he's woken reasonably early, doesn't want 1st day photos taken, won't wear his school uniform, but has put on his shoes and 'seems' ready to go. It's 5 minutes before we head out the door... Wish me luck!

We have the funniest brother in the world!!

Quoted from Daniel and Sarah.

Yesterday was my last day of holidays with the kids before I went back to work, so we got in to organising school books, clothes, shoes and etc. I had been through all their clothes and figured out what needed to go the day before and had 4 bags for the op-shop. Grandma was in town and rang asking if I'd like some help school book shopping... for some reason I thought this was a silly question... like some? I'd LOVE some! Anyways, I tried to sound fairly nonchalant over the phone but secured and extra pair of hands, arms, legs and eyes for the day.

So, we started by going to pick Grandma up, then went to the op-shop to drop off clothes, bought a few things we needed and a fair few we didn't then went to the shopping center. In shop number one we got most of a set of school books, socks, shorts and shoes for Sarah. I pulled out around 4 pairs for her to try on and we found one she liked that I was happy with the price of.

Jono then decided he wanted shoes... so he pulled out a pair of lovely pink girly sneakers from the aisle we were in and sat down to put them on. I talked him into a blue pair that only had tips of pink... but he wanted the size 3 (he's not quite a 1). I tried to get him over to the boys shoes but he didn't want anything to do with it, no he doesn't need help, no he doesn't want black shoes or white shoes, yes he wants these ones. I left the 3's on him and decided to do the quick swap at the checkouts, which entailed him taking off the 3's, putting them up to get paid for, and lo and behold after touching the checkout girls hands they became a size that would fit! or a better fit at least, and if I got them home and he never wore them again, at least Sarah had some shoes that she could grow in to.

After this we needed food, so wondered off for a drink. We all sat together and then I said I wanted a few quick things from the supermarket, and Jono could stay with Grandma. The other two came with me and we took off only to find Jono racing towards us down the aisles moments later with Grandma in tow. Ok, so he wanted to stay with me, no problems, got some groceries and headed out. So far, we had taken around 3 hours to get this much done.

I wanted to stop in a ladieswear shop to spend a gift card I had received for my birthday but felt the day was moving on. Grandma insisted we stop and I take advantage of the opportunity, so I did. I found a few things I liked and the assistants put them in the change rooms for me, then I went in to try them on. Daniel and Sarah were playing games around the curtains and the entry. Next thing we all know Jono is in the change room next to me taking off his shirt and placing it neatly on a hanger and hanging it on the hook on the wall, then he puts on this lovely tan top with holes cut into the top, and parades around the shop in it.

Daniel and Sarah couldn't contain themselves.. their brother was trying on girls clothes!! After quite a few giggles and "too big Jono"ses he took the shirt off. I had decided on what I wanted by now, so I was in luck, but Jono hadn't yet though. He didn't want his own shirt back on, found a stripey singlet top and went and put that on. Followed by more giggles and more "too big"s he took it off put his own shirt back on and we headed off.

Today's highlight? Jono trying on girls clothes in the fitting room of a ladieswear shop. At least he knew to go to the fitting room... and even tidied up after himself, now just to work on that at home!

He's a Computer GEEENIUS!!

Quoted from his brother Daniel.

This morning after the holidays and school holidays we are very much getting back into the mode of 'normal' routine and we were putting Daniel's iPod back onto his computer (after the earpieces had been borrowed for something else). Daniel had been storing his iPod and the charger for it in a board game that he had received as a birthday present for the holidays so he knew where it was easily.

We went to the boardgame and discovered Jono had found the game and set up the pieces and had been playing with it, and Daniel's iPod wasn't inside... so he started looking, on the floor, under the couch, move the furniture, lift the bean bag, shift the doonas, move the pillows... ok this is starting to get silly.

I was doing something else so I kept saying just give me a minute and I'll help you look, and he was getting frustrated. So I went over to help him look to no avail.

Just then Rob came in the room and asked what we were searching for, we told him and he said - oh it's over here on your computer Mum... and we looked, and so it was!

Jono has found it in the boardgame, taken the ipod and the charger to my computer, found a usb port, plugged the charger in, and put the iPod on it's dock so it could start charging. No... none of us have actually shown him this before he did it without any help. He 'IS' a computer genius!

I must be dreaming

I think I'm a little worried about how we are all going to go with going back to school this year, there are a few changes, they all go up a grade, Sarah goes to grade 1 so is in to proper school rather than prep, Jono has one teacher the same from last year, which is great, and we don't know where Daniel's new class is yet.

I was talking to a friend of mine near a park with a bbq, and she was starting to prepare Dinner, I suggested the bbq would be better to use than the stove in her house so we took the food out and started to get organised.. then I noticed it was getting dark and asked her what the time was... she said it was 6:30, and day care closes at 6:00... Panic Stations!! So I took off to go get the kids, when I got in the car I realised her watch was fast and it was 5 before 6, so I still had time.

Then I noticed I wasn't wearing my work clothes, but casual clothes... so if I hadn't worked, the kids wouldn't be in day care... so where were they? I went to the school grounds and found Daniel and Sarah together, not worried, just hanging out, I asked if they knew where Jono was, and he was in the school grounds playing. I asked him where his bag was and he went and got it... and they were all ok... I asked what they had been doing all day and they said they'd been playing and been to the shops. They weren't phased or worried at all.

Then I woke up... what a vivid dream!
What can I glean from this? Don't Worry, they are happy and will watch out for each other...?
Maybe, and maybe I should carry this lesson with me :P

End of School Concert

Yes I know its next year, but I have been wanting to write this up and just haven't sat down to do it.

At the end of the year is usually a time we measure things by, and reflect and look for growth or change, and nothing for us spoke as much as the end of school concert. Every year the special school holds a concert for all the kids to get up on stage and perform to songs, most of the time just actions. At the end of 2007 Jono didn't cope.. at all. For every practice they had, he would sit in the corner with his hands over his ears, screaming 'too loud, too loud' and crying. He was scared, he was overwhelmed, and not coping at all.

For the end of year 2008 concert, he has just grown soooo much, partly I would say due to his teacher during the year, partly due to him getting older and just being able to handle different situations better. For each practice they did, Jono participated, learned and tried his best to do what was being shown to him. He had a little solo part in one song, and he had 3 songs he did. After every practice his teachers came to me and said they were so proud of how he was doing and were really hoping he would be ok on the night.

Then... once we found out the night of the concert... we were already going out that night and had organised babysitting for the kids, Rob booked tickets months previously for a special event for my birthday... aaarrghghghghgh!!! He's doing so well and it looked like he couldn't go!

Fortunately Nanna was doing the babysitting and when I explained the situation to her she said that if it was important to him, she would see how the kids were on the night and attempt to take them... I thought she was either brave or insane.

So, I co-ordinated with his teacher that she would take Jono's changes of clothes for the night with her, Nanna would take my car for familiarity, and Rob and I would leave early and cross our fingers. We also discussed the concert for a few days in advance, that Nanna would take him, that Daniel and Sarah would be with him and that Daniel and Sarah would be the biggest helpers in the world on the night.

We didn't hear how he did until we got back, but he did brilliantly! Nanna took all three and he had no problems 'going for a drive' once they got there they found the hall easily, and walked in the door to have his teacher find them straight away, take Jono and say - let's go get ready... and he was off for his performances. He got changed for the first one, got up on stage and performed comfortably... he actually had a teacher behind him lifting his hands for the movements with the song, and after a while he kept on backswiping her to get away so he could do his thing... cheeky!

He did another 2 performances with one change of clothes with even a spotlight middle of the stage moment for a 'solo' dance. I think we've watched the video of the night around 5-6 times now and are just soooo proud. From last year where he couldn't even listen to the other people practicing, to being on stage, in 3 performances, doing a solo, and having a few changes of clothes... simply amazing!

We Merry you a Wishy Christmas

What a great week we have just had. We went away for a week on holidays with the kids to a caravan park. I definitely had some stress and concern about how we would all cope, especially how Jono would do... or is that how we would do with Jono? Anyways, I spent the day before we left packing and cleaning and organizing pets and food so that they would survive while we were gone (many thanks mum who came and fed them for us), and on the day it still took around 3 hours of 'final' packing before we were ready to leave. When we finally got going it ended up being quite a short trip to get there, only 2 hours. I'm fairly sure we went for a swim pretty much straight away and ended up swimming every day.

The first real joy - Jono can swim! All by himself, he can co-ordinate his arms and legs together enough in a dog paddle-type thing to propel himself across the pool, even in deep water. I was free to have a swim by myself without a child holding on to me and without me being on 'guard' in case floaties fell off or someone got caught in a circumstance they weren't sure of. Wooooo!!!

We had the kids all in the one room on a 3 bunk bed. Jono claimed the middle bunk and managed to sleep in it for 3 nights, then started drawing in bed and ended up on the floor with his drawings, his pillow and doona for 2 nights, then back in the bunk. Last holidays we were on years ago we changed the kids beds each night, but this time we didn't bother and Jono wanted the middle bunk the whole time when we offered to change, which was fine as far as we were concerned.

He loves ocean swimming too, I had to be right near him when we went to the bay for a swim as there was a decent undercurrent. It was so great to see how much he enjoyed himself in it no fear, runs out to a wave, gets smashed by it and falls apart giggling, then heads out to the next wave.

On another day we went to a shopping centre (that was packed to the rafters with people) and it had a lot of outdoor fun things for kids to do, little rides, digging machines, a playground, a 'train' which we rode on but Jono was quite uncomfortable about, so Daddy stayed with him, and grandma, myself and the other two took off. When we got back Daddy had him jumping on a car track, and the other two got on with him. The cars on this track where ones that you sat 'on' the roof, and put your legs into the front seat area for the pedals, and the steering wheel was up at roof level with you. We were 'really' unsure how Jono would go, if he would even understand that you needed to put your foot down to make it go, let alone be able to steer. Luckily the track was circular, so it was easy to navigate, and also luckily the cars all had bumpers on them, coz Jono caused a traffic jam at one stage (giggling as the cars crashed into his) but he did really really well! He could steer, he figured out the pedals, and the assistant only had to help him once. Rob spent about an hour after wards saying he was hoping Jono would understand and was thrilled by how well he did.

And once last thing on understanding, Jono now understands money. He understands you need to use money to buy things and this just gives us such hope and joy for his future. The caravan park we stayed in had all the road as shared zones for cars, walkers and bikes. We took down with us a few scooters to be able to zip around, and all the kids enjoyed using these. They got the know their way around the park pretty quick and were comfortable with the surrounds - including Jono. One morning we were fixing up the training wheels on Sarah's Christmas present while her and Daniel were in the Kids Club (Jono didn't want to go in, so he stayed with us), we got quite involved with what we were doing and didn't quite notice where he was for a minute or two. After realizing he wasn't in the cabin I said to Rob I'd better go look for him and headed out the door.

I walked along the road our cabin was on and headed towards the front office and found Jono, on a scooter trying to ride it one handed, with something tucked into his shirt that he was holding with his other hand. I opened up his shirt and there was a can of drink. He had... all by himself... decided he was thirsty, found some money, gotten some transport, headed to the drink machine at the front office, put the money in, chose his drink, and headed back to us.

Wow!
It's been a very Merry Christmas time this year... some perhaps more merry than others with the sugar laden drinks their parents let them have because they can use money :P

Sea Shells by the Sea Shore

Well... river bed at least.

Yesterday was Rob's work Christmas Party and it was held at a boat ramp with a kids park nearby and bbq facilities, they hired a marquee, and chairs and brought 'tonnnnnes' of food. Great day!

There were quite a few highlights, one for me was waterski-ing down the river (well laying down on a boogie board and holding the rope being dragged behind a boat) Rob went first and found it a little tricky, I saw what he did and tried a few other things, we both have really sore arms today but it was unbelievable fun!

For Jono, he found his fun within the first 4 minutes and 30 seconds. The river was so high from the recent summer storms that it actually came over the top of the embankment and into the kids playground area. 'Just' after we turned up a boat came past and the wash came up even higher... Jono 'somehow' noticed this and went towards it... the next thing we know the kids are saying Jono get out, and he's up to his neck in the river.

We brought swimmers, but no spare clothes, so he spends the rest of the day dropping into and out of the river at random, soaking wet and drying off by playing in the playground until Rob and I go on the boat for the waterski-ing... then we thought we may as well put him in his swimmers.
Daniel and Sarah came on the boat with us, and completely loved the crashing over the tops of the waves, Jono stayed in the river with one of the co-workers nearby and when we came back he was swimming a out into the river chasing ducks, yelling 'look' and pointing at them

So.. what's the deal with the Sea Shells?
For the lunch there was a great range of lovely salads, steaks, rissoles, chicken wings and sausages.. and of course prawns! After a while Jono noticed the prawns and picked one up.. I though he was going to eat it, he took and wandered off towards the river.. I still thought he was going to eat it.. next thing he throws it into the river. We thought he was seting them free... or something like that, he definatelty knew where they belonged. After a while I asked him what they where and he kept on saying Sea Shells.. I think the fish ended up with around 8 friends joining them yesterday.

Lucky Sea Shells :)