This past few days have been a bit challenging to say the least. Lydia woke up on Tuesday morning complaining of tummy ache and a sore throat and then vomited at the kitchen table so no school for her. Then on Wednesday night Piers went to bed Ok and woke an hour later screaming in pain and clutching his ear. It took calpol and ibuprofen to semi settle him and i was up and down every twenty minutes as he was vomiting, he has an ear infection and is on antibiotics. they are both thankfully on the mend now. I have been on nights for the past 2 nights and have not had a lot of sleep although more than i would have had as Dh took a carers day and looked after them yesterday so I could sleep for a few hours. I am not going to bed at all today as DH is at work and the kids are home it being saturday so not looking forward to trying to not be grumpy as i am so knackered. It has been busy at work delivered 3 babies 2 boys and 1 girl all normal deliveries with no intervention from doctors. I would love to work in a midwife led unit.
Marcus has gone to his nannas he has been a bit manic for the past few days sure something will come to light that has upset him or he is stressed about. I think tomorrow we will go for a long family walk and get some fresh air. I will probably bake something with Piers and Lydia today as it will keep me awake and keep them occupied. I am also hoping they will let me have a little snoose whilst they play, fat chance but you can dream. I was going to go shopping today to get some wool ran out for Piers scarf but DH has taken my car and I can,t be bothered on the bus today especially as the kids are not 100%. Might go to the park for a bit of a play if the rain holds off. Ned to ring my sister and friend nina also as i havn,t spoken to them for a while and must make a lunch date with my friend, Piers and Lydia want to go play with her children Joel and Niamh anyway. Poor Joel he is 10 and is idolised by Piers he is a good kid but it is so not cool to be adored by a 5 year old, and Piers follows him everywhere chattering incessantly. Lydia and Niamh are the same age and get on nicely together so everyone has a good time although I do like days with just my friend so we can a good old natter about old times. We did our nurse training together and had lots of holidays together the stories would make our DHs hair curl but don,t tell them.
Anyway must go and see what the monkeys are up to and plan my day so i don,t fall asleep.

Half term fun

Hi all I havn,t had much time just lately to update my blog as it has been half term. We have had loads of fun doing lots of arts and crafts. Lydia and Piers love arts and crafts, the messier the better and we have so many pictures they have created i never know what to go with them all but i can never throw any of them away. We must have folders of them but i love looking at them every now and again, I suppose i am a bit of a hoarder. We have loads of hand prints from when they were small to now and I never tire of looking at them and seeing how they are growing. I have been doing lots of knitting i suppose i find it therapeutic I have made Lydia a bag which I am very proud of and am making the little ones a scarf at the moment. i have also nearly finished a pillow case for Piers of really nice pom pom wool which he can,t wait to have.

We also went to the Deep in Hull all the kids really enjoyed it and we all learnt quite a bit about fish and environmental issues too the boys asked about overfishing and were concerned as to why they were putting dead fish back into the sea, they couldn,t see the logic I explained to them that there was no logic. Now if a 5 and 14 year old with autism can see this why cant the people that make the regulations, maybe i should send Piers and Marcus to have a word. Lydia was very excited to see the divers in the taks and we spent a long time looking at them, the sword fish and rays were also a favourite. We also went for a long walk around a lake near us, it was so peaceful but absoloutely freezing but enjoyed by all. Piers and Lydia had a good swimming lesson they were the only ones that turned up in there group so they had 1 to 1 attention.
Piers has been seen by the optician and precribed some trendy red tinted lenses to help with sensory integration disorder. He is really struggling at school when he needs to look at the white board and concentrate in the flourescent lights and pulls at his eyelids this will hopefully stop that, improve his learning and concentration skills. with a bit of luck they will improve his behaviour too.
We spent a fair bit of time at the allotment too digging and getting it ready for spring hopefully we will have time to keep on top of it this year. Piers and Lydia had fun making mud pies and finding worms. They soon begin to complain they are cold though so we need to make trips quite short at the moment it will be better when the weather improves. Lydia is constantly outside at the moment playing with next doors little girl although they do fall out a fair bit but I am assured this is normal girl behaviour.
They all went back to school yesterday the boys are not too impressed as they really struggle and it takes them a while to settle down after the holidays. I have also gone back to work I was a bit nervous as I have been off for a few weeks with Bells Palsy but it was like i had never been away. Became a bit annoyed with doctors interfering when there was no need to and labour was progressing normally but this is the downside to being an NHS midwife. Although we can challenge quite a lot it depends on the midwife in charge how much you can get away with and how autonomus you can be. I would love to work in a midwife led unit but there arn,t any in this area and I am limited due to being around for the kids. In an ideal world i would leave work and be with the kids full time,have a small holding and home educate but unless we win the lottery that will never happen.
Lydia has been ill today with vomiting and sore throat i think she has tonsilitis. she has been asleep all afternoon and is now wide awake and showing no signs of sleep at all. I am shattered as i was up in the night with her too but it is only for a short time. Sorry for the amount of photos but the are all so good I couldn,t leave any of them out. Will make a seperate allotment post i think. Will post again soon.

Hello again. A few busy days since my last blog. I have been busy preparing for what needs doing at the allotment, well mainly reading, reading and more reading but think i have it sorted in my head now. Went to the garden centre the other day and bought some seeds, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, pak choi, and other things i can,t remember right now, need to sort them out now see what i still have from last year and what is still usable. i have decided on raised beds i think all in all they will be easier to manage and easier to keep the kids off as they can then see where they are not supposed to walk. Will hopefully get there tomorrow weather permitting.
Piers had his hospital appointment the other day, they felt they couldn,t diagnose ADHD yet as he is too young but if he was 6 or 7 they would be putting him on medication. they want to see us again in 1 year and do the whole assessment again. Very frustrating as he needs the support now really and people on board who know how to manage him. I am unsure regarding medication but will keep an open mind. I am worried something really bad will happen before he gets a diagnosis as he has no awareness of danger, the other day whilst walking to school he ran off ahead we were running late and the lollipop lady had gone so he just crossed the busy main road on his own, thankfully someone intercepted him at the other side but he didn,t understand what he had done wrong. Will need to write a social story i think explaining what could happen.
That night we were at a birthday party Piers and Lydia loved it but it was all abit much for Marcus who became very anxious and started to get stressed, when he gets stressed he becomes loud and aggressive and the other parents were all looking thankfully they all know he has autism but I got a few strange looks. After the party it was parents evening both teachers pleased with Piers and Lydia, Lydia is a quiet but academically doing well and has friends so that was a relief, Piers is making good steady progress now he has his statement of special educational needs. I gave them each a small reward for doing well. Piers has a girlfriend who he will be marrying they start young these days, god help us when he is a teenager.
I have just come back from the hairdressers my purple hair extensions have gone and i am now very blond will try to post some photos later. I like it but i know I will get bored all one colour and in 6 weeks will probably have some more extensions in. DH says i am too old but i don,t care.
Must go house looks like a bombs hit it we have no food in and Lydia has got Milly round for tea tonight need to come up with a plan quick.

Hi just thought i would update while i have the time (HE He) promised myself i would tidy the house this morning and have done nothing so far. Story of my life. Trying to decide whether to go back to work or not, been of sick for a week with Bells Palsy and still feel pretty tired but part of me thinks it would be better to return to normality whatever that is. I only have 3 shifts to do and then I am on holiday anyway, fortunate to have a term time contract so of for a week for half term. Will probably go as feel pretty bad about being off.
Had a long chat with Marcus last night about everything that happened last week and I have decided a system of rewards and sanctions will help. He has agreed, i have explained to him the detrimental effect he is having on the family and he said he understood the only problem is with kids with ASD do they actuallly understand or are they just saying it to shut you up. Will need to constantly remind him i think. Piers has had a good weekend he has helped me make pepper soup a big family favourite he helped peel the roasted peppers and also helped chop them with close supervision as Piers and knives are not a good combination but he did well and didn,t stab anyone LOL. Lydia stirred the soup as it was cooking and we all ate it, well Lydia actually ate very little as she was having a strop over not being able to find her apron but thats life. Yesterday they both helped make Pizza this is always a favourite activity as they love kneeding bread as do I and it always tastes so good. Lydia had a party yesterday she went but spent her time sitting in a corner sucking her thumb she is so shy it is unbelievable, we are both very worried about her. School have expressed concern about her shyness and she is also quite tearful at school. Will keep a close eye on her and attempt to get some girly time at the weekend i think. Tomorrow Piers has an appointment at the hospital we should find out if he has ADHD as well as Aspergers hoping to get some answers and some help for my little man.
Dh is also a bit down at the moment he feels like life is all work and no play at the moment. He hates his job and feels very badly done to that we have 2 boys with ASD, I don,t know how to make him focus on the positives instead of the negatives don,t think he even wants to. We all need a holiday can,t wait to be in our caravan again we need to be in Beddgelert North Wales a place we all love and would ideally like to live there. Anyway really must do some cleaning and feed the animals before picking up children from school. Will check in later.

HI all not a good few days. In fact terrible few days would probably describe it better. Marcus is being a bit naughty a combination of autism and teenage does not mix. The other night we said no to a chinese takeaway and he kicked of big style screeming, shouting, breaking things totally innapropriate behaviour. He was asked to leave the room and was gently encouraged to do so my Miles but was reluctant, was gently pushed and continued to tantrum. Next thing my mum is on the phone, Marcus had rang her from his mobile and told her he had been punched and kicked by Miles, i told her this hadn,t happened but she believes Marcus. There are no marks on his body at all and now it has got to the point where my mum is interfering and we have no control at all. I am so upset and need to regain control of my son. Everyone is so upset Mum and i are barely speaking just being polite to each other so I left early last night. I can,t cope with all this hassle. Lydia hs been very upset about all this and we will spend time with her this weekend. Heres hoping for a quieter weekend, we really need it. Will hopefully have a happier blog next time.
On a plus note Piers and Lydia had there hair cut on Thursday i was worried about it as the last time Piers kicked the hairdresser as he hates the sounds and smells of the hairdressers. My hirdresser suggested we try him with rick who is really tall and obviously male it worked a treat He sat really well and looks gorgeous although he did before just a bit girly. Rick you have yourself a job. Lydia has also had a fair bit cut off her hair as it looked like rats tails swimming doesn,t help. She now has a shoulder lengnth bob so much easier to manage. I am going to the hairdressers next week not telling you what i am having done it is a surprise.
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Piers and Daddy learning to ride his bike Lydia on her bike at Clumber park

HI all not been on here for so long will just give a brief update, Where to start. Piers was diagnosed last June with Asperger syndrome and is being assessed for ADHD as well. He is a very interesting little chap who is full of energy, but also more than a little aggressive and has his fair share of anxiety. He was kept behind in reception as he had not met the level to continue to year one with his twin so they are seperated at school. This has actually caused more problems for Lydia than it has Piers as she misses him so much even if she says she hates him and he is stupid. Lydia is doing well at school has her own little circle of friends and is a proper little girl, she loves dancing and dressing up and is my little friend.

she is very strong willed though and we are so alike that can cause problems but we work through it with lots of door slamming on her part. Marcus is now a fully fledged teenager OMG he hides in his room only to emerge to tell me how i have ruined his life. Teengaer and ASD what a combination it certainly makes for an interesting life. Miles is busy at work and with his cars still feels his life is rubbish and he hasn,t achieved anything don,t hink he will ever change. I am still as busy as ever was trying to get my body back after the 3 children but been put on hold as i suffeered from a Bells Palsy last week thankfully not a bad one but feel exhausted. Will check in later when i have more time. Here are some pics of the kids.