Bye Bye 2010

I have decided not to do a Christmas post as it has not been a particularly great Christmas. It has been ok, don't get me wrong! I mean nothing terrible happened. It's just Everyone in the house has a chest infection, therefore Christmas has been spent in coughing fit surround sound. We did manage to have a really lovely Christmas dinner at the parentals house. We did not get to see the rest of the family because EVERYONE is sick! So it has been a strange Christmas to say the least.

I do want to say goodbye and good riddens to 2010. I have spent the majority of this year trying to wade through our waiting lists here in Ireland. Whether it be for schools, assessment of need with the hospitals, DCA, Carers allowance, or just waiting to see what the hell the next step is for my brilliant little boy. I said goodbye to my job and became a stay at home mam /Carer/Domicile Administrator/ Desperate Housewife whatever you would like to call it. I never imagined this was the end of my career at 24. Maybe it's not, who knows? I hope not. I think I have a lot to give and right now I know my little man needs me more than any employer and that is why, in this job scarce climate I took the leap. I had many doubts when I left. Aside from the significant reduction to our household income, This was the first time I faced Autism head on 24 hours a day. It is a scary place to find yourself for the first time. I think only mothers of autistic children can totally relate, it is not easy to describe the ups and downs you experience.
 Christmas Eve we finally received the psychologists assessment report that I have been fighting for. This report allows us to apply to the ASD specific units which is the first step in the right direction (so I've been told). We still have to wait 8-10 months on services. So to date no speech therapy or occupational therapy for Diddles. I am attempting to study it myself and putting it all into practice is difficult but has been successful!

This year has not been ALL bad, Madman had all his firsts.It has been So brilliant seeing him hit all the milestones. Crawling,First teeth, First steps, first words, first DIVE OFF THE KITCHEN TABLE! (''.)
Diddles taught himself to swim. It has been our first year in our house and we do love where we are now.

Which brings me to my new years resolutions........

I usually would say no resolutions but this year I feel the need to make a small few .....

#1 Get diddles therapies & school in place for 2011

#2 Get organised.

#3 Make time for me. 

#4 Bring boys swimming more often.

Have you guys any resolutions for 2011?

Happy new year! I hope it is a better year to all of us! xxxxxxxxxxx

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas .....

Twas the week before Christmas when we decided to go

To visit Santa despite all the snow

What kind of reaction we just never know

Last year was great! nobody cried

and this year? Well Diddles just looked terrified!

Thank goodness just after was a Christmas train ride!

Day 10 Get me out of here!

Ireland is ridonculous when it comes to snow! The whole country is a giant traffic jam on an ice rink. Those of  us who are at home caring for the little munchkins are confined to the house and worrying that the water is going to be turned off or how are we going to entertain the kids when they are bored off their barney.

I am truly forgetting how to hold an adult conversation we have been snowed in that long.

I am actually deliriously bored. I keep imagining that scene from Bridget Jones Diary were she would "be found three weeks later half eaten by Alsatians". It has been TEN days since we have been able to leave the house and that outing we went on was for an appointment with the psychologist for Diddles assessment of need. The week previous to that Diddles had the chickenpox which meant lots of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Iggle Piggle so thank the technology gods for giving us other means for communication! If it were not for my phone or "crappy" Internet connection I think I may have crossed the line to insanity.One reason for that is this. It's madmans method for getting my attention lately!


Can you imagine being totally cut off from our modern day conveniences? No computers, ipods, microwaves, TVs, mobile phones, Internet! I think I was 12 years old when I have my first mobile phone, think Trigger Happy TV.
It was being thrown out so I asked could I have it and thought I was the bee's knee's with it! 
This week I have had no Internet connection, at first I was really agitated by this however it actually was not that bad. It was kind of relaxing not checking it every few hours. Why is it so addictive? This obsession can not be healthy! I figure it is my little break from reality and many carers around the world and parents of special needs kids need that break. As it enables some sort of social interaction when confined to the house whether it is in times of illness or weather restricting. I have had people say oh your ALWAYS on Facebook! My status may say I am "online" but I do leave the PC on and go do school runs and make dinner etc etc. I never really got into the online gaming obsession. Farm ville and all those addictive games have no real appeal to me. I did have a go at Farm ville for curiosities sake but they hold no interest with me for what ever reason. Although, I can see why they are so addictive!


We did manage to venture out into the garden one day with the boys and they had a great time. 

Vanilla ice

What is this cold wet white stuff?

 Madman has a bad case of chicken pox, poor little guy. He has been stuck to me like a little plaster for the past week. He refuses point blank to go out in the snow so we are house bound for the next week. Oh JOY!