STOP PRESS! For the first time in 4 years of battling with schools, and their way of dealing with DS and his ASC, I’ve had an email this morning from the Deputy head of his new high school that blew my mind.
This is only Term 1 here, and he’s had very patchy attendance, after 4 years of almost no schooling at all. We organised a very structured return to school plan, which you sign, and then they use to beat you with if your child can’t live up to it.
Well. The school was closed last week, because of the floods, and she wrote this morning and said “because he couldn’t finish the easier week, and he’s been away for a few days, would he find it better to just come in in for one class today?” This is UNHEARD of.
So, I get a whole 55 minutes to myself 
.
Just as well, the sleep was not my friend last night. My problem is that if I wake up, I end up doing an inventory of all the things that are a bit crap and trying to come up with new and exciting ways to solve them.
given that most of them are pretty intractable, it’s a fairly futile exercise, but at least last night, because I’d managed to get out of the house yesterday afternoon for a whole 15 minutes, I think my circadian rhythms were helped a bit, and I felt much more sleepy much more quickly that usual.
it’s so difficult, isn’t it, if you’re not well enough to go out in the light on and off all day (as we’re supposed to be), and if there’s pain as well, it’s a bit of a disaster.
I just read that last sentence back. I cannot believe I’m being so perky about everything. Honestly, one kind thought from one teacher, and the world looks different.
I’m not trusting her at all, still, oh no, it still looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and frankly, until this morning, was quacking like a duck (“I know your son has ASC, but you need to look at your priorities Mrs Borgia!” 
). But I’ll take the win, because DS was so happy, and a happy Monday morning with my youngest is a rare and blessed moment. And we’ve had 3 of them this year!
@ohmylordylord - how are you doing? Have you managed to get some rest, and keep sane? Any more thoughts on how to handle this/him, or still just putting one foot in front of the other? I know it’s not OK to involve children in our woes, but you CAN give her a ton of cuddles, and she will benefit from that too.
@MrsGlum - I hope you get some sporadic sleep tonight, at least. Have you tried all the boring, but often helpful things such as a warm bath/shower, making sure your feet are warm, listening to a sleep app? They all seem nonsense when you’re in the worst of it, but might add half an hour to your sleep, or at least make going to sleep pleasurable.
I remembered yesterday that, when I was dealing with withdrawal effects, a warm bath with lots of lavender oil in it really helped. As in, it felt good, not that it solved everything. I have a ridiculous nest of heat packs, essential oils, even an eye mask (fluffy one that looks like you’re a rabbit), have all helped at various points. For me it’s a distraction from the overthinking and gives me something physical to faff around with iyswim.
@Chichimcgee - hello, congratulations on the baby! I do not envy you the night shifts, but I remember in the end I just had to give in to it. The thing that sent me bat crazy (literally) was trying to find a rhyme or reason to night time behaviour. I also just gave in to my eldest just going retrograde, and gave myself a few months to just do whatever it took, which often involved much later sleeps for DS1, and me looking like a mess of knitting. But anyway, hope you get a bit of rest tonight. 
@purpleme12 - they’ve just put the entire Casualty series -is? All of them, anyway, on here, and I was contemplating starting at the beginning. Purring cat sounds so soothing. Enjoy 
Right, that’s me for today, I’m off to pick up DS. Hope he’s as happy now as he was an hour ago 
.