Friday night chat, too tired...

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

Sorry if this is a bit of an early start but I'm going out tonight, whoo hoo!

This week DS2 has got his tutor group through for secondary, he's with the other 3 from his school, and the colour of his house is green. How did they know? He's been obsessed with green for ever. My friend made me cry because her daughter is going to DS's school and she was allowed to put 2 children down as friends. She put a friend from her squash club and only my DS from her own school. Because she didn't want DS to be on his own. I've posted this elsewhere but it's worth repeating.

DS1 got the best report ever! 11 'A's for effort. It was DS3's birthday, so we've been to see Kung Fu Panda 2 and have karting tomorrow. (The 'K' is important apparently.)

On a hen do tonight, very sedate, all post 40 yo meal out, but still!

The Family Link Respite Workers I mean.

Thanks for the link. I've just read it. Sounds fab! I'm going to see if there's something similar in our area now. I can get out with the kids, but there are those times when it just doesn't work.

Hi all, we have had a good week here, Dd3 has been doing "Grow a pound" at her new school, she has never done anything like this before and has thrown herself into it with great enthusiasm.

She went into school clutching her bag of things to sell, independently, we had to stand by the gate, she was so funny cos she kept looking back to see if we were following her [I was tempted]. We waited by the gate for ages in case she came back out, and then I peeped round the corner just to check she had actually gone in.

From a child hanging on to me in the playground to this in less than one term. Amazing.

Oh and I phoned CAMHS today, and she has definatly been moved to Tier 3 and accepted on to the Consultants list but they couldn't tell me how long she would have to wait. Oh well will ring again in a month and see whats happening.

what a difference ineed, well done to her

Hi all - hope you dont mind me joining in again. Have faaab time Ellen- so pleased bout your ds- paints a very promising picture for big school - .
Dc's on hols here so mega winddown taking place! Had good week- school report for DD very good and have a review coming up for DS with OT so hopefully he will be offered some OT help with handwriting, co-ordination etc.
Createovator, serious respect heading your way for endurance at dentist!
I'm going cold just thinking bout it! Three cheers here also for ikea meatballs.
That respite worker sounds great Justa-we get a service here called 'july provision' which is done by some primary school teachers. You apply if you need it and a teacher will come to your house and do 1-1 with your dc for a couple of hours a day/take them out socially etc.
Ninja, hope the schoolvisits go well- I'm keeping a close eye on yourself and Ellens posts as my DS is same age with AS. Fingers crossed for new OTprovision Ben 10- I'm in same boat (sort of ). Anyway ,enjoy wine etc ladies- will check in again soon!

Well it sounds like everyone has had a good week so far. Unless I've missed anyone - apologies if I have, am very tired and vague tonight.

Odd week here, ds1 was involved in an altercation at school on Monday and ended up punching two boys (first time he's ever hit another child when he wasn't actually defending himself). To be fair he was beyond provoked and the staff clearly understood that. Turns out he was really poorly and had failed to realise or tell anyone, so he's been off for the rest of the week and we've discovered there's more going on than we thought with his health at the moment.

On top of that his teacher let him eat gluten last Friday and then today, his other teacher has done it again! I even sent in gf flour so he could join in the baking, but they mixed up the end products, then hazarded a guess as to which were gf for him to eat! So it looks like we are in for another week of a very run-down poorly little boy. I only let him go back in because they were having a special day, he really wanted to go, but I really wasn't sure he was well enough.

We both went to the hospital for blood tests this morning (family day out to the phlebotomy dept ) and apparently ..... I don't have any! I've always been a bit tight with my blood, but this time they just couldn't get any no matter what they tried, every time they found a vein it promptly collapsed and refused to bleed out. In the end I had both arms and both hands done before finally having to run my hand under a hot tap to bring out the veins. That worked, thank goodness, but I have a whopping bruise and stiff hand to show for it.

I haven't lost much more weight - around a pound and a half, but at least its not going up and that's not bad considering I haven't been able to get out and do some exercise this week.

I even managed to bake and decorate all the cupcakes for the school summer fair without so much as licking a spoon. [virtuous Moose emoticon] More cupcakes to do in the next couple of weeks for teacher/TA/inclusion end of year gifts - so I am going to have to have an awful lot of willpower.

Dh is off to Goodwood Festival of Speed tomorrow, so I'm on my own with the 3 dcs for the summer fare - not happy about that, but bizarrely he has to go, as its a political/internal relations thing to do with work.

evening all.

busy busy here. DH gone away for the weekend on a jolly so I am alone with the DDs (!). although DD1 is off for a sleepover and DD2 wants to saty at grandmas tomorrow so i'm going to get a whole evening off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hurrrah!

i love ikea meatballs. unfortunately nearest one is over an hour away.

Evening everyone. Everyone sounds very cheery indeed tonight.

Moose your blood tests sound horrific! Poor you. And your poor DS, such an important thing for the school to mess up on. Sounds like he had a stressful week.

We have had a fairly awful week. Autism outreach helped us informally pre-diagnosis and suggested I send videos to all the people who are supposed to be helping us - to demonstrate the things im struggling with to ask for specific help. But I think all I did was make myself look like a nutter. Ive now been allocated a family support worker which sounds very f-ing patronising - perhaps someone can tell me if im wrong.

DS had a fab day at the play centre we go to but had so much fun he had a MASSIVE meltdown when we had to go home. First time the staff have seen him kick off. I think it was noted

Up and down like a yo yo at the minute.

Sorted uni - going back in January and going to do voluntary work/hopefully a bit of freelance film/photography stuff til then.

I'm doing a bit of photography for a friend tomorrow, so can hopfeully build contacts from it, but not feeling overly confident about ever getting another industry job.

It'll get better, I hope.

My amazing best friend (who is having a lot of success right now - yay!) says she's got a plan for me, but I might need to be a bit "brave"

She won't tell me any more than that til she gets back from holiday next Saturday...

HELP!

ooh thanks justa - I was very specific. I just googled family support worker and felt slightly annoyed by the descriptions I read. Pleased it is something useful. Yay!

Ah, friend has said she'll tell all when she's been in France for a few days...

What has her being in France got to do with my job prospects?? Apparently, by brave, she means with my skills.

I can do that. :)

Really looking forward to tomorrow, should hopefully make a lot of people very happy :)

Moose, so hope your ds health problems are not too serious- poor lad has had rough week! How are things going with the mad teacher?She is probably responsible for your inability to give blood-she is slowly but surely draining the lifeblood out of you!

Lollipop, are you sure you are on correct board?.

Thanks scartette. I don't have any contact with her now - the SENCO (who is also an assistant head) comes out to speak to me if any contact regarded ds1 is needed - she agreed the teacher's behaviour has been unacceptable and that I'd been very patient and handled it well - huge relief.

Lollipop, all sounds very mysterious and exciting - hope its lifted your mood.

scartette - Lollipop is an adult with Visual Impairment, and has family and friends with disabilities (and a lovely lady and semi-regular poster on the SN threads) [smille]

Morning everyone. Ellen - well done to your DS1. Justa - v glad that not only have you got some help but it's actually useful, hope your fsw is good too Smugtandem.

Moose- I used to have same problem with veins. They used to have to use my wrists instead. But bizarrely I have suddenly developed a good vein on one of my arms after a 2 year drought. SO looked a bit stupid when going through the spiel about needing them to take if from my wrist at my last blood test . Though did get left with a mahoosive bruise...

sounds exciting lollipop, do keep us updated

moose, new senco seems to have got the measure of the teacher, hopefully the one for next year will be better.

Totalchaos, they could feel a vein deep in my right arm, but no blood would come out, then they tried a really obvious vein on my right hand but it just collapsed as soon as they put the needle in and refused to bleed out, same with the left until we tried the hot water trick. I was very relieved at that point, as I think wrists then feet were next in order. Ds2 is exacty the same, took them over half and hour to find his blood a couple of months ago and he was left a bit like a pincushion at the end - poor thing. Ds1 on the other hand, one tiny jab with a needle and the red stuff flows out beautifully - obviously takes after his father.

Thanks Ninja. I am very impressed with the new SENCO so far. Am feeling more optimistic about next year now, although still haven't met and don't know anything about his new teacher.

I am in a good mood today, despite dh abandoning me to the school summer fair with 3 dcs (he has free tickets to the Festival of Speed at Goodwood). Weighed myself first thing and I've lost another two pounds, so thats 11 down since 16 June. Mind you, still have 41 to go.

well done moose! v impressed, lost bugger all this week, but then have been very naughty, so just glad not to have put on!

So sorry Lollipop for the error-am new to this and genuinly thought you had accidently joined wrong board. Thanks Totalchaos for putting me straight.

scartette Don't worry about it. I'm sure Lollipop won't mind. I agree that if you didn't know her, her two posts must have seemed like she was aiming for a different board entirely as they mentioned uni and nothing whatsoever about SN, but I suppose that was because it was the 'Friday night chat' which was started for us to get to know each other so you may get posts about pets or holidays or whatever, not just SEN stuff.

Thanks Star. Hope its ok to have 'butted' my way into this Friday chat thingamabob. I presumed it was open to anyone.

Oh, it is open to anyone, Scartette. I've only been on MN this year, people really try to welcome you. It's so nice to be able to share things about our lives when so few really understand in RL. And I've learnt loads, also. Have you found our support thread for secondary transfer in SN education? It's not that busy over there but there's lots of info and ideas on it. Link here Please come back next Friday!

Scartette, you're fine. Stop worrying.

As Ellen said, everyone is welcome both on the board in general and on the Friday night thread. Friday nights are just a bit less formal, a way for us to either sound off about having had a crappy week or just chilll out and take the weight of our sling-backs for an evening.

I haven't been around all that long myself - I'm just a motormouth that bustled along, wedged me feet under the table and opened a bottle!