As there was no Friday night thread - can I sneak in a Sat Night thread....

[hazeyjane]

....unless you are all out clubbing and having wild social lives.

I, on the other hand have an evening planned of trying to fill out DLA renewal forms, and prepare for statementing meeting next week, whilst dh watches the rugby he has recorded.

This thread could just save me from having to actually do the above...

Lol at us being out clubbing hazey.

I have just finished wading through my paperwork for my key worker children at work, it was a bit of a challenge

We have had a lovely chilled week with a few lazy mornings, although having just realised how much crap Dd3 has eaten out of the cupboards this week before I have been up, I think I need to stop having lie ins
I have had years of getting up at the crack of sparrow fart but it looks like its either back to that or locks on the cupboard doors

Hi, I'm in. Stupidly I chose this aft to wash all the bedding so fun time for me making up beds before I convince my kids to get in them. Have convince OH to bring me Chinese food on account of e being a grumpy cow and too tired to cook. Disappointing telly tonight though I might watch let's dance for comic relief. DLA form is a killer. Going through statement process too and visiting schools next week. Having a bit of an 'its so unfair' moment but think its TOM blues! Tmi

Hi Hazeyjane - don't envy you, we're just finished both DLA renewal & statement process, good luck!

If it helps, I'm currently lying on the sofa with a banging headache, watching DD spin in circles with excitement having just got back from her first 'real' birthday party - she's been to other parties before, but this one she was invited because she was this boy's best friend. I'm ridiculously pleased that this NT boy invited her, as there were only 6 kids from the nursery invited

Aaahhh proud how sweet. Glad she enjoyed herself. Sorry about the headache though.

Ouch to the headache. So glad your dd had a good time at party, I think your dd is a similar age to ds, was the statement for preschool?

I am jealous of chinese takeaway, limbolil, dh vaguely mentioned something about making me a fried egg sandwich, (a favourite comfort food!), I am a lucky lady.

I am finding the dla form a lot harder this time round.

Clubbing... exactly... how on Earth did you guess?

I considered starting one yesterday, but with the time difference, I figured you would all be drooling on your pillows by then, or at least wishing you were.

This week has been challenging - next week will be worse.

I need a and a bed - neither of which will happen for hours.

The headache is getting better now DD has finally gone to sleep, I discovered today that she's an expert drummer!

DD is nearly 3, the statement is for now, as she needs 1-1 care to keep her safe & help her communicate in mainstream pre-school.

hope everyone is well soon and good luck with the DLA and SA forms

I'm here. Tired today. DD1 has been very challenging - probably fall-out from yesterday's excitement.

I'm here. Had quite a nice, relaxing half term actually, bar the night shifts.

Been at work today, had takeaway. Now settling down to cr*p telly. Clubbing.......... Indeed!

Lol at the comment about crap food and lie ins. Been a bit the same here, haven't seen the lid to the biccie tin in days. Surely we're allowed to let things go to pot for a week? Chinese was great and now the kids are finally asleep I am necking Diet Coke and chocolate buttons with raisins. Not good is it?!

Oh dear, falling asleep watching Terminator film, after eating too much Milka Daim bar - days of clubbing seem a long time ago!

We're having a quiet night - haven't even got the TV on.

Such a shame the neighbours are getting pissed and have the TV on loud in the front room and their 16yo daughter and her friends are playing loud music in the back. And no doubt her friends are chucking tab ends all over the place. At least they've stopped chucking them in our yard for the kids to pick up, after we chucked a load back, but they still just lob them onto the path outside our gate

I have and [Harry's Nuts] though, so life's not all that bad.

Our biscuit tin got shoved on top of the kitchen cupboards on Thursday, btw. DS1 was getting a bit obsessive and insistent about having exactly two rich tea biscuits as often as he liked.

Last weekend was lovely and chilled, with him at my parents'. Since he got back it's been continually Festivus, though. We really ought to invest in the customary aluminium pole and have it installed as a permanent fixture, since he's been informing us in detail of all the failings of our house, our village, our usual supermarkets and, in particular, his bother, who he has decided does not have a name, cannot speak at all, can't hear, can't see and can't do anything and really shouldn't exist :( Most irksome to DS1 is the way DS2 plays his games on his leapster. HE PLAYS THEM WRONG!

DS2 has developed a hair raising and saving bloodcurdling scream which alerts me when DS1 goes within 5' of his leapster. Which is quite often. It's hair saving because DS1 is rather fond of pulling out handfuls of DS2's hair when he gets half a chance.

Brotherly love

I love Mika Daim too hazeyjane! Strictly speaking I have given up chocolate for Lent but I have made an exception to eat some of DD's homemade chocolate birthday cake and it tastes so good after ,well, 10 days of deprivation. I may have had a few of the party bag chocs too...

DD turns 8 on Monday. As she has selective mutism (and is being assessed for ASD) home parties tend to work best - more chance that she will speak a bit. We only got a little bit of spontaneous speech today _ I made the mistake of asking what colour she wanted her team to be and she couldn't answer and got upset. (Later she explained she didn't want to be in a team...) DD didn't mind her guests singing Happy Birthday to her, but she didn't manage to blow out her candles - too much focus on her. I rescued that one OK asking 2 friends to 'help' her.

It was DS3,10, diagnosed with HFA last November who really struggled with the party. He wanted to be in charge and just got cross and frustrated when DD's friends wouldn't be quiet and listen to him. He also got agitated if they weren't playing the games 'properly'. Have to confess that although he stomped off upstairs before tea it was so hectic I didn't even notice.

I had a callback session with IPSEA last week - I need to push the School into properly reviewing the support they are giving DD. I also need to fill in the form saying I do want (!) to appeal in person at the tribunal against their refusal to award DS3 any DLA.

Then there is also DS2 who is 18 with HFA. We are waiting for the tribunal decision on our case against his school for disability discrimination. We are now 4 weeks from when we made a final written submission as did the school. DS3 got a assessment report from adult mental services - he has been referred to the short term intervention team for a medication review and psychological help. I need to forward the report to his first choice uni - DS2 suffers badly from anxiety not helped by now having a conditional offer. In theory the grades are within his grasp but he often underperforms spectacularly in exams - as he probably did last month. Results will be out in a fortnight.

Then on Friday I will find out DS3's secondary school. I'm expecting to get our first choice - we are in the usual catchment area. DS3 is not going to DS2's school needless to say... Though that has been hard for DS to accept - it is a super selective grammar, he is academically able and he would have liked to follow his brothers there. Luckily, we are in catchment for a very good comprehensive and I am hoping that the SEN support lives up to what I've heard.

Wow pannetone, busy times. IPSEA are fab. I found one phone call with them enough to change the attitude of my son's school toward me.

zzzz what a fantastic idea, a kind of pause button for kids! I am dreading Monday too. Half term has been pretty fab really. I struggle a bit with the sadness of what we would be doing (out and about a lot) opposed to the reality of what we do (home a lot!) but everyone has been quite relaxed and we have had friends over. It's fine for one week and my little ASD man is always happy at home, he doesn't seem to struggle with not being at school. Where he and school are concerned I have that feeling that you get when you are leaving a job and being nice to the colleagues you don't like for just 4 more weeks seems like an impossible task lol! I have to keep a good relationship with his school but in my heart, I think he will be moving and I wish we could fast forward to the time when it's already happened. My older child is happy at same school and has 3 years left so my involvement will continue with them for a long time yet. Are you looking for new schools for your older ones zzzz? It is your youngest you home ed?

ouryve, yes we are going cold turkey on biscuits once back on term! My little man has to have two at a time. Also, the biscuit has to be perfect in every way. If there is a the slightest chip missing, he rejects it lol. Still have flashbacks of driving home from hols last year (well hub was driving) inspecting custard creams for flaws to avoid a motorway meltdown

zzzzz,I am the same with housework, I have weird blindspots about paper piles. We also have several boxes of unpacked stuff that have been moved around the country!

I am an idiot! Dd1 has just informed me it is a TD day at school tomorrow, which is a nightmare, as we have a learning disability nurse coming to ds's nursery to observe him in the setting. There isn't enough room in the transports car to take the girls as well. Then in the afternoon, we have an appointment with the chest specialist and community nurses to discuss the possibilty of ds needing cpap at night and a ct scan on his lung, I really don't want the girls there as it is quit a big appointment.

How did I manage to miss a TD day.....organisational skills, why have you failed me?!!

Some of these posts take me back. I promise it can get better. Ds will now accept biscuits etc that are not absolutely perfect. And he is quite good at negotiating how games should be played though nowadays it is computer games with his friends on Skype.
Half term has been quite laid back on the whole. Dd had followup appointment with the paediatrician. He admitted that he didn't know what was going on with her joints ( I always admire a doctor who can admit he doesn't know). She is to continue with hydrotherapy/painkillers, see a psychologist for pain management strategies and if no improvement in 3 months will be referred to a specialist paediatric rheumatologist. I'm not sure about the psychologist; my experience of CAMHS has been very mixed. He assured me it was someone he knew and had referred patients with similar problems to before. As far as pain management goes Dd told me that she uses the same strategies as the hearing therapist had taught her to manage her tinnitus. She did this completely off her own bat - I didn't know about it and hadn't thought of suggesting it.