The Goose and Carrot July Edition

[Lougle]

All welcome, and everything disappears after 90 days.

Vaccinations tomorrow, even if it doesn’t happen this time, i’m thrilled that it’s a possibility. Results are also tomorrow. I asked for vaccinations one at a time and they were very supportive. I get my knickers in such a twist in case I’m making extra work or inconvenience for people.

Cleaned DSs bathroom and found the Oxford University business school polo shirt he's been wearing. Several ice cream tubs as well. DH and I moved the two mini beach huts we painted into place and filled them both with things from the shed to help empty it pre demolition on Friday. I also cleared lots of leaves. I also cleared out downstairs fridge and could see what DS had eaten and not eaten during time away. Things eaten included gammon, lots of fruits, macaroons, ice cream, kinder Bueno, not the veg, not eaten included the chicken, garlic bread and fish, there was masses of food to see what he would take. He was using flannel and towels I bought him.

Hope vaccines go well @TheGoodCat

Does he heat stuff up @Tulipandmagnolia ?

Back home today after probably seeing my mum for the last time, of course it hasn't sunk in yet.
DD went to a holiday club, mega disorganised which we guessed would happen and she was quite anxious but came home having made some loom bands and a friend "but I don't know her name"

Sorry about your Mum @drspouse

Yes he cooks sausages in a frying pan at night sometimes, he cooks chicken Kiev in the oven, does hot chocolate in the microwave, he used to boil hot dogs and make cheese toasties though hasn't done those for a year or so. That sort of thing. We leave things partly to see what he can do. DD was impressed he could cut a whole pineapple. I'm more impressed he can eat a whole pineapple in one go.

DH is currently clearing the lane part which isn't ours but noone seems to own, better to have it cleared so shed can be taken out that way and not via garden. I have been clearing cat fluff, think I have made a small cat from time we were away.

@Tulipandmagnolia - clearing cat fluff is a never ending Herculean task! Still, marginally better than clearing up sicked up fur balls!

@Tulipandmagnolia fantastic that DS uses hub, oven and microwave. Good luck with the shed dismantling.

@drspouse that is so very sad. Take care of yourself.

Absolute bumper of a day. I am thinking of declaring 21 July as an annual family day of celebration as it’s been so good. 3 vaccinations done and 2 distinctions for first 2 OU modules.

TheGoodCat great news! Congratulations to DD and well done on the vaccinations too.

@TheGoodCat Congratulations to DD, and on getting all the vaccinations done in one day!

@TheGoodCat I'm not sure which to give the biggest whoop to! Such achievements (for you both).

It is when you have a Maine Coon boy @LathkillDale I was also grooming him the other day and putting the fluff down and then noticed he was trying to eat the fluff 🤔He's very happy we washed and changed the duvet cover today and then he came on the bed rolled over in happiness and fell off. Not the most intelligent of animals.

That's amazing @TheGoodCat Well done to DD and you.

Had a very productive day and got all the house hoovered so cat fluff free, took an hour then DH and I went to the garden and I cleared almost all the shed and cleaned everything and sorted through it. Threw out some of it, some of it went in mini sheds. There's just DS things now, a couple of tiny chairs, a couple of toolsets of DHs and an apple grabber so will be quick to sort rest. We also cleared leaves and were out there 3.5 hours in total and garden is pretty much done so is house. Discovered another sheet in shed with a code written on by DS and a pencil. I also explained to DS about the neighbour had a dead tree which needs to come down as it could fall and injure / kill someone and its by our shed so we have to take our shed down on Friday and then the tree goes early August and then after we will get a new shed. He was quite calm.

We are chatting to 4 of the neighbours now with all the plans. The man with the dead tree e-mails me and is friendly. Our next door neighbour on one side messaged to say she was fine with our shed application and I messaged her back. It turns out she used to work in Chengdu as a professor in the 1980s. She also warned about a sparrow hawk which had killed 2 birds in her garden and could attack our silkies so we put them in the coop apart from when we are out. Then two more neighbours chatting about the tree, the shed and one wants to put a sauna in, he's new and apparently its his mistress not his wife. No secrets in this village. 😂DS took a bath and ate all the ice cream whilst we were gardening, does love his ice cream.

Thank you its great to share good news.

@Tulipandmagnolia the shed tales are turning into an episode of Rivals, mistresses and saunas, I predict a handsome stranger galloping into the village any time soon.

The man and his mistress are both very good looking but the wife and kids live in the village and I anticipate his sauna plans for his front garden may get a lot of comments in the village. He's in a listed house in a conservation area so will need permission. Its like Housewives of London/The Only Way is Essex has arrived in Inspector Morse/Agatha Christie.

Hope you can get someone else @Lougle

The tree thing was also a hot topic. One of our neighbours said he noticed 3 years ago that tree was dead and he apparently told a 5th neighbour whose house it could fall on he needed to tell the dead tree owner neighbour but obviously neither of them said. Now they are happy we said and its coming down.

Another two colleges have said no. It's amazing when you've spent the last 20 years being told that your child's 'not that bad', then you get to this end of their education and everyone says 'we're not specialist enough for her'.

12 years being told she wasn't showing features of ASD, then diagnosed and the same clinician that said she didn't show features of ASD, on hearing of her diagnosis, writes 'presents as an autistic young woman' in his clinic letter.

Now, I'm being told that nobody has realised how autistic she is...

It's a mind bender, for sure.

That's frustrating @Lougle

DH has unblocked the sink the kids blocked whilst we were on holiday and I've deep cleaned it. Its so great to have DH available all the time so much more can get done. Going to clear rest of lane later today for the shed clearance access.

@TheGoodCat that’s great news.

@Lougle that’s tough.

DS1 is in hospital quite unwell. He’s been there since the early hours of Tuesday morning. I have come home for a bit. It’s a busy week so not brilliant timing. DS’s care package remains in place this time though after the ICB conceded on that.

@inthequietofdawn I was thinking of you earlier and had a feeling that he wasn't well. Fantastic that the ICB have seen sense. Are they getting on top of it yet? It must be a combination of intensely worrying yet boringly familiar, all rolled into one.

@Lougle - sorry to hear that. There always comes the day, when someone in authority recognises that you, the parent were right all along. It’s a pity, it takes so long. 🥹

@inthequietofdawn - sorry to hear that. It’s always an anxious and exhausting time! (DD1 had to be taken to A & E on Monday, and it was an anxious wait).

@LathkillDale I’m sorry DD1 was in A&E on Monday. I hope she is OK.

@Lougle they are still trying to figure out exactly what is wrong, which is very familiar. DS is stable and when I left he was making sure everyone in earshot knew how unhappy he was, which is much better than he was in the early hours of Tuesday morning when he was unresponsive. He is on critical care at the moment. All being well, he should be heading to the ward tomorrow. This is his third admission to critical care in the last 10 months. Albeit one was planned following an elective operation. With the critical care outreach team seeing him on the ward another time during those 10 months. Worrying in itself, but I know each admission sets him back developmentally, too.

@inthequietofdawn Sorry DS1 is in hospital and very ill.

Sorry DD1 need to go to A&E @LathkillDale

We now have almost no water and the water company are about as useful as an LA for an EHCP saying it'll be internal yet quite a few people here have the same. The water company reckon no issues in the area, on village FB says there's a leaking pipe in one of the roads. Thankfully managed to get a cup of soap and water.

DH is now doing the lane and hopefully will finish clearing it for the shed removal today. Almost zero rain for a month here. Hoping the tiny bit predicted on Saturday comes.

@LathkillDale sorry DD was in A&E on Monday - it's a very stressful environment. I hope she's improving.

@inthequietofdawn a big cheer that he's feeling well enough to make his displeasure known. 3 times in 10 months is a lot to bear. It's not easy when there are no clear answers, either.

@drspouse water issues are awful. We were without a shower for the last 10 days. Each person who came said 'oh I can't do anything with that....' Eventually, yesterday, they agreed to just replace it and deal with the faulty one once it was off the wall.

@inthequietofdawn what a blow. DS1 is a gosling who is often in my thoughts as I look at the weather forecast daily and think about him and my DD and the temperature. I wish him well soon and hope there is not a big cost to his development.

@LathkillDale is DD out of hospital now?

lougle how intensely frustrating for you re DD1's college. And 10 days without a shower is also quite a thing to negotiate.

inthequietofdawn I am sorry to hear about DS1. I hope he is out soon and doesn't have too many long term consequences.

LathkillDale I hope DD1 is making a good recovery.

Tulipandmagnolia I hope you get the water situation resolved soon.

Although we have had nothing like the heat those of you further south have had it has been quite hot for us here the last few days. DS struggled to get up yesterday morning and eventually went to work 2 and half hours late. I think it is a combination of the heat, increased hayfever and rehearsing for a fringe show. I think the show is really too much for him on top of work but don't want to cramp his style.

Thank you to you all. DD1 had had a drop attack at the care home, a week last Friday - bruising on the ribs. We had her home last week, and she was begging us to help her - but we told her, even if she had an x ray and it was a broken rib, there is nothing doctors could do. However, when we took her back on Sunday, she was worse - crying she had stomach ache. We didn’t know what that was?

They took her to A & E on Monday; hence the anxious long wait for us. They found she had a fracture in her 8th rib - which can cause stomach ache as referred pain. Still, she persuaded the care staff, she needed a McDonalds after the long wait. For someone with complex disabilities, she can usually get what she wants in any situation!

While it was a relief, it was nothing serious, we both know how painful it is for weeks; and we feel sorry for her, in pain again.

I was also distracted on Monday, by reading through DS’ appeal letter to the tribunal - over the refusal to assess DGD.

@inthequietofdawn - sorry to read this will set back DS developmentally. It’s always depressing, isn’t it?