Category: Parenting

Parenting

Caught in the act …..

Mummy Is My Favourite Word

This child drives me insane but makes me smile so much my heart could burst. He is so damn naughty and cheeky, but his determination will make him go far, when hopefully channeled in the right direction.

So for his ADHD / Sensory Processing Disorder I try to keep Grayson as sugar free as possible. We are as you know on our clean eating journey, I’ll post more about that later, and he is mostly taking to it quite well. He eats all the meals I prepare, and I have no naughty snacks in the house, just healthy ones.

So yesterday I go into the kitchen and find this …………

Like seriously, this one never misses a window of opportunity! There again neither did photo addict mummy, I grabbed my phone from the counter top and took a photo whilst telling him off and trying not to smile!

The hot chocolate powder is now safely in the bin, so no doubt he will sniff out something else today! I could pimp him out as a sniffer dog, he has an incredible sense of smell.

This mummying is relentless, I cannot turn your back for a second.

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Parenting

Let the clean eating commence

Mummy Is My Favourite Word

I have for a while now planned on getting Grayson eating clean, and also if possible the rest of us too.  I want him to be sugar free, additive free, preservative free, basically crap free.  I’m hopeful that this might help with his adhd, maybe I am overly hopeful but its worth a try.  Plus its healthier, and if I eat clean too and it makes me feel happier and healthier, then I might be able to find him less stressful.  Here’s hoping!

So every great (and probably failed) diet starts on a Monday right, so did ours.  Nigella I’m not, I’m not a great cook, I’m pretty rubbish in the kitchen to be fair, so this will be a learning curve for me, but one I hope I enjoy.  There already seems to be a lot of ‘hope’ resting on this diet change.

Today I decided to start with lunch.  I chose a few recipes over the weekend which the lovely Ocado man delivered all the ingredients for yesterday. Today’s choice was Carnival Curry and Sunshine Rice from the Ella’s Kitchen Easy Family Cookbook.  To be honest there was nothing remotely technical about making it.  I was pleasantly surprised and was snapping pics as I went with the plan of sharing them on here.  I suddenly realised how automatically I style my photos so they are social media ready.  I looked down at Ruby sitting on the kitchen floor scoffing the remains of a bag of crisps that she had helped herself too out of the pantry – she is clearly protesting this clean eating – and took a pic of her.  I looked down at Hallie screaming in her chair also in the Kitchen with us and took a pic of her too.  So here are my social media ready pics and my honest (harsh) reality pics.  There really is a social media life and then there is real life, right?!

The Instagramable Pics ….

Prep all going well so far

 

The Reality Pics ….

 

All certainly was not calm in my kitchen.  Managed to distract Grayson with YouTube though so that helped a little.

Lunch was ready, and this is how Ruby rewarded me for slaving away making them a nice lunch

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yes she rolled it around the table with her juice cup!  Grayson tucked in fortunately and ate most of his, BUT managed to spill over two full juice cups all over the table and the floor.

Can’t win them all I guess.  They are at Nanny’s for tea, whilst I take Hallie to the theatre, so over to her.  I’ll have another go tomorrow and see how that goes.

Any clean eating tips will be gratefully received as will quick, easy and tasty recipes.

 

Family, Love, Parenting

Love

Mummy Is My Favourite Word

Today is Pride Day, and I’ve been looking at photos all over social media and smiling.  Smiling at the smiles, smiling at the happiness, the colours, the ‘**** you’ nature of the banners & posters being held, smiling at the joy, the unity, the equality. Life should be like this always,  it’s shiny and happy and rainbow coloured. We all need more love and happiness in our lives.

It breaks my heart to think of predjuduce and inequality. What right do we have to judge who somebody loves? Love is a good thing, love wins, so who the heck cares who it’s with. In a world full of torment, hatred, war, we need more love. Our children need love, our elderly neighbours need love, the homeless guy on the corner needs love, gosh even the in laws need love! Love is what keeps us together, it’s what helps us through the tough times and floats us through the good times. It should be what makes the world go around, although I think it could do with a little more right now.

Grayson’s friend has two daddy’s, who are amazing. I just wish that everyone saw it the way a three year old boy does. He just accepts that his friend has two daddy’s and he knows that some children have two mummy’s, some have a mummy & a daddy like he does, others have maybe just a mummy, or just a daddy. He does not question, he just accepts and this is truly beautiful. We need to be bringing our children up with love and acceptance and not with bitterness and prejudice. They are our future.

I pray that everyone has a joyous and safe Pride, and that the love flows.

 

Day Out, Family, Health, Parenting, Wildlife & Nature

Mummy wants a puppy!

Mummy Is My Favourite Word

So today Dan decided to take us to Wood Green Animal Rescue Centre in Godmanchester.  What a great place to visit. It’s 52 acres for a start, so huge, and is apparently one of the largest rehoming centres in Europe, which makes it pretty special in my eyes.

We strolled along the animal trail, reading all the facts and sign boards to Grayson. He adores animals and likes to know everything! He asks so many questions! The signboards around the trail were great as they had answers for him too.

We went to see the dogs, but unfortunately for us, fortunately for the dogs they have restricted viewing access to people who are serious about rehoming only.  So we were only able to view dogs that were either being walked, or who were outSide in the ‘play’ area behind their kennels.  I would love a puppy for Grayson, as a therapy dog.  I think it would be very calming for him.  D is not so keen, but I went on and on!  Let’s just say I am working on it 😂. I miss my dogs, I had two when I lived in South Africa and I really do miss them.  I never saw myself as a doggy kinda person until I had two.  I think we shall be back at Wood Green potentially in the near future to view some puppy’s, well fingers crossed anyway.

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Fight for Charlie, Health, Occupational Therapy, Parenting

First OT session ………

Mummy Is My Favourite Word

So we did it, we survived Grayson’s first OT session!  It was pretty uneventful.  Gray and I drove into town, parked around the Outer Circle of Regents Park and walked, yes walked to the clinic.  Grayson was reasonably cooperative and amused himself looking at builders along the way, as well as peering down at he basements of the offices / houses we past.  He loves the book Funnybones where the skeletons live in the cellar, so he was on the look out for skeletons!  A quick dash into Natural Kitchen for a healthy lunch and we were on our way – ok ok  after I had had to leave the queue twice to find the little monkey who had run off around the shop / cafe.  One blip is allowed right?!

Grayson met his OT Nancy and off they went to ‘play’ leaving me with two other mummy’s, both of whom were over with their children from Moscow for an intensive therapy week.  It seems the clinic has lots of international children receiving treatment.  I dread to think how much that all costs, but it makes me feel even happier with our choice.

The 45 minutes passed almost two quickly, I wasted too much time on Instagram and not enough time doing the admin I had planned on doing.  I was invited in to see what Grayson had been up to.  He had been having a blast, throwing himself around an obstacle course, and bouncing on a mini trampoline.  All great stimulation for his vestibular system, but I immediately thought it was going to be a quiet drive home, he would be exhausted.  He really settled in well, and seemed like he had been going for years, I adore that about him, how he just waltzes in like he owns the place and says hello. No homework this week, so they have eased us in gently, but I need to re read the report and understand whats going on more.  We are all on such a learning curve at the start of this new journey.

It was a bit more of a struggle to walk back to the car, more due to sheer exhaustion than anything else I suspect.  I did a lot of carrying, bribing and encouraging, and we got there without too much drama.  Within about ten minutes he was snoozing blissfully, good old Classic FM and the line ‘Mummy wants some quiet time’ does it every single time!  I am so proud of my little bean, he did so well today.  Hopeful, but not delusional that next week will be as easy.

Bedtime however tonight, oh my goodness was tough.  It went on for two hours. Lots of tired tears later, from us both, he finally nodded off and I snuck away downstairs.  I was getting so frustrated but having read about Baby Charlie’s family loosing their court battle with Great Ormond Street today I felt awful grumbling that my  darling boy would not go to sleep, I just lay there crying for them, and holding him close.  I am so so blessed to be able to tuck him and Ruby up every night and to hold them close.  I cannot even begin to imagine what Charlie’s poor family are going through tonight.

Health, Occupational Therapy, Parenting, sensory processing disorder

Assessment Day

Mummy Is My Favourite Word

The day has arrived, Grayson was assessed today for Sensory Processing Disorder.  Finally I feel like I am moving forward in this journey, perhaps to a destination now and not just around and around in circles being told I am either making it up, exaggerating, my son is naughty, or that their might perhaps be something wrong.  He is a sweet boy and I have known that something does not add up for a good year or so now.

The clinic we were recommended in Central London, has great feedback, and I trust the OT who recommended it completely, she is a friend of my sisters and is also a specialist in Sensory Processing Disorder, just unfortunately has moved back to SA.

Within five minutes of being with the occupational therapist she told me he is a text book case.  The relief was immense. I left them to it, the session was meant to be just the two of them, no mummy involvement although I would have loved to have been able to spy.  The session was a two hour play based assessment.  I popped for a take away cuppa and came back to the clinic to try and relax whilst impatiently waiting.  Grayson seemed to have a great time, he loved his therapist and assessor and seemed to respond greatly to her.  He is such a sociable little boy, such a chatterbox (hmmmmm I wonder who he gets that from!) I am so blessed that he is like that. I love his personality, even if he does drive me bonkers and is such hard work.

So now the next part of the wait begins, we have to wait two weeks for the parent meeting to discuss the assessment.  It is going to be a long two weeks, I just want to get on with helping him now and helming us all.  Its hard having a child with additional needs, with no guidance or support.  It puts pressure on us all. God knows my relationship is in tatters.

Health, Parenting

Blood Tests

Mummy Is My Favourite Word

So today Grayson had to go for more blood tests following our consultant visit a couple of weeks ago.  I never highlight the fact we are going for tests, just that we are going to the hospital where the big play room is.  He runs happily all the way from the carpark, pulling me along the corridors, pretty much running into everyone until we reach the Children Day Unit.  He knows the whole way, and typically, the hospital, like most, is like a rabbit warren.  He charges past the reception desk, saying ‘I’m here’ before dashing straight through to the huge play room that connects the Day Unit with the Children’s ward.  There the fun begins, he goes from toy to toy, not knowing what to do first.  I check us in at the desk and the play specialist follows me to find him amongst the toys so we can get the ‘magic’ cream on his hands ready for the blood tests.  Despite knowing this does not hurt, he always gets a bit tetchy about having the cream on his hands, and always tries just the once to rub it off.  The more I see his funny little ways, the more I wonder what are caused by perhaps a sensory disorder and what are just him being a pickle.  Cream on both hands successfully, Grayson continues to play.  He chats to everyone in the play room, even the fish!

Roll the clocks forward forty minutes and we are ready for the tests.  Grayson at this stage is bossing the lovely Play Specialist around, dragging her from place to place, demanding she joins in with his games. She is truly fabulous and he is at complete ease with her.  He happily goes into the side room with her and clambers onto her lap so he can get onto the iPad.  Technology in these situations is a lifesaver.  One arm draped around her back, cleverly caught by the Dr and iPad firmly clutched in the other he gets engrossed in whatever he is watching.  He has no clue whatsoever that enough blood has been taken for seven test bottles, or that a needle has gone into him.  He does not even flinch.

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I am so grateful to the wonderful Paediatrics team at Lister, they are truly wonderful.  The care and compassion they show, even for something as mundane as a blood test is amazing.

ADHD, Dyspraxia, Health, Parenting, Uncategorized

My special little man

Mummy Is My Favourite Word

So Grayson might have Dyspraxia, and possibly ADHD. These are the initial thoughts of my sister who is qualified as a SENCO in school.  Preschool have already confirmed they have concerns, well at least they confirmed this when I raised my concerns.  Having that conversation was massively hard, part of me was so relieved that they were seeing what I was seeing and part of me was devastated. I’ve had a week to get my head around this, and now I’m all about getting support, a diagnosis, or not, and moving forward on this journey.   Thankfully Katie can do the same assessments that the SENCO at the preschool will be doing, so I feel we are slightly ahead of the game in that aspect.  This means I can endlessly google, read anything and everything and add even more to my Pinterest boards!  Probably will also worry myself silly, but hey at least I feel like I am making some progress.  next step is to have the SENCO come into his pre school setting and then refer us on.  The other route is the medical route, so I have made an appointment to see the Health Visitor to get this ball rolling too.  Hopefully we will then get referred to the paediatric team.  It seems its a long winded process whichever route you take so its a case of having fingers in a  lot of pies.  There is also the option of a private route, so I am investigating that too.  I just cannot stand the thought of potentially a two year process, when we could be moving forward and getting him help and support now.

For now I just have to take a deep breath and stay calm when we have a melt down, or run out of M&S directly into the carpark – yes that happened today, and all the other things that happen daily.  Its so hard to know what is direct naughtiness and what is not entirely his fault.  This is going to take some getting used to, and I cannot wait to learn some techniques to help me deal with the behaviours and struggles that he seems to have.  He is such a bright little button, and is so funny and loving.  He is my perfect little man, just maybe with some differences from other children, thats all.  I love him to bits, he truly makes my heart melt, ok he makes my blood boil at times and frustrates me like crazy, but thats all part of being a mummy I think.  We’ll get through this in our own way, we’ll figure it all out and find a way, I know we will.  It just all feels a little unknown and raw at the moment.  My heart hurts.