Tuesday 28 June 2011

Taking a breath

Sue had a nice mini-break in Portugal on the weekend which left Emily and I to our own devices. Father - daughter bonding or father utter frustration at child?

Well, it was a mix of both. 

We went to an engagement "party" at a pub on Sunday and I spent the entire time chasing Emily and making sure she didn't get up to mischief of one kind or another... and she did. She constantly walked straight out the front door like she knew what she was doing. 

It was quite a relaxing feeling leaving really, as I knew she couldn't BUDGE from her car seat the whole way home. 

We're also TRYING to sort out this dreaded potty training. Trouble is she just won't tell us when  she needs to go - we have to almost be clairvoyant, judging her facial expressions and body language correctly.

Tonight she was doubled over, so I knew a brown loaf was brewing. Sitting her NEAR the potty elicited the usual squeaks and squawks she lets out when she doesn't want to do something. Moments later, her back end smelled worse than Wallington Asda (which is next to a sewage treatment plant and generally smells of it).

Speaking of Asda, we had some father - daughter bonding time there this evening, in between bouts of father CHASING daughter time. Sometimes I think I'm too old to be a father. 

Anyway, in between picking out loaves of bread and bags of peppers, Emily decided she wanted to do "whizzies", which is basically me holding her in my arms and spinning around. She looked right into my eyes (a good thing, from our speech and language therapy lessons) and said "one, two, three" at which point I spin us both around. This was met by bit smiles and laughter. Rinse and repeat about 10 times. 

When I put her down, she then proceeded to try and do "Ring a Ring a Rosie". Are there less subtle ways for a child to tell a parent they're ready to leave? I don't think so.

Tuesday 14 June 2011

Emily and her Doors

Emily had this obsession for ages that doors and drawers need to be closed.

It came to a head a couple of time, when Emily couldn't close doors for one reason or another and proceeded to break down.

While we were on holiday in France last October she actually went out of her way to close doors as well. She'd be in the throws of having a book read to her, drink in one hand biscuit in t'other and then, out of the corner of her eye, she'd spy the door leading into the hallway was OPEN!

Quick as you like, the story and snack were quickly forgotten in order to save the sanctity of the closed door.

Lately, apart from ensuring all drawers are closed - sometimes while Sue or I are still rummaging in them - her anal desire to have EVERY door closed had abated.

In the last week or so it seems to have reared it's ugly head and Emily can't properly relax until the two doors in the living room are closed (or as closed as they can be). Any attempt to maintain their openness results in Emily breaking whatever activity she's engaged in - usually reading or jumping up and down to a Peppa Pig DVD - and ensuring the sanctity of the closed door.

With summer here, we're trying to maintain as much through breeze as possible and Emily's OCD door issues are really ensuring that the living room is breeze free. Thanks OCD, thanks a lot.

Monday 13 June 2011

Potty training

Having spent a few weekends attempting to get Emily potty trained - to rather disappointingly wet results - this weekend we decided to give it another go.

Albert Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If that's true, Sue and I were completely off our mental rocker this weekend.

However, it paid dividends. Whenever Emily looked the slightest bit perturbed "down there" we raced off to put her on her potty. FOUR times this weekend we were rewarded with a pot full of brown "reward" which we then had to duly dispose of.

It's funny, with potty training - either result is a disappointment. If they don't do anything, you're sad; if they do something, you have to clean it up and you're sad.

The funny thing now is that we were changing Emily's nappy when it reeked. With her business now being disposed of the proper way, her nappies are getting a lot heavier with wee as we can't really gauge, through smell, the best times to change her.

Oh and we need to train her to do number ones in the potty too. This whole training thing really sucks.


Enhanced by Zemanta

Wednesday 8 June 2011

Emily got into Dragonflies

Today was the day the decision team decided who was getting into Dragonflies and who wasn't.

From everything we've heard, seen and been told Emily would SERIOUSLY benefit from attending the school. Daily and weekly therapies and just an overall approach that benefits children who have disabilities.

It got to the point where we were becoming despondent thing about what would happen if she DIDN'T get in. There was a Plan B, but in the grand scheme of things it was more like a Plan R.

Thankfully, Sue called me this evening, slightly choked up, to give me the news.

Emily will be attending Dragonflies at Thomas Wall School, named after the sausage and ice cream magnate.

Needless to say, Sue and I are massively relieved and I may even crack open a beer to celebrate.

Saturday 4 June 2011

Toilet training - the forceful way

We've got a pretty slow weekend planned, so it was decided that we'd do some forceful toilet training with Emily.

We've put her on her potty with no nappy on and let her read books on going to the loo (loo, loo).

She's also wearing cotton kecks, so if she does ANY sort of business, she's going to feel it and be uncomfortable.

Well, as predictable as Emily is. She managed to do her first movement and it was a brown, sloppy, wet one. It's the kind of result that makes you want to stick to nappies indefinitely.

It's all cleaned up and she's in a further pair of cotton kecks, but we're careful not to let her near the carpet or anything upholstered. Thankfully, it's mercilessly hot day outside so we can live in the backyard without feeling like we're weather torturing the poor child.

More business news as it unfolds... or more likely "seeps" or "dribbles".


Enhanced by Zemanta