Christmas

Me and Princess Lollipop were talking about Christmas today, and I introduced the concept of being good because Father Christmas would know, and he only brings presents to good girls and boys.  This is how our conversation went:

Princess Lollipop "How does he know?"
Me "Magic"
Princess Lollipop "OK.  I'll be good then.  I'm always good.  Even when Little Prince is naughty I'm good."
Me "And what would you like Father Christmas to bring for you"
Princess Lollipop "I want a big blue light sabre and a wand, a Harry Potter wand."
Me "What if Father Christmas brought you a dolly?"
Princess Lollipop "I would be VERY VERY grumpy with him."
Me "Would you like Father Christmas to bring you a pretty dress."
Princess Lollipop "NO! I don't like dresses!  I just like tutus."
Me "We could visit Father Christmas and you could tell him."
Princess Lollipop "Do you know where he is?  Can we do that?"
Me "I think we could probably find him for a quick visit"
Princess Lollipop "OK.  I will tell him NO dollies and NO dresses or I will be VERY VERY grumpy with you."

I'm not sure Father Christmas will know what's hit him when Princess Lollipop visits!!

More OT Progress

I had a long chat with the Occupational Therapist yesterday, and she confirmed that they can see Little Prince, but only at the Clinic and not home or school.  I explained that we wanted ideas to help keep Little Prince calm without using his medication and she said they would be able to assess what would help with that.  She also said that if we apply for charitable funding to help buy the resources, they would be happy to write in support of that.  She said that we needed to get our GP to refer us back to them, and that they see the majority of children within 6 weeks of receiving a referral YEAH :-)

I made an appointment to see our GP this morning, I let Little Prince go to school rather than keep him off, as our GP knows exactly what he is like and I didn't think it was worth Little Prince missing school just while we asked for a referral.  Our GP was perfectly happy to make the referral I asked him to, and dictated the letter while we were in the consulting room.  Princess Lollipop was whispering (loudly) "What de nerf is the Doctor doing?" I hope that doesn't make its way into the letter lol.  The GP also said my eyelids looked swollen and puffy, and said it could be something to do with too much protein in my blood!  He said this can happen after coughs and colds, and that I've got to drop a water sample off at the surgery to be tested to see what is going on.  I've been paranoidly checking my reflection in the mirror all day and I can't see anything different, so hopefully its nothing to worry about.

Wonderful Weekend Visit

Drama Teen came home for the weekend, and it was lovely to have her here :-)  We managed to persuade her to bake us some buns, which although they didn't turn out properly, were VERY yummy :-)  Drama Teen assisted her Dad by modelling on his photoshoot, and the pictures turned out beautifully, even though I say it myself she is a stunning young lady :-)  It was hard when her and Mr Messy left to return her to University, but she will be back for Christmas in a few weeks, so I am trying to concentrate on that.

First Play-over

On Saturday Mr Messy was working with a new make up artist, to see if they could collaborate on future shoots.  As we know this lady, I had invited her daughter round to our house to play with Princess Lollipop, who was overjoyed to have a friend to play (she insisted on calling it a play-over).  This is the first time we have had someone over to play (without their parent) specifically with Princess Lollipop, so I wasn't sure how it would go.  Well my little hostess was in her element, firstly she took K on a tour of the house, and they played in her bedroom for a little while.  Then they did some drawing and colouring, but Princess Lollipop got bored before K, and I had to do some persuading to get them to play nicely again.  They enjoyed playing with the jigsaws for a while, and I distracted them with a snack and drink when they seemed to get bored.  It wasn't too much later when Mr Messy rang to say they had finished the shoot, and could I return K to OUR Shop where her Mum was waiting.  Princess Lollipop and K decided they want to play again, and that they would like to have lunch or dinner together next time :-)

Lots going on!

This morning Little Prince had his 6 monthly check up with his Paediatrician.  He has grown 3cm, his blood pressure is good but he has lost a couple of pounds since his last check up.  As his weight loss was so minimal the Assistant Paediatrician wasn't too concerned.  He asked a few questions about how Little Prince was coping at school etc and noted it all down.  I asked if he would arrange a referral to an OT, he said he would check with the Paediatrician in charge, but that he didn't hold out too much hope of us getting an appointment any time soon :-(  I'll be seeing our GP on Monday to see what he can do.  It is at times like this that I really miss our ability to pay for private referrals :-(

Me and Little Prince had lunch together at a nearby fastfood restaurant before setting off to our second appointment of the day, a meeting with *Tummy Mummy.  I had received a phone call from the Social Worker this morning, confirming the details of the meeting and letting me know about some major changes in Tummy Mummy's circumstances.  Unfortunately they aren't good changes, and I drove to the meeting steeling myself in case I had to get Little Prince out of the meeting abruptly, whilst also working out how I could both keep him calm and then explain my actions.  We arrived at the meeting room first, which worried me as I wondered if Tummy Mummy was going to turn up.  I distracted Little Prince by allowing him to play on his iPod, I was both relieved and anxious when Tummy Mummy and Social Worker arrived a couple of minutes after us.

I had made sure that Little Prince had taken his medication, and he was calm and well behaved throughout the meeting, I was very proud of how well he coped.  I had to try and act as though I didn't know what the Social Worker had told me that morning, as Tummy Mummy is not aware that either this Social Worker, or I know.  Luckily Little Prince was in a co-operative and chatty mood and between us me and the Social Worker kept him talking about the different things he has been up to since the last meeting.  He also enjoyed playing with the big boxes of Lego and Popoids in the meeting room and acting out various scenarios with the models he'd made.

At the end of the meeting Little Prince gave Tummy Mummy a hug and said he would like to meet up again, and we set a date for next time.  Given the conversation I had this morning with the Social Worker I think I had better chat to her again, when Little Prince is at school, to find out if she thinks these face to face meetings are going to be sustainable.  I need to be able to prepare Little Prince for whatever happens as best as I can.  I also need to see if the change in circumstances is likely to be permanent, as we have always been completely honest with Little Prince about his Birth Family and if it is unlikely to change then we will need to tell him at some point.


*I mean no disrespect by using the term Tummy Mummy, I use it as this is what Little Prince currently chooses to call her and his views are the ones that are important to me.

We have discussed many of the different terms that can be used in these circumstances, and I think at his age and level of emotional maturity, he needs her to be a Mummy to him and that is why he chooses to call her that.  During the meetings he will refer to me as Mum/Mummy and her as Tummy Mummy.  I have never felt that I have to be his only Mummy, I'm not and I never will be.  It doesn't bother me when he says Real Mummy/Real Family when referring to them either, we are both Real Mummies/Real Families, I know I we each have our own place in his heart.  After all if I can love four different children with all my heart, why can't he love two Mummies with all his?

Retail Therapy

I had a lovely Retail Therapy day when I drove over to meet Baby Sis and her Baby Princess and we all went shopping in the Big City near where I grew up.  We had arranged to meet Drama Teen there too, and we had a fantastic girlie day out in the Big City :-)

We had lunch in an Italian Restaurant, where Baby Princess demanded paella!!  I'm very impressed at her adventurous (well compared to either her mother or my children lol) appetite, but I think she needs to work on her geography a little :-)  As she's not two till next week I think I'll let her off though.  She was such a polite Baby Princess asking the waitress "Paella pweeeese LADEEEE" :-)

The weather was cold and wet, so I was glad we spent most of the day in the indoor shopping centre.  I managed to make sure I pushed Baby Princess round in her buggy most of the day, and she was so funny :-) She started most of our  conversations with an imperious and irresistible  "Aunteeee Janet."  I loved her enthusiastic and utterly surprised "YES" when asked if she would like something.  I love all my lovely and wonderful nephews and nieces, but Baby Princess has a special place in my heart, her Mummy (my Baby Sis) has always been "one of my babies" she was born when I was 15 years and I have always mothered her.  She is only 6 years older than LMS and they are more like sisters than Aunt and niece, and she and Drama Teen are so alike that its scary!!  I even have a photograph of them walking beside each other, in very similar clothes and moving almost in synch :-)  Anyway all that is just to say that Baby Princess feels almost like a grandchild to me, and to cement my position as "Good Granny" I brought chocolate teddy bears :-)  One for each of my girlies that I'd be seeing that day - Baby Princess wolfed hers down and was my new best friend for a while.  Until I gave her Mum (Baby Sis) her chocolate and Baby Princess SCREACHED!!  Apparently ALL chocolate is hers and will NOT be shared even with her Mummy lol.

After our wonderful day out me and Drama Teen returned home, to spend the weekend with us :-)  It was great having company for the long drive home, and knowing I'd have all my babies at home for a few days :-)

Frustrated!!

At Little Prince's Statement Review Meeting his Class Teacher agreed to send us the weekly class timetable in advance, so that we could prepare Little Prince for any changes to the normal routine.  I was so hopeful that this could minimise some of the anxiety and stress (and subsequent behavioural problems) we always get in the run up to Christmas.

However, two weeks in and Class Teacher has forgotten (!?!?) to email the timetable already!!

I replied to the last email asking questions about the resources we had sent into school to help Little Prince with his chewing behaviours.  When he is stressed or upset he chews the cuffs of his school jumpers, and he has "eaten" through most of his cuffs now!  We can't afford to keep replacing the destroyed jumpers, so I found some alternative chewing "toys" specially designed for special needs children.  One was a cuff to wear, that I even managed to source in his uniform colour and the other is a small chewy stick, that he can have at his desk.  Little Prince is STILL chewing his jumper cuffs (we are down to frayed edges at the moment) and says that Miss hasn't talked about chewing toys. or given him a chance to use them.  Urgh!!  I brought this up in my last email to Class Teacher, and acknowledged that she could have brought it up with Little Prince and he has forgotten.  She has ignored the email.

When the children are let out of school in the evening, every class teacher (apart from Little Prince's!!) comes out with the class.  And due to the new-ish Fort Knox style security fences seperating parent's from the playground it is a big faff to go inside school and chat to Class Teacher.  Plus I have to try and keep an eye on both Little Prince (who wants to get home) and Princess Lollipop (who wants to play and run around).  Email communication seemed to be the least stressful and easiest solution to keeping in touch with Class Teacher - until she stopped replying that is!!!

So tonight after school I'm going to have to breach security and get into school, honestly it feels like you are trying to break into a secure bank or something, and talk to her.  I waited until today as Little Prince will be at TaeKwonDo in the school hall, and I'll only have Princess Lollipop to wrangle.