Am I the only one?!

I wonder if I am??? It appears at times I'm the only living sole in this house that has a) common sense & b) optimal organisational skills.

I keep trying to drum in the importance of these two necessary life skills to my family, but as much as I try I get nowhere... Or so it seems (hopefully it is slowly drip-feeding into them)?

Every day I remind hubby to take his medication, he is on 3 different tablets daily, every night I full up his pill pot & my daily pill separator (I take meds morning & night), every morning I make my bed & ask the children to make theirs (since my mega blitz last week), also I get them to pull the curtains in their rooms - it's not hard (or at least it shouldn't be) but they're so forgetful... If I don't remind them constantly to do these things, guess what?! Yep, they don't actually get done. It's a bit like getting them to actually put their dirty laundry in the washing basket!!!

Since the weekend I've started a new washing regime this week, I am washing a load a day or every other day now instead of doing 2/3 days of multiple loads... It's being washed, dried & put away straight away - so much less daunting & if the kids don't assist then I can do it quickly without it taking over a full day (I did have to clear the back-log first yesterday) working a dream so far!

It's a little like the new tidy rooms rule; I've only had to pull rank once with Hermione today (she left all the play animals strewn across the girls room) but I only told her once & she put them away, I even helped her saying "you only have to ask & I'll help you"

I hope eventually the longer I persist with this tidy room rule, clean kitchen sides, washing daily  regime etc, soon it will rub off on the children & become second nature to them...

As for the hubby??? Well, I think he's a lost cause now - he does try (he is in fact very trying, lol) but take the kitchen sides... I often have to clean up after him both before bed & again after his toast/tea in the mornings. I don't mind that much, it's just frustrating!

Common sense, I think people have it or they don't... I have a lot (at least I think I do), Dunk has a little & well if the children have any, it is not yet developed - I need to try & channel this life skill quickly, if there's to be any hope of my children developing it at all.

Now of course I'm not being derogatory to my little family at all, I love & support them dearly. It is just a very tiring for me trying to remember all the menial things for 5 people - I often miss taking my own medication on time due to fussing over the other 4 in the house (no I know this is not good for me, but what else can I do?!)

I can organise pretty much anything I put my mind to, trips out with the family, holidays, parties, events you name it I'm your girl! Common sense, I have a lot but it's not overflowing but I wish more people had this skill.

Easter Exertion

Arghhhhhh, school holidays... I dread them! Not because I don't love my children, I absolutely adore them 100% but life with a special needs child is extremely demanding.

Easter holidays are particularly troublesome with all the extra sugary confection, now had I only had one child I could quite happily get around this problem... But, I have three - I cannot withhold treats from one, that just wouldn't be fair & as for withholding from them all?! Where's the fun in that???

I'm going all out this year, as I want my children to have a happy childhood that they remember with fondness. Fun, Fun, Fun that's what it should be like for a child.

My eldest however has high-functioning autism which in itself is challenging, but add excitement, visual stimulus & high quantities of sugar well that just adds to the equation.

Hyperactivity runs rife & is very tiring for the rest of the family... Try to withhold favourite tasks such as electronics games from him & then you get meltdowns, but what can you do?

If the weather had been warmer then I would've got the families Merlin passes for this year (we had a year off last year so the Theme Parks are calling) so that would make it a little easier to manage with something else fun to do with the children.

We had to prize the iPad from number one son today, just to get him in the bath... Now it's time to get him out that very bath, which always prove much 'fun' to whomever is assisting - fortunately, I don't have to do this so much now given he is almost 12 & it wouldn't be correct to carry on when his father is usually available to do the awkward task!

Well, here's to a Happy Easter to all... Don't over-indulge in too much chocolate, but most of all if you have children enjoy the time you spend with them for the next fortnight x

Almost over...

Yes it's true, the school summer holidays are almost over. The children finished on Friday, July 20th & already it is August 21st - just over a month & 4.5wks in!

6.5 wks is such a long time for the school holidays (especially if you have no holiday or short break away planned) now my children have been fortunate enough to have had 5 days at their grandparents in Hayes & my youngest Anneliese also had a weekend away with her best friend Trinity.

But the thing is after a couple of weeks off, they're put of routine, bored & driving each other crackers (in turn this drives me crackers) - I love my children & love spending time with them, but the summer holidays is my most feared holiday from school out of them all.

I never seem to 100% enjoy them, not only do I have the day-to-day chores of looking after the house but I also have to amuse the children all day every day for almost 2 months! That's a long time, the older they get the more demanding I find.

Now when they're tiny they're so easy to please, trips to the park, drawing, puzzles, pretend play, crafts, it's just fun... Not do easy now, the park is loosing appeal with the older two especially (Anneliese still quite enjoys it), playing outside doesn't appeal to Cameron much, also this year the weather hasn't helped.

Everything exciting is too far away or too damn expensive... I would hop on a bus to Oxford for a cinema trip but that would cost a small fortune for me & 3 children over 5! Mind you hopefully with the town development this will be not so expensive next year when we have our own cinema in town!

It's been an expensive summer without day trips out in all fairness though, with Cameron off to secondary school this September & the need for new lunch boxes, plimsoles, shoes, trainers for the girls, the cost of Cameron's kit for secondary school must've grossed £150 alone for uniform, bags, pe kit, shoes, stationary etc!

So what's in store for the next couple of weeks?! Nothing planned as such except on Saturday myself & Anneliese have eye tests (mine is not due till Nov, but been having issues with my eyes) fortunately both Cameron & Hermione had theirs earlier in the year & both have fine vision without the need for glasses (yet) - I fear I may need new glasses & possibly to have to wear full time "/

Well, I will try to blog about something more exciting before the school holidays are through... Not sure what it'll be about though!