So much to say

We’ve been having a fabulous school holidays and I’ve got so much to post, lots of pictures, video – heaps and heaps of stuff to show off – and no time because we are out and about every day. (edit – and having said that my lovely husband has given me time to blog this afternoon )

BUT

I do want to just stop and say one short thing.

The last few weeks I’d started listening to people who were telling me I’m over reacting about Annie’s problems, that she is just like person X or person Y and there is nothing to worry about. I’d started to doubt my mum instinct. Not enough doubt to stop following up but enough doubt to make me wonder if I was doing the right thing.

These holidays have shown me that I am on the right path, beyond a shadow of a doubt I know that there is something going on. It might not be aspergers, it might be something else. I don’t care what the label is so long as I can get my girl the help she needs. Labels are not for locking a child into a box they are for opening doors to help broaden her world and make it a better place.

See I have happy Annie back, she has dropped the mask she wears during term, that ’school girl Annie’ facade has been dismantled and the real Annie is back again.

No more running away when we are out, no more unexpected, unexplained tear storms, no more packing her bags to run away from home, no more violent outbursts, no more cranky.

I’m not saying she has suddenly turned into a perfectly behaved angel 24/7, there is still sibling rivalry, arguments and tantrums, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Annie has been enjoying being Annie, doing things she is interested in, not having to socialise when she doesn’t want to, free to follow her own path.

We’ve been doing things she loves and things Heidi enjoys also.

I’ve had lots of interesting questions to answer from Annie

‘Why do we need winter’
‘What is DNA’

being a sample of two of them.

When I suggest asking others about her question Annie says no she’d prefer to learn about it herself and wants to ask Mr Google.

Lots more swimming means lots more physical activity and has led to Annie asking if she can swim twice a week because she really enjoys it.

Our picture schedule that I did for each girl with their school holiday activities has been a real hit, Annie each day checks what is planned and seems much calmer after consulting with her schedule.

I’ve noticed her anxiety levels peak over some things – like parking at the museum, Annie reads the car park level and the letters on the posts near where our car is parked and will remind me intermittently during our visits where the car is parked. Yesterday on our second visit to the museum she also reminded me that the car was NOT where we had parked on Wednesday. I’m thinking maybe if I let her note down the parking details in a notebook that might help.

I’m really enjoying having my Annie back. Now I just have to figure out how to help her stick around during term time.