sábado, 6 de octubre de 2012

Pony club

Hoy tuvimos una linda nueva experiencia. A las 8 de la manana salimos de casa para ir a una nueva actividad. Empezaba a las 9 y llegamos con dos minutos de anticipacion. Tim fue a un establo a participar de un club de ponis. Desde que llegamos estaba emocionadisimo, fuimos a la oficina y le dieron su casco y nos dijeron que vayamos con los demas ninos.

Hoy aprendio un poco a limpiar los establos, a limpiar los caballos y tuvo una oportunidad de montar a caballo. Estaba feliz! Estuvimos ahi de 9 a 11am y el tiempo paso rapidamente. Regresamos a casa de los abuelos y no paro de hablar, de contarles lo que hizo y lo mucho que se divirtio. Al terminar de contarles me miro y pidio regresar a ver los caballos. Jejeje...

Cada dos semanas tendra la oportunidad de visitar los establos y pasar tiempo con los caballos e ir aprendiendo un poco mas acerca de ellos. Estoy feliz porque pude quedarme con el y ver lo bien que estaba respondiendo a las instrucciones que se les daba a todos los ninos, pude ver lo tranquilo que estaba en un grupo de ninos que nunca habia visto y que eran mucho mayores que el (Tim solo tiene 4 anos y muchas de las ninas tenian mas de 8 anos - si, todas eran ninas jejeje), pude ver como las personas que trabajan con el grupo pueden captar la atencion de mi chiquito y como crean oportunidades de aprendizaje para todos los ninos, sin descuidar a mi enano.

La proxima vez lo dejare y esperare en el carro, pues quiero que vaya creando la independencia que tanto necesita trabajar. No me ire muy lejos, solo estare en el carro, pues tampoco puedo soltarlo asi nomas. Soy mama al final de cuenta y mama loca a veces jejejeje....

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Today we had a lovely new experience. At 8am we left home to participate of a new activity. It started at 9 and we managed to be there with a couple of minutes to spare. Tim went to a pony club. Ever since we arrived he was very excited. We booked ourselves in and he got his helmet and we were told to join the other children.

Today he learned to clean the stables, groom the ponies, and had the chance to ride a pony for a while in a group lesson. He was thrilled! We were there from 9 to 11 and the time flew. We went back to grandparents house where he couldn't stop himself from telling them about his day and new experience. Once he finished telling them about today he asked me to take him back. Hehehe...

Every other saturday he will have the chance to to visit the horses and spend time with the horses and learn little bits more of how to look after them. I am so happy I had the chance to stay with him and see how well he was coping with instructions that were given to all the children, I could see how he coped with a new group of children he had never seen before and that were that much older than him (Tim is only four and many of the girls were 8 and older - yeah, girls, he was the only boy hehehe lucky boy!), I could see how the people in charge of the group dealt with the children and my son's needs. They managed to keep him engaged!

Next time I will drop him off and wait in the car as I want him to become more independent. I won't be far, I will be sitting in the car, I can't just leave him! I am his mummy at the end of the day and I can be a bit OTT hehehehe,....

sábado, 29 de septiembre de 2012

Cosas que mi cerebro aprendio que mi corazon aun no / Things my brain learned but my heart hasn't

Hay cosas que he aprendido desde el primer indicio del autismo de mi hijo. Desde setiembre 2011 lei, me informe, averigue, pregunte pues estaba decidida a estar preparada para la llegada del diagnostico y para lo que viniera con ese diagnostico.

He aprendido muchisimo, me he dado cuenta de lo errada de mis suposiciones. He visto la vida de otra manera y por ratos me he sentido tan tranquila y tan contenta pues sentia que estaba LISTA! Nada me sorprenderia, nada me haria caer. JAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! Que equivocacion.

El ser madre viene con un sin fin de sorpresas, con un hijo con autismo o no. Asi que tontamente baje la guardia. Pero no importa, se aprende a estar atenta y a estar preparada para las sorpresas.

El viernes tuve una sorpresa de aquellas. Ya mi enano tiene mas de un mes en el cole, feliz, lo recojo todos los dias y sale 99% de las veces con una sonrisa en la cara. Me dicen que le ha ido bien y que es una delicia trabajar con el. :) Ejem, ejem, madre orgullosa!

El viernes deje a mi hijita en el nido (al frente del colegio de mi hijo) y justo la hora de entrada coincide con la hora del recreo del colegio 'grande' (como lo llamamos). Vi a varios de los amiguitos de la clase de Tim. Estaban jugando juntos, se acercaron a la reja, nos saludaron a Luna y a mi. Les pregunte donde estaba Tim. Me dijeron que estaba comiendo. No me sorprendi pues el se demora mucho en comer, y hasta que no acabe pues no sale a jugar.

Al fondo vi a Tim salir con su profesora. (El esta con ayuda durante el colegio, incluido el almuerzo y el recreo) Me pregunte con quien jugaria, que haria, y me dedique a observar unos minutos que es lo que hacia. Y fue ahi que me sorprendio la realidad. No jugaba con nadie, no interactuaba con nadie, solo corria de un lado del patio al otro. Solo. La profesora lo seguia y trataba de incluir con otros ninos pero el no queria, solo queria correr. Se, por lo que he leido, que el esta feliz haciendo eso, que a lo mejor necesitaba liberar tensiones y correr lo ayudaria. Que hay veces que simplemente no va a querer las presiones de tener que interactuar con otros ninos. Pero yo sufri al ver a mi hijito solo. Mi cerebro sabe que no debo sufrir pero mi corazon no lo entendio en ese momento.

Se que una misma no quiere estar 100% del tiempo rodeada de personas y teniendo que escucharlas e interactuar. Quien me conoce bien, sabe que yo no soy asi, y que disfruto mucho de mi compania y de mi silencio. Por que entonces queria exigirle a mi hijo que sea sociable todo el tiempo o por lo menos cuando YO queria que lo fuera? Que pensamiento tan egoista el mio. Pero creo que era la necesidad en ese instante de ver por mis propios ojos que estaba bien, que tenia amigos y que estaba integrandose. Se que esta bien, que es feliz en el colegio, y que tiene amigos. Pero yo queria VERLO CON MIS PROPIOS OJOS.

Ya me calme, se que no hay mas que pueda hacer y que debo dejar de forzar situaciones sociales pues a lo mejor el no las quiere, y es feliz asi como su madre, con su propia compania y con su propio silencio. :)

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There are things I have learned from the first discussion about my son's autism. From september 2012 I have read, learned, researched, asked as I was adamant that I would be prepared for the arrival of his diagnosis and what came after that diagnosis.

I have learned loads, I have realized how wrong my preconceptions were. I have looked at life in a different way and for many moments have felt relaxed and so happy to be READY! Nothing would surprise me, nothing would make me trip and fall. Haaaaaaa!!! How wrong!

Being a mom comes with an endless supply of surprises, with or without autism. So being completely stupid I put my guard down. But no worries, you learn then to pay more attention and be prepared for surprises.

On Friday I had one of those surprises. My little man has been in school for over a month, he is happy. I pick him up everyday and 99% of the times he is smiling his head off. They tell me he has been good, enjoyed himself and been a pleasure to work with. :) Ehem, ehem, proud momma!

On Friday I dropped of my little girl in preschool (across the street from my son's school) and the time I  have to drop him off is the same time with recess at 'big' school (that's what we call it). I saw some of Tim's friends playing in the playground. They were playing together, they came up to the gate and said hi to me and Luna. I asked where Tim was and they said he was eating. I wasn't surprised as he takes forever to eat and until he is not done he can't come out and play.

At the back I could see Tim coming out with his teacher ( he has one to one support during the day that includes lunchtime and break). I wondered who he would play with, what he would do and kept on looking to see what he did. That is when reality kicked in. He wasn't playing with anyone, he wasn't interacting, he just ran from one side of the playground to the other on his own. The teacher followed him around trying to get him to interact with other children but my boy just ran. I know, from what I have read, that he was most likely happy doing what he was doing, that he might have needed to release tension and running was helping him do that. That sometimes the pressure of having to socialize with other children was not in his plans. But I ached for my little man. My brain understands and knows I should have felt bad but I did. My heart didn't get it.

I know that even I don't want to have people around me 100% of the time. Those who know me, know that that is what I am like, I enjoy my own company and my own silence. Why then was I expecting my son to be sociable all the time o at least in the moment where I wanted him to be sociable? How selfish am I? But I think it was the need to know and see with my own eyes he was fine, he had friends, and he was 'part of' it all. I know he is alright, he loves school and has friends. But I wanted to SEE IT MYSELF.

I am now more relaxed, I know there is not much more I can do and that I have to stop forcing social situations because he might not even want them and that, just like his mom, he is happy with his own company and with his own silence at times. :)


viernes, 21 de septiembre de 2012

Lo que viene a mi mente a las once de la noche / What comes to my mind at eleven o'clock at night

No puedo dormir para variar. No estoy preocupada simplemente no puedo dormir. Han sido tres semanas de tantas cosas que no se que contarles, no se bien que decir, pero lo que si se es que mi cerebro esta sobrecargado de ideas: cosas que debo hacer, cosas que quiero conseguir para mis enanos, cosas que tengo pendientes.

Una de las cosas que vienen a mi mente a las once de la noche es la energia que tiene mi precioso hijo al regresar del colegio. No se si a alguien mas le pase esto, pero mi enano regresa 'revirado' como diria mi madre. Jeje. No esta cansado, no esta fastidiado, sino que despues de casi seis horas y media de estar en el colegio regresa con una energia loca. No para, simplemente no para. Me dijeron por ahi que era comun con ninos con autismo que al llegar a casa dejen salir todo lo que 'reprimieron' en el colegio, pero nunca me imagine que estaria tan lleno de energia. A las ocho de la noche tengo que practicamente cargarlo a la cama y el lucha por no ir a dormir, pero una vez que su cabeza toca la almohada pues cae rendido.

Otra de las cosas que estoy pensando es que pueden hacer los chicos despues del cole. Tim ha desarrollado un interes muy grande por 'las artes' - bailar, cantar y actuar son sus nuevos pasatiempos. Aun sigo en la busqueda de algun taller que lo reciba y sea correcto para el (ya sea por edad o por su autismo tenemos problemas aun en encontrar el lugar correcto).

Tengo miles de cosas en mi cabeza, miles de ideas. Tambien tengo mucho cansancio, pero aun no encuentro el boton de OFF de mi cerebro. Si alguien sabe donde esta, me avisa?

Buenas noches mis estimados, me voy a dormir. ;)

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Can't sleep, what a surprise! I am not worried I just cannot sleep. We've had three weeks of so many things that I don't know what to say, but I do know my brain is overloaded with ideas: things I have to do, things I want to get for my kiddos, things to do.

One of the things that come to mind at eleven o'clock at night is the energy my child comes home with after school. I am not sure if anyone else goes through this but my little man comes home overstimulated, full of energy. He is not tired, he is not uneasy, but after almost six and a half hours in school he comes home with buckets of energy. He doesn't stop, he just won't stop. I was told somewhere that it was common for children with ASD to come home and 'let it all out' when they get home from school, where they would have been keeping in routine and doing what was expected of them, but I never did think it would be like this. At eight at night I have to carry him to bed while he fights but as soon as his head hits the pillow he is out!

Another of the things I have in mind is what kind of afterschool clubs I can get my children in. Tim has become very interested in 'the arts' - singing, dancing and acting are his pastimes at home. I am still searching for classes that would suit him (either due to his age or autism I haven't been able to find one that is right).

I have loads of things in my head, tons of ideas. I also feel very tired, but I am yet to find the OFF button for my brain. If anyone knows where I should look, could you let me know?

Good night my dearest, I am going to sleep. ;)

Espectaculos / Shows

Hace dias que pienso que es lo que le gusta a mi enano, que es lo que lo motiva? No fue dificil dar con la respuesta pues a el le gustan los espectaculos. Espectaculos de todo tipo, magia, marionetas, circos.

Empezo el colegio hace ya tres semanas, y papa ha tenido que trabajar mucho, en las tardes y fines de semana trabaja en casa (ya les he contado -creo- que estamos renovando/reconstruyendo nuestra casa y papa esta haciendo todo el trabajo solo) y hemos tenido que buscar actividades para que los chicos no esten demasiado tiempo de mal humor por no poder estar con papa.

Hemos encontrado un circo cerca, al que fuimos y llegamos antes que nadie. Mi enano decidio los sitios que serian los nuestros.

Como fuimos los primeros encontramos a un payaso que por solo tres libras le 'dio una clase' a mi enano. Estaba muy emocionado! Su hermanita tambien lo disfruto!


Otra de las actividades que disfruto muchisimo fue un show de marionetas que hubo en un pueblo cercano. El acto que mas lo impresiono fue el del Oso Polar que visito el pueblo, quedo fascinado. Hablo del oso por dias. 
Sigo sin saber como modificar las imagenes, mil disculpas pues deberia girarla a la derecha. 
Pasamos casi cuatro horas paseando por el pueblo viendo distintos espectaculos gratuitos. El interes que demostro por estos espectaculos hizo que olvide su natural interes por investigar la zona, asi que tuvimos cuatro horas en las que no tuve que perseguirlo ni correr tras el para evitar desaparezca tras algo que considero interesante. 

El espectaculo que mas disfrute yo fue el ver a mis dos hijos felices, disfrutando juntos y compartiendo un interes comun. Creo que hay ocasiones en que el dia a dia se vuelve tan loco que son pocas las veces que te detienes para ver lo importante. Tuve la suerte de tener una camara conmigo y logre captar una imagen que ahora reposa en mi mesa de noche. Mis dos hijos, mis dos amores, disfrutando juntos un momento lindo. No se les ve la carita pero creo que el amor se nota. 



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It has been days that I think about what motivates my little boy, what interests him? It was not difficult to realize that the answer was shows, he looooooves shows. All kinds of shows, magic, puppets, circus.

He strartes school three weeks ago and dad has been working a lot, in the evenings and weekends he works at home (I have told you before -I think- that we are renovating/rebuilding our home and that dad is doing all the work by himself) and we have had to look for activities so kids are not spending so much time moaning as they don't get to be with dad as much.

We have found a circus nearby and we went there. We were there first and my little man decided where we would sit.


As we were the first ones there a clown offered to give my son a 'lesson' for just three pounds! He was very excited! His little sister was too!


Another of the activities we have done and he enjoyed a lot was a puppet show that was held in a town nearby. The act that impressed him the most was The Polar Bear that visited the town, he was fascinated. He talked about the bear for days. 

I stilldon't know how to change images so very sorry .

We spent almost four hours walking through the town seeing the different free shows. The interest he displayed for these shows made him forget his natural interest for investigating the area so we had four hours in which I did not have to worry about chasing him to avoid him disappearing in the crowds while going after something he found interesting. 

The show I enjoyed the most was to see both my children happy, enjoying time together and sharing a common interest. I think there are times in which day to day life makes everything so crazy that the chances of stopping to see what is really important are few. I was lucky to have a camera on me and take a picture of this lovely moment. I have this image in my night table now. My two children, my lovely kids enjoying a moment together. You can't see their faces but the love shines through. 






sábado, 8 de septiembre de 2012

Empezamos el colegio / We started school

Antes de empezar a escribir una breve explicacion por el silencio de mi parte: regresamos de vacaciones y en la casa no tenemos buena conexion como ya he comentado antes, asi que no es que haya desaparecido sino que debo esperar el fin de semana (a menos que tenga suerte) y hacer mis posts esos dias, ya que estamos en otra zona. :)

Esta semana empezamos el cole. Ha sido una semana recontra movida, pues nos mudamos de vuelta a casa despues de las vacaciones. Fue un cambio inicial para los chicos pero sin mayores complicaciones. El martes fue el inicio de la semana escolar.


Tim aun no estaba seguro de querer ir al colegio, mucho menos romper con la rutina de seguir descansando despues de haber despertado. Jejeje... Pero al rato, despues de ver las fotos de sus amigos en su libro de imagenes del colegio decidio que era hora de alistarse. Y se quedo muy feliz cuando se vio al espejo con su uniforme nuevo. Ya estabamos todos listos asi que ni bien se vio en el espejo y dio el visto bueno, salio al jardin a esperar que nos toque entrar al carro para ir al cole. Como ven en la foto, Luna lo sigue a donde va. Pero cuando llegamos al estacionamiento del colegio (el mismo estacionamiento del nido al que ella va) ya no queria salir del carro pues ella no queria ir al nido jajjaa.


Mientras esperabamos a papa, unas fotos mas, y aca los dos haciendo payasaditas! Una monita y un inspector!!! 


Una vez en el cole, Tim no opuso ninguna resistencia y empezo a tocar la puerta del salon, tratar de abrirla y gritar para que le abran. Jajajaja. Una vez abierta la puerta entro como quien entra a su casa y se puso a jugar. Ya lo estaba esperando su profesora (la asistente que estara con el durante el dia) pero el ni caso, tuve que recordarle tres veces que le responda el saludo. El estaba muy ocupado viendo que habia en su salon.


Toda la semana ha sido solo mananas, no ha ido dia completo. El martes sera el primer dia completo. Vamos a ver como nos va, pero por ahora, todo bien. El colegio recibira la ayuda financiera que necesitaba para cubrir la ayuda adicional que necesita Tim, ese era otro tema que estaba pendiente pero que ha sido solucionado, 30 horas de ayuda adicional hasta abril y luego sera evaluado para ver si las sigue necesitando o se pueden reducir. Esperemos que la proxima semana sea igual que esta semana, tranquila y llevadera.

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Before starting to write a brief explanation on the reasons behind my silence: we are back from summer holidays and we do not have a good internet connection at home as I have mentioned before. So, it is not that I have disappeared but that I have to wait for the weekend (unless I am lucky one day at home) and post during the weekend as we are usually away from home those days.

This week school started. It has been a hectic week as we moved back home after holidays. It was already a change for kids to deal with but thankfully not an eventful change. Tuesday school started.


Tim was still unsure of wanting to go to school, let alone to break with the routine of carrying on resting after waking up hehehe...But after a while, when he saw the pictures of his friends in his school's photobook he decided he would get ready. He was happy to see himself in the mirror with his new uniform and once he agreed he looked 'right' he went outside to wait for the time to get in the car. As you can see from the picture, Luna follows him everywhere he goes. But when we parked in the parking lot that we use for preschool - school and preschool are on the same street - she didn't want to leave the car as she didn't want to go to preschool heheh...


While we waited for daddy, a few more pic and here is one of them making silly faces! A little monkey and a P.I. hehehe 


Once in school, Tim has no problems and started knocking on the door, tried to open it himself and yell for the teacher to come and open the door. Once open he went in as if he was going in his own home and started looking around and playing with the toys. His one to one was already there waiting for him  but he had no interest at all. I had to tell him three times to say hello. He was too busy looking at what was on offer in his classroom.

I am lucky as his transition plan was excelent and for almost two months he visited his classroom twice a week and twice a week (different days to previous visits) he had school lunches with the big children. So he knew where he was going.


All week he has been in only mornings, not a full day yet. Tuesday will be his first full day. We will see how he gets on, but so far, so good. The school will receive the financial aid to keep the staff that Tim needs to support him throughout the school day. That is another of the issues we had pending that finally has been arranged. 30 hours of support unitl april and will then be evaluated again to see what his needs are. We hope next week will be the same, relaxed, nice and enjoyable.



sábado, 1 de septiembre de 2012

Confia en mi / Trust me

Una de las actividades mas repetidas del verano ha sido ir a buscar cangrejos a la playa. Este es uno de los videos que tome cuando ibamos en las mananas a la playa en su busqueda. No se si se escuche bien pero fue la primera vez que oi a Tim decirle a su hermana que confie en el y me encanto escucharlo porque es una frase que se la repito millones de veces al dia, pues son muchas cosas que el no quiere hacer durante el dia asi que me la paso diciendole que 'confie en mi' y es esa frase la que usa al inicio del video para convencer a su hermana que agarre el cangrejito. No funciona porque la hermana sale disparada (no la culpo a mi tampoco me gusta la idea jeje) pero la intencion estaba ahi y uso en el contexto adecuado fue maravilloso de prescenciar.


One of the most repeteated activities during the summer has been crabbing. This is one of the videos I have taken of the mornings we spent at the beach looking for these little fellas. I am not sure if you can hear it properly but at the beginning of the video Tim asks his sister for the first time to trust him. I loved hearing it as it is a phrase I am constantly repeating to Tim as there are many things he does not want to do during the day. So I try to encourage him to do them by saying 'Trust me' and that is the exact phrase he uses to try to convince his little sister Luna to hold the little crab. It didn't work as his sister shoots off (I don't particularly blame her as I don't like them either hehe) but he had the intention to communicate with her and the use within the right context was very nice to see.

Una super meta alcanzada! / An amazing achievement for my little man!

Hemos pasado seis semanas de vacaciones en un caravan site, los ninos tienen muchas cosas que pueden disfrutar si el clima asi lo permite. La playa esta a un paso, hay muchos ninos con quienes jugar, hay varios parques y caminatas largas, esas caminatas largas que los cansan mucho, de ese tipo de caminatas tenemos por aca. :)

El ano pasado estuvimos aca en verano tambien. Mis enanos la pasaron bien pues haciamos muchas cosas juntos pero no interactuaron con ningun otro nino, solo una nina mayor que estaba cerca de nuestro caravan. Unos dias de su compania y nada mas, se divirtieron pero no hicieron 'contacto' con mas ninos.

Este ano ha sido distinto, Tim ha demostrado mayor interes en jugar con otros ninos. Los ha perseguido, los ha invitado a su caravan a comer helado (jajajaja menos mal no aceptaron porque ese dia justo no teniamos en el caravan), los ha buscado y llamado desde el jardin a las seis de la manana.

Esta semana ha sido maravillosa, pues ha jugado seguido con varios de los ninos del site, estan todos formando un bonito grupo de amigos que se buscan los unos a los otros para jugar. Se despierta a las seis desesperado por salir a jugar y a las ocho de la noche sigue jugando con sus amigos, solo se despiden cuando llega la noche.

Me da penita que no haya pasado antes para que asi disfrute mas de sus vacaciones pero se que el proximo verano sera fabuloso!

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We've spent six weeks in a caravan site during the summer holidays. Kids have loads to do weather permitting. The beach is a couple of minutes away, there are loads of children to play with, many parks and long walks, the kind that tire kids a lot, those are the kinds of walks we can do around here. :)

Last year we spent the summer here as well. My kiddos loved it as we did many things together but they really didn't play with other children, just one older little girl near our caravan. A couple of days with her and that was it, they did have fun but they didn't interact with anyone else.

This year things have been different. Tim has shown more interest in playing with other children. He has chased them, invited them over for ice cream (hehehe thank God the kids said no as didn't have any in the caravan that day), has looked for them and called out for them at six in the morning standing outside.

This week has been great as they have played with many children forming a lovely little group of kids that come looking for one another to go out and play. Tim wakes at six desperate to get out and play and at eight at night he is still outside with his new friends, he will only say goodbye when the night comes.

It is a shame that this didn't happen sooner so he could have a better time during his summer holidays but I know that next summer will be fab!!!