I can't believe it. Here it is Saturday morning and there is no one home with me right now. It's so quiet. I love it!
The boys have gone off to Dark Zone where they play Laser tag. It's a treat for the Youth from Church. Angus was so excited about going. He goes into Young Men's this week and he was thrilled to have been included in today's activity. He can't wait until tomorrow~ he turns 12!! I don't want my baby to grow up but he is so looking forward to being 12. Especially with High School next year and being able to become a Deacon. I guess I would be just as excited if I were him!
Mark has gone out with our neighbour. It's their pay day today. I'm not sure when they will be back but I am enjoying this quiet time while it lasts.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Camp
Brodie went on a Youth Insearch Camp last weekend. I can't remember who exactly put me on to it. I think it was Anglicare because they were kind enough to pay for it. It was a welcome respite for the rest of the family. It helped that Brodie liked it though.
Basically the camp is a peer to peer programme which can help kids through all sorts of issues that they may have. Check out their site if you get the chance - they explain it better than I ever could.
They have follow up sessions afterwards for a few weeks so that they can talk things through and stuff. The first one is tomorrow afternoon. There is only one thing... I have to drive 40 km for him to attend the session. Lucky me!! We'll probably be late since we have so far to travel and we need to be there for 4:15. At least I know where to go now as we checked out the location last night before I took the boys to Young Men's and Young Achievers.
Basically the camp is a peer to peer programme which can help kids through all sorts of issues that they may have. Check out their site if you get the chance - they explain it better than I ever could.
They have follow up sessions afterwards for a few weeks so that they can talk things through and stuff. The first one is tomorrow afternoon. There is only one thing... I have to drive 40 km for him to attend the session. Lucky me!! We'll probably be late since we have so far to travel and we need to be there for 4:15. At least I know where to go now as we checked out the location last night before I took the boys to Young Men's and Young Achievers.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
It's Been A While
I finally thought I had better get around to making another post. I didn't realise that it's been as long as it has since I've added something here. As you might be able to guess I have been a bit busy. Although not too busy that I couldn't have typed something up if I wanted to.
I don't know where to start... Ummm... let's see. We've been to visit a psychologist, Richard Eisenmajer. He was great and very helpful. He put things in terms that we could understand very clearly. Brodie is like a King. Kings want things on demand and usually immediately or even yesterday. Kinds thing of the rest of us as peasants/slaves to do their menial tasks like cleaning he bedroom, making the bed, cooking, washing etc. We just have to dethrone the king and make him a peasant too! Not an easy task but with patience and YEARS of practise we might get there.
Also, we were told that Brodie will need to spend a long time learning many things. The best thing we can do for him is to keep him in school for as long as possible. School being High School and then TAFE. Richard recommended that he be in TAFE until he is at least 24 because by then he may be able to go out into the real world and live on his own. *SIGH* i thought we might have had him move out of home before then. Who knows with how he has been behaving and treating us of late.
I hate to say this but Brodie has been so horrid at times. He picked up a maglight the other day and went to attack me. Mark stopped him from hurting anyone with the torch but in the process Brodie elbowed Mark in the chest and broke one of his ribs. I swear I don't know what to do with that child sometimes.
We need a break from Brodie or this family may end up self-destructing and I certainly don't want that to happen. I just wish Brodie wasn't so violent and abusive to all of us. If he was an adult I would call this domestic violence. Maybe it still is. All I know is that if he keeps this up I wont want him at home...
I don't know where to start... Ummm... let's see. We've been to visit a psychologist, Richard Eisenmajer. He was great and very helpful. He put things in terms that we could understand very clearly. Brodie is like a King. Kings want things on demand and usually immediately or even yesterday. Kinds thing of the rest of us as peasants/slaves to do their menial tasks like cleaning he bedroom, making the bed, cooking, washing etc. We just have to dethrone the king and make him a peasant too! Not an easy task but with patience and YEARS of practise we might get there.
Also, we were told that Brodie will need to spend a long time learning many things. The best thing we can do for him is to keep him in school for as long as possible. School being High School and then TAFE. Richard recommended that he be in TAFE until he is at least 24 because by then he may be able to go out into the real world and live on his own. *SIGH* i thought we might have had him move out of home before then. Who knows with how he has been behaving and treating us of late.
I hate to say this but Brodie has been so horrid at times. He picked up a maglight the other day and went to attack me. Mark stopped him from hurting anyone with the torch but in the process Brodie elbowed Mark in the chest and broke one of his ribs. I swear I don't know what to do with that child sometimes.
We need a break from Brodie or this family may end up self-destructing and I certainly don't want that to happen. I just wish Brodie wasn't so violent and abusive to all of us. If he was an adult I would call this domestic violence. Maybe it still is. All I know is that if he keeps this up I wont want him at home...
Saturday, November 01, 2008
What a Slacker!
I am so slack for not writing on this blog more frequently. I have no excuse really other than I forget to. Oh well. I'll try and make up some time now and fill you in a little with what's been going on here.
Week four of Term 4 is now over. Angus is getting excited about starting High School next year. We got some information about the orientation day coming up in December, well its more like orientation week. He gets to have one day at his High School and then two days at his brothers school. He'll be catching the bus with Brodie. I'm not too keen on the idea but Angus really wants to do it so I wont be the meanie and stop him. I just hope that Brodie behaves on the bus with him and doesn't show off more than he normally does.
We had Brodie's travelling teacher come and visit us last Tuesday night and she spent some time on Tuesday and Wednesday at school with him. It was good that she could come with us to the Chapel and see how things are for Brodie when he goes to Young Men's. I'm not too sure what she thought of it all but it definitely was a good thing. I know that its one of the best things we can do for both of the boys. I make sure that we don't miss Tuesday nights. They both need to attend and participate in these activities.
I only have one complaint about Tuesday night activities. They are NOT organised very well. The Young Men seem to only play games and they don't seem to learn anything. I thought that the aims and objectives of YM's was to help guide these boys and to help the become more responsible young adults. Another Mum from our ward has a boy Angus's age and both he and Angus will be going into YM at the end of the year. We were thinking that we need to talk with the YM's leader and see if they are going to become more organised. I would hate for Angus and the other young kids to miss out on some really good spiritual activities and lessons because the leaders weren't following the YM program properly. I'm thinking I need to check out the Church website more carefully to see what they really should be doing.
Oh before I forget and get side tracked again. Angus's school participated in their first Chess Tournament. The school came fourth. There were 8 schools in all. Angus got a certificate for being in the top 25% of the competitors. He was so excited. He managed to get a score of 4.5 out of 7. The over all winner got 6.5. They did very well for their first ever tournament. WTG kids!
Last weekend I took Angus to the movies as a treat. He deserved to have some time away from Brodie. We went to see Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Gee it was good. I loved it and so did Angus. He wants me to get it on DVD when we get the chance. I think we will too, it's certainly one movie I would really like to see it again.
Earlier this week I lost my keycard. I searched high and low for it. I even went to the petrol station knowing that was the last place I used it. They didn't find it but I reckon they did and threw it away. I phoned my bank on Monday afternoon to let them know what had happened and cancelled the card. Thankfully they said it hadn't been used since I was at the petrol station on Friday. I organised a new card and had to play the waiting game to get that sent out with the activation code and the new pin number. Only trouble is I don't have a local bank to go to here. I had to travel all the way to Narre Warren to get money out. So while I was there I changed my bank account to a pensioner one which means that I wont get charged as many fees now for having so little money in the bank. I think the account keeping fee is stopped now. I guess I will find out soon enough. I've received my new keycard and activation code but I am still waiting for the pin number. I hope I get it early next week as I have almost run out of cash. I've never lost a card before and sheesh it is a big hassle to get it replaced. Well not as much of a hassle as it could have been.
Week four of Term 4 is now over. Angus is getting excited about starting High School next year. We got some information about the orientation day coming up in December, well its more like orientation week. He gets to have one day at his High School and then two days at his brothers school. He'll be catching the bus with Brodie. I'm not too keen on the idea but Angus really wants to do it so I wont be the meanie and stop him. I just hope that Brodie behaves on the bus with him and doesn't show off more than he normally does.
We had Brodie's travelling teacher come and visit us last Tuesday night and she spent some time on Tuesday and Wednesday at school with him. It was good that she could come with us to the Chapel and see how things are for Brodie when he goes to Young Men's. I'm not too sure what she thought of it all but it definitely was a good thing. I know that its one of the best things we can do for both of the boys. I make sure that we don't miss Tuesday nights. They both need to attend and participate in these activities.
I only have one complaint about Tuesday night activities. They are NOT organised very well. The Young Men seem to only play games and they don't seem to learn anything. I thought that the aims and objectives of YM's was to help guide these boys and to help the become more responsible young adults. Another Mum from our ward has a boy Angus's age and both he and Angus will be going into YM at the end of the year. We were thinking that we need to talk with the YM's leader and see if they are going to become more organised. I would hate for Angus and the other young kids to miss out on some really good spiritual activities and lessons because the leaders weren't following the YM program properly. I'm thinking I need to check out the Church website more carefully to see what they really should be doing.
Oh before I forget and get side tracked again. Angus's school participated in their first Chess Tournament. The school came fourth. There were 8 schools in all. Angus got a certificate for being in the top 25% of the competitors. He was so excited. He managed to get a score of 4.5 out of 7. The over all winner got 6.5. They did very well for their first ever tournament. WTG kids!
Last weekend I took Angus to the movies as a treat. He deserved to have some time away from Brodie. We went to see Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Gee it was good. I loved it and so did Angus. He wants me to get it on DVD when we get the chance. I think we will too, it's certainly one movie I would really like to see it again.
Earlier this week I lost my keycard. I searched high and low for it. I even went to the petrol station knowing that was the last place I used it. They didn't find it but I reckon they did and threw it away. I phoned my bank on Monday afternoon to let them know what had happened and cancelled the card. Thankfully they said it hadn't been used since I was at the petrol station on Friday. I organised a new card and had to play the waiting game to get that sent out with the activation code and the new pin number. Only trouble is I don't have a local bank to go to here. I had to travel all the way to Narre Warren to get money out. So while I was there I changed my bank account to a pensioner one which means that I wont get charged as many fees now for having so little money in the bank. I think the account keeping fee is stopped now. I guess I will find out soon enough. I've received my new keycard and activation code but I am still waiting for the pin number. I hope I get it early next week as I have almost run out of cash. I've never lost a card before and sheesh it is a big hassle to get it replaced. Well not as much of a hassle as it could have been.
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