For five days every year the three eldest kids’ ages run consecutively. This year they are seven, eight and nine.

They have been looking forward the this year’s five days for a long time because of one of their favourite Barenaked Ladies songs (it’s a kids song I promise)

They staged they own Seven ate Nine picture story below.

Miss Seven is feeling a rather vicious hunger, I think poor Miss Nine might be in danger.

Here we have photo evidence that Seven ate nine. Mr Eight is sad that Seven has used him to the determent of miss Nine.

So he decided to take revenge for the sad fate of Miss nine and chop off Miss Seven’s head.

And declare himself victorious and free of all sisters, till Miss Three wakes up from her sleep that is. So that is the story of how Seven ate nine.

I tried to take a Christmas morning photo of all of the kids, but Eli doesn’t do photos and Lilly doesn’t do standing still.

We didn’t start opening gifts this year until quite late as Lani and Eli didn’t wake up. We had gone to our church’s family service the night before, then had a big discussion on the way home because Lani was cross because she felt some of the adults were trying to get her to believe in Santa when she has never wanted to do that and feels its a lie. Eli also was cranky because he is constantly paranoid that people are making fun of him or trying to deceive him so Christmas is tough. I decided to read the story of St Nicolas to them and discuss the history of how the jolly fat man came about.

We ended with prayer thanking God for the generosity of people who help the poor and asked him to use the joy and excitement we would feel in the morning to remind us of the greater joy and excitement we will feel when Jesus comes again.  

Much excitement over the Doctor Who board game that they got as a family present.

I had ago at Amigurumi this year and made each kid a little animal, Lani’s was a white Chihuahua as she is very keen to have a real one but Glenn still says no. 

We gave each of them a board game as well which caused a great deal more excitement than I expected. 

Sabi really got into the present opening this year, even if she did find it a bit hard at times.

We also got each of the children an Oncology Children’s Foundation bear which they loved because each of them is addicted to soft toys but also because they knew that they were helping kids with cancer.

Lani was confused by one of her labels

So was I when I reread what I had written, I must have been tired. I’m pretty sure I was going for a new world for you to get lost in as the present was a book.

Lillian with her fairy OCF bear

Sabi off on a treasure hunt

Sabrina got a doctor bear, she calls him Doctor Who Bear, because she loves doctors a little too much at times.

The Spider I crocheted for Eli, he really likes it I know because he told me and he doesn’t lie about things like that, he’s very blunt. He does look a little sad in the photo though as the pressure of not knowing if he was going to like what he was unwrapping was getting to him.

I made Lilly a little green frog because her favourite colour is green and she is just so frog like.

Sabrina got a turtle whose shell can come off, he plays very nicely with her.

Glenn got a pillow case which he loved…

Because all the kids had painted it for him. I has characters from Doctor Who, Mine Craft and the Tiffany Terry Pratchett books.

He also got a Pratchett book which Lani as thrilled to give him because they now share favourite authors.

Me in my daggy flannel PJ’s (This has been a very cold summer for Australia) reading my beautiful hand made Christmas cards from the kids.

We then went to church then to Mum and Dads for a family lunch.

Sabi was so funny with her new Hula Hoop, she thought she needed to spin to get tit to work

Then she kept trying to lick it (She is always licking things) but she hadn’t let go off the sides so every time she stepped forward the hoop moved further out of her reach.

Lani thought she was hilarious.

Mum and Dad’s backyard is a wonderland of nooks and crannies of hidden corners and jungle like growth. Adventure beckons blossoming imaginations in the rubble of old building projects, the fractured remnants of structures long ago moved, altered or torn down.  Even in the ordinary plod along days the kids adore going there but Easter is something special. Oh the thrill to be had scanning the gardens for that moment of adrenalin when a sparkle of coloured foil reviles itself.

We don’t make it easy for them either, can you spot the egg?

Lani brightened up on Panodol and the thrill of the moment.

Grandma teaching Sabrina to fetch eggs for her and bring them back to her basket.

I always feel it’s slightly disturbing that they like to play with the bunnies, introducing them to each other, even naming them before they bite their heads off.

This is where we found Eli Easter morning I guess he was keen to start the lounge room egg hunt.

We have never encouraged our children to believe in the Easter bunny or Santa for that matter, I feel it’s lying and as a Christian I can’t justify it in my mind.  The bible clearly states that deceit is wrong and I can’t bare the thought of my children loosing confidence in my honesty. I want them to grow up knowing that their parents will always be approachable and that all questions no matter how big or small will be answered in truth.

That being said we still have an egg hunt every year, it’s a game just like a treasure hunt at a party and just like they know that the pirate who hide the treasure chest in the backyard was Mummy and Daddy they also know that the chocolate eggs were hidden by us as well. I have to say to anyone out there who feels a spark of conscience over misleading their children that the excitement of Easter egg hunts even when you know that there is no such thing as the Easter bunny is still extreme.  I sometimes think even more so because they don’t have to doubt and wonder about the oversized bunny business they just have to enjoy the thrill of finding chocolate and we will never have that moment where they learn the truth and feel robbed.

Except Sabi didn’t really get it this year she thought we were finding toys….

…till her brother helped her out then she never looked back.

Fuzzy morning hair and their chocolate stash.

I kind of stuffed up though, I left Glenn’s egg in the car so his Easter treat was a melted blob of chocolate goo.

After all the eggs were found we piled into the car to head off to church only Lani started to feel sick so we got out of the car and pilled back into the house and did the Church bit at home.

I printed off colouring in sheets and we made a salt and four based finger paint.

I read from the bible to them about Jesus’ burial, resurrection and ascension. Then we discussed what we had read and prayed together.

So apart from Lani vomiting it was a very sweet family Easter.

Glenn and I also looked at a few Easter clips on Utube the first one we watched in Church on Good Friday and the second is just cool. hope you all had a Vomit free Easter.

Oh the excitement! Sabrina loves the little bonnet that Tabitha at Small Things made for her.

I am in love with this little hat, it is soo sweet and it’s the first hat that I can actually keep on her head. I think the softness of the fabric doesn’t irritate her as much as other hats we’ve tried and also she can’t undo the knot so that helps. It doesn’t even fall off when she runs which she always does.

I love that it covers her neck and ears and protects them from the sun.

Also It makes me think I have a little Elizabeth Bennet running around my backyard see those bonnet wearing Austen folk new a thing or to about practical fashion.

If you would like to hear in Glenn’s own words why he wanted to do the World’s Greatest Shave click here to read the article

The Peapillybean family’s Worlds Greatest Shave got off to a tearful start with Lillian jumping on her Daddy and sobbing “NO don’t do it don’t cut your curls off….waaahhh….”  Which is why we chose to do it at the end of her birthday party and not before.

She got over it though when we said she could have the first cut, however when one sugar filled excitement charged birthday party kiddie gets to play with scissors….

….they all want too.

Glenn’s internal voice at this point in time was screaming “NOOOO this is not what I signed up for!!!” actually I’m pretty sure, if I remember rightly, his very loud and pleading external voice said the same thing.

Is that fear I see behind that smile. Don’t think badly of him, he has a sensitive scalp, poor dear.

Also I think the scissors were blunt.

We found a place that takes hair donations to make wigs for cancer patients so we put all the cut hair in a box. Lillian fiercely guarded the box of her Daddy’s hair and wouldn’t let anyone else hold it.

Birdies, Zebras and little Black Kitty cats all became expert Hairdressers.

But one sooky Lion was still very apprehensive about the whole thing. I was really surprised by the kids reactions, Lani and Lilly were so sad to see their Daddy shaved and Eli wouldn’t have a bare of it, wouldn’t even watch. Sabi on the other hand couldn’t care less everyone kept asking her where her daddy’s hair was and she just pointed to his head with a look that said “On his head duh,”

It was too much for Lilly when Glenn’s ears were permanently uncovered from their blanket of curls.

It was too much for Glenn when we let the iddy biddy kiddies at the scissors.

I think all the other party animals coming back for seconds put Lani to shame…

…and she finally had a go….

…and Glenn immediately wished she hadn’t. He’s not a woose I tell you, it was the scissors, they were blunt. At least that’s what we’re claiming anyway.

We didn’t let the kids use the clippers, I know we’re spoil sports, it’s just that I do like his ears and I wanted him to keep them.

Near the end of the shaving the kids decided he needed the clipped hair shoved up his nostrils. No idea why but it was funny from my side of the camera.

Lillian mourning the loss of Daddy’s curls.

And it all ended with the required head rub.

Now every afternoon I get to jump out of my skin every time the terrifying bald stranger walks in the back door. I guess it’ll take some getting used to.

If you would like to see Glenn’s fundraising page or if you were holding out to donate till you saw the evidence go here.

We have been looking at contractions today, it did not run soothly.

Me: “I am going to read a word to you and I want you to tell me what words it is a contraction of. The word is Aren’t”

Lillian: “Aunty!”

 

Me: Can you please say your contractions to me before you go to free play time.”

Eli: “No!!!

Me: (insert random gentle persuasive words)

Eli: “AAAHhhhhggg!!!!” bangs fists down on the table “I cannot I can’t, I will not  I won’t and you aren’t going to make me” Then runs off

Alanah: “Well….at least you got him to say his contractions.”

Back in October Elijah was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. I wanted to write about it then but it was the day before we flew out to visit my sister, so this post got put off. Then when we got back there were the November birthdays and then Christmas and there never seemed enough time to sit down and pick the right words. And the right words are important, I guess that’s why I haven’t written lately, because I wanted to make these words right and that means devoting time to them and time I didn’t have. The main thing I want to say is that I didn’t not write about this straight away because I’m distraught by the diagnosis, I’m not, Eli is our beautiful little guy and I would never want him to feel that he has to pretend to be someone he isn’t or feel that we aren’t happy with him the way he is. I wouldn’t change him for the world just sometimes I wish I could change the world for him. 

Asperger Syndrome is a  neurobiological disorder that is part of a group of conditions called autism spectrum disorders some people liken it to being a visitor from another planet not knowing how to live by the rules of Earth. Having Asperger’s means that Elijah has trouble understanding what other people are thinking and feeling. He is unable to pick up on the social and visual clues that we all use to function in the world. This means that hints don’t work, if he is chatting away to you about something he is interested in and you say "Well that was very interesting but now I’ve go to make the dinner" he’ll just follow you into the kitchen still talking totally unaware that you were trying to end the conversation.

He finds most social conventions hard to get his head around for example he will walk up to perfect strangers, adults, and start talking to them like he has known them all his life. I"m pretty sure if he ever bumped into the Queen he would immediately start explaining to her how to get Sonic the Hedgehog to run super fast so he can jump onto the next mountain. He also finds it hard to believe that not everyone else in the world wants to know a detailed description of how to play every game he has on his iPod, it interests him so of course they would want to know too. 

Elijah also has tics and sensory issues these tend to come and go and are worse when he is stressed, they were atrocious the year he went to school. Tics are repetitive sounds or actions that he can’t seem to control Eli’s include: Hand flapping, arm twirling, jumping on the spot, making a clicking noise and a high pitched short squeal.

Sensory issues are when sounds, tastes, touch, smells and visual stimuli aren’t able to be filtered properly and become overwhelming.  A lot of Elijah’s issues are with sound, he finds excessive noise unbearable. Walking into a supermarket with all the different noises combined is very hard for him it would be a little like walking into your house and turning the TV on high and the radio, the food possessor and the food mixer then  trying to record you own voice saying a poem. When you played it back the audio would be a mess you would not be able to distinguish the poem from all of the background noise, that’s what crowded places are like for Eli.

He also dislike complex flavours and for a while refused to eat any meals with sauces such as casseroles or mild curries. One stage a few years ago I was picking his veggies out of casseroles and rinsing them off. Now he will eat them and some of his favourite meals are all in one pot dishes but he still doesn’t like sauce from a bottle. Or he’ll get stuck on one flavour for two years now all he’s wanted for lunch is jam and bread with a slice of cheese on top, I know yuck but he eats it.

This is how the show Arthur portrays Asperger Syndrome, I love Arthur it’s a great show for helping young kids deal with and understand different topics and it does a good job with this one.

One thing it doesn’t mean, that a lot of people misunderstand, is that he can’t sympathise or show affection. This is just not true. He has trouble catching onto what others are feeling but once he does he can understand their emotions albeit a self focused approach. During the recent flood crisis in Australia he would often come out with sentences like "Oh if they didn’t get up onto their roof they would have been drowned, they were probably scared of not getting onto the roof, I wouldn’t be scared because I can do gymnastics and I would have just jumped and turned like this to get onto the roof." Then acting out complex roof jumping life saving manoeuvres all the time smiling broadly, happy with his success. He did feel for them, he understood their distress but he was also happy he knew he was safe and if we are honest with ourselves so were we all.

As far as affection goes, well just look. He is full of smiles and hugs. 

This video was created to explain Asperger Syndrome by people who are living with it. It’s very well done Aspie’s as they sometimes call themselves can be very creative.

Kids with Asperger’s are prone to meltdowns and Eli is no different. When things are to much they are unable to express their emotions verbally or even ask for help. Instead they can instantaneously burst into tears, hide under a table, pace back and forth or sit on the floor rocking and seem oblivious to questioning looks from other children.

Since he has turned seven these episodes are less common and less extreme. Now he will often disappear into his own world for a time when he is stressed instead of flipping out. That’s where he is in the above photo, miles away inside his mind his hand is the only thing left in this place repetitively tossing a shell up and down like it’s his link back into the physical realm. 

Or he just wanders off. He’s done this all his life I am forever losing him I think i must be on all the local supermarkets bad mothers lists.

So anyway that is our news, both new and not really new as the official part is new but I have known there was something up for so long (wow that’s a lot of news) sorry Dad jokes must be contagious. Now we just need to create a file for the reams of paperwork we are collecting and begin to find medical professionals to help us pick a path top walk down that will hopefully lead to a calmer more equipped boy who can live happily on this planet.

He are some more links if you are interested in learning more about Asperger Syndrome the first one is quite good for explaining it to other children.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/asperger.html

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=2339

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome

I really want to bring these kids up with a healthy respect for nature, understanding where their food comes from and having the know-how to produce a fair bit of it themselves. So in an attempt to kickstart our journey into the world of permaculture and provide the fresh air and sunshine that we are told will cure all ills I decided to have a gardening day.

Using my intermittently nonexistent and husky blues singer voice and a fair amount of general pointing and hand flapping I got the kids set up with garden tools and working away at a patch of earth. And for a brief sun filled moment I felt on top of things this week. That is till Lilly started screaming. I must shamefully admit that at first I didn’t believe anything was terribly wrong with her, lately she has… um… how to put this… been developing her talents in the dramatic arts. And I’m afraid as she had dropped to the ground rocking, covering her face and calling out “aarrh, aarrh, aarrh!” a performance I have witnessed many times recently, the first words out of my mouth was a scold for yelling so loud when the baby was asleep. I felt a little bad when she brought her hands down and they were covered with blood.
I don’t panic in an emergency, I’m quite calm. In fact I panicked more before when I thought I was worrying about sound waking a baby. I rang Glenn thinking this was going to end in a trip to the hospital and pressed a clean tissue against the wound. While talking to Glenn on the phone I cleaned the wound and quizzed the kids on how it happened. Eli had been digging with the spade and Lilly had been nearby weeding, just as he went to thrust the blade into the dirt she spied the hand fork and dove in front of him to get it, placing her face directly on top of the bit of dirt he was aiming for resulting in a spade to the face.

I applied pressure to Lilly’s nose thinking yeah right he’s chopped her nose off with a spade what’s pressure going to do but when I pealed back the tissue and took a second look the clean edge of the cut had knit together. I couldn’t decide what to do, a minute ago there was blood pouring down her face now it didn’t look so bad. I tried describing the look of it to Glenn on the phone but my breaking voice wasn’t making the decision to come home or stay any easier so I took a photo with the phone and sent it too him so he could see for himself. See with the iPhone you can be right in the heart of the disaster no matter how far away you are.

Did I mention I like my new phone, the picture was clear enough for us to come to the conclusion together that it just needed a bandaid and not an afternoon in the emergency ward. A head wound that was fixed that easily is a first for our family and I’m not saying the iPhone had anything to do with that but it sure took the edge off a moment of panic and helped me to feel less alone while I was figuring out what to do. plus I wrote all this on the iPhone too, how cool is that.