Communication, communiction, communication

is what it needs....... And apparently something that is completely lacking in the modern world:(

I checked my bank balance online this morning, as I regularly do. I had an unexpected credit in there! It was only showing up as "direct payment" on the summary, and no details will be available on my main statement for a while - so I decided to call the bank to ask where it ahd come from!

After a thorough search of the website, I finally found the number to call, and got through to the call centre, which my bank guarantees is in the UK somewhere, so spoke to a woman that I could understand perfectly for once! I explained what I wanted, and gave her my bank account details, at which point she told me she wouldn't speak to me as i had a business bank account with the same bank and had to go through them. I tried to explain it was a personal query and she refused to let me speak, talking over me until I asked her not to, at which point she put the phone down on me!!!!!!

Well! I was not impressed with that! I had just asked her not to overspeak me! So I phoned right back and asked to speak to a manager to put a formal compliant in. The manager said that as lazy call centre girl had not yet gone through ID checks with me, she couldn't take the complaint! I asked if the complaint would be logged and she said no, there was no way to do that if the ID checks had not been completed on the computer, and they would always assume their employees innocence if there was not taped evidence. When I pointed out that gave leeway for any staff member to spend as long as they liked swearing or saying whatever they wanted, provided they didn't put the ID details into the compute, the manager just gave a verbal shrug, and said, their staff wouldn't do that! yeah right..... I suggested that perhaps their procedures should be updatyed and could she log a formal complaint about that, and she said no, that was nothinhg to do with her!

At whcih point I said that I would be closing my account. So I am now off to town to do so.......

I have now found out where the credit came from - it was from Family Fund. They didn't bother to send me a letter, or email, or phone call to let me know they would be crediting my bank account! In fact, considering I applied in January, and have since called them three times, written three times and emailed five times - and only recieved one letter back form them ever, perhaps I shpouldn't be surprised! As the credit was for an unexpected amount, now I don't know if I am allowed to re-apply next year or not, which is a bit annoying..... but I doubt that I have much hope of getting an answer out of them!

On another note, Mstr A's sports trip was not a great success:( They went to the pool first = Mstr A has never been swimming unaccompanied before, not because his swimming is not good enough, buit a child with no social skills in a crowded public pool is not a good idea! Apparently he got "over-excited" (which I expect means he splashed/shouted/jumped on other kids etc) and was whistled at by the lifeguards a couple of times - which obviously he ignored. A whistle in a swimming pool makes perfect sence to lifeguards (I know - I used to teach them for years), but NOT to an Aspie child. he probably either didn't hear them , or didn't realise it applied to him. Anyway, the lifeguards got annoyed that he ignored them, and eventually threw him out of the pool & he was sent back to school in disgrace:( Fortunately his LSA called the sports centre and explained, and he went back for the afternoon session & did trampolining & badminton, but all in all, not the most sucesful day.

Back to life, back to reality....

Well, we all went back to our normal lives today - or almost anyway. Work changed their policy saying that unless I was symptomatic I needn't stay away any longer, so i went in today. Which was nice TBH LOL

We sent Mstr A & LMB into school as well - LMB hasn't really been that ill and was happily running around in the rain yesterday, but once she got to school she complianed that she felt sick, so of course, they sent her right home again. Oh well. I guess we'll never convince them to let her back in this week - and school finishes on Friday anyway. her teacher is a bit of a drama queen over any kind of illness anyway. I'm quite looking forward to her getting a new teacher, who will, hopefully, be a bit stricter with the whole class! I was going to send LMD in too, but Aggie decided that it wasn't worth the fight for two days (she breaks up on Thursday) so she gets to stay at home too.......

So poor old Mstr A is the only one in - and his LSA is off sick (although he got another one - I don't know who he stole her from LOL). However, he was awarded the most improved of his class certificate today - and won a trip to the local leisure centre for the whole day tomorrow, so he is delighted. Swimming & trampolining & tennis (hmmmm, he might manage two player games) and field games (not at all sure about that one - but he likes to run around the feild at least!). the award was for improved behaviour and completing work, which I suppose has greatly improved over the past year (this time last year he was suspended.....), but still, in my mind he still has a long way to go. I wonder what criteria the school uses to chose the recipients of the awards - there is only one per class.

I still haven't been made redundant from work - I'm starting to think they're not going to tell us until AFTER the school holidays now grrrr. If they hang on that long I won't want it any more! I'm not sure what Aggie is going to do with the kids for 6 weeks - I'm a bit concerned, judging from the past few days, that he will just leave them to watch TV/play on game boys all day:( I've signed up with Barnados to see if we can get Mstr A on any of their trips & things - there are not many places that can take him now he's getting older:( On the plus side, I've said to CAB that I won't be back until September, so I will have my days off actually with the kids this summer. I've already planned next week - we're off to Paulton Park (fantastic place, especially for youngish kids) and to visit my best man, who after over a decade of trying and some really awful experiences has a new healthy baby boy to coo over:) I haven't seen her for years, so it will be great to catch up.

grounded

well, we were supposed to be at Berkeley Castle Skirmish this weekend. One of the best multi-group re-enactments in the south of the country:( I'm really annoyed we're missing it tbh. Especially as LMB is barely ill and no-one else ahs shown any symptoms (yet).

Of course, it is quite possible she doesn't have swine flu, and is just a bit under the weather with some summer bug! If the media hadn't been making such a fuss about the wholke thing I would have given her some junior paracetemol & sent her to school yesterday - but just in case it is, we are stuck at home..... The other two are not officially banned from school, but parents of siblings are being lynched at the school gates if they take the siblings in, and tbh, the school probably won't mind not having Mstr A there for the last week.....

Still, it has given a chance to get on with some stuff at home. I now have a nice big bath in my garden to soak my willow in, we have rediscovered the lawn underneath all the brambles, and the den has a new chest of drawers to help keep the kids toys tidy (yeah right!). I am going to try and get a load of stuff down to the tip tomorrow - surely that can't count as breaking quarantine?

Little friend from down the road - who obviously comes from a decidedly dodgy family, but is allowed out to play without several weeks worth of organising - came round today to play with the girls. I sent him back to tell his mum we had SF and he reappeared a few seconds later saying mum said it was ok to play anyway:) so the kids had a good few hours out in the garden too, which was great:)

If we are all still symptom free on Monday I will probably call work & see if I can go back. it seems silly to stay off atm.....

UNCLEAN UNCLEAN!!!

LMB has swine flu.

Ho hum.

They're giving her tamiflu, which seems a bit unecessary to me. Aggie gets it too as a precaution. the rest of us just get to sit around at home under quarantine. the kids aren't allowed to go to school, I'm not allowed to go to work (they better pay me, it's not my idea to stay at home!).........

bored already......

so long, so much, so little

yes, it has been a long time since i posted anything, there has been so much going on and so little time or inclination to explain it.......


Aggie's op was sucessful, but then they found another abscess and he needed another op:( The doctors decided that the infections were due to the anti-TNF drugs he has been taking so obviously took him off them. he was in hospital for almost a month in the end. Once he recovered from the ops they started topical treatment for his psoriasis which did bring it down a bit, but as he is not on any drugs to keep it that way, it all came right back as soon as he was discharged:(

Unfortunately, we can now see how much the drugs were helping mask the arthritis as he has been in a lot of pain and having lots of difficulty doing even the simplest tasks. He saw his new Rheumatology consultant yesterday and was told there was no way he was going back on the drug he was on before - they may look at a different one in another few months, when he has been totally drug free for 6 months...... He has been prescribed a standard arthritis drug for now, but even if it does work, it won't be for several weeks, and won't affect his psoriasis at all:(


Mstr A has been difficult recently too. It is the end of term, so the curriculum is all messed up and he doesn't really like all the things that other kids think is fun! With Aggie in pain and Mstr A developing tourettes-type yelling, the boys have been at loggerheads even more than usual...

Work-wise, things are so-so. They are still "going through" the redundancy process. Apparently they are now going to tell us who will be redundant at the end of this month. I am still assuming I am top of the redundancy list;) If not, I am not sure how we are going to get through the summer holidays. It is harder to find places/things for Mstr A to do now he is older. they expect a higher level of independance which he just doesn't have. Unless I can go with him to whatever I make him do, he can't do anything (although his idea of heaven would be to spend the whole six weeks playing on the computer!).


On the plus side, we have made it back to re-enactment (at least the local events) and I have taken up a new craft: basket weaving, which is something I can actually do, and has an end product! LMB has FINALLY learned to read properly, and can be settled down with a book of her own at night time, and LMD is desperate to start school in September and can be disciplined with the threat that she won't be allowed to start if xxx LOL


We finally heard back from CAMHS, who are sending us off on a parenting course in September:) I am not sure how much use it will be for Mstr A, as these courses tend to talk about how to empathise with your child and how to encourage them to eempathise with you. Uh huh, but he is autistic. empathy is pretty much beyond him, and we will never truely understand how he sees the world! Still, professional advice is never to be sneezed at, and I am sure some of it will be useful for him and for the girls. Hopefully it might reduce some of the male dominance fights that are happening with depressing regularity.

I have taken some time off the CAB - I said I will go back in September. The thought of the holidays is stressful enough without leaving Aggie & the kids alone for an extra day each week.