Hotch Potch

Flipping eck that last post was a bit pathetic wasn't it? Pity party for one indeed.  That party is well and truly finished I can assure you.

A bit of a hotch potch post today.

Truth be known I haven't blogged since that post because I've been trying to get up to date with craft fair bits and pieces and lots of changes in our house.

The biggest change which has affected each and every one of us is baby number 2, our eldest son, going away to university.  He is a couple of hours from home and it was so hard leaving him.  I thought it would be easier than leaving our daughter four years ago but it wasn't when it came to it.  I was fine until the moment the littlest son started crying his heart out.  My head had been too busy being full of lists of stuff he needed to take, getting him packed up and making sure he was going to be ok living away from home to think how hard it would be on the little one. That is really bad parenting.  Littlest is gradually getting used to it and is looking forward to half term when we can make the drive to visit him. I have the odd moment when I really miss him for little things like he is the one I can rely on to keep the cats still while I do their flea treatment and I need to do that today or the times in the last week and a half that I have cooked way too much food.  Then there are the big moments when I just plainly and simply miss him but I guess I wouldn't be normal if that didn't happen.

Oldest came back from four years at university in the summer and is now a fully qualified geography teacher.  She got a job from her second interview which was a referral from her first interview to another school in their academy chain.  She had impressed the first school but they had gone for an experienced teacher and they knew the school she is now teaching at were looking for newly qualified teachers.  Very proud of her.  It does take some getting used to having her home again even if she is working very long hours and commuting quite a distance each day. 

Middle son finished high school in the summer and moved to college in September.  He has autism and a variety of co-ordination problems which have caused a fair few problems during his school life.  His year 2 national test results were not good.  At that time we knew about the co-ordination issues but not the autism although there was definitely something causing major problems to every part of his life.  During the years between then and his year 6 national tests we got the autism diagnosis and appliance help with the co-ordination issues to improve his ability to write.  There were still massive issues with other everyday things like buttons, fastening shoes, putting socks on.  The socks were a massive thing and I've had several things broken in the house when a shoe has flown across the room because the sock didn't feel right. Those are ongoing issues. Year 6 results were a big improvement.  College doesn't have a uniform so wearing his normal clothes is so much easier.  Anyway I'm waffling. What I was gearing up to was his GCSE results. He has never had an interest in anything like art or design so his options were all academic apart from music.  All the way through high school his target grades were C/D and knowing how much he struggled early on in his school life plus still having ongoing issues I was very nervous for him on that results day in August.  His interest has always been rocks. He used to come home from primary school with pockets full of stones and rocks from the playground.    The only subjects he was interested in doing at college were geology and geography but he knew to have a career in that field he needed to study a science too. College requirements are 4 subjects in the first year and the option to drop one of them in the second year.  It was very important to him that he got at least a C in science and geography from his GCSE results and as long as he got maths and English he didn't seem to care much about the rest but said he would try his best.  I think that is all any parent can wish for - for their child to try their best.  Super chuffed to find out he had passed all 10 with a grade C or above.  Yes there were some grades above C for those who thought he was thick and took pleasure in taking the mick out of him.  He doesn't care less what people think. That is the joy of autism and I am one very proud mum of him for being who he is and trying his best which just happened to be fantastic.

The little one went into year 6 in September. No change in school routine as such but there have been so many changes at home and some issues in the classroom that he has been struggling keeping things together at times.   God help the eldest son though if he doesn't message him back when he asks what he has had for his tea or what he has done during the day! Bombarded with question marks doesn't even begin to describe it.  Another autistic one and is struggling with what is appropriate at the moment. Can't wait for him to be old enough for a mobile phone - NOT!!!

Another change but one I've enforced upon myself is taking facebook off my phone.  I took it off a few weeks ago and to date haven't missed it.  I've been on facebook via the laptop or physically typing the address in on safari on my phone but only when I've had an email about somebody tagging me or a new notification in the group for the rugby team littlest plays for or when I've needed to look at something work related.  It wasn't a hard decision looking at some of the stuff on there.  An example is one person I know in real life who showed their true colours over the summer.  I knew they were a dick already but a status update of their own being plain and simple nasty after I'd put a proud status about middle son's results despite his issues confirmed just what a sad and pathetic egotistical mind they have.  Laughable if it wasn't so sad that they have a child of their own who will most likely end up exactly the same as the other parent is just as bad.  Anyway I haven't missed their 'witty' comments one bit.  Then there are those who just want to flaunt their lavish lifestyles with flash brand new expensive cars and tales of where they have partied the night away yet are fooling nobody with half a brain who realises they are in debt to the hilt.  Then there are the 'woe is me' needy people who just want attention.  Actually facebook is just an attention seeking tool full stop and it won't be going back on my phone any time soon.

Tis Autumn though - the most colourful of the seasons - be happy is the phrase of the month.