Power Struggle

My bf at the New Centre is Shane. Blonde hair, blue eyes, such a little man already. He bosses his sister around something shocking, but he completely loves her so it's almost ok.

At home, he is definitely the boss. Last week he told me I couldn't say a particular phrase because he'd already said it. It was his. Needless to say, it was something In Charge-ish, which he has no right to claim at all.

Today he was spinning a plate on the table in the playdough area. I asked him to stop. He didn't. I asked if I needed to take it away or move him somewhere else. He still didn't stop. I took the plate away. Aaron gave him another plate and I think told him to do it again. I moved Shane away and told Aaron to stop being a little shit. Maybe not in so many words.

With Aaron, it's that he is a cheeky little shit, but with Shane it's just pure stubborness.

Luckily, I am the queen of stubborn. We're a perfect match!

I moved Shane away and sat back down at another table. I invited him to join us but of course he's too stubborn for that. Eventually our game intruiged him and he told me to move my foot so he could pull the chair out. Of course he refused to say please so I didn't. Fricking queen of stubborn over here. Another few minutes and he so wanted to play that he managed to ask perfectly politely if I could please move.

I would like to think that means lesson learned, but I know we will do this all over again almost every day I'm there. It's just in our nature.

Make Sense?

Everyone in my room went to an austism seminar today. Everyone except me. Me the support worker. Make sense to you?

New Centre

I have an every-Tuesday shift at a new centre.

I'm support-workering again. It's interesting as a comparison of the old centre and between Goo and my new charge.

Ranee is both better and worse than Goo. Not as verbal, but he's getting better. Not as tantrummy, but then, Goo got better and Ranee has his moments. Ranee is more huggy but Goo seems happier to see you.

I kinda have a crush on Sean, even though he does not have an inside voice.

Grace I would personally place somewhere on the Spectrum, or somewhere in the area of diagnosable with something. She does have an awesome imagination. She had two pieces of cheese made into a house, and was all, "There's a mouse about the house," which is a cool book. THEN she broke off a teeny piece of cheese and was running the 'mouse' all about the house. Awesome.

Luke is like a cross between Damon and Jimi. Barely talks, but will chatter away to his mum. Talks to himself/his toys when he plays. Has started nodding to us when we ask him questions. And he did actually answer me. Plus we had an awesome game with a soccer ball and hula hoop wherein I got him to laugh hysterically which was brilliant.

Talk To Me

I got to talk to some of the kids on the phone the other week. I always miss them majorly when I talk to them.

Hugo was gorgeous, as he always is when he pulls out his I love you Missy.

Princess was decently chatty, all about her birthday, which, dude, I was there. And you didn't bring any cake in. And some other stuff too I think.

It was Molly who really blew me away.

Me: So, what have you been up to today?
Molly: We're going to get a snake today.
Me: Oh really. What kind of snake?
Molly, in my head: 'A big one' or 'A brown one' or something like that. Leading to my next question about size or colour or whatever she didn't already tell me.
Molly, for real: A Children's Python or a Carpet Python or possibly a SomethingElse Python.
Me: .....

And then she chatted away for ages in the most mature manner possible, asking where I am and telling me she's coming here next year and all. I totally forgot I was talking to a preschooler and told her to Call me when you get here, we'll go out!

Oh! And! Dude, if The Parents tell you to keep him awake, you cannot fricking put him to sleep. Seriously, read a book, do some puzzles. He will sit quietly enough.

The centre is definitely not the same without me and LMC and T - and now D? Damn.

Last Day (Again)

We had our rocking Preschool Holiday Program and PR2 / Likhwa's Last Day / T's Last Day / My Last Day Party Day on Friday. We made cookies, balloon people, glitter paintings, and party hats. We also ate huge amounts of cake provided by Likhwa, Emma, and Jack/Hugo/Syddy's shopping skills.

When I said goodbye to Mia (who is the best-spoken two-year-old in the whole entire world), her mum said that she's never seen Mia love someone as much and as quickly as she loves me. Which was the sweetest thing in the world for her to say. Even if I have a simple explanation for it. In the words of LMC:
I'd go back for one day just for the ego stroke.
When everyone in the whole center thinks I'm awesome, even kids who've never met me are bound to agree starting right then. It always wears off though!

I wrote goodbyes to J/H/S in their books, including a new update of what Hugo is into right at this present moment in time. Things like:

Likes:
riding his bike on the concrete
throwing things into the playroom from preschool
Hugo in the preschool room
cookies

Dislikes:
riding his bike on the bike path
the playroom
food that's not fishbites or cookies.

In addition, here's a list of things I've said in the last 24 hours or anticipate saying in the next that will confuse anyone in SA all to hell (and their origins):

Hugo: Oh no [insert something that has fallen, eg 'oh no stars' or, more likely, something that Hugo has dropped, eg 'oh no orange', or 'oh no tana toast' or, and this is not not within the bounds of possibility, something ceramic that Hugo has somehow taken the lid off and dropped it to the floor and smashed it into a million pieces such as 'oh no toilet'].

Connor: Behind you! (Even if said thing that he's pointing to is next to you or over there or even right in front of you.)

Connor: This one! (Said when he's choosing something, as in the following conversation:
K: Here Connor do you want your smoothie?
Connor: NO. (Another patented Connor phrase.)
K: Do you want my banana one then?
Connor: This one! (Pointing to my smoothie.)

Which leads me to...

K: Yeah no.

and...

D's pajama's from Pajama Party Day: Let me think about it. Ummm, no!

D and I: 1234...Hi5!

edited to add:
"i NEED you to ..." (hugo)
and
signing things like 'finished' and 'ready' and 'orange' at people who don't quite understand.

Blog Hopping

This is absolutely ridiculous.

The Parents have (jokingly?) offered me a baby-sitting job over the Christmas holidays. If you ask me, kids in holiday mode are the craziest, least-rational EVER. Parents who choose to embark on that have all my sympathies.

Which is why airlines, hotel/motel-type people, tourist attractions, and anyone else who may come into contact with kids on holiday should be doing their absolute best to NOT hinder the parents in any way at all.

Sarah, I hope US Airways gets a strongly worded letter from you, perhaps accomanied by a soundtrack of over-tired kids on holiday. I'm sure they will see that happy holidaying kids are really in everybody's best interests.

Preschool Holiday Program Teacher: Blah blah blah and there will be hand and foot painting on the verandah.
Liam: And if the teacher says wow you put it on the wall!

***

The Rents: Come on kids, we're going shopping.
Jack: We need [it's frickin contagious] to go cake shopping.
Me: Sounds good to me. Hey Jack, you can buy me one too.
Jack: Ok.
Me: Do you some money?
Jack: Yep.
Me: Oh, well, that makes one of us. Have fun shopping.

Next day, guess what we have for afternoon tea? Yep, chocolate cake. Turns out the kids went and got it and wouldn't let The Rents put it back. "We need to buy a cake for Missy. It's Missy's cake." Ha ha HA.

Thanks, kids. You are the BESTEST.