How long can it take to go to sleep?

One of the challenges in our house is the fact that DS1 has immense trouble going to sleep at night. Some nights are by far worse than others.

Now with my other children this could possibly be explained away but with DS1 having suffered serious brain atrophy (injury) it is hard to know why he is not sleep even after he has been up for 14 hours.

In our house, because of DS1 we all rise in the morning at 0615 hour. In mind this is early especially when my children are on 5, 6 and 8 years old and school does not start until 0900.

Tonight has been exhausting. He has gone to bed at the usual time but sleep...impossible. He has torn his room apart, his nappy, which is only worn at night time, off, called out for his dad consistently for nearly 2 1/2 hours and done everything except sleep in his room. It is driving me crazy and consequently I am sitting here blogging instead so I can't hear him.

I know that he is just wanting my attention, well his Dads really, but to give in to this it just seems to keep him awake and calling out for more and more attention.

We undertake the same bedtime routine with him each night, have tried calming music and cant think of anything else to solve this problem. His brain just does not work like other peoples and does not seem to unwind at times.

On nights like this I need all my coping strategies. Thank goodness for my blog.

oh this is what one terrible tired little boy looks like after 8pm.




and lets not forget the manipulative distraction....a drink and a sore finger that needs a plaster....With his medical condition a drink is a key attention grabber.

Here is a page created saying this.



credits are here at Nuts4Digi

Goodnight all.

Mondays Menu 17 August

Here is this weeks plan

My week worked really well. I more left overs with DH away so I need to think about that next time he is away.

Monday Meatball and spaghetti

Tuesday Curried Pumpkin Soup, Weight Watchers.

Wednesday Madras Beef from the Foodtown Magazine pg 45 Aug/Sep

Thursday Easy Night

Friday Beef burgers home made

Saturday Chicken kebabs and salad

Sunday Filo Samosas at WW recipe

Have a great week.

P365 week 31 and 32

Here are the next two weeks in this project

week 31



the credits for this page can be found here at Nuts4Digi


week 32



The credits can be found at Nuts4Digi here.

TGIF

Oh yay it is Friday. I thought that being Friday and all I would try and reflect on the week that has just been and try to look back at what was.

So in brief I am grateful that I am able to work which will enable us to replace our car at Christmas time. I am grateful that people have been very understanding and have helped me look after my children before and after school and then help me get them to their sporting fixtures as required.

I am grateful that the sun has shone all week and summer feels like it is on the way.

I wonder what next week will bring.

Keeping things simple in my house

As I am trying to work while DH is off shore working (necessity has it that I need a few extra $$$) the last 12 days has seen me refine my timetable to the simplest version it could possibly be.

So what have I done...

1. Make the children's lunches the night before and put them in the fridge.

2. Make a meal plan for the week and put it on the fridge. Shop to the plan and cook to the plan. It works a treat. I can even make the meal the night before if necessary.

3. Pack all bags the night before.

4. Put the laundry through the minute I get up in the morning so that the cycle is finished and can put it on a rack in front of the fire before I leave the house in the morning. That way I don't have to worry about the weather and my washing or even try and remember to bring it in. It cant be done the night before as DS1 bedding needs to go in the wash too.

5. Keep my diary current so I know what I am doing without thinking. Vital

6. Grab sleep when I can as I need it after fitting in work, sport sport and DS1 and all his medical issues.

So with that I am off to bed

P365 week 29 and 30

Here are my Project 365 pages.

week 29



The credits can be found at Nuts4Digi here.

week 30



The credits can be found at Nuts4Digi here.

Monday's Menu 10 August

I have a new 4 week plan starting this week.

Monday Mince and elbow pasta.

Tuesday French Onion Soup (See below for the photo)

Wednesday Crockpot Beef Tikka Foodtown Magazine Aug/Sept 2009 pg 40

Thursday Quick and Easy. Sport Demands a night of left overs and easy prep.

Friday Tuna Hamburgers.

Saturday bbq chicken vege and salad

Sunday Dahl with flat bread

Photo my French Onion Soup

Is spring really here?

It is only the beginning of August and officially the last month of winter here in New Zealand. Winter seemed to have started quite early this year as we have had our fire on since early May so trust me I am not complaining.

Today at work and felt almost over dressed for the weather. My coat actually came off, classrooms in New Zealand schools are not usually heated to the degree that I feel comfortable in, and I almost removed the candy pink cardigan I was wearing. Pink I hear you questioning me. Well not my favourite colour but where price is really important and you have a lot of black and white in your wardrobe you buy.

Now I wait in eager anticipation for the spring to arrive. The time when I can let the fire go out for the last time this year, the time when the fire dust will be finally gone from the house, when I don't need to go out of the house wearing more layers than is healthy for me, and come home carrying most of them. Of course I cant wait for the smells of spring to greet me in the mornings.

The daffodils have arrived and the first of the baby animals can be seen, the grass has finally decided to grow. Yay just need warmer nights and more heat in the sun and longer warmer days that spring and eventually bring.

But I remain cautiously optimistic because I know the last of the winters wild weather is still to arrive and that I will once again be freezing (well for me) to the bone.

Monday's Menu 3 August

Well I had to make a couple of changes to my last weeks menu, mainly because I forgot it was my birthday on Sunday.

Here is my plan for this week.

Monday Hamburgers (homemade variety)

Tuesday Chicken and pumpkin risotto WW magazine May 2009 Pg 25

Wednesday Chicken, peaches and ginger.

Thurdsay Pot roast in the slow cooker. (left over meat to made into a pie dish and frozen

Friday Pizza

Saturday Pumpkin Soup

Sunday Left overs. My husband is away so there will be plenty.

This is the first week that I have done this forward planning menu and DH away on a long haul, 12 days. I will be interested to see how it goes.

Its my Birthday

Today it is a Happy Birthday to me. It seems the older you get the more likely you design your birthday around the little children in the house, well in my house anyway. I even made my own cake and put a ego boosting number of candles on it, 10. Oh to be that carefree again.

I thought for fun I would take a look at famous people who celebrate on this day too. So happy birthday to Peter O Toole, Alan Whicker and the 67 other name that popped up on my Google search (I only knew the above two).



In my house it is tradition to have takeaways on your birthday. So today it my choice, a kiddie friendly one is necessary.

Have fun everyone.