Hot weather

I’m going to start with a wee bitch then go on to more important things. I say this because I feel it’s important to put it out there as it’s annoyed me so much in the last few days but I’m ok with it now. Speaking to one of my HAGS (Happy Autism Group Support) mummies recently I was told that when she first came to the area she was told by a mutual acquaintance that the HAGS were not a very nice group of mums. She was told that we were elitist and that we ‘got everything’ whereas the one doing the bitching got nothing. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I am so proud to be at the helm of a group of wonderful mums. We have had shaved heads (mine), dreadlocks, tattoos, piercings, people with various shades of skin colour, Dads, older mums, younger mums, we have welcomes the whole range. The only group we haven’t had are gay parents but as was pointed out to me yesterday we have got one or two gay grandparents so maybe we should welcome them along. I’m also not sure what it is that we ‘get’. If this means a room where we meet that we pay for then yes, I suppose we’re living the high life. I know the woman who has spread the rumours. I don’t think it’s necessary to go into my personal opinion  so lets just say I believe I have been professional in the sense that despite my reservations I have always made it clear that she would be welcome to come along to a meeting if she believes that any of her children may be on the spectrum. I’m not surprised that it was said, I’m just so disappointed that somebody could put their own agenda ahead of the needs of parents who are in need of assistance, parents just getting new diagnosis’ and not knowing which was to turn. I just hope there aren’t any others that she has done this to who have believed her lies. Anyway, it’s being dealt with so I’m not going to let it consume any more of my feelings, it’s just not worth it. Those who know our group know that is the furthest thing from the truth. And karma’s a bitch. On to happier things.

It’s been stinking hot the last few weeks. Not so bad that I’ve been worried about fires and not so bad that I can’t drive (just) but constantly hot every day and every night. I haven’t minded it too much but only because in our ‘new’ house we have good air conditioning. If we were still in the old place I wouldn’t like it at all. Everything seems to be better in the new place.

Beth has made a discovery with the hot weather. My regular readers will know that Beth has a penchance for salt. She loves salt. I’m not sure if normal sand in sandpits is salty or if, because of the sand at the sea, she thinks it is but she’s often eaten sand. I’m assuming that it is salty and that’s the reason why. I only knew this years ago when I couldn’t flush away the lump in the bottom of the toilet and finally realised that it was a mound of sand. Sorry for the visual but I’m sure you can guess how it got there!

Anyway, my kids schools have icypoles on over 30 degree days. (Sorry for those in the USA but I don’t know what that is in your temperatures.) 30 degrees here is just ok, over 30 is bearable, once you get over 35 it’s pretty awful though in my opinion. The temperature has been wavering in the low 30s so each day the kids have had an icypole. Beth kept forgetting to put her money in, then forgot where she put it but I think her teacher has gotten wise to her almost male like organisational skills and now double checks with her to see that she has icypole money. Beth gets in the car at night, knowing what I expect from her. She starts as though I have asked the question, even if I haven’t had a chance to. “What did I do today? Well I did graphs/maths/a Weary Dunlop project/ an Edith Cowen project”. (Impressive hey?) Then she says who she played with (usually nobody but she’s happy playing alone). Lately she’s added the icypole colour that she ate. One night she kept showing me her legs. I, thinking there was something wrong with them (or she was trying to make out like something was wrong with them) asked what her point was. They were sweaty. And salty. And being licked. Beth had discovered how much she liked the taste of her sweat. Fantastic!

That night we got home and I was on here checking my Facebook. I felt a warm breeze. I looked over and saw Beth sitting on the floor. On the heater vent. Seriously? The air conditioning was on, to counteract it Beth had put the heater on to 30 degrees! So that she could lick the sweat off of her knees! Funny bugger.