One week left!

I can't believe the holidays are nearly over. Already. How quickly has that gone.

Niece has settled back in all right. I think. I haven't had to take her to task too often. Just for a couple of silly things mostly. I've replaced her shampoo with the sulfate free one she had been using. The last one was the same brand but not sulfate free. Sulfate free keeps her hair in better condition, and her scalp too I think.

We've had one small disagreement. About boys mostly. I walked into her room just in time to see her hide something. *why do teenagers do that???* I asked but she refused to give it to me at first, and then relented. I read it and then she had the lecture about boys. She thinks she's old enough but really she isn't. Nowhere near mature enough to have a boyfriend. I have suggested her behaviour is called flirting and is inappropriate at work. And with strangers in public. She doesn't understand this and thinks she is old enough for a boyfriend. I keep trying to tell her that her head isn't old enough and the way she behaves shows me this. We discussed the possible repercussions of inappropriate flirting and not being old enough to choose the right boy. Of course, I can tell her this but it will not sink in. However, she knows that it is inappropriate behaviour at work, and I shall remind her. She can talk to boys at school but she may not flirt. I've also told her she needs to concentrate on her school work. I shall have to remind her of this regularly as well. I have discovered a wealth of things in her report card that say she can do, but she certainly can't do them at home.

First thing will have to be coaching her to use the skills they teach her at school outside, in the wider community. For example, they say she knows her fractions and can follow a recipe. However, when she follows a recipe at home, 150ml of water in a measuring jug could be anything above or below that level. She can't judge that 150ml means filling to that line. 1/2 can be recognised when written, but she has to be reminded that half is two equal portions, eg, half a glass of milk with breakfast.

The saga with the bank continues. I've lodged a dispute with the Financial Ombudsman Service office but I doubt the outcome will be any different from anything else. After that, I guess I will have to approach a different financial service to find out what I can do and discuss bankruptcy. It will be the only remaining option I have I think. Otherwise the bank will take me to court to recover costs and apart from the car, I don't know what else I can sell. I need the laptop to study and it wouldn't fetch much anyway.

Jerome has been sick again. There must be something in this house. That's about four times since we moved that he's been sick. Either he's been eating things he shouldn't that I don't know about or he's just getting sick. Terrible green diarrhoea. He sleeps a lot but if you disturb him he's not lethargic. And his bottom in a terrible mess. I had to bathe him again. He almost got away from me this time. MOTH came to "help" and Jerome redoubled his efforts to get away. It was nearly a vet visit this time but today he seems to be relatively fine.

I finally have my half of the rental bond. ALL OF THE YAY! That's the last of the previous house. Not bad for a move on 28 November last year. MOTH received his payment last Monday but mine never arrived. I double checked the account details with my bank. And with the real estate agent. Oops. A mistype. But a call to the RTA confirmed it had been sent out by cheque. Now received and deposited. Whew.

Tee is back on deck after the break. She has now moved north, Autism Queensland has reorganised her shifts again so we have to figure out the fine points of Niece's hours. This might mean getting a new person in do take her out early in the week while Tee takes a couple of hours later in the week. This is going to be a king sized pain. Niece will be back at school so what can you do from 4pm on a week day? Not a whole lot that's for sure. Late night shopping is Thursday and three hours doesn't give much time to organise anything worthwhile.

I was going to pop in something funny MOTH did the other day. But now for the life of me I can't remember what it was. Ah well, rest assured I would have made it into a grand story....