DOWN MEMORY LANE

Jason & I 15 years ago, 6 months after we met, how we change.

My wonderful family, mum, dad, brothers & sisters on our wedding day.

Who would have thought Jordan would come along so soon after.

Jordan in hospital recovering from Meningitis

Nicolas born 16 months later after Jordan, here aged 4 months.

Jordan & Nicolas aged 3.5 & 2 years of age.

Learning to drive a golf cart early.

Nicolas & Chloe aged 2 and chloe 2 months of age.

Chloe aged 2 months, cute as a button.

Chloe aged 3 months.

Chloe aged 2, opening presents on her birthday.

Chloe aged 3.

Family photo at the Zoo.

Jordan on his walk to nowhere, likes to be in a world of his own.

One of my beautiful sisters Sarah & Jordan aged 4.5 years old.

Time has flown, passed has the years,

In that time, so many tears,

Tears of sadness, tears of joy,

Watching our children, play with their toys.

God gave to me some hurdles in life,

To test and see me as a mother & wife,

I thank him for these challenges, it has taught me to be strong,

And because of him, we have made it along.

Thankyou Lord, for keeping our children safe & sound,

Without you, the love we share, would never been found.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHLOE

Another year has past since our precious daughter was only 4 years old when this photo was taken.
This was taken when we first moved to Tea Gardens and she had started at Daycare.
On the 8th April chloe was born 5 years ago with a rare genetic disorder called Incontentia Pigmentii. After initial scares and berwilderment, wondering if it had affected her mentally and physically, our prayers were answered.

We are happy to say today, she is a healthy, active, happy young lady with only a few external scars on her torso, problems with only 20% vision in her left eye (we are still waiting for her new glasses to arrive after her lenses broke)and her teeth are coned shaped (like sharks teeth) which can be fixed with dental cosmetic surgery later in life, in which she is on a waiting list to have done when she is older.

Though at times Chloe shows symptoms of Aspergers, we believe she is making great progress at school. I reckon we have a little budding artist on our hands as she seems to have the ability to draw and colour in with great imagination and skill.

Who would have thought the first 2 years, after feeling anguish and worry that our little girl could have Neurological problems, that she has infact beat those odds, after Jordans diagnosis it was just too much.

I remember Chloe just a newborn baby, after seeing a specialist, slamming the car door over and over to see if she would jump with the noise like most babies do. She didnt blink an eye. My world just crumbled once again.
What did i do once again, played over and over in my head.

I now know there was nothing that could of prevented this mutant gene from forming into a rare chromosone disorder that we still know little about called Incontentia Pigmentii.

Chloe never goes a day without telling me how much she loves me, and even though i tell Nicolas, Jordan and Chloe everyday how much i love them, i am sending an extra special message for Chloe, our only daughter, Happy Birthday Princess and look forward to making your day a special one. We love you very very much.

Luv Mummy, daddy, Jordan and Nicolas. xxx

WHAT A WEEKEND

Wow, what a weekend just gone. We had Nicolas's birthday party down at the local pub and we had a great turn out. We had a lot of friends who made the 2.5 hour trip and stay over the weekend. The children had a pool party at the pub, as Jason's boss let us use the pool.
Saved a lot of time and effort as we had it catered for, so at 8.30 pm we came home and threw on a BBQ.

It was fantastic to catch up on some friends we hadnt seen close to five years and Matt who happens to be Jason best mate could make the trip with his wife. I ended up with 9 children over for the night with Tina, craig, their 2 kids and Louisa, one of my best friends. Gawwd by Sunday afternoon i was so tired and exhausted i let the kids have Monday off because they wernt feeling the best and i was feeling a little off myself.

We practically slept all Monday, i must have needed it because i normally wont sleep past 6-7am. Jordan was fantastic considering the amount of people who came, loved his swimming, though as night fell i was having anxiety attacks, having to keep an eye on 6 kids who were staying with us, running around like crazy, and Jordan doing his huidini tricks once again.

Poor Daddy had to drive back to Sydney with 3 of the childrens cousins who stayed, as he has work down there, so i wont be seeing him now for another 2 weeks, as he is working the whole weekend this week and maybe next. I miss him and so do the kids and cant wait to this work is over, though the money is great and managing to pay a lot more bills.

Jordan has used the toilet again at school, so his teacher is making a major breakthru for him and us, i hope soon he will take himself, though i think that will be a while yet.
Anyway, i have finally bought a new printer and can finally put more pictures on my blog, Hip hip horray! Take care all and i will update again real soon.

Arevoir
Kiralea

HOORAY FOR JORDAN

Well i can start my blog off with some great news.

Not only are we so proud of Jordan's accomplishments but he has stepped over another milestone.

On Monday Jordan did his first pooh on the toilet at School.

His teacher Mrs Evans was beside herself with elation and shed tears after she told me what he had done. I must say Vicky (his teacher) has proven to have a ferocious appetite when it comes to schooling Jordan, and i mean that nicely, as she has proven to be a wonderful friend and teacher for Jordan.

Mrs Evans is very firm but kind with Jordan and her dedication to his needs has been an asset, not only to us but for the School. After he did this she raced him up to the principals office and later he came home with stickers all over his shirt. We are so proud of him and I could not help ringing everyone that afternoon to tell everyone about his toileting skills, which has been limited to home.

I have to laugh because that afternoon Jordan came home and was so happy and excited with his achievement, i promised him McDonalds this weekend.

I want to say happy birthday to our other special boy in our life. Nicolas turned 7 the other day, and is doing extremely well with his reading and writing. The change in progress over a short period of time since we have been here has been amazing. He has moved quicker ahead up here than he did from day one in his sydney school.

Chloe started school the other day and looked so cute in her uniform and is doing very well and enjoying school, though Nicolas told me on her 3rd day she was running in and out of the boys toilets, which she recieved an earful about how unlady like this is. I think we are going to have a handful on our hands as she gets older, with her strong personality, though at school she is so quiet.

Daddy is in Sydney again, and the kids miss him but he will be home for a night over each weekend over the next 4-5 weeks.

Well i am feeling fine, except my ankle is still playing up so i had to see a specialist, and probaly will need surgery, it just does not want to heal. Anyway thats all for now.

Arevoir

Kiralea

I HAVE HAD SUCH A GREAT DAY (WHY NOT)

Well let me say, i know i updated my blog page earlier but wanted to type some more. I dont always find the time to type away but tonite now, i can.

We had a great day! Went down to the beach with the children and i actually went swimming. Oh my gosh, i cant believe it myself. Well after putting on the 30 plus an hour later i did still get a little burnt.

Dolphins were swimming near us and I suddenly felt safe because i know sharks will not usually swim near a pod of dolphins.

Well, where we went swimming it is a 10 minute walk through the bush, my friend Kirrily and i walk this every morning before we pound the sand which is a dirt track before hitting this paradise, and hubby was winging all the way (he hadn't been to this place yet) "gawwwd when we finally get to the the water and swim, we will be hot again by the time we get back to the car and will need another swim"!

Anyway it was worth it and when we got to the water there was so many boats anchored out i swear James Packer's boat was also out there. (that is Kerry packers son (Australian Billionaire) if you all dont know what i am talking about)

Jordan a few times tried to do the hudini on us as usual, but decided after we found a quiet spot, cover himself with sand, dig little holes and come in and wash himself off and stay where we made ourselves comfortable. We enjoyed a lovely family day out from 12.30pm (after lunch) until 3pm and i must admit, being the joker i can be, never saw my family run out of water as quickly as they ever have after telling them "SHARK QUICK GET OUT" .

I know it is crying wolf, which i dont do a lot (justifying) as a way of seeing how quick people can move. I said to hubby later pretend it was a drill and next time i expect you all to get of the water 30 seconds quicker!

Arevior

Kiralea

WHAT A LIFE WE LEAD

Well I couldn't resist putting this photo on my blog page. Rosemary knight who i went to school with sent me the this photo of her daughter Holly the other day. Isnt she soooo cute!

Well the weather has been kind to us, and there is no way i will spend another summer in Sydney. It is such mild weather compared to Sydney, it does get hot but it is a comfortable heat.

My friend Kirrily and i go every morning for a hours walk along the beach at 7am. I am determined to loose more weight before her wedding in September this year. My ankle is still giving me grief but decided to put up with the pain and pound the sand. It is such a lovely walk and we see the Dolphins every morning feeding close to the shore with their babies.

Nicolas comes with us sometimes and we collect shells along the way, found a few unusual ones and we are going to make necklaces out of them. The water has been a nice 22 degrees most days. I need to get a new printer so i can start scanning more pictures and uploading them onto my blog.

Jordan is doing really well with his speech and toileting, we have finally got it right, though he insists i take him. Dad doesnt mind one iota. He doesnt have to wipe his behind! My mum and dad are meant to be having the kids this Saturday for a week, though her back is playing up again and in a lot of pain, so i might have to put it off as its going to be too much for her i feel.

Jordan has started screaming a lot lately and driving us batty with the noise. He seems so agro, i dont know if it is because he is getting older and more frustrated with things that normally would never trigger these outbursts. Its hard as hubby has been doing a lot of night shifts and i cant keep him quiet.

Chloe has calmed down so much these holidays, i cant believe it is the same little girl. She has become such a little lady, and i cant believe she is starting school this year. She is so excited.

Its been pleasant without hearing tantrums, its hard enough with Jordan yelling his lungs out. I try to get out with them, but it is hard with Jordan at times who yells and trys to take off on us, almost getting hit by cars in the process. It puts me off going anywhere with him at times, but i have too, he does need more interaction with society. I have been taking him to the shops and getting him to pay the the staff and asking him to count out the change to me. we are getting there with him.

The house is a mess constantly and whenever i clean for hours it is like it again in 10 minutes. I keep finding little presents in our cupboards from Chloe who likes to play with flour and water in cups and other things, it is only when i smell something unpleasant and go searching i find these little deposits. Ahhhh the joys of children and being a parent.

Jordan has taken on a some new phases, drinking from his cup and spitting it out everywhere, then laughs at this new found game. Gawd i am on my hands and knees more than i am standing! If its not the water, its smashed eggs on the bench, empty yogurt containers with yogurt on the floor and the washing machine at my friend Kirrily's house spilling out water everywhere, because its playing up and he loves turning it on, believe me, we even have tried unplugging it and somehow he finds a way to switch it back on, so my time there seems to be mopping up water everywhere.

Life is never boring here in this mad house, and instead of getting mad at him i am going MAD!

Arevoir

Kiralea

HOW ARE THINGS?

School Holidays have kicked in and 1 week later, just loving it, not!

Nicolas and Chloe fight incessantly. Hubby is working late shifts and i am over it.

I am trying to keep the kids quiet all day while he sleeps and all i hear is SHHHHUUUTTUP!

I take them in the car for a drive and all they do is fight and hear Nicolas is pinching me, Chloe is pinching me! gawwwwwwd!

I take them to the beach and all I do is yell at Nicolas and Chloe to not go in far as they cant swim properly. Jordan Just takes off down the beach and while trying to keep an eye on two kids swimming i am chasing Jordan down the beach.

I cant understand why i am not 15 kilos lighter.

Anyway my good news is my best best friend Kirrily got engaged on XMAS day to Ray her boyfriend of 1 year and her ring is divine.

He proposed to her in front of everyone and i am her matron of honour. They will get married within the year on the beach so i have a lot of organising to do to help make her day perfect.

Oh boy we have been discussing everything and Chloe is going to be her flowergirl as well. We have a busy year ahead of us.

I think i am more excited then they are!

All is well and the kids will go to mum & dads in a week for a week so Jay and i can spend more time together. Nicolas and Chloe just came back from Jasons parents for 2 days and had a great time with their Grandmere and Grandpere. I have had one of my great friends Kylie come up for 4 days and just left yesterday so everything is quietning down now.

Hope all had a Merry XMAS and also a prospherous New Year, take care and travel safetly. By the way i recieved a message from Alex Clarke please email me i remember you, i sent a reply to your message wowwww keep in touch, hopefully we can have a chat on MSN or Yahoo.

Areviour

kiralea

OH MY GOODNESS, I THINK I MIGHT WITHER INTO A CORNER AND STAY THERE

Hi all, gosh where do i start?

Jordan has been unbearable. Constant screaming, yelling, bashing doors against walls. I have to lock my balcony door so he doesnt go out there and yell his tits off , with people looking up at him from the gas station in his undies playing with himself because he refuses to do a pooh!

Jordan constantly yells out "HELP ME" giving people the impression we are abusing him somewhat. He used to do this lot earlier on and now has started this behaviour up again. My hubby and i are at our wits end. His screaming starts from the time he awakens with his ERRRRR noises, until he goes to bed with a fight, sometimes 11.30 at night.

I have decided to get him on a diet from next week, cutting out Casein (dairy), Wheat and Gluten along with Yeast and sugers. Not only Jordan will benefit from this but we are all doing it. Chloe has become Jeckyl and Hyde and Nicolas is ok until something pisses him off and then he is off on a tangem.

I have a referral to Maitland Hospital Paedtric Clinic to look into meds down the track if the diet doesnt work. I believe it will help because we have done it before.

Jordans behaviour has become like a caged animal. Unpredictable and has taken on a new role pulling his sisters hair. I have to turn the computer off because he screams while using it and when i turn it off he screams because i turned it off.

ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGG!

Chloe is so quite at school, yet when she comes home she is unbearable, grunting and yelling at who ever is in her way.

My life is in turmoil at the moment and started my prozac again before i go mental and loose it.

I am going to organise a hair analysis for all of them and go from there.

The other day i fell down the stairs and cracked my ankle. I was standing at the top and misjudged and fell backwards. The pain is unbearable and poor hubby has taken on a lot, plus having to get to work. My ankle is feeling is a little better today, but i feel like i have been run over by a bus.

Well thats enough feeling sorry for myself. If anyone has any ideas or recipes regarding gluten free diets i would like to hear from you. Its been so long since i last did it and will be researching until my fingers are arthritic and cant type anymore.

Take care all

Arevoir

WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING

Hi all and i can finally say how happy i am to have a new computer and able to blog my life away again.

Jason has finally arrived for good up in Tea Gardens and it feels great to have some respite and help once again.

Jordan is doing well at school and the teachers just love his little quirks.

I have started working at the school canteen to help out and he knows where to escape when i am on the canteen and say "mummy green slush puppy please" god love him.

We have come to the realisation that Nicolas is indeed Aspergers but only mild high functioning and extremely bright, after feeling he may have been incorrectly diagnosed. His teacher came to me the other day and asked me if loud unexpected noises affected him and when i think about it happens a lot.

I told his teacher that in he was diagnosed with Aspergers in Sydney and she is the 3rd teacher to comment on his behaviour so they are going to organise some funding to help him along. I am surprised it hasnt depressed me what so ever because i have accepted this is meant to be and no matter what he is a bright happy child most of the time and has many friends at school, especially older children.

Chloe is also showing symptoms of Aspergers which has despaired us a little, having 3 children now with most probaly special needs.

Her behaviour is extreme, temper tantrums to say the least, then she is the most beautiful little girl with a heart of gold, we call her Jekyl and Hyde

(to ourselves that is)

She doesnt like to give people eye contact and will only do so with who she is familiar with, but then again this could be just shyness, yet at school and kindy she is so quiet and well behaved.

My dad feels he was always different and i do believe my dad may be Aspergers as well with his extreme moods and repetative behaviours and anti social behaviour at times.

Aspergers we think is also in Jasons family so when you think about the gene thing our kids obviously inherited it from both of us. But all in all we are blessed with loving healthy children and nothing in this world can change the fact that they all may have different needs so we cant wallow in self pity, we will just move ahead and do what is best by our beloved children.

I am feeling great and much happier and weening myself off the Prozac, so far so good, we will see. I am loosing weight so far 12 kilos which is great, Jason can actually see shape in my backside now, how it used to be (he he) living near the ocean and walking the kids to school has been good for me, also the fact working in the school canteen up to 3 days a week (just started) keeps me busy and active.

I am missing my family a lot but enjoying what life has to offer up here and never felt better. My best friend Kirrily is just so awesome considering she has had many hurdles to overcome with her health etc. We had a great night before Jason arrived together dancing with the kids and pumping up the music.

The service station across the road must be getting some free entertainment with Jordan spinning non stop and they have actually asked me how he does it for so long then walk away with feeling dizzy. Jordan has taken on new phase, throwing things off our balcony (argggg) and strips off down to his undies constantly and does cartwheels across the balcony so i guess you could agree he is very much entertaining, let alone my friend and I when we get down and funky with the kids.

Well that is about all i have to talk about for now and Vanessa (friend from school) i know you read this blog everyday checking for updates can you email me please to my new address kiralee.powell@bigpond.com i have lost all my email addresses waaaaaa.

Take care all.

Arevoir.

THINGS ARE GOING GREAT

Hi all i am in Sydney for a while with school holidays. We have found a lovely place to live after living out of holiday rentals for over a month. I am organising to bring our furniture out of storage and finally be able to say we are home.

Jordan is going 2 hours a day now instead of the one hour Tea Gardens school could offer. His language skills are awesome now and we can actually hold a short conversation with him and he is going through a inquisitive stage asking all sorts of questions, and building a conversation from there.

His toileting is going well and hopefully funding will come through soon so he can start going to mainstream full time.

He loves school and when he asks me when are we going i tell him soon and his reply is always "good idea" he makes us laugh.

Nicolas has progressed also beyond a doubt and after worrying he may be dyslexic he has shown otherwise since starting his new school.

It is such a lovely environment to raise children because it is a small country community and everyone seems to look out for oneanother.

I have been embraced into this community and its so nice to feel welcome and that everyone i have met have bent over backwards to help Jordan and myself into this new transistion in life.

Chloe loves her pre-school and starts big school next year with her brothers and cannot wait and is doing very well especially in the art area. Her drawings and colouring is so good i think we have a little artist on our hands.

Her kindy comment all the time how good she is compared to other children her age.

I at times feel lonely and we all miss jason when he cant get up to visit, but it has made our relationship stronger and given him a sense of respect and understanding how hard it can be to be on your own most of the time and raise 3 children alone, especially an Autistic child like Jordan.

We are putting a lot of our troubles behind us and trying to build a better relationship between us which is fantastic, maybe this is why the kids are doing so well without all the stress that surrounded our daily lives before.

My friend Kirrily has been a fantastic help with the children also when i need it and i can say i have a true friend that loves us all unconditionally as well.

My family miss us and we miss them but i have made a new start for all of us and am so happy where we are and there is no looking back.

I still havent the internet on as yet as i am looking to moving in a fortnight so after this i will be able to chat with all my special friends i have made within the blogosphere world. take care all and speak to you all soon.

Arevoir

Kiralea

WHERE I HAVE BEEN THE LAST MONTH

Well its been a while again and thought i would update you all what has been happening. I have moved to Hawks Nest with the children and Jason will be following at the end of the year when his contract for Transfield runs out..

We at the moment are living with my friend Kirrily and looking to find a house to rent. I enrolled the children at Tea Gardens Public School and Jordan is now attending Main stream IO support class.

I must say i put Jordan back on the zinc and his language and whole being has been amazing.

He will now ask me questions and actually have a short conversation with me.

His new teacher Mr Yo is lovely and been a special ed teacher for over 20 years, though retired in that field 10 years ago and now has taken up helping Jordans transition into his new school.

We are at the moment sending Jordan 1hr a day to help him adjust in his new environment which is very different to his old school Halinda.

We are waiting for the paperwork to go through so they can get the required funding for a teachers aid to sit with him in class.

I have been very nervous as the school hasnt got the same safety precautions he had before. The students have been introduced to Jordan and seem to be very understanding of his Autism and quirky behaviour he brings into the school.

There are quite a number Aspergers children within the school and I think Jordan is going to be a big challenge and very interesting to see how it all works out. I would like to thank Halinda for all the efforts they had made for Jordan especially Joan and Mrs Cooksley as this move was very sudden and he was taken out immediately.

Living with my parents didnt work out as my father who works hard couldnt handle Jordans behaviour and noises, especially after working all day and coming home tired. My father is not well also and Jordan seemed to be stressed and i was stressed trying to keep him quite.

Jason and I had planned to go South but decided North would be the way to go and it is such a beautiful community who have made the kids and I very welcome and Mrs Esten Nicolas's & Jordans Principal is absolutely lovely,caring and has bent over baclwards for Jordan to attend the public school as this is all very new to them with Jordans type of Autism.

Jordan just thinks she is wonderful as he is always asking to go to the principal, and when she talks in assembly he doesn't make a sound.

We couldnt find Jordans teacher Mr Yo the other day and we found him Jordan said "good morning Mr Yo, where have you been" I am so proud of his change in behaviour and language.

Oh by the way hip hip hoorah for Jordan, He now poohs by himself on the toilet and wipes himself without much help, then runs to me and says " mummy did pooh on the toilet, Good boy" I tell you it wasn't easy at first but my stubborness paid off without giving into him to put a nappy on. He did have me worried a while as he would hold onto for

3 days or more.

I believe he will benefit being in a main stream school because he has the ability, i believe, to keep going forward.

We are heading off on Tuesday to visit his old school to say goodbye properly as we are here in sydney until Thursday morning.

Kirrily my best friend has been a wonderful support and its been the best change for us all. I feel better about myself, achieving more independance than i ever have had. We walk every day along the waterfront to take the kids to school and they love it.

I managed to enrol Chloe in preschool 2 days a week and she is having a fantastic time. They have chickens at the preschool and everyday collect some eggs and make pancakes for the kids for morning tea.

Nicolas loves his new school as well and doing much better than before as being such a small community they have more one on one attention for their schooling needs.

The kids have told us they do not want to come back to Sydney. It is about a 2.15 hrs drive and we can walk practically walk everywhere to get what we need. I have hired a holiday rental for a month to give my friend and boyfriend some peace and quite. It is great to live somewhere cheap near the ocean, lakes and enjoy the fresh air compared to the sydney smog and busy lifestyle oh and no bloody traffic lights!

Our 2 dogs are enjoying their freedom on the beach and room to play as border collies are so active and do not stop.

I miss hubby a lot but he is earning good cash to end of year and will be up as soon as his job finishes and has been told he can get work up there at the country club. I have been offered some work in a real estate around the corner as it gets a little warmer and busier period working on reception which i am excited about to earn some dollars as well.

All is happy and well, and i have never felt this elated in my life as i have been the past month. I really miss my family down here but all in all i think this is going to be a much more pleasant lifestyle for all of us.

I have not been able to update my blog for a while as i dont have the internet at the moment so i am taking every opportunity to update while i can at the moment. All my lovely friends who read this regulary take care and really miss chatting especially to Lora and Tina. Lots of hugs to you all and hope to see you in in the blogosphere soon.

Arevoir Jordan, Nicolas, Chloe, Jason and Kiralea

WE ARE BACK FROM HOLIDAYS

Well we all went up to the coast for 6 days to stay with my beloved best friend Kirrily and had the most wonderful time. We took one of our dogs Tiger and the kids loved it, going to the beach playing ball with Tiger and Kirrily's dog Shandy.

Jordan decided that Winter will not weary him, and decided to go swimming every time we went to the beach. We were exhausted between watching dogs chase people jogging up the beach and saving children from drowning. Jordan has no fear, as most Autistic children have, so poor daddy a few times had to jump into the waves to stop him going further out into the depth of the waters.

Surprisingly that we are now in the middle of winter the water was not too bad. There was a few people swimming. Brrrrr it was still cold enough for me.

Jordans other front tooth fell out and this time there was no tears, just calmly walked up to me and said "look oh no" and gave me his little tooth to meand ran off to find other mischief to get into.

My friend Kirrily had tears in her eyes when we were leaving and when i asked her whats wrong, she told me she always feels lost when we go home as she loves us all so much. Well dito to that because i miss her a lot too when we leave. We always have so much fun together and with the kids.

Jordan today took himself to the toilet to do his pooh after i told him to go, he went and sat on his own and did it without resistance, then asked me to "please wipe his bottom". I feel the hardest part of teaching him is almost over and after asking him to try and wipe his own behind and getting it on his little fingers, i decided momentarily we should do this ourselves for a while!

Our little baby is finally growing up, even though he is eight, he is still to us the 3 year old he once was. Jordans speech has dramatically picked up over the last 2 weeks and feel so much more confident he will just keep getting better and better. He asks for things so clearly now and always says please and thankyou (sometimes with reminding). Jordan the other day picked up a bible and red it aloud to me, i was so proud he even red some of the big words without much help.

School starts back on Tuesday, so my mother is looking forward to this as it can be very noisy living here. I have been trying to download a couple of pictures but its either too slow or a problem with bloggers.com.

Chloe and Nicolas are doing fine and i have incorporated into there diets not more bloody sugar it sends them barny and ourselves so to speak.

Ahhh finally it has let me load the pictures, it is an old one of Nicolas and Jordan on a hot summers day Nicolas is the most cutest little boy.

The other one is finally of Mocha, Jordans little Kitty Kat as he always calls him. He is so patient and understanding of the children especially of Jordan. Anyway thats enough for the night and i will be back soon. Arevoir all and take care.

WHATS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I LAST POSTED

Well its been a while since updating my blog and its been for a good reason.
Jason, myself and kiddies have moved back about a month ago to my mum & dads to save money and because the opportunity arose.

We are looking to move at the end of the year into a new place near the beach, down south at Shoalhaven heads, near Nowra.
We have done our research for Jordan and found there is a special school for him in Nowra nearby so it has made things a lot easier, as there is limited resources in NSW for children with special needs and moving away from Sydney can prove to be a hiccup for children like Jordan.

Its about 2 hours from mum & dads, but a lovely country area and cheaper living costs. I am hoping to get another horse again and get the children into riding eventually.

I am studying at the moment Medical Administration and in September i will studying to become a Pathology Collector, taking blood. I love anything Medical and have just applied for a position at a hospital part-time in the sleep disorder unit for children to get experience and achieve my goals.
Now the children are older, i feel i can cope with full time study again.

Jordan has come a long way since i last posted. He has started using the toilet to do his poohs with our help of course, and hope sometime soon he will take himself.
I decided to stop giving into nappies a month ago and after Jordan holding on for 4 days (dont know how he did it) he finally let go in the toilet much to our excitment.
Now that he is almost 8 i felt it was time to make him use the toilet with many promises of treats if he would do it. Now he just does it without treats promised to him and doesnt hold on as long now when seated on the toilet.

His language has picked up, and he is now asking "breakfast please mummy" and asking me to wipe his bottom. I am so proud and happy he has come this extra milestone. Nicolas and Chloe are going great, we just came back from Shoalhaven heads after spending a week down there at the Shack which is run by the Apex club for children with disabilities and illnesses.

We are about to enbark on another adventure with the kids on Friday and visit my best friend Kirrily for a week at Hawks Nest at the Central Coast. It gives us and my parents the sanity needed as the kids can be noisy and my dad has the patience of a Tasmanian Devil. Ha ha. My mum nags me constantly and i have realised even being 35 our mothers never stop being mothers and telling me how to be a mother!

Otherwise all is well and everyone is getting on fine. School holidays are here and its bedlem as usual, because my mother and father are starting to breed exotic cats and Himalayans and one of her cats are on heat crying to get outside to get her rocks off and mum is constantly worried with the kids in and outside letting her out.
We are all on eggshells at the moment. Ahhhhhhh well, thats life at the moment and am waiting to win the big one so i can visit lora & Griffin in Alaska all the while trying to save our butts off and pay off our debts. I will keep you all up to date soon with some pictures, now my computer is up and running again so i can use the internet.

I am sorry to anyone if i have not responded to your questions regarding IP etc, i did not recieve them through my email and its only now going through my blog i have noticed a few peoples comments and questions. A few asked to stay in touch so please email me at kp_powell1234@hotmail.com so we can share more info with one another. Thanks again for all your responses and once again my apologies for not answering a couple of questions earlier.

HOW THE YEARS HAVE GONE BY

I was going through some pictures today and remembered how much our kids have grown up. I wanted to share some pictures with you all that have a story behind them.

The picture above was taken one week before Jordan's diagnosis aged 2.

This was evident when my in-laws came over for dinner. I knew something definately was not right about his overall behaviour, having a group of people over seem to distress him.

Here he is sitting on the kitchen bench next to the lolly jar, we were trying to cheer him up.

The following picture is of Jordan aged 3.5 after getting into the talcum powder and making a mess you would not believe, and the other is when he was 16 months old, full of smiles always.

The next photo is of Nicolas when he was our 7 month old little boomba eating dinner and making a mess as kids do..... and the other was of Chloe after she was born. Note: you can probaly just see on her arms some of the sores she was born with (Incontentia Pigmenti). She was not happy this day after having a bath. I remember having to peel her jumpsuits off her skin because her sores were so pussie and blistery.

This next photo below was of Jordan in hospital after been blessed with Meningitis (not) he was extremely sick and this photo was taken 6 days after he started to show signs of being able to sit up again and eat. Thank goodness he has not been sick like this since. It is so hard when your child is autistic and they are sick and they cant communicate with you whats wrong, so when i say a mother needs to be a Dr, nurse, physcologist, pyhsiotherapist, counsellor and speech therapist i am not wrong! Anyway talking of unwell, Jordan has been sick on/off for the last week and again vomited today. I am a bit worried as he seems really lethargic and sleepy. I will keep an eye on him, as there is some awful viruses going around now, after vomiting in my car this morning and again when he got home, i am hoping his electrolyte ice blocks will be frozen by the time he wakes up.

Until next time

Arevoir

Kiralea

CHLOES NEW GLASSES

Well the latest news i have not told to people was I had to order Chloe another $300 dollar pair of glasses. This is because daddy jason decided to put them on the roof of his car while strapping the children in their belts, forgot about them and drove off.

Boy i felt numb, because money is tight and this is the second pair within 3 months.

Chloe is due to go back to her eye specialist soon so hopefully things have improved somewhat though her eye is still looking inward.

I met recently a lady called Janelle who lives in kalgoorlie WA (australia) who was born with the same chromosone disorder as Chloe. Janelle is 27 years of age and is going through a lot at the moment with teeth being capped, and suffering constant infections in her gums. I hope she starts to feel better. Janelle has been enduring this since she was 13 years old.

Nicolas is doing well also, i am starting to wonder if he was misdiagnosed with Aspergers, OCD etc as he is excelling and made some wonderful friends.

His reading and writing is excellent and he loves to spend his time practising.

He may have a few problems still with behavioural issues, but all in all he has excelled brilliantly. He constantly tells me how much he loves me with kisses and hugs and lately become a real mommy's boy.

Chloe has surprised us at age 4 as she now can write her name and count to 12.

Nicolas & Chloe show a great gift in art and drawing together so this is also a wonderful progress. We are so proud of our kids and the achievements they have made over time. They love to play together a lot of the time, have their moments but all in all our children are loving,caring individuals whom we are so proud of.

Our children constantly tell us they love us, whether it is at home, or in the shopping centre, i have instilled in our kids with "I love you", even when daddy is on the phone we will always end our conversation love you and ditto.

Jordan is coming along well, though lately he wont eat dinner or even breakfast is a challenge because normally he is a huge brekky eater. His fave foods for dinner, in the past has been pushed aside and will go to sleep often lately without dinner.

He seems well, so i dont know if he is going through a growth spurt again and feeling a little under the weather. Anyway time will tell. take care all

arevoir Kiralea

AWWWWW THIS IS FOR MY WIFE

I just red what my wife had written and want to introduce myself.

I am Jason, Kiralea's husband, Jordan, Nicolas and Chloes father.
I at times have been difficult to live with especially under stress, working long hours etc.

Kira (my nickname for her) is a wonderful wife, mother and friend also.
Her genuine kindness to others, her compassion to people who are less fortunate has made me realise what a wonderful person i married.

Kira has a bubbly personality, always has, this is what first attracted myself to her.
Her zest for life is another thing i find highly attractive.
I am normally a very private person, and find it hard to communicate with others on a basic level so me writing this is all new to me.

Kiralea has gone to bed and i am writing this to suprise her when she next logs on, as she is always telling me i do not have many romantic qualities about me, yes maybe not as i have always believed buying flowers is a waste of money and flowers die, so than your relationship may also. I have many times bought fake flowers only to learn the dogs had chewed them.

Kira i love what you have written and after reading your blog dedicated to me i sat and thought about your words and realised that is was my turn to express my love for you and the kids also which i never have done as such.
You have fought for Jordy boy's rights in this world, Nicolas has turned out to be a wonderful caring and polite kid and Chloe is coming along with her milestones all because of you!!

So you may think at times i am no way romantic but this should be enough proof how much i love you and the kids and appreciate what you have done and made possible for our childrens lives in bringing them up in this not so perfect world.

Love to you my mon cherie
Jason xxx

JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY LOVE FOR HUBBY

I just wanted to show to everyone a photo of Jason and I with 2 of our bridesmaids when we were married.

The photo is of us in 1997 with one of my best friends Louisa (right) and my friend Michelle (left)

I write this because Jason and i have been almost married for 10 years.

On this day/night after, Jordan was concieved and i thank my lucky stars that he came into our lives 9 months later after spending a special day making our vows.

Jason and i have had many ups and downs and i take this opportunity to tell him how much he means to me.

Jason has supported me through depression, has suffered depression himself for a short while and basically helped me through tough times throughout our 16 years together.

He has stuck by me, stood up for me, and most days he makes me laugh with his witty sense of humour and crazy antics that makes our life together so complete.

I have taken this time to speak about the other important person in my life besides our children and that is my husband.

He is a great daddy, friend, mentor and lover, is extremely close with my family who adore him.

When we fight, at times in the heat of the moment i want to run away and leave, but at the end of the day as my mother has said, you could never live without him because besides our emotional ups and downs, he will always bend over backwards for me and anyone else who needs his help and support. I know he loves me equally and his actions speak louder than words.

The photo at the beginning is of Jason and the boys a few years ago. What a devoted daddy!

Jason never thinks twice to help vacuum the floor, help with the dishes, wash and dry clothes along with his moral support.

So Jason, daddy, this page is for you because i want you to know how much you mean to all of us.

Your never ending support with the children and myself means the world to us all.

I love you and always will my love

xxxx Kiralea, Jordan, Nicolas and Chloe.

WELCOME TOO JORDANS STORY

Thats me behind my poppy with brother
Nicolas and sister Chloe.
(i love iceblocks)

My name is Kiralea and our son was diagnosed at the age of 2.
I have dedicated this Blog for our little Jordy boy and anyone out there who has just had a child diagnosed with Autism or just to read out of interest. Below is Jordans story.
My Name is Jordan. I am at this point in time 7.5. I was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two.

My mother and father were devastated even though mum felt it in her heart before diagnosis. Daddy kept telling mummy i was ok and probally regressing after my brother was born when i was 17 months old. I love music and eating chocolate. Too much sends me silly.
I am happy most times and love affection and my back and arms tickled.
I'm handsome too and love to pose like a supermodel in the mirror.
I hope you enjoy reading what mum has put together all about
ME ME ME!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are so many people who I need to thank and my never-ending thanks go to:-

My Mother & Father, without them we could not have gone through his diagnosis alone.

Without their emotional & financial support from helping with Dr's bills to helping us accept our childs future with their positive outlook on life in everyway i dont know how we could have got through everything that was to follow.
In every aspect they have shown the utmost patience and understanding.
Mum and dad never stopped researching after he was diagnosed and always provided any information to help us get through this transition in life.

My brothers & sisters who showed utmost patience when all I could do was cry after the diagnosis, and always gave me a shoulder to cry on, as well as treating Jordan as an individual, not as someone who is just different.

My husband Jason, for putting up with my obsessiveness and letting me read to him research every day and accepting his sons prognosis with dignity and pride, always having faith that he would and could do better with the right treatments.Jordans aunties,uncles & cousins who have showed interest in his wellbeing.

They have always been willing to learn about autism and listen to the latest regarding his medical treatment etc.

Members of Jasons family who have always asked me how Jordan is and shown an active interest in his developments, especially Jasons cousin Genevieve who i now call my cousin and her kids call us Uncle Jay and Aunty Kiralea. She is such a dear member of our family and friend. Her support & willingness to understand Jordan and her sound advice provided to help me through hard times has been wonderful. She always knows how to uplift my spirits.

My Nanna Sue Lindfield who is my mentor with her wisdom. She is not only my Nanna but best friend. Even though she lives thousands of miles away in Perth, she is a phone call away and we always manage to have a great chat with much laughter. Nanna has always sent material to us and her knowledge of Autism has proven time she has spent researching material about Autism and has always been interested in Jordans progress.

My grandmother Florence Willis, who would talk to me late at night when all I could do was cry and did her best to try and understand what autism was, even though she was adamant that autism meant deafness, not a neurological disorder. Bless her heart.

My heartfelt thanks to all my friends who have listened to my pain and been there for me. Especially Tammy Bignell who herself has a autistic son and would always be happy to listen and give me great advice on how to deal with the lack of funding so our son could get the best possible chance in life.

And last but not least Jordans school Halinda. They have not only helped us overcome many hurdles with Jordans education, but also helped him try to understand what this world has to offer and to adapt to many different surroundings that awaits him in life. Their love, understanding, encouragement and patience has shown us what lucky parents we are that Jordan attends a school with 2 special teachers that have dedicated their time with so much commitment to his schooling needs for the last couple of years and I will have to be bias when i say, no one could have done better with him, the way they have. We thank them so much with words, that we feel is not enough.