Far and Away

Morning @Zoe7 ❤️🦋

I have a non-class-contact day today, so S2 has “booked” me to sit with him while he goes through his uni enrolment stuff and gets himself sorted. He has been “booking” me, then shying off when my day has been dotted with carer interviews, physio appointment, shopping for the house, then uni start yesterday. It’s all too disruptive to his state of mind.

Now this morning I have woken up to a message from Visual to say that she doesn’t feel she can go today, that it will be too much on top of yesterday. It will mean she misses two introductory classes. I am guessing this is her social anxiety kicking in, and I f I were on campus with her it would support her to step up, at least to go to the classes for the first half hour of them. If I do, I won’t be here for S2, who isn’t enrolled yet ..... 😔

I didn’t mention that the tutor we both had yesterday, in separate classes, was a bit strange. They seemed agitated, were talking really fast, bombarded us with information, and were more than a bit emotionally aggressive. I found it a bit confronting and overwhelming, and spoke to someone in authority about how I felt. It sounded like they were a little less aggressive with Visual’s class, but still, I am guessing it has contributed to how she feels today.

I think S2 needs to be my priority, and it’s not the end of the world if Visual misses these first two classes ..... but it also demonstrates that she is not truly on her feet yet.

You can begin to see just how disruptive this carer situation for D2 was on top of S2 and D3 restarting their studies with their mental health needs.

Its a baby steps day for me today now ..... I am just going to focus on breathing, and taking it hour by hour .....

Sorry @Faith-and-Hope to interrupt here - I hope you can get through today. Take it easy xxxooo

Okay, update .....

D3 has agreed to do online what she can today, re emailing the tutors to say she is unwell. Her mh support status is not finalised yet to be able to draw on that, so “feeling unwell” will do for now.

She needs to finalise attendance enrollment in one of tadsy’s classes, which may have been overwhelming her too, but that can be sorted online. I need to work out how many boxes can be ticked by remote today. She is more concerned about mr.’s reaction to her missing classes already, but he leaves to go west mid-afternoon, so she just needs to lay low until then.

S2 was still enrolled in his course 🎉🎉🎉 ..... just wasn’t signed into any classes. He is completing his course from last year across this year, however the course has been restructured, so he requires a personalised timetable to align the outstanding units with the new course layout.

He has made contact with his head of course, with an appointment set up for tomorrow ✅👍

Thanks @BlueBay 💕

I think I have sorted out as much as I can for today, for now, so I am going to take D2 out for coffee (she drinks tea) and just chill for a while. I need a “time out”.

Enjoy your coffee with D2 @Faith-and-Hope

im getting ready for work.

Thank you for being here and listening @BlueBay

I Hope today is as okay as it can be for you too.

Hugs ❣️

It seems like you have had a very full day with getting S2 and Visual underway with what they need to do and then taking D2 out for a while too @Faith-and-Hope Visual will find her feet as she goes along but I can understand how it is all a bit too much for her to begin with. She has a passion for Art so that is something going in her favour - and you may be right that she just needs that little bit of extra mum support when you are able to provide it. It is great that S2 is still enrolled and hoping he can get his timetable sorted after the meeting tomorrow - fantastic that he organised that meeting - that is progress however small it may seem it is a big thing for him to do.

I hope you were able to take a break for yourself also with all that is going on with your baby dragons. Hopefully as they settle into the year they will gain more confidence to tackle some of this themselves. It can all be quite daunting for anyone let alone someone dealing with MH issues - and of course they have you there to guide them and that is wonderful for them all.

Despite the rollercoastering that they are both doing aside from our family rollercoastering around mr.’s issues and behaviours, I am very proud of them, and thrilled when they are able to step up. I have to believe that it will all make them stronger and more resilient in the longer term.

Both have emerged now, late afternoon ..... one on the piano, also asking that we go out for dinner 🎉 .... the other plucking up the courage to open and tackle uni emails, although her phone stopped working this afternoon, which is devestating for her. The apps on it, and her contacts, are her main coping facilities. We will have to sort that very quickly, and hopefully save the info from her defunct phone .....

@Zoe7

You should be very proud of your baby dragons @Faith-and-Hope Despite some glitches they are stepping up and even though it may be baby steps they are still doing it. They have a lot to deal with in their lives and those undiagnosed things are draining for you all. It is great that they are at uni at all - that takes great courage and considering what each of them are dealing with with their MIs they have enough resilience to give it a go. Visual will become more familiar with the course and get more involved the more comfortable she feels with it all - and she has you as a fantastic role model in that regard. S2 is putting things in place to move forward also and that is highly commendable. The trick will be him finding enough of that inner strength and confidence to undertake his studies but the fact that he has made this appointment tomorrow off his own back is encouraging.

I can imagine that Visual is beside herself with her phone not working - baby dragons and phones are joined at the hip and if she relies on that for so much of her social connections then that would be devastating for her. I hope you get it sorted soon for her.

Going out for dinner would be lovely - just you and your kids - I couldn't think of anything nicer than a relaxing evening out with your wonderful kids

Yes to all you wrote @Zoe7 ❣️

Better get moving if this dinner is going to happen .....