The Lodger and Us

Hopefully is our word of the moment. Every time we plan something, I follow it up with 'but plans can change, hopefully, it will be plan A but sometimes we have to move to a different plan'.  It's become so ingrained in our everyday life now that I don't really even take notice.  The Lodger for his first five years had a very convenient bus/train network at our old house. Granted, things could run late but they were plentiful and always had space for everyone. Last weekend, the Sunday plan was to get the Galway bus into Galway city to meet Dad after work.  Hopefully, the bus will come.  Hopefully, there'll be space for us on the bus. Mum and Dad have a plan B, incase.  Hopefully, the bus will come.  Mum, why are we saying hopefully? Ok Mum, hopefully.  As I stood with The Lodger, at the spot where I thought the bus would stop but couldn't fully confirm it with The Lodger who expected a bus stop sign, I had an inkling of what it was like to live a

The Lodger loves walking. Which for a person with PWS is great. Accidental exercise as I like to call it. Walking in our house is often a treat. When the Lodger has a good day in school his treat is a walk to see the cows. If the day isn't so good we walk a different way punishing him with hedgerows and trees. That'll teach him. We use incentives a lot with the Lodger to reward his good behaviour and keep him focused on little goals day by day. Luckily the excitement of a visit to see the cows keeps him on the straight and narrow most school days. The only problem now is there are plenty of cows in the fields around the house so he doesn't have to go far to watch his favourite animals.   The Lodger loves walking to school, walking to see the cows, and also walking in the forest opposite our house. The Galway forest as he calls. In his world literally the only forest in Galway. One of only two in Ireland. The other one is in Kildare if you're wondering. We often g

The Lodger has learned the days of the week.  Brilliant.  Did you read that with an underlying sarcastic tone?  Honestly, it is fantastic that The Lodger has learned the days of the week, it's another milestone in the never-ending list of things society deems goals to achieve. However, because of this new skill, we can't be as direct with future plans. An answer with the day of the week before meant nothing but now it's a different story.  I accidentally answered his question of when Halloween is on with the day of the week. I'll blame it on being slighted distracted.  So, in the run-up to Wednesday, The Lodger did his new skill of saying what day it is and following it with the future days. This just sounds like an excited kid. Correct but also wrong because when you mix PWS in, you get excitement and anxiety.  The plan was put in place. Incase you think we sit up at night, with paper and pens and whatever else you need to make a plan, we don