My first DNF & life's too short to study! Swissotel and Ottos

Running

Maybe I should have titled this section not running.  Saturday morning I headed off to my local Parkrun, ready for a hard run.  Which was probably my problem because I must have moved suddenly and pulled my hamstring on the very first step.  At first I thought it was a spasm or cramp but after 500m I knew it was serious and pulled out.  A couple of tears were shed on the walk of shame back to my car.  But as I was driving home I thought how this could have happened at the start of the half-marathon and how relieved I am that it didn't.  Its still pretty sore.  My husband is going to give it a massage tonight and I've decided no running for 7 days.  Then I'm going to hit the pool - try my hand (or legs) at pool running or swimming if running doesn't feel good.

Just before the Parkrun - If I could turn back time….

Life

Yesterday I had a final essay due.  I'm so relieved I handed that in (with one hour to spare!).  Then tonight I had a science mini quiz - its supposed to be on anatomy and physiology but I think my lecturer is a frustrated physicist  and I think he may be a sadist :-).  The calculations were so difficult.
But I haven't let my injury or studies interfere with having a good time.

Yesterday eldest, MIL and I headed to the Swissotel high tea buffet.  Eldest and I got excited about the chocolate fountain.  The service is always wonderful and they even remembered us from our last visit.  We drank peach cocktails (OJ for eldest), and devoured savouries and sweets until we were bursting.  I must say a simple cucumber sandwich was so delicious.  Other highlights were the cheesecake.  I must say that the scones weren't up to par this visit (I'm not sure what happened) and my tea tasted suspiciously of Earl Grey rather than the ordered English Breakfast.  But not to worry.  We were given a lovely window seat and there were plenty of delicacies to indulge in.

Yes please

My MIL loved this 

My savouries  - cucumber sandwich and egg wrap were the best

The cheesecake was delis and melted chocolate - what could be better?

View of the State theatre from our table

The tree next to St James station - if only trees could talk!

Today I had lunch at Otto's Woollomoolloo.  Yes - the Ottos.  I was chosen to be on the lovely Retromummy's table and had the most wonderful afternoon.  It was part of the Olympus OMD EM-10 launch.  Have I mentioned I have no idea how to use these cameras?  I had to ask how to turn it on, but after a little while I got the hang of it (well kind of).

Lucky me!

I love how this camera looks - so retro!

I was seated near some Olympus employees who were great at telling me about the camera in plain English.  I love how it looks like a 1970s camera.  Its a really good camera and if I was going to buy a camera I know I'd buy this (you do know no-one pays me to say this - I wish they did!)  One of them had done the half-marathon last week so we had lots to talk about.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and the food. drink and service was excellent.  Lucky me - it was completely free of charge!  Back to Earth and suburbia now - it was fun while it lasted :-)

Can you tell I'm trying to be arty taking this?

Barramundi was beautiful

I've forgotten what this was but sure tasted good

Such a beautiful day

7.5km run, T1& T2 wearing me down and lovely outing with my eldest and husband

This morning I knocked over 7.5km as part of Week 4 of my 10km program.  I was very slow and very stiff.  But no niggles, so gotta be happy with that.

T2 has been really challenging in the last couple of days.  There's been a few broken items, alot of scrunched work papers and thrown things and general non-compliance.  T1 has been bothering my eldest.  At one time both myself and my eldest were sitting in my bed with tears because of the twins' behaviour.  I need to contact my BCBA...quickly.  I'm also considering some form of respite for the first time.  This is the last week of the school hols and I think there's a combination of frustration, worry about starting school and a few financial headaches that are forming the perfect storm.  I'm feeling worn down.  My husband is more stoic than I am, but he gets frustrated with them too.  The worst thing is not knowing the best way to react, or knowing the right way and not doing it.  Autism is exhausting.  And frustrating.  And sometimes...just crap.

On a positive note, I still had a voucher left for High Tea at the Swissotel (I've banned myself from voucher purchase for the foreseeable future.  Sad, but true :-(.  After having my earlier meltdown it was great to head out for some quality time with my eldest and husband (my poor mother-in-law looked after the twins).  We went to the Swissotel (they're starting to get to know me there).  We had a great time venting and talking NFL (well, I tried to look interested during the NFL conversation).

Mmmmmm...

Only improvement could be the cream - it needs to be clotted

oh the chicken, mayo and lettuce sandwiches were so delicious!

Kids were only $20 - bargain!

Check this out.  A man with severe autism has started a business with the assistance of his dad.  Guess what he does?  He goes to people's houses assembling Ikea flat packs.  He only charges $20!  I wish he lived in Sydney (he's Canadian).  My first thought was to start getting T2 reading Ikea manuals!  I love stories like this.  Just fantastic.

Couch to 5k - Completed!, Christmas Buffet high tea at the Swisshotel, ABA session with T2

Well its been a very busy couple of days.  This morning I finished the Couch to 5k program.  Hooray!  For the next 2 weeks I plan on running 5km 3-4 times a week before extending my runs.  My next aim is 10km!

This morning I did an ABA session with T2.  I was really worried about behavioural problems because I haven't done a session with him for about a month.  Anyway he was really good and did really well on many targets, like riding a bike, pronouns, occupation functions, mazes etc.  But he is still  getting confused with some where/when questions and having trouble making up stories.  For reinforcement we did chasing where I pretended to be a dinosaur or a ghost, roly poly with a blanket where I roll him up in a blanket and then he does the same to me, alphabet puzzle (sigh!) reading books and a snack.  Reinforcement is so important in ABA, just as it is in life.

After that, my mother-in-law, my eldest and I went to the city to the Swissotel for a Christmas High Tea buffet.  It was AMAZING.  I bought a Groupon voucher so it was very reasonably priced.  When I wanted to bring my eldest they only charged $20 extra for him to come (this included full buffet, orange juice and a hot chocolate!).  I asked to speak to the chef about my eldest's peanut allergy and there was only one dish with peanuts.  And there was a chocolate fountain!  We were all in food heaven and were seated in a quiet window seat together.  What a fantastic afternoon.   It was my eldest's last day as a 10 year old.  I can't believe it!

T1 and T2 would have ripped into these pressies :-)

Savouries

Don't you love, love, love a buffet?  I do

I should have had some fruit salad - but I did have strawberries dipped in chocolate :-)

Santa strawberries!

love these meringue snowmen

a peach something cocktail - yummo!

hot chocolate for my eldest - and his hands

my favourite oriental teapots