And the answers are!!!!! Plus what happened to Tori!!!

An army of Caterpillars.
A bed of Clams.
A quiver of Cobras.
A gang of Elk.
A mob of Emus.
A cloud of Gnats.
A smack of Jellyfish.
A parliment of Owls. (This is my favourite!)
A nest of snakes.
A string of Ponies.


I forgot to tell you that Tori has been signed off from the Psychiatrist on Saturday, which is fantastic! We asked if he had helped Tori set any steps should this happen again and he said, he felt it was purely developmental.... a situation occured that she had never dealt with before and due to Aspergers/Dyspraxia her age etc. had no idea how to handle it so went inwards!!! I only wish someone had said this earlier.

When she was little, she used to stop breathing and pass out and on one occasion whilst I was staying with my sister we actually had to call an ambulance!!! Our GP referred us to a specialist who told us it was breath holding and she would grow out of it!!! Mark and I had a big row with this bloke because I had worked in Residential Social Work for 10 years and I knew what breath holding was, and Tori was not taking a breath first, then holding on to it, she just went!!!
It always happened after an incident that she got hurt in or didn't like, obviously at this time we knew something was not right we just had no idea what!!!

Anyway after we came out from the psychiatrist, she started asking me loads of questions, about what he meant so I explained, that basically its a learning process that we all go through, we find ourselves in a situation we:- a) don't like, b)can't cope with c) haven't the faintest idea what to do, etc. We deal with it as best wa can at that time, but should a similar incident occur in later years we have learnt from the first time and deal with it better! Roughly speaking!

It is like someone has turned on a light! We are currently in the middle of 'Mock Exams' and I have been dreading this fortnight all year, but she has 'grown up' is probably the best way to describe it, she is walking taller and straighter, smiling, chatting (unheard of). She is so focussed, the last time I saw her like this was probably in year 8.

The school have given her a 'mentor' who happens to be her most favourite person in the whole school, this lady is currently studying for a PHD in English, and Tori has immense admiration for her! They are very good friends and it wouldn't surprise me if this friendship continued after she leaves school! She has been helping her in drawing up a study plan, how to revise and just generally being there!!!

Yesterday Tori came out of school and said that the Learning Support section have arranged for her to have extra support in school for her coursework!!!!

So it all comes together (fingers crossed). We have battled for over 18 months for this support in school and what a difference it has made to her. I mentioned that we needed to go and visit friends to deliver Christmas presents etc. either this weekend coming or the weekend after and was told in no uncertain circumstances that if it was this weekend she would not come with us as she had a load of studying to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I sat with my mouth open, and she laughed! A week ot even 2 weeks ago studying was a very nasty word!!!!!!!!!

Kathryn just showed me if you go to Google, then put in Worcester Uni, look who's the third link down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!