My Little Sister

August 17 2007

Well I was going to write a long rambling entry about the kids at the other orphanage with no food and bed bugs etc but then I opened my emails and had received this from my little sister. She works with disabled children and this is a day in her life.. made me feel like my kids are angels!!


Caz,
I thought I'd send you an email about my crazy day at work, in the hopes that your day with the kids has not been quite so bad.

PIP run a summer playscheme for kids with disabilities, which the all staff have to work on. It's quite good but you wouldn't believe the mayhem that the little blighters cause. Yesterday we had one particular young man who caused absolute carnage at the cinema. He has no verbal communication you have to ask him yes no questions and he nods to say yes or he uses his etcha sketch to write down single words. To cut a long story short he didn't like the cinema yesterday so threw himself on the floor in between the seats and stayed there for an hour, wouldn't move. We managed to get him out of the cinema, he then preceded to kick down all the boards that advertise the films on the way out. He then took refuge on the floor in the middle of the odeon, right by the entrance and wet his pants. And that was just yesterday today was even worse.

Today, he got really wound up and started smashing up games and wooden boxes and flinging his etcha sketch at people's heads. So we had to put him in a room on his own for a few hours. Then he did a runner to the toilets we are all running after him, everything fine, he comes out and there's a painter decorating. I saw it happen before it actually did. He looked at the painter looked at the tin of paint and kicked it straight down the hall. Then ran off, so we all run after him painter wondering what the hell is going on. Just when you think it can't get any worse. Linda (one of the other PIP workers) gets a phone call from one of the girls that we work with Linda you better come to the toilet quick! So we run to the toilet. The look on Linda's face when she opened the toilet door said it all and her initial reaction was to actually shut the door on him. He'd only pooed and picked it out the toilet. He literally had it all over his face, hands, clothes, he'd smeared it up the wall. It was unbelievable. What a nightmare. And while this is all going on this young lad who is obsessed with transformers is trying to tell me in great detail about megatrons and depceptrons and everything else to do with Transformers. It was like one flew over the cookoo's nest!

Anyway, I hope that makes you feel better about the little angels that you work with?

Hope all is well. Will speak soon.
Love
Ash xx


So there you go my day was actually quite calm.. we are taking the kids swimming tomorrow even though it is absolutely pouring with rain at the moment so we may have to think up a new plan involving the cinema.

Next week we are leaving to go to Phokara so have been busy booking Ice Climbing courses and Summit Attempts and all sorts of outdoor madness but I will update you on those next week when we are sorted. I have also spied a 100 mile Everest Trail Run in November... I need to start marathon running soon in preparation for 2009 so what better way to start than 5000m above sea level...??! Jon doesnt know it yet but I think we will definitely be doing that if I can get us a place.

Today we are going back to the climbing wall (need to get some practice in for those mountains!!) and try to find some swimming suits for the kids tomorrow will update you on how all of that goes next week!

Caroline