Family and Balloon Rockets

Its Easter holiday time here in the UK (although you wouldnt think it from the weather!), and its been a real mix of highs and lows so far. Maybe part of that is down to my fluctuating mood pattern (looonnngg story), but also its been a hard time with Lucas so far. (Lucas has complex medical and behavioural issues - for more info see here). Lucas is struggling with holding it together at the moment, which is leading to us staying at home more than I would like.

However, we have had family staying nearby, and so far it has been wonderful. My amazing sister, he husband, and my gorgeous niece have been around a lot - which has been great. Isla and my niece are the same age, and are doing just what we hoped for when my sister and I both found out we were pregnant at the same time - they are "growing up together" - shutting themselves in Islas room for 'secret things', playing, giggling a lot. It really is a thing of total beauty. Wish they lived nearer.

So - we brave the park as often as we can in this freezing weather - the chids (and I) get exercise, and its an activity I can do with others, and when I am on my own with the kids without too many tears or too much swearing from Lucas, and hence less of both from me ;-)

My other main aim has been to involve Lucas and Isla in activities which are home based (to keep Lucas calm), but which they both enjoy (again - hard task - Lucas is completely blind with a ton of sensory issues, and Isla is an insanely bright tactile 5 year old). Pinterest has been my friend in this task! I even started a board with Lucas-friendly ideas and links. We started off with:

Balloon Rockets! 

An Idea I got via Pinterest from discoverexplorelearn.com, Simple task - and SO much fun!

You see how much fun we had? We started off making a fairly small length of yarn (as our house isnt that big!), but all of us got excited very quickly, and wanted to try the idea further, so we then made a yarn line through the whole of the inside of the house, and then attempted down the stairs, and for our finale we went upstairs. It wasnt fool proof - it didnt always work, but the kids worked brilliantly as a team, taking turns without being prompted, I got Lucas fully engaged in a task, and he worked on equal footing with us. As a bonus, he also got over his fear of balloons as he loves the noise they make when you let them go and the air comes out, and Isla discovered inner reserves of puff and managed to blow up a balloon all by herself.

Next step: Balloon powered Lego cars!

It is now 3.20am, and I am awake with a really nasty cough trying not to rock the house - so hiding in the kitchen, but as always I will be expected to be on full power tomorrow, so will attempt some Lemsip/paracetamol drugged sleep.

UPDATE:
My lovely friend Lerryn at Jellybean Boom tried this, and made a video.