0 We're sort of still here

Baby steps, baby steps.
A few minor, teeny-tiny blow ups quickly soothed and sorted.
Simple com-mun-i-cation.
Talk, talk, talk.
Taking everything back to basics, stripping all routines right back and scrapping daily habits.
In amongst it all cute, fluffy Silkie chickens caught his eye.
Sweet, docile and doting, they have Aspie teen up and out of bed early.
Yes, up and out of bed EARLY.
We've gone, not backwards but sideways, with tasks and goals; we get his brekkie instead of him but he's up and about early.
Now, touch wood, he's up and about between 7-7.30am.
And feeding his 'babies' himself.
And cleaning up after them, sometimes without needing to be told.
Shhh, don't you dare tell him these are 'independent'-type tasks.
Been holding myself together as Dad is still in hospital and failing both physically and mentally every day.
Yes, I get that he's elderly but to suddenly 'hit the wall' like he has while doctors are left scratching their heads looking for explanations is a bit tough.
Holding my shyte together so as Aspie teen doesn't lose his.
Cos he is close to it some days; an hour is all he can cope with watching his beloved Pa staring mindlessly at the TV or simply unable to keep his eyes open long enough to put his cup of sustegan back on the table. Sometimes he forgets he has a mouthful of food/drink and he just forgets to swallow then it seeps out of his mouth or he chokes on it, aspirating some into his lungs and brewing another possible chest infection.
But the speech pathologist says there's nothing wrong with his swallow reflex so...!
Aspie teen has been marvellous, sleeping a lot after visits that are stressful which I think is his downtime way of coping.
His sense of smell went off the scale yesterday; Spring and the doors were open airing the house out but every.little.scent had him screwing his nose up.
The lavender gives him a headache as does the daphne, jasmine and lilac, while he can tolerate the freesias and gardenias in small doses.
Just as well his mother isn't big on cut flowers in the house!