Got Flowers?

I LOVE prima flowers, it probably borderlines addiction - but they are just so cool! I went halves with a great scrapping friend and got this lot! I'm busting to use them (but then again I don't want to cos my stash depletes! LOL) I just love the colours!
Oohh, and yesterday, Dunedin had a brand-spanking new scrapshop open up Paperworx. So cool, and they have a kids corner! So, yesterday while I shopped and browsed, Molly sat in her buggy eating a lollipop and watching the wiggles! Best of both worlds!! Here's a couple of pictures of what I got - there are truely some gorgeous papers out there!!















Oh, and I'm still sending in the odd submission, still no replies but... I'm really enjoying scrapping now, and especially since the weather has taken a dive - it's so cold today, I'm actually dreading going and taking Molly to Kindy - brrrr. Have an all day crop on Saturday, and I'm crossing my fingers madly that the second place for T'Keyah to go doesn't fall through!!

So now we're looking at dyspraxia

You know, I'm sick of Michelle just flinging out words and diagnosises just as she pleases!! Today at Molly's speech session, she announces that she now thinking dyspraxia (on top of everything else!!) but I've done some reading and to me, dyspraxia seems *it* BUT you know the thing that really gets me...this,

CAUSES
Dyspraxia is not the result of poor physical strength, impaired primary sensation, delayed development, body deformity, or anything that would show up on normal neurological examination. It can be acquired through damage to the brain from a STROKE, an accident, or medical disaster to the brain. These people are often older, and have a neurological memory of praxis to work towards. However, damage acquired at an early age may also impair the normal course of development, and thus be developmental. Developmental Dyspraxia occurs from birth or an early age, thus affecting the normal development of the child, and its causes are not obvious. There may be an inherited tendency towards similar neurological disorders.


A freaking stroke - something that they've all said all along, that Molly DIDN'T have, so what, now it's a possibility???!!! #*$@(*@@ I seriously wish they'd sort it out and get the facts/story/whatever straight!! Oh, and the best thing she said today, the blondest, most stupidest....what are your goals for Molly? ME: we want her to talk HER: yeah, but we need to break it down ME: Okay michelle, you've now flung a new word in here that I have no clue about - we're running blind it this, we have no clue at what each condition means for Molly - you're meant to be the one guiding us through this. HER: so we need to talk goals. OMG, it takes all my strength not to poke her eyes out.

Baby Girl going home

She's just so sweet! And yeah, she's making me clucky!! Hehe, maybe thats why I slept in the lounge last night (nah, actually, Craigs snoring at 1.30am kinda drove me insane!) but yeah, baby fever is sneaking on in there - but I'm resisting!! We so can't afford another one just now, and I really don't know if I could deal with one. I'll just have to get my fix from Kelsey (and Lynne's in October -woohoo!)

Not a lot else to report - life has been pretty mundane in our neck of the woods!

oooh Baby Girl!

Kirsten had her baby girl on Wednesday (finally, she says - she was huge, uncomfortable and was so over being pregnant!) - wee Miss Kelsey Maree was born around 1pm, weighing 8lbs 5.5oz and is just soooo sweet! I went in tonight to see them (I wasn't even going to attempt going in with Molly in tow) and she's just the sweetest....photos aren't the greatest (crappy night lighting) so I'm going to go in tomorrow and get some more shots of her.
It's so nice to see another wee one with hair! She's apparently a calm, contended wee poppett now (long may that continue!!) Can't wait to go back tomorrow and get some more pictures - will have to remember to get some hands and feet pictures! And yes, she possibly could be making this old trout clucky!

The year is just trundling by..

We're nearly at the end of February! What is it, a week left??? Sad thing is, Summer's almost over too...I've really loved the fine weather lately...not looking forward to endless cold and misery & all the bugs that come with it.
T'Keyah had a local marching competition in the weekend - three teams in both (techincal & display) and her team won gold in both! They are off soon, to Whangarei for the National finals, hopefully they'll do well there too. (lucky brat, she's done waaay more travelling than me!!!)

Molly is still coming on in leaps and bounds - everyday is exciting as she learns something new, she's such a sponge at the moment - it's like the switch has gone off, and she's going!! On Friday, Craig dropped me out at Mum's so I could bath dogs for the show, and pick Mum's car up to do all the show-related errands! I went out the garage door to our car to get my keys, and the garage door closed behind me! Molly (yes Molly!!) had used the switch to shut the door! Luckily for her, she opened it too....and she said, open door!! Except now we have to be ultra viligant that she doesn't do it and let dogs out!

I'm having a blast scrapping at the moment, and I should thank Nic Howard who is, for me, a HUGE inspiration. I've been implementing some of her style & I'm amazed (and pleased) how quickly a page can go together. I did one yesterday afternoon, started it about 4.30 (stupid time I know!) and finished it just after 7, and that was with breaking to do dinner & run T'Keyah to marching practice! I used my Heidi Swapp iron-ons (yup, I had to dig through boxes to find my blinken iron!) and I think that I need to practice a little with them - they are gorgeous, but I'm not stoked with how they look - operater error me thinks! But I like how the page turned out - I'd been trying to scrap that photo for ages, and it just wasn't a happening thing! Wonder if I'll manage to scrap today - might devote Molly's kindy time to me!!

Anyone know?

What's up with kiwiscraps?? I can't get into the forum at all - keep getting

ForbiddenYou don't have permission to access /index.php on this server.
Apache/1.3.34 Server at www.eforum.co.nz Port 80

What's up with that?? Anyone else getting it? I've cleared my history and all that jazz, but still getting it - waaah!!

My big girl is back - and she survived! Her class has just been on an outdoor experience - first day they walked for just over 6 hours - set up camp, cooked dinner and slept - Day 2 - made breakfast, cycled for 27km (poor bottoms) set up camp and had dinner and free time - Day three they were kakaying on the lake (this was all at Waihola, near Dunedin) and then went for another cycle. I seriously didn't think T'Keyah would live through it...she is not a walker kid by any means, but she did it and according to her teacher, she was delighted with her achievments, as are we all! I'm as proud as anything that she did it all, and gave 110%! She's looking rather healthy, and tanned! Molly was delighted when we picked her up yesterday. Today, she's at home, teacher gave them all the choice to come in or stay home and recover!
Oooh, and I'm on a roll with the scrapping - just think, I could get up to date (haha, well wishful thinking is great!!) I did this last night - I sooo lurve basic grey! I love how it just all fits together. Will have to save some pennies and stock up my supplies! Layout sort of talks a little about Molly and her world (the world of silence, hehe)

Well, I never managed to get to my table yesterday, but this morning I did - AND completed a layout even!! I'm trying to get organised to submit to the scrapbook outlet They are calling for people for a design team! Sounds great - everyones gotta start somewhere huh!? So I'm having fun doing some more layouts - it's great to have the motivation!! And after reading Evana's
blog, I submitted some layouts to Up2Scrap
So now I wait - I'm waiting (patiently) on hearing back from a few submission, but serioulsy, I won't hold my breath - I can only imagine what these magazine email in-boxes look like on a daily basis! Perhaps it's a little like the patene commercial - it doesn't happen over night, but it will happen LOL.
Craig is driving me mad at the moment - he's searching the house for his briefcase *rolleyes* I sit here laughing on the inside, because I so know what his looking is like - the typical man look!

It's amazing how long a day seems when a certain little child decides to wake while there is still the number 6 on the alarm clock...does she not *get* Saturdays mean a lie in???? She has no patience for anything, and if it didn't mean screwing up her sleeping, or the fact that she'd refuse point blank - the little cherub would be going for a nap!!
She's watching Madagascar now - don't know how long it'll last, but I'm mighty tired of her taking videos & dvds out all the time - we seem to watch 30 second snippets of all her collection!! Great to clean up after too.

T'Keyah went to her Dad's last night, and I don't see her now until Wednesday, she leaves tomorrow morning for school camp - yup, they've been back for 2 seconds and they're off on camp already -cept this is no run of the mill camp - walking for 5 hours on the first day just to get to the campsite, cycling 33kms the second day, cycling and kayaking the next - hehe, all this from the girl that hates walking!! I'm sure she'll love it though.

Right, I'm off, I have a huge urge to scrap today - and I've done my housework for the day, so the afternoon is mine - lets just cross fingers Molly allows me to get something done!!

Molly has a diary for Kindy - it's great, means I know what she's been up to during the day - bit hard asking her (and getting answers!) what she did during the day, so now we read what Susan wrote. But todays entry made my heart sing!!!
9/2
Molly went over to the playdough table and proceeded to press shapes into the dough herself today (first time I have actually seen Molly use this area of play). Wonderful to see. Got me to put on one of the ballet dressups on her. Was studying herself in the mirror and waving her arms up and down like a bird.
Not minding the children alongside her today while playing with the garages and cars (Good to see)
Enjoyed Hairy Maclary story, which we sat down and read outside.
End of week already, see you both on Monday, have an enjoyable weekend.

What a positive little entry!! I'm bursting with pride/happiness/joy!! It's so great to see all these things clicking into place for her! Dressups, my princess was in dressups!! and the whole letting kids play beside her is fantastic....I'm loving this progress!

Happy Birthday to my Princess

Four, Molly is four today - where on earth has that gone???? Actually, four years ago she wasn't even here yet...I'd have just dropped T'Keyah at school, and I was having mild pains, but nothing that was really any different from the braxton hick I'd been having for months! We went to the maternity unit at 12pm, I was in the bath by 12.30 and she was born at 1.17pm! Short and sweet! The joint party on Saturday was great - both birthday kids had an awesome day - Thanks everyone! Specially Kirsten for opening her house, and to Lynn for making the awesome cakes!! Molly loved her cake, a gorgeous pink dog - she has a thing with cakes, parties and candles now - so we're going to have a cake tonight after dinner. Still can't believe she's four!

I love scrapping mail...

Lianne's RAK arrived yesterday - couldn't take a picture because the camera battery was flat (thanks T'Keyah!) so I took one this morning....only a little peek though, because Lianne is having the wee thing published in For Keeps (lucky!)

It's just gorgeous and so perfect - I adore the colours and best of all, it has my name on it, so no-one else can *borrow* it! And all for looking up her middle name! Easy Peasy Hehe (still feel like a cheater though..)

We're off for a birthday tomorrow...a joint celebration with a wee lad from coffee group. Lachie turns 4 on the 11th and Molly is 4 on the 7th! So we thought we'd combine the celebration (considering the same kids will be at both parties) for them both! 4 years...where the heck did that go?? It still seems like yesterday that she was born (dontcha hear that a lot! LOL) but seriously, 4 years - It's kinda hard to get your head around!! This photo was taken on the Sunday after she was born, so she was 3 days old...yes still in the hospital, Craig was working over the weekend, T'Keyah was in Invercargill with my mum, and talking with the midwife, I decided to stay the weekend...Judy reckoned there'd be no point in going home to nothing!! And I had a four bed ward all to myself!!! Though I did say to Judy that I'd be gone if someone came in...can't stand listening to another baby crying or the mother snoring!! She was such a cute wee baby! And the hair still wigs me out to this day...never in a million years did I expect my child to come out with a mop like that!! ahhh, memories!!

We're okay...

Thank goodness!! We talked, cried, sat in silence, he went out with Molly for the afternoon and when he came back, told me he wanted to stick it out (PHEW!) It's weird now, we're like a new couple all over again - which is nice, and I hope that we can work on it and keep it alive - I knew I couldn't walk away on this one, and I couldn't face him walking away on us.
So life is generally a lot happier, might even scrap a little today, it' s much cooler we got 29 yesterday and it was just so hot! Woke up during the night, drenched in sweat - thankfully today it's about 17!

update above!

Rut-Roh

Looks like I could become a solo mum again, this time with two kids. Craig doesn't know what he wants, doesn't know whether he wants to be here with us, or whether he wants to leave. I've cried and we've talked - but at the end of it all, it's got to be his decision. So I wait, numb, throbbing head, till he decides what he wants in life - this seriously bites.

I'm creating an album for a friend who's baby is due in about 3-4 weeks, loads of ideas, but pinning (or sticking) them down is a totally different concept! I think I'm struggling because of the no photo aspect...I'm going to go take pictures of her nursery and her belly (cos I'm not sure she's taken any) and I'll have those in the album when I give it to her....so they'll have to be a bit secret squirel. We had a surprise baby shower for her yesterday and she was so blown away - it was so cool...it's been ages since a baby has been around.

I would've liked to give it for shower, but everyone was so excited about the idea, and we'd only discussed it during last weeks coffee session! I have now run out of green and pink cardstock, so will have to wait until the scrap shops open again before I can continue!

I'm so over this weather too....I'd really like for us to have some summer before the season offically ends! I can't even plan things, cos the weather is so unpredictable!

Oh and I'm over hairly mclary - Molly would have these read all day long if she had her choice, and the wiggles DVD space dancing, she's always loved this DVD when we hired it out, so we thought we'd buy it for her birthday (even though she got it early!) and it's almost played constantly *rolleyes*

Well, I got brave &

submitted some layouts - one place I've heard that they have received the emails, but nothing more (a automated email) and the other nothing....so I'm resigned to the fact that my first submissions were unsuccessful...no surprise there hehe...I've been so moody and down lately that just looking at my desk makes me want to pack it all in and give up, nothing to do with submitting either....just have blocks and I hate it...my stash sucks sometimes and DH generously brought me a scrapping surprise, unfortunately it was that pack that's on TV...yeah, well....oh and the best bit, they don't accept returns....dork. So I'm looking for new mo--jo!!

Isn't that picture cute? Molly is on a huge Hairy Mclary kick, and it's great...though reading the same two books over and over does get some what old...thank goodness her birthday is coming up...will let people know she'd love a hairy maclary book!!

The suit has been successful, up until yesterday...she pooped during the day and did her trick, but in saying that, she comes to me, with only a small amount of poop on her fingers, and says yuck...and last night she managed to get into the suit (don't ask me how, considering it was under pj's...little toad) BUT this morning she got up (at 6.15am!!!) and stood in our door way going yuck....I thought fanfreakingtastic...to deal with that at 6.15am!! BUT she hadn't put her hands in it! Fingers crossed huh??

We'll I'm off...need to shower and get out of this joint...Craig can have the pleasure of Princess Endless Demanding, while I go off and visit two lots of puppies, one lot that our pooch, Bentley is the father of!

erm...one of those days (or is that weeks?)

Molly is testing my patience - she's blown Craigs completely out of the water (hence my title). It's a horrible topic, and it's nasty to deal with - but we are going through it - she's taken to pooping (while in bed, after the night-night routine) and shoving her hands down her nappy (nice huh?)...I just went to check her and she's poop free, but followed me down the hall! Think I'll let her stay up for a bit longer and see if she'll poop while she's up. I need to find one of those all in one swim suits - I think this'll work. Had thought about bodysuits, but they still give easy access around the legs - if it's got the length, like boyshorts, we should be good to go.
So, yeah, Craig and I are in a rocky patch, but in typical fashion, he just doesn't seem aware of it. I'm really tired of having his gloomy cloud dampen my day, his mood is draining - he'll deny anything is wrong, and getting anything out of him is harder than getting blood from a stone! I seriously think we're leading seperate lives - well he is anyway - what life have I got, motherhood!! He's out now - lord knows where. Man this sucks.

January the 6th already - though I have to admit that this week has crawled by, I'm not sure it's because of the weather, or the fact that we've done absolutely nothing - or maybe it's because T'Keyah's been away since Saturday. I am working up the courage to submit to CorrespondenceART, (http://www.correspondenceart.com/submission.html) it's a big step I guess, but I have such a fear of rejection, stupid really but I guess it's all underlying issues that go into it too.
I haven't scrapped once this year, well I tried yesterday afternoon, but because I'm now in the lounge because our house is small - Molly was watching videos (read - watching two seconds ejecting, putting something else in, watches two seconds - repeat repeat repeat) and Craig was waffling about stuff he was surfing on the web, I just couldn't concentrate!! So i went and played Harry Potter on the PS2...I'm at the final stage, and for the life of me I can't kill the dementors - so it'll be another game that I have almost finished! Grrr - LOL.
Today we have a little sunshine - we've had such awful weather this week!! We were out at Craigs parents yesterday afternoon when the thunder and lightening hit (again) and HAIL!! The ground was white!! Crazy - we didn't have this much bad weather during winter. I'd really like some summer back - Molly hasn't even worn her new togs yet, but she's had plenty of use from her umbrella Aunty Suz got her for Christmas! I sure hope it improves soon. Righto, I'd best be off, have to meet Ma at Farmers, they've got 50% off a dolls pram, so she's going to get it for us for Mollys birthday!

Happy New Year

...and it's raining, typical huh - the two days that you can guarantee it'll rain in Dunedin, NewYears and Christmas, and this year it kept the tradition! Though on the plus side, it gave Molly a chance to use her new umbrella that Aunty Suz got for her for Christmas - though my lame photos are damping the whole coolness factor!

I really, really need to learn more about the stupid little camera, and use it to it's best ability, it was by no means cheap, but I still wish we'd waited a little longer and got a rebel or something along those lines - I'd kill for great pictures - Okay, so tonight (or tomorrow) I'll research into the camera and learn more about it, and how to use it better!! I want to scrap some fabulous photos - not just ho-hum ones!! (Now if anyone is actually reading this, feel free to comment and tell me some pointers...please!) Oh and the princess in the picture, was sitting in the rain prior to Craig taking her out the umbrella (and an ice cream!) and so she sat on the top step like this for ages!)