Winter...

has arrived I guess, it's soooo cold here, so cold that even the old fire wasn't cutting it the other night...though I was coming down with a cold, so that could've just been me!
Late start for school and kindy this morning, 10am start, which is far more civilised LOL!! Molly had a blast at kindy, actually walked in and caught her standing on the table (probably dancing lol!), and the head teacher just gently aided her in getting down...she's dancing to Madagascar's MOVE IT - so cute! We've been to music, and she had a great time, though didn't participate as well as she did the prior week. A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E! So hanging out for Saturday for some me time! A Sensational Saturday Crop - can't wait!
I could really do without this cold, and to make matters worse, Craig has one too - and typical of a man, his is way worse, and he's dying....well dude, die quietly.
I think I'll be a kind mother, and go pick T'Keyah up from school, so she doesn't freeze her hieney off! So I suppose I should organise some wood into the fire, and go get her! Day is almost over.

Why is it that you hang out for long weekends, and then they're over before you know it!!? We had double shows this weekend, and Mr Poochie did us proud and managed to obtain Best in Show! The judge was Evelyn Hurley, from Ireland, a lovely lady - she wanted to take Bentley (and one of Bentley's daughters) back home to Ireland, pity she's left, cos I'm sick of him barking at his reflection in the window! He's truely a blonde dog. Sunday was the same thing, only a different judge, Jacqui Weekes, from Australia, but Bentley only managed to get reserve dog, which for him, is a small miracle - he normally misbehaves something wicked on Day 2!! He must be maturing (at last, considering he'll be four this year!!)
I went out yesterday afternoon, after a morning meeting, and brought the girls a thermal top each, and Molly a pair of slippers. Then popped over to get my album for my circle journal that I'm doing with The Scrapbook Outlet. Except, Madame Molly caught sight of it and thought it looked like a handy dandy notebook (from Blue's Clue's) and decided to draw a clue, thankfully in pencil!! So I found another small ringbound book and she's as happy as a clam with her handydandy notebook and some really lame drawings of the characters from Blue's Clues. I've got the cover layed out, not stuck down yet - will probably play around for a bit yet before sticking it all together.
We had Ella come over today, she is from the Robbie White Trust, and is teaching Molly, and us, sign language, which will be fabulous for Molly to be able to have a form of communication other than screaming!! She's having a blast at morning kindy, she was so ready to move up! Tomorrow afternoon we have an assessment with the occupational therapist - more of a follow up I think, to see where she's heading and whether there are improvements. Later in the month, we have a huge meeting with the entire team, to find out where we are really at, and whether there can be a diagnosis for us - not just a whole swag of tentative ones!
OOh, Dunedin had it's first snow of the season yesterday, none for us, but where the meeting was, it was fairly white! Today is lovely - 15 degrees at 2.30pm - hate to think what's coming for that though!! Great scrapping weather!!

Thursday.....already

I called T'Keyah's school this morning, trying to contact her teacher - last week, she had a pair of canterbury pants nicked out of her bag, and then yesterday, her MP3 player, and yeah, she probably shouldn't have had it at school, but she enjoys listening to music while she walks to and from school (and besides, the number of kids I've seen walk out of school with cellphones and MP3s....!!). But I couldn't get hold of her, so I guess I'll have to go in after school and see if I can catch her - I'm livid - some little creatin has rummaged through T'K's bag, makes me sick, do parents not get ideas when their kid comes home with things like that??

On a brighter note, I went to an 11 hour crop on Saturday, which was fabulous...certainly made up for the abismal mothers day (but I won't tell Craig just yet, I'll milk it for a bit longer! lol). I certainly didn't get loads done, but 4 completed pages is good in my books! I prefer to have them complete, rather than having to do journalling or titles at home (computer journalling and fonts for the titles!). Even managed to complete (and win!) the challenge! The Lashes layout was the challenge page, we were given one of those mosaic 12x12 pages and had to create. It was actually harder than I imagined and the anal side of me really has issues with the squares that still remain!

The unpacking hasn't really got much further either - I'm waiting (patiently) for him to put up some extra shelves and some sort of cabinet or shelving in the bath room, and as he's working 7 days lately, it hasn't happened! Though I think later today, I'll tackle the toy boxes and do a bit of a clean out - I'm damn sure those things breed, especially all those McDonalds toys!!
What I do love though, is how easy this house is to heat - its fabulous, suppose it's the upside of having a small house!
This is another layout I did on Saturday, the black lines are stitching (with a very dodgy sewing machine that didn't really want to sew), simple but I really like it. It's about my wish to find the key to unlock Molly's speech - someone thought I should do an album about the struggles we have, but I really am struggling with adding another album! I just think I might add it more into her books. I really, really want to do an album for the family, but don't know really where to start! The girls each have an album(s) on their lives, since birth (T'Keyah's is just that little bit harder with the lack of decent photos), but once they both leave home and take their books, I've nothing left. But I don't know where to start, and frankly - I don't know what to put in it!! I'd really, really appreciate some ideas!!

How long can one family live out of boxes? I have zero motivation at unpacking anything!! The kitchen is kinda done, I'm waiting for extra shelves to be put into the pantry - think that'll be about Sunday! And I need some sort of cupboard or shelving for the bathroom to house all the towels - I can't get over the fact that some houses have no storage areas at all! We've got a huge wardrobe in our room, but the other two rooms don't have anything - and no linen cupboard! (Must be designed by men!!) I'm absolutely gutted that this place doesn't have a dishwasher! Though, I've been so good, and dishes are washed, dried & put away every night!! (though, that old rule that the cook doesn't do dishes hasn't exactly been a happening thing, past 2 nights I've had to don the ole' rubber gloves!!) And sadly, my scrap stuff is packed away, and I'm itching to do something!! But it'll have to wait until we line the room down stairs and move the girls around...can't.wait!
On the positive sides, it has a fab view, is so close to school AND kindy...my petrol consumption has dropped so much!!
Had Molly's IP meeting at kindy today - we're gearing up for the transition to morning kindy (think it's the 29th she starts!) Six months ago when we had the last IP, I never in my wildest dreams thought Molly would be ready for mornings, but she so is, and even the Head kindy teacher said the same (LOL). We planned goals for the girl, and kindy is keen on taking on the signing too, which is awesome, Mops has taken to signing like a duck to water! (and it's really cute!) Adrienne then started to suggest the next IP meeting (which is in November) and then realised that Molly would be 5 in the February (geepers!) so it'd be a school orientated meeting - she asked me how I felt about the school issue, and I said about the morning kindy feelings, and that I knew in another six months we'd probably be in a different space, and Molly would be gearing up for school (hard to believe though)...sounds like she'd have a teachers aide at school too.
Though the other night I had this huge anxiety attack - I was sitting thinking about her being at school and the fact that she was still in nappies - then the anxiety hit - my daughter could be at school, wearing nappies and being ridiculed by other kids - that really ripped at my heart! I hope to God that it doesn't happen to her - I seriously hope she just 'gets' it one day and wants to go on the toilet!! I never in my wildest dreams, imagined how hard it is to raise a child with different needs - and I know that we are incredibly lucky, and there are children out there with far more serious issues!
I'm staring at my scrapping trolley and I'm dying! I need to scrap!

Me & Mine

Me & Mine

So who comes a-visiting?? Web-counter ticks over, but no comments...ghosts perhaps? lol.

give a girl a camera...

and this is what you get!

It actually cracks me up, downloading photos from the camera and finding all these kind of shots, or blurring fingers - I just have to remember now, when I'm taking photos, to check the lens....last time all my pictures were blurry, the lens was covered in sticky fingers!!

We're still on the huge blue's clue's run, don't think she's ever stuck with something for so long! It's been so brilliant for her though, lots of new words and sounds coming out. I found out yesterday at Kindy, that there is a place in Music Therapy again for Molly, and they wanted to know whether we wanted to do it again - I wasn't exactly thrilled last time, I think that Molly was too young, and she didn't really appreciate it nor get much from it - but now, she's so into her music and I think that she'll really benefit from it - new teacher too, apparently her teacher from last year has had a baby! I seriously didn't think that it had been that long! Molly's SES caseworker (the big-wig) came for a visit at kindy yesterday, she can't believe the change in Molly, loads of words, sounds etc, and her confidence in doing things is becoming so much better.

We're also on the waiting list for sign language - we've been using a few basic ones, and there is a rhyme that we say that has signs in it, and she's picked it up so quickly and uses the signs, so we thought it'd be something we could really utilise with the girl. I got the letter of referral the other day, Molly's condition is described as a lovely wee girl who has a diagnosis of developmental delay, tentative diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and possibly also dyspraxia (difficulty sequencing movements). So she's got a lot going on! We've got a follow up appointment next month with the paediatrician, so no doubt the diagnosis will be reviewed and possibly added to (hopefully some taken away, but!!)

I got pictures printed yesterday, thinking some fresh photos would help me in my rut, but I really don't know if it'll happen! I really hate how fickle your mojo is!

Chocolate Fest

How come these holidays zoom on by?? The girls had a great Easter, and had plenty of chocolate (in fact they still have plenty of chocolate!!) Molly had a great time, unwrapping her cousins chocolate bunnies and trying to disappear with them! Monkey.
She's been watching blues clues (we have about 3 videos and a DVD, but chooses to watch the same video over and over) lately, and has been coming out with words - she's now saying HI, which is really clear, Steve, blue, clue - so cute, and she does this little dance to the mailbox song! So, as annoying as it is, that she watches the same one over and over, she's really benefiting from it, so I'll suck it up and let her do it!
She's also learnt some sign language from a lanuage group we go to - so thats something I want to expand on!! oops, can hear the freezer door, someones getting the ice-cream out! I'm sure she'd almost live on ice-cream if she could! Phew, I won that battle and she's settled on toast.
Holidays, yay! I want to strip an old chest of drawers and a bookcase over these holidays and repaint them for Molly's room, the scotch chest she has is slowly falling to pieces, and we're having such wonderful weather! Hard to believe!

The photo makes Molly look like she's angry, but she's actually got a mouthful of easter egg! Can't wait to scrap that lot of pictures, and I took some yesterday of her making her own sandwich, the look on her face is priceless (must get a digimax card!)

GroundHog Day!

Do days just blend into one for everyone? Or do I need to snap out of this and get a life!? (lol). I just feel I'm living the same day over and over, get up, morning routines, school run, come home, washing, make beds, empty dishwasher, clean, lux, pick up toys, tell the bird and/or dog to be quiet - it's just the same old stuff!! Can I just say, thank goodness for Sundays and Carol!! We went scrapping on Sunday, and we're off again this Sunday - but the thing is, my mojo has gone - was talking with the others there, and we were talking about it - it's different from Scrappers block - you can't pick a magazine up or browse galleries - it's like I have a complete inablity to scrap - like I have no clue what I'm doing (hehe, not that I do most of the time) There have been times we're I've thought I'm kidding myself and should just sell the lot on TradeMe!! I'd really like to be able to scrap again!
Girls are fine, Molly's on a Blues Clues drive, so that's what we're watching, over and over! T'Keyah is back at school, playing rippa-rugby and miniball is going to start up soon - Marching season is over for now, so that's a little less taxi-ing about.
No kindy today, and no plans to go anywhere, I might get off here, do some housework and scrap for the afternoon (cross fingers I get something done!)

I had a great day

yesterday - and I don't feel that old (hehe). Got some nice smellies from the girls and didn't lift a finger - Craig was like my personal servant...nice too! Even if it was for one day.
I've just got back from another appt for Molly with the continence nurse - we're entitled to free nappies seeing as Molly is over four - but hang, they are butt UGLY! Must take a picture later and post them - T'Keyah has taken the morning off, and she was cracking up at them...but I'm thinking they will be only for nights anyway...I think the lady is sending out some pullups for day. Get this, they provide 3 nappies + 1 for night, and they courier them to us every three months...thats like over 300 nappies every three months!! Holy schmoly, I'm hoping the next place has some kickass storage LOL - and yup, we'll be moving again in about 5-6 weeks. The lease ends here and the landlords need to move in, and besides, I HATE driving over the hill 3-4 times a day, it kills my gas!
Well T'K is going to school at lunch time, and Molly is going to Kindy - which means I'm having an afternoon all to MYSELF!! Yay - might scrap some!

*GASP*

Finally, I can breathe - our house seems to finally be on the mend - crikey there are some yucky bugs about!! Craig coughed his liver out, well not really, but I reckon it was close. Molly puked on random days, then ate for the rest of the day, and T'Keyah puked on Tuesday night and has been in bed since!! It's been a real cheap week, no ones been eating!! But, tonight I think that everyone is definetely back...Molly has been better for a good three/four days, and T'Keyah has eaten today!! I really don't handle puking very well, so Craig has been such a rock!

Yup, my girl is wearing gumboots, or in Mollyspeak boooooooots - never, in all my wildest dreams did I think I'd let my kid wear gumboots....yeah, yeah, I'm weird, but back in the days when T'K was a wee dot, gumboots were U.G.L.Y. and I refused to buy them - they just looked nasty (hehe) but now they are so cool - there are some really awesome boots about, and Molly just adores her boots - she's real attractive in her pjs and boots!! But, what really amazes me with her, is she always has them on the right foot, no matter what! smart cookie. And she needs the next size up! Who woulda thunk, huh?!

Well, I submitted again this month, but still haven't had an acceptance - and yup, I know that one day it just might, just have to keep on scrapping, keep on scrapping (yup, we watched Nemo today). I really can't wait until Craig breathes those magic words and tells me to get my camera - I'm bursting to get a Cannon Rebel! soon, soon. I'm enjoying altering coasters though - I've got none left (only had 4 but!) and have some that I'm sourcing on trademe - though I have a sneaky suspicion that ma has some tucked away, and I know she doesn't use them! Might have to pay her a visit tomorrow. ooh, and she needs to measure Molly for a jersey she's knitting - a jersey she started knitting for T'Keyah, when she was 3!!! hehe, lucky Molly, it looks like she'll actually get to wear it!

Tomorrow I turn 34...3oblinken4! That is mighty scarey. I'm starting to realise that I'm aging...there are new wrinkles, loads more grey hairs, and even thinking about another child would probably mean I'd fall into the risk catergory! I can't be 34, there has to be some mistake - I certainly don't feel nor act 34!! (although the other day when I was coming down with the flu, and my bones ached, I felt like 64!!)

Righto, seeing as my body is crumbling away, I'd best be off for some beauty sleep - Muwhahaha, I'd need to sleep until I was 67!

Why 12 year olds versions differ

from coaches! T'Keyah came home from NZ champs on Monday, I asked her how they got on, answer - not good...that was it. Okay, so thats cool, they did their best and there are a heck of a lot of teams at the champs. She had a great time and that's what mattered. Then, the coach calls on Tuesday - general chit-chat, they had a great time, she was well behaved (just as well!) and she then tells me just how well they actually did! They qualifed for the plate march (i'm still lost with some of this) for both technical and display (great on it's own!!) The team was placed 13th on qualifying and 14th on the sunday for technical in a very tough and close competition. In display the girls came 4th - and were 4 points of being 3rd!! And one of the judges has the Under 16 display (T'Keyahs team) ranked higher than the team that eventually won!! So next year, the team should be on fire!!
She's got a display at the Go Otago celebrations in Dunedin on Sunday - so I hope to get some good shots of her all decked up in her uniform.
Molly is doing well, hanging out with a wee girl at kindy, and having a great time. I think that people are amazed at how well she's doing - and that's great!!
Scrapping is going well too.....I do get so annoyed when I can do a page and really get into it, be really stoked with the results and finish it - get out more photos (thinking I'm onto a good thing) and nothing works!! Drives me crazy!
I think that I'll pop into town shortly, my cutter blades are leaving those horrid fluffy edges - time to replace!! And then, off to coffee group, but today Molly is staying home with her dad - how nice it's going to be actually not having to worry what she's getting into!!

Can someone point me in the direction of the shishoni font? I'm spending waaaaaay too much time looking for it and getting really frustrated!

Saturday, and it's sunny!!

And warm even! Though, I can see some slightly dark clouds rolling in - shoo, I've got washing out!!
I have been admiring Keisha's altered coasters for ages, they are simply gorgeous - so I tried my hand, seeing as the coasters we have are pretty darn ugly & never get used, unless you class Molly using them like frisbee's, use!! So yesterday morning, I tried, and I'm pretty happy with the results! Cool, fast and good way of using up little photos too. I'm off for a crop tomorrow afternoon - really looking forward to it, even though I was just at one last weekend LOL! It's been a long week, and as much as I'm proud of Molly with her counting one-ten and back again - it does get old! Let's see how her Dad deals with it - though, knowing him, he'll take her out to his Mother's, so Molly can "spend time" with Nana & Grandad (in other words, so he doesn't have to be a fulltime Dad)
Must remember to text T'Keyah and see how her weekends going...feels weird knowing she's so far away! Hope she's having a blast though - and hasn't blown her spending money already!

And, so comes winter

in full force too!! It's 6 degrees right now - about 15 more and I'd be happy! LOL - I hate the cold!!

Isn't this face the cutest?? It's Molly doing her animal noises, I managed to catch her doing her "woof-woof" hehe, so cute!

I was just going through the photos on line, and they are shocking...that girl is becoming the worlds worst photographic subject!! She's just too fast, so I end up with shots of nothing, a blur, or her finger as she tries to touch the lens! Brat. She's a character though, and has become such a delight - just a year ago I could've given her up! (well, not really, but she was darn hard work!!)

T'Keyah is off tomorrow, flying to Wellington, then driving up to Wanganui for the Marching National finals - she's just buzzing - this is her third final comp, but her first in the under 16's! Just too exciting really! But on a sadder note, her stepmother has just been diagnosed with cancer, it's still really early, but she had a CT on Monday, and there is a mass near her heart, close to the sternum...it sounds like a hodgkins lymphoma - but T'Keyahs uncle (her dads brother) died just over 2 years ago from Leukemia, so its a bloody scarey time for all...and I know them all well (obviously seeing as he's T'K's dad, but I knew Cursey for years before they were even a couple - she was a great (and still is) friend. So we're all sending all the strength and courage we have - and hoping for a positive outcome, another CT is scheduled for Friday.

Righto, I'm off - have to watch Bad lads Army!!

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!!