Yes Gary is home - posts are rare again!!!

I did mean to keep up to date with it all as I have had heaps of comments about my blog lately!!!

Just after Gary arrived home (Thursday) we had Georgia's sixth birthday (Friday), her party (Saturday) at Run A Mok, and then Sam's fourth birthday and party (Sunday) at home.

By Sunday Georgia was collapsed in a heap, I thought she had been living from one adrenline rush to another - show - book day - birthday - and now it had finished she didn't have to fight off whatever she had been fighting off. A trip to the docs the day after proved she had tonsilitus, so she stayed at home for the rest of the week!!!

Abigail went to school ANDswimming that same Monday, but came out from swimming with a major headache - she said she had had it before swimming but hadn't said cos she didn't think she would of been allowed to go - quite right!!

SO she was off school for the rest of the week too - the doctor on Thursday confirmed it WAS migraine, but there isn't much we can do at the moment - the pain relief drugs arn't licensed for under 16's and the blocker ones - he wouldn't advise those because of side effects unless she was getting them more often. So it's paracetamol and ibruprofen all the way - poor thing.

By Good Friday, flu had taken a grip of me - I have never had flu before and it wiped me out completely - only now over a week later feeling like doing stuff again.

So Easter passed us by - I wasn't up to it - and I didn't want to give them their eggs - as chocolate and migraine don't go!!!

SO our Easter will be when the Easter holiday is from school - next week!!!

I havn't done ANY scrapping - but I have done a bit more oon my familty tree of late - see other blog. I am very excited at the moment as I think (it is only think) my elusive relative who dissappeared from his family in 1891 and 1901 actually went to Canada. So I have been on a few forums hunting for clues - and I have found heaps.

I am meeting up with a lady who I understand is my sixth cousin at the end of April, and I will chat with her about it too.

I am also wanting to build a website re the tree too - get ourselves out there - you never know who contacts you - we have a web domain - but I can't see atm how to work it - its supposed to be idiotproof!!!!

bbl
xxx

And Here It Is ....

And here it is

Why I am so proud of Abigail right now
the journalling reads


Your Daddy has gone to see Uncle Conrad in South Africa. Something has happened between me and you whilst he has been away, and I am unsure if it’s because he isn’t around or if it’s just coincidence.

Yes you still argue with your brother and sister; and yes you still pull faces when I ask you to do things. But you have changed in other ways, you have become more open with me, talking about things that have happened and sharing those experiences with me. You have helped me so much whilst Daddy has been away and made what could have been a very difficult time into a relatively easy and pleasurable time.

You excelled on the lead up to Mother’s Day. With Daddy being away it was a bit harder for you this year, but you came into your own. You kept everything safe that each of you have made at school or nursery and you organised with Nanna to go out and buy me something nice. You made me breakfast in bed the following Sunday, as you knew there wasn’t really time on Mother’s Day itself. Everyone helped to make it, you supervised so that you all did something to contribute, be it boiling the kettle or spreading the butter or marmalade - and I didn’t hear any falling out.

You have started to share things with me. You have been dealing with issues at school with your headteacher, and you have asked him if you can bring sheets, charts and lists home for me, to show what you have been discussing with him. Its been wonderful that you have been talking about things instead of keeping it all inside of your head.

You helped plan the menu for the meal we did for Nanna and Grandad to thank them both for helping us during the week of the show. Over the weekend you offered to help me tidy up and clean, and you did a great job of it too.

Above all that we have shared and laughed together about lots of various little things. Things like in the dressing room on the final night of the show when that girl plaited your hair just after I had done it and we both wondered why; and after the show we laughed with you about the crush you had on Ross after he blew you a kiss as you awaited to go on stage, we played on your potential new name - Abigail McCaw

You are a beautiful child, both inside and out. I am so happy you seem to be happy again, and that you are sharing, talking and laughing about things in your life again. I love you sweetheart, and I am proud….

Can I have My Children Back

Gary is due home this week - and I am sooooooooooooooooo excited to see him, and I know the children are. But the weekend has just been so bizarre really.

On Saturday I took the girls dancing - Sam DIDN'T dance, he changed his mind, but obviously he came with me whilst we dropped the girls off. We stayed a bit with Georgia but it was my sole intention on Saturday to have a tidy up and clean and I told the girls this.

They pulled faces when I said I was going home to make a start whilst they were at dancing.

"Awwwwwwww it's not fair - why can'r we help" they said

??????? I thought

So i said they could, I would leave piles of their stuff and they could put it away when they got home. But no, that wasn't enough, Abigail wanted to hoover, and from that Georgia wanted to dust

?????? Are these MY children?????

So after dinner we did, they helped tidy up, they hoovered and dusted.... ???? Eagerly too

It has been suggested to me that perhpas they have been bribed by Daddy who will bring goodies home if they are good and help mummy. And on the back of that they know he's coming home this week - Thursday in fact!!

But it didn't stop there.......

Last week was Mother's Day, and Abigail pulled out all the stops to make it a lovely day for me - I said that last week. ut we hadn't enough time really for breakfast in bed and she had said she would arrange it this Sunday instead.

Nothing has been said all week, but sure enough, Sunday morning, they all helped. Abigail did the supervising; Georgia boiled the kettle and Abigail made tea, Abigail put the bread in the toaster, Sam spread the butter (albeit sparingly) and Georgia spread the marmalade. Then they brought it to me, in bed, my breakfast - tea and toast.

It was really really lovely and I love them so much for it. And right now I am very very proud of Abigail and I am about to start a lo of how and why I am so proud of her at the moment. She seems to of changed so much of late.

But come on.... who took my children .... LOL

We had a lovely day yesterday, my mum and dad came round for their thank you meal, all of which was delicious - even though I say so myself!!

Last night I was going to scrap, but once the children had gone to bed I thought I'd watch TV for half an hour or so. What a mistake!! I have been recording but not watching "Wild at Heart", but as it started last night I thought I would watch it anyway. I spent the next hour or so in tears cos I am such a softie, and by then couldn't really summon up enthusiam to scrap so watched Lewis instead.

It was quite strange because I didn't want to "do" Sunday TV, cos thats what WE do - together, and it would feel odd on my own, which is why I wanted to scrap initially - but it was ok!!

Right I am off to do this lo, I need to record this proud feeling right now before the children come home and start bickering!!!!

bbl
xx

Well Done Sam

Sam had his first swimming lesson yesterday. He was great. He was placed in a class with children of a similar age, but who have already been in this class for at least one session of ten weeks. He held is own and swam as well as any of them, if not better than some.

This morning was another dry bed - so thats four nights running!!

I have spent some time trying to sort page kits out to enable me to scrap better / easier. I have to say its quite hard work!! But I have sorted papers to go with card stock, now I just need to put some embellishments with each baggie too!!

And what will I do when my new stash arrives later this week? !!!!

Last night was Friday night curry night - old habits never die even though it wasn't quite the same on my own!!!

Today sees me tidying up this mess that was called a house, and sorting puddings out for tomorrow. My parents are coming round as a way for me to say thankyou for helping me so much last week. The children have arranged the menu, we are having

melon and strawberries

roast beef and yorkshire pudding
new potatoes
carrots
sweet potato
parsnip
brocilli
cauliflower cheese

apple crumble and custard
strawberry cheesecake
blueberry muffins
ice cream

Sounds yummy!!!

ttfn

Happy World Book Day

So today is world book day.....

As I said yesterday I am ordinarily fraught trying to prepare costumes for the girls to go to school in. You usually get about two minutes notice from school about things like this - I know it happens every year, but you can bet your bottom dollar the year you pre-empt it, for whatever reason the school will decide not to do it that year!!!

Anyway this year was a doddle - Abigail went as Heidi - using her goatherd outfit from the show last weekend. She had tights and her school shoes, cos Heidi had clodhoppy boots on and her trainers wouldn't really go!! I plaited her hair too.

Georgia just wanted to wear her mouse costume - she just isn't sure which mouse she wants to be - is she one of the mice from Cinderella (which was her initial thought), or is she Angelina the ballerina, or she could indeed be a mosue in a windmill - which was where the outfit came from - who knows but she is happy - and if she's happy then so am I !! She wouldn't wear her trainers so has her shoes on (???) and I put her a black nose and whiskers on her face.

Today is Thursday, my favourite day, traditionally my "me" day and also when we get home from school - I lock the door and thats it - although in recent weeks that has changed - if Gary is home early enough then Abigail like to go to swimming club.

Another dry night from Sam also. He woke up at about half nine, so I took him to the toilet but he didn't want to go. I woke him when Gordon Ramsay had finished at 11, he tried but didn't want - and so he went the night through!!!

ttfn

xx

Happy Days ....

(Sorry about the formatting - its just not having it this morning and I have had enough!!)

As promised a photo of Georgia "doing her stuff" in assembly. I managed to take a piccy whilst she was mid line - its a bit rubbish cos the lighting is never very good in the school hall.

This lo is one I finished last night - called friend, and depicts Vicki and I at her farewell lunch before she flew off to pastures new. I can't say too much about the lo as it is for the challenge we are setting next week - but there is heaps of journalling in a little book within the circle top right.

These are the first two pages in my camping journal - depicting our journey to Scotland - with the boat (the second one - second of three to be precise LOL) and just after we had set up camp.

The second double page is our second day, when it was Gary's birthday. What a day that turned out to be - but that will save until later!!

My freind Sarah has been a kind of mentor whilst I have been doing this book - she MADE me chop up my beautiful Crate paper - in fact she DARED me!!!

I do have a problem with this second page - as I was putting it together - I realised that the second picture of the girls eating breakfast is in fact a shot from Wednesday and not Tuesday. It isn't important in the whole scheme of things I know that, but it WILL bug me LOL.

So I think I am up to date now. Abigail starts cookery club again at school tonight - so I have a double trip back to school - like Wednesdays arn't busy enough you know!!

Brownies tonight also, but I am not sure about Rainbows; Georgia was very very warm this morning and I have sent her to school a bit begrudingly to be honest.

Tomorrow is world book day - normally at this point I would be trying to put some kind of outfit together, but seeing as the show is now over and we have costumes galore - Georgia wants to wear her mouse costume - so she is going as a mouse from Cinderella, and Abigail is going to wear her Goatherd outfit from the show - and she is going to go as Heidi - cool - job done!!!

And baby Sam?? Well baby Sam is growing up now. He is still in nappies at night, and they are still wet in a morning. We did talk before Gary went away that he should be coming out of them at night now. I did intend to do this in half term, but I was so fraught with show stuff and Gary going away - it just wasn't the right time.

On Monday Sam got his last nappy out of the pack - he did tell me that, but yesterday I forgot, so come bathtime - no nappies. So took the bull by the horns. And he did it!!!! I woke him about half ten, but then he went right the way through - no accidents.

I had moved Georgia's old waterproof cover, but it has ssen better days. so I have just been to get a new one - no going back now!!!

Sam also has his first swimming lesson booked - he starts on Friday so watch this space for that.

He does keep murmering about starting dance classes - he wants sue to teach him how to dance - I have dropped a fair few hints on here in recent posts, but so far Gary isn't commenting on those - *wonders why*

ttfn

xxx

Back to Normal

Yesterday I had a lovely quiet day on my own - well an afternoon!! LOL

In the morning it was Parent's Assembly at school, led by Year 1. Georgia was narrating - she wasn't doing as much as I thought, but what she did was good (but I know I AM biased)

I took some pics so will post those later.

Afterwards I had a meeting with the headteacher re Abigail and her "issues". It went well and he was very focused and had good and positive ideas of the way forwards. He later sat down with her and had a chat about who she perceived were nice girls and who she thought she should stay away from. Abigail does not know I went in, I asked him not to say. She came home with a sort of freindship map / flow chart / network thing. Certain people have clouds around them and those are those who she sees as not good people for her to be with. It threw up a couple of suprises but she worked it out herself and seems happy.

Then I made start on the book I have been trying to do for AGES about our camping trip September '06. The journal cam in one of my US kits, and I am using up some of my utterley gorgeous crate papers. My freind Sarah DARED me to chop them up - how could she!!! I have done two dlo's within it so far so again will take piccies and post later.

Today me and Sam went into town to get bits for the two littlies parties = party bag fillers and prizes etc for games. SO that is almost done - I also managed to get Georgia her birthday present.

Right now, and later I am trying to put the finishing touches to a lo for our team challenge we are setting. We have to lift a freinds lo - so I am scraplifting one of Lisa's last lo - if not THE last, and I am doing a piccy of me and Vicky on the farewell lunch we had for her before she emigrated. I am really enjoying getting back into it - I havn't had much ME time of late - and I do need that - and whilst he's away he won't know anyway will he LOL

ttfn
xx

After The Show Was Over

Today is Sunday, and also Mother's Day !!! Ha ha ha

First off, it was the final night of the show, again the girls did great. I helped out in the dressing room, so I MADE sure Georgia was happy with her outfit on stage - cos she has to be right - I sewed her into the penguin outfit so she wasn't stressing about that!!

It was easier than I thought it was going to be too - the quick changes were all done super speedy - me and those, shall we say those you can rely upon, had everything sorted and ready for the girls. The other "helpers"? well they just got their own children ready and then gave them chocolate milkshake???? (despite Sue's instructions to say water in sports bottles only) and then took took pictures of their own children whilst we got everyone else ready - but hey ho!!

The girls came home really excited and absolutley full of it. And Abigail has developed her first crush on Sue's son Ross, who appeared last night to do his solo for the show. He blew a kiss to Abigail and that was it - its Luuurrvvve!!!! LOL.

Georgia was just happy with her Easter Egg that they all received from Sue as a thankyou!!!

And so today, well today is Mother's Day, and with Gary being away its been a bit harder for the children this year. But Abigail has come into her own, she has kept everything safe that each of them have made at school and organised with her nanna going out to buy me something - she has been fabby.

All that changed this morning however, but I did laugh. she asked me yesterday
"I don't want to spoil the suprise, but can I bring you breakfast in bed?" she asked.
I said that was a lovely gesture, but as we were rushing this morning, we should see what time they woke up and take it from there, it may be best to leave it until next weekend.

So she woke up today about 8am, sha came through and asked if there was time for breakfast in bed, I decided there was and I knew she wanted to do this for me, so I said "Yes that would be lovely".

So off she went downstairs. I waited and waited and waited..........


and waited and waited......


Eventually I got up and went downstairs, she was sat watching TV!! I asked about my breakfast and she said "OH yes...."" and that was that!!

She did explain later that she had said quietly (so I mustn't have heard) that she said she would wait til next Sunday and do it properly!!!

So we got ready, I took Abigail to church for church parade, I had requested leave of absence owing to the fact that Georgia had a party in Burnley starting at 10.30. So we collected her friend and I took them, came home and tidied up the dressing room that was formerly the lounge, and then went to collect Ab's.

We went to see my folks to give her her mother's day whatsits and I have also asked them to tea next Sunday as my way of saying thankyou for all they have done for me this week. Mum collected the girls from dance class on Tuesday whilst I was at the airport, she looked after the littlies whilst we were at Brownies, she looked after Sam for the Dress rehearsal, came to show Friday and then looked after Sam again last night. Also Abigail gave her the daffodils from church to say thankyou for my mum helping her sort mother's day out - that was all her own gesture and very very kind.

After dinner we have just chilled, they are all tired and a tad niggly, so its an early tea and bath and off to bed methinks.

Trying to get back to normailty now (yeah right). Tomorrow its back to school - parents assembly hosted by Year 1 - Georgia is narrating!!! Then after I have done the nursery run I have an appointment with the head teacher to discuss Abigail and her problems at school - I could be there some time......... But I am not prepared to sit on this any more (although the latter half of the week has improved)

Then its off later this week shopping for the littlies birthdays, so I am free the week after to prepare party bags, food and of course make the cakes - a dinosaur and a mermaid!!! The words - back, own and rod spring to mind.

Snow is due overnight and tomorrow, so on top of all of that it looks like we'll be walking everywhere!!!! I'll be sure to post some snowy pics though LOL

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A Very Proud Mum

The girls did fab last night.

Georgia didn't look half as worried and grinned at us incessantly.

Abigail sang and danced her heart out, she said that she will smile heaps tonight (as it is being filmed tonight). I think she felt she didn't smile so much last night, especially on some of the dances where she was concentrating heaps!!

She looked soooooooooooooooo beautiful as a snowflake, a white tutu and her hair in a bun with the white headpiece. She looked and danced like a proper ballerina, and I am not ashamed to admit she brought a tear to my eye. I know I am biased, but she looked so beautiful.

Sam on the other hand, well he is going to need watching when he grows up for sure. Anyone who knows him well knows that he is such a flirt, one for the the ladies.... He loved watching the show, especially the pieces with the older girls doing the funky numbers in their skimpy outfits!!!

And he is desperate for Sue to show him how to dance too. Perhaps next week, when I have classes to go to AND Sam to mind ....... ?????