winter tales

My kids are on their way back to momma. They spent the last few days with Patrick at his mums house. I stayed home as I had James to look after and Maren arrived to stay as well. Maren is a welcome addition as she is from NEW MEXICO and its nice to speak 'american' again!

We are out to a friends tonight for New Years eve for charades, picitonary, poker and party food!!!!

Today we peaked at 2degrees celcius.. thats 35 degrees fahreheit and tonight we will get to about -6 degrees or 20 degrees fahreheit for the American contingent who reads this blog.

HAPPY NEW YEAR and everyone have a safe night!

tinseltown

these legs are made for walking and thats just what they'll do. These legs are gonna wlak allover you! I am trying to organize some neighbourhood caroling. Consisting of us.. the neighbours kids and any stragglers we pick up on the way.. around the block.. singing as many carols as we can.

I'll have to learn some words first!

We were successfull in our turkey hunt and have a lovely ten-pounder for the BIG day. Last of the wrapping has been done and Adam had an epiphany and said... aww man.. I should have asked for a bike! Needless to say.. santa might not get hi a bike as it may be a bit difficult to get one so late on.

Merry Christmas!!

too late to blog

Hi... blogging halted due to the xmas/term end/PTA meltdown.
Nah... just couldn't be bothered!
Kiddos ar efab. Sickness gone.. except CArys who has a sore head....
Adam has done his rounds of school/beavers/football christmas parties so next week we shoudl be able to enjoy the xmas season.
I have done NO baking. No recipe gathering. No food shopping. So it will be interesting goign to Tesco with thousands of others and vying for that same turkey!!!

photos on flickr. don't forget to look.

Christmas cards are off!

I did it! I have managed two firsts today!
1. I actually got the christmas cards mailed off on time!!! Yes ... you should all ahve an actual christmas card rather than an e-card or no card at all!!! for those of you whom I do not know the address... too bad. I have sent cards care of other people whose address I do know!

2. I am really proud of this one. Someone will be getting their birthday card ON TIME>>>EVEN EARLY.... mind you there is nothing in it ... but hey IT IS A CARD ON TIME! Have the tables turned? Is this the start of something new?

Adam had a great time at Beavers Christmas Party, we got ther early to pick him up and were just in time to add Carys to the 'see Santa line'. She was dead excited... jumping up and down with glee... peeping out the side of the line to see him at the top... she's then catch me looking and bring her hands up to her mouth like a squirrel does when he's furiously workign at opening a nut! Anyway.... she got all the way to Santa..... he reached out to hand her a present.... she turned around superfast and took off runnign towards me!! Adam collected her present in her stead!

The lights are on the outside of the house... no pictures yet but they will come.

Happy Christmas!!!!

Merry Christmas!

Dsc01310, originally uploaded by the_stakes.

Hi!!! Patrick and I tried to get a nice formal xmas photo.. after an hour and countless attempts... we have this!!! all other rejects are on Flicker.. there are some nice ones there as well.

Adam and Carys had a great tiem deocrating the tree. Me and Patrick of course moved half of 84 baubles from the bottom half of the tree to event he thing out.

We still have a box of christmas decorations missing in the loft, Patrick swears he cannot find them btu I would NOT have thrown out our stockings and garlands and snowglobes!!

He is gone to Manchester for the weekend and will be back sometime late tomorrow.

Adam has a party at Beavers this afternoon, so me Carys and Cameron ( I am lookig after him until 6) will chill out in front of the TV watching XMAS Movies!!!

HOLA

Hi ...

I'm finsihed feelign srry for myslef and have jumpd right in to the Christmas spirit! Todya was the last day of term for me wee heee! One final assignment to finsih and then 6 weeks of no UNI!

We have had a lot of sickness. It all began when Carys got a nasty cold/cough/runny nose/sore throat thing the first week of November. then Adam got chicken pox, then Adam got impetigo and it was really gross. His skin was like eating itself.... gross. it is super contagious so Adam had to stay off school. And this week Carys comes out in it. So she is now on antibiotics and bacterial cream and all sorts to get rid of hers. It isn't as bad as Adams got because we knew what it was.

Santa's letters have gone off. Carys lieks everythign she sees on telly and Adam would be happy with a new tree to climb.

We got a real christmas tree this year, its the first real one since 1998 when I moved to England !!! December 16th 1998!!!!

I got a littel bit carried away because this tree touches the ceilign and is about as wide round as a 4 seater table. We have some 'pruning' to do to get it to fit in the corner of our not-so-big living room!

Gotta go... MERRY CHRISTMAS!

No thanksgiving wishes

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.

Spotty still has his spots, he also has a few infected spots as well, and to top it off he has an infection in his eye (we can only presume from touching his infected sports and then rubbing his eye). Carys on the other hand (being female) is stubbornly refusing to get chicken pox even though she is in direct contact with lots of children who have it.

Apart from that life still goes on in the Doherty household as normal.

Patrick.

Chicken Pox

Adam has chicken pox. Diagnosis confirmed this morning. He has been telling me for the last three days he feels sick and couldn't go to school. What did I do? Sent him to school everday! Well this mornignhe woke up with blisters on face, torso, mouth. Oops. He is fine, in bed upstairs. It took jsut an hour for him to start saying "I'm bored!"

I'm updating, I'm updating.. don't yell at me!

Just thoguht I'd get that title in there before I got an e-mail form the powers that be to 'update my blog... to send me pictures..... to e-mail and not call coz its cheaper' . You know you know who I mean.

Haven't blogged in a week. Been busy. Kids got back from Slough in one piece.. I never doubted it... honest :-) Patricks and kids had a fab time without me! I am such a sap. I called everyday sometimes twice. Next April is going to kill me!

Carys is exerting her control... and is still refusing to 'perform' on demand.... i.e potty time. But hey.. she is showing us that she has a colourfull personality.

James and I chilled out last weekend. He had a friend stay over so there was still noise about. I think that helped with the kid-sickness. (play on homesickness.. get it?).

Carys has a cold.. again. Measles is on the rie here in the northwest, so I am keeping her away from playgroups until I get her MMR up to date.. which I can never do... because she is sick all the time! We rescheduled for next Monday so fingers crossed.

Adam is a hoot. I eavesdroppped on his conversation with his little friend.

C. Life is boring
A. Why?
C. Don't know, jsut is.
A. Don't worry. It won't always be boring.
C. Why not?
A. Coz soon you can grow up and stay hoem all day and watch the football match on T.V. ALL DAY LONG
C. No you can't. You have to work. How will you get money?
A. The wife will work!
C. WHAT?!
A. The wife will work and give you money. You can stay home all day and watch telly. So you won't be bored.

Mom.. THE WIFE WILL WORK? where did you get that idea?
A. Its only fair. Dad goes out to work like 5 days a week for like 7 hours a day..and you only work whenever you feel like it... for like an hour. So it is only fair that the wife works and the dad stays home too.

I feel sorry for Adams future wife. It is interesting though that he see's this as a 'fairness' issue rather then the normal taught wife nurturer and male provier.

ITCHY FEET

Hi.

Patrick took the kids down to his mother's Thursday night. So I have had no Carys... no Adam.. and no Patrick. :-(. I am missing my family.

I couldn't go. James needed to stay.. not enoguh time to put together a contingency plan.... will have to plan better for next time.

So what have I done with my three days of freedom? Mope... watch chick flicks (27 dresses and made of honour) .. ate popcorn felt sorry for myself.. moped... watched CSI.... studied.

no dancing on the ceiling for me!!!

BONFIRE Night

Tomorrow is bonfire night. An evening of blasts and sparks of light above. The displays we have around here are nice. I am sure we will nip out at some point tomorrow night to se some and of course let our fireworks. i am such a cheapskate and get like the cheapest pack of fireworks for effect because the kids are so easily amused. I mean Adam gets excited to see a leaf on the driveway!! Carys is going to be enamoured with them though!

We are headed down for a proper carnival and firework display on Saturday night at mum-in-laws. I have made sure and COMPLETED my report for class (due Monday) so we could enjoy the weekend as a family. This summer was really hectic, and then this school term took off pretty much straight away.

Adam's first day back to school today after half-term. i got the normal answer to my how was your day question? hmmm.. i can't remember!! So i suppose all is well on that front.

Patrick made Chilli tonight. James is out at the moment and the simpsons is blaring in the background.

life..... nothing like it! :-)

Dean Garcia

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAN!!!!!

HApe you had a FABulous PArty yesterday!!

trick or treat

DSC00487, originally uploaded by the_stakes.

Our halloween photo for this year. Kids had a good time and did not feel the cold while out trick or treaing. Loads morepictureson flickr. don't be lazy... go and look.

Kids had a little party inthe house before we went out and we had a haunted hallway, treasure hunt, guess whats in the box and build a skeleteon games.

Next year we are going to have a 'nice' halloween. This is the first year I gone around with the kids. It is usualy patrick.. and I stay home and give out candy. This year we left a bowl of candy on the front step for people to help themselves until we got back. Anyway.. all that were out were little witches, skeletons, werewolfs, zombies, wizards, hatchetmen and vampires. It is all the stores sell here. . Not sure how I felt about that. I saw ONE happy trick or treat costume in the form of Krutsty the Clown. There is a very big 'fancy dress' market but it is seen as something for everyday dressing up play rather than for halloween. So next year I am going for a happy medium!

Someone ran into the back of my car on Wednesday night. The kids and I are fine. The other car is a write off... it's front end crumpled like an accordion. My car is repariable and will be taken away to get fixed next week. I have a courtesy car until it is sorted.

dancing queen and disco inferno

Carys's video is of her dancing.. Patrick caught her getting groovy. The boys Adam and friend Cameron had a halloween disco for school. They were vampires. Adam will be a skeleton for halloween this friday his NINa sent him a costume and a 'bleeding heart'.

sleep-eyed chickens

I foung this among randomly uploaded pictures to our flickr account. Patrikck got a new camera last week as is messign around with taking ALOT of pictures. i particularly liek the way Cary's eyes look in this one. Yes the office in the background is a mess... but did you expect anything different! adam got his hair cut yesterday, I could not stand the mop that wsa on his head for another day. adam's hair does not get long and flatten.... it gets really poofy like a backcombed beehive. Thankfully no bees came out of it when it was shorn! He does not have lovely curly locks like his cousin Dean.

I am getting on wiht my uni work. very difficult assignments coming up but i am enjoying the reading... although should be doing much more than I am!

I am seriously starting a diet tomorrow. I am not eating nearly enough fruit and don't htink I am getting all my vitamins.... I don't have supplements so I will have start eating mega fruit and veg.

I have included a picture of Ad the Man wiht his lovely new do.

Tennis

DSC00176, originally uploaded by the_stakes.

Here is a picture of Adam as of last week. He hasn't grown much has he? He is on a "I will eat anything 24 hours a day" growth spurt but nothing but his belly is growing! He is goign to start playing twice a week becasue he really enjoysit that much.

|We have a new young person living with us now. He moved in last Tuesday evening.

Clocks went back this morning. I forgot, so we woke up at 6 am (ummm I htought it was 7).

"the only thing you should put in your ear is your elbow!"

Quote above from one of Patrick's dickensian teachers a la knockbeg. He is right you know! I haven't been able to hear properly out of my left ear for about a week now. So I thought I had a little wax problem to deal with. After poking with a q0tip, i am still left with a tender ear and still not hearing any better. This morning woke up to a spinning room, feeling really dizzy. Went to the quack this afternoon and it seems i have an inner ear problem.... and vertigo as a symptom he gave me tablets for the nausea. Shoulda listened to mom..... don't put anything in your ear!!!!

Carys was next door during my convalescence this morning in bed. Adam at school.

autumn leaves

Adam is fixed with the term 'autumn leaves'. I think it must be somethignthey talked about in school becasue its autumn leaves this and autumn leaves that! He had his session with his tutor. he is soo into Pokemon cards! They sit and have whole lessons on Pokemon, adding up scores, reading about the different Pokemon, planning battle strategies, why does water beat fire? How does it evolve... etc. (pokemon stuff i don't understand it). Santa will have to bring some pokemon cards.

Little carrots is a beauty. My sister called me today and told me about the biz in the USA.

Nothing else to report.

Full nights sleep at last!

Everyone slept in their respective beds last night.. all night! We had lovely nights sleep so why am I so tired this morning?
Adam is reading a bit better. He no longer cringes at the thought of reading a book. He is doing well on his spellings. He tells me he is getting 10/10 correct, and he does when he practise's at home. Tonight is parents night at school so we'll speak to his teacher and find out if all is well.

Carys is experiencing the not so terrible yet twos. She flings herself on the floor, its really funny. But she can tell us what she wants so her frustration isn't complete. We are going out today, its raining, and blah outside, but we will still go to a playgroup I think! I need some tiem out of the house. Carys painted a picture for me yesterday at Ria's. Bu it is was still wet so I couldn't bring it home.

Adam's bike has disappered from our front garden. I hope it turns up.

there were 4 in a bed and the big one said......

ROLL OVER, ROLL OVER!!!! It was four in a bed night last night. Firstly, Adam asks if he could sleep in our bed. P agreed. We try not to let the kids sleep in our bed because it becomes habit forming and we can't cope with the aches and pains of morning form being pinched, kicked, prodded, jumped on... and all the rest that adds up to no sleep. Well, Carys has had cold and has ended up in our bed nearly every night the latter half of last week. So we said that Adam could sleep with us. About 4am the little hellion (aka Carys Cecilia Doherty) wandered it with her blankets, toys and books in tow. she was not the teeniest bit happy that her brother was in their with us. We fumbled along for about an hour. Every single one of us moving this way and that, turning over, pushing an arm or foot or a face out of the way. About 6:30 Me and Carys defected to the spare bedroom. By this time she was awake ... and Mr Sandman was nowhere to be found. P got up about 7:30 and went downstairs with her... she was at this stage unable to utter anything but the word 'eat.eat...eat..eat..eat..eat..eat..eat...eat.'

Adam joined him at 8:30.. and I rolled out at 10 am !!!! Patrick has a lie in tomorrow while we go to church! I clenae dthe hosue this morning.

that was our morning...

sponginess

Carys has discovered the squidgy, spongy, pokiness of her tummy. She can officially 'pinch an inch'. The health visitor assures me that she is in proportion, so not to worry. I think I have a hang up about her weight, and about things I have been reading about that says an overweight toddler will grow up with a weight problem and be an overweight adolescent, and then adult. I don't want that for her.


You worry constantly about those you care about; your kids, husband, families, friends, friends of firends, the lady on the commercial whose advertising that perfume, the little children on the NSPCC commercials etc... So maybe I take it a bit too far! P calls me a worry wort.



I'm afraid that is rubbing off on Adam. He is really sensitive. The smallest thing will worry him. He's battling with his Oedepus complex at the moment and I so want him to grow up with a well balanced psyche and not 'mess with his head'. (You can tell I am studying psychology!)


The content of the blog is my thoughts and feelings ... .. you probably won't understand them.. i jump from topic to topic and one sentence might have no correlation to the sentence before it...

We need to find a way to channel stress and worry in this house without an outward show of emotion, but are we doing more damage to ourselves by not showing that emotion? I think we have to look for help. All is not well in the Doherty household. Our marriage is in trouble or will be if we can't sort it out, we are having problems communicating, I worry about the levels of stress P is under, he keeps everything so tightly controlled that he is going to pop. I worry he has no one to talk to. He keeps everything hidden away. I worry I have no one to talk to. I worry we take things out on each other and this starts the cycle again. He buries things away a bit deeper, I express a bit louder. I worry about the social development of our children considering we both have major issues ourselves. I worry about showing unconditional love. I worry my inability deal with my feelings of guilt. I worry that I do feel guilty. I worry that P will make himslef ill. I worry about whether people like me or not. I worry that P is unable to express his feelings of love. I worry about spending so much time worrying about other people that I can't sort out the worry's pertaining to my own family. I worry about keeping everyone happy and talking to each other. I worry about family dynamics. I worry about the state of the non nuclear family system in Britain and my inability to stop comparing it to one which is ideal in my own head. I worry that my expectations are too high. I worry about doing more harm than good in my chosen profession. I worry about making things worse for P. Of being a barrier rather than a partner? I worry that I will not be able to learn the skill of switching off (in my chosen profession). I sooo need to learn that one sooner rather than later.

I worry why admitting we are in dire need of something makes me feel ashamed. That we are opening ourselves up to criticism. That we have had a shameful secret kept from the world around us. These feeligns are unwarranted I know, but are there nonetheless.


Explaining our feelings to ourselves is difficult enough, especially when there is no rhyme or reason in them, trying to explain them to someone else so that they can understand is that much harder. My feelings are my feelings, my interpretations of myself and the way I see things, there is no right or wrong....just emotions to work through. P would probably have a whole different view.

Midnight wake up call

Carys will soon be dry overnight (I hope). Last night I sprang to attentionto the cry from the next room.. "Potty , mama, Potty" She did her business andthen went back to bed. Woo Hoo! Adam has become the neighborhood ringleader. It's him and his mates swaggering 'round the pond wearing 'sensible' plain T-shirts and toting the ultimate bad boy accessory ... yeah a bike. Priceless.

tripe!

Reading that last post makes life sound so trivial. So "the sun is shining and rainbows everywhere" , how trite. Have you ever had a disappointment so deep that you physically threw up? Ever thought you shouldn't have got your hopes up? Ever thought that YES! it was maybe finally your turn to be picked first? Ever thought why bother? I tend not to think that way..... or if I do i tend to internalize it and paste smile on my face and carry on skipping. Today's been a hard day to skip over. Having put my hopes into one thing and then it falling through...its alot to bear. I always seem to be waiting.. , maybe I should just grow up. Forgive and forget. The first is easier than the last, while I am at it maybe I should just learn to forgive myself. I mean, I'm the one who left, I made my bed. I have to lie in it. I never knew it would be this hard. famous last words eh? Definition of family; a great big mexican hooohaaa... not a stiff upper lip.

to the hoohaaa's .. Love you & missing you

Bliss

Hectic week this past one was! I am officially a full-time student! yeah for me. Why I am doing this to myself at such a fraught time in our lifes is a mystery to me. I'll give you some advice. Anytime you are thinkingabout of a career change... STOP... Don't do IT! It's not that easy!!! But I suppose if it was easy then everybody woudl be happy, there will be no one stuck ina rut and therefore no one forme to practice my new career on! I am a little over-whelmed by the pace of the last week or so. Having Adam go to school is a normal occurence, but Carys now goes to the Childminder (babysitter) 2 days and stays with my friend the one day while I am in University. Patrick is working here there and everywhere and Adam's social life has taken over my afternoons!

Patricks mom has been here for the last week and it has been a massive help; she's washed, ironed, cleaned, babysat, pruned the garden, entertained my husband, made fantastic dinners and puddings (roast pork, soup, apple crumble, bananna custard, homemade bread). She goes home on Thursday so It's Do-or Die time then.

Carys has become so independant. She doesn't want you to help her at all! She likes to do it all herself. She does however, still thorugh tantrums if she doesn't get what she wants quick enough!

Another funny thing, I call Patrick "honey" as in "honey, you can come help" or "honey, dinners ready" or "honey, whatcha doing?". So Carys has been mimicking me and has started calling her dad "honey". She'll be shouting "honey" and she's calling her dad. Its pretty funny.

Nibbly nim died a warm death on Friday the 26th of September. He coudl not be roused adn was dead as a doornail when I took himto the vet on Friday morning. Yep... dead as a doornail. I took a hamster I knew was dead to the vet to make sure it was dead....for my little boy.. whom I pormised that a vet WOULD look at him.

Yes.. I waited in the waiting room
Yes... I checked in at reception
Yes.. I waited while an emergency was seen before me
Yes.. I waited while the Vet and the nurse chatted away through my appoinment time
Yes.. I asked the vet to confirm it was not hibernating
yes... she flicked the by now 'riddled with rigor mortis' hamster from side to side
yes... it was hard as a rock
and yes... she told me he was dead. (and didn't chargeme for the visit... sooo nice)

I have no idea what they were thinking about me after I left.

He was interred in our back garden under the lilac bush. His dad had a few words to say, i led in a group prayer, and adam closed by reciting the 'OUR FATHER'. Seriously.

It's Knicker time!

Carys has hit a milestone today. A full day with no nappy. She was in her knickers from just after she woke up until just before bedtime. No accidents. She is making it to the potty and fingers crossed this means we have CRACKED it! I dohave to admit that she gets a sweet every time she sits on the potty and does something. ! Positive reinforcement.. you gotta love it!


Nibbly is in hibernation. It must have gone too cold in the room today because come this evening Adam was in tears because he thought nibs was dead. He is not moving but his whiskers twitch and he's not stiff. i have tried and failed to wake him as per internet advice so will be taking him to the vet tomorrow. Hey.. I coudl ask my brother... he's a vet tech!

troupers

PICT00160000, originally uploaded by the_stakes.

this is a quick pic of the camping troopers when Patrick and Pauline went camping.... in height order of course. And our new tent in the background... (thanks mom and dad its FAB)

La Machine

PICT0031
Originally uploaded by the_stakes

This was a feww weekends ago....

We went ot Liverpool for a street theatre production. It was called La Machine, a big hydraulic mechanical spider throughout the streets of Liverpool. Three days saw the spider arriving into town, perched on a building, racing through the sreets, performing a water ballet, frolicking in a man-made snowstorm, a pursuit, and then escaping through the Mersey Tunnel. There were about 12 operators on the spider and some 'victims' tied to its legs.

It was put on as part of the european capitol of culture year... and cost a whopping 2 million pounds. A little crazy I think.

The littel orange note!

It's started early this year! The dreaded flourescent orange note. The one that all parents dread as the forsee themselves delving for hours and hours with uncooperative children! Adam came trotting out of school with his littel orange note saying "mum, you MUST read it, it's important" You would visibly see the Mum's shoulders drop when the schoolchildren would come out of the doors en-masse clutching these little notes like a lifeline! Now having a boy, I never dreaded the note too much. I mean a little glance and that's it. I meaN Adam's hair is usually quite short, and its never been a problem. But....I have a little girl now! I will be joining the M.A.N. club this year. Dreading that little day-glo orange warning being sent home from school. Because..... tun tun tun.,.. (drum roll please).. Carys has just got NITS!!!! I am an official M (mother) A (against) N (nits).

Now you are probably asking yourself.. did I really need to announce on this blog that my child has nits?

I thought long and hard about it, researched through a zillion forums in the 46 minutes since I found the little suckers. And have asked the question of myself..Now why shouldn't Carys be able to ask me one day, 'Mom can you remember the first time I had nits?' (hey it could happen). So I will record this not so momentus occasion on my blog.. the is after all to record the ins and outs of my kids lifes. ( just thing kiddos.. I'll have some commentary to those embarrasing photos I'll pull out for your girlfriends/boyfirends to see...).

Adam is clear thankfully.... but he may have carried the blight home as we have not been too many other places! I am clear as well if you were wondering!

and speaking of homework....

Firs of all .. Mom.. .. I am updating my blog.. here.. see here I am updating my blog. So no more e-mails ok?? :-)

Adam is inthe next room doing homework with Adam. Adam wanted his Dad to read with him tonight, (Dad lets him get away with 6 pages while Mom makes him read 2 chapters.. regardless of how many oages !) I am sure you see why! Adam has been very good, doinghis reading as soon as he gets in form school, and writing ( he still does not like this) and we have just started reviewing his times tables. He is full of a cold today, this however, did not stop him from playing outside, in the rain, in shorts, with wet shoes (he "fell" into a puddle apparently), and with no coat. I was out at a meeting and got back to see him, as above, climbing trees with the other neighbourhood kids. So lets see what he is like tomorrow morning.

I added a map to my blog and what a surprise, my mom logs on, my sister (see that dot over nevada) and I am presuming Patricks familia down south.

Adam's class is learning Spanish! He can sing a Como esta's song and count 1-10 .. i have to admit he sounds like a gringo!

Carys is poo'ing and pee'ing like a trooper! We are still at about 40/60 40 percent of the time she gets to the potty in time, 60 percent is still on the floor or in her nappy. She did do a Wild Wee out the front on the driveway. She is getting really big and is talking LOADS.

JUNIOR SCHOOL

i wrote what's below on the sixth of sept... it saved as a draft.....so here it is now.

Hola familia! Adam is a full blown big boy! He had his first day at junior school ( infants is pre-k to year 2 (age7) .. juniors is age 7/8-11). His is Mrs Maddox/Mrs Fennely's class and he has apparently had a good time. It was just too wierd to see him come out of the school surrounded by giants. he had a masssive grin on his face and he was full of stories to tell about where everything is in the junior building. The boys toilets are great he says with no doors and a long thing you pee in, you don't have to wait until everyone is finished before going out to play at lunchtime and he can play football at EVERY playtime! Fast forward to day two where he has actually got to 'work' and he is up to his old tricks ( Me: adam did you get any homework today? Adam: no Me are you sure? Adam: ummmmm.. unless they gave it out while i was in the toilet? Me : did other kids take homework home? Adam: I guess so.) Why can't he be liek me ?? A bookworm who lov'd to do her homework?



La Machine:

WELCOME HOME!!!

They weary travelers have returned!!!! Let me set the scene;

I get a phone call ..
Patrick-- Monica, we are aroungthe corner, can you have the door open and the door to the bathroom open, toilet seat up?#

Me- uhhh .. yeah...

Patrick- we are pulling up now

Me- (fade in) so excited to see my kiddos.... and ready to sweep them into my arms for a bone crushing, gut jarring hugg....... in anticipation...

Car doors open.... Adam looks at me fro the back window with such an intense look, his face contorted in........

Me-- come on guys get out.... I MISSED YOU...

Patrick-- he can't, child locks, (he opens the door for Adam), quick quick.. go..

Me- Arms open outward.. i kneel down (imaginge the slow motion moment when a runner reaches the finish line...) and thenn....

Adam zooms past me... no word, no look, no NOTHING... right into the toilet......and does a big wee...

Adam-- Sorry mum... I was desperate... I already filled my bottle!

Cut to Carys, coming out of the car.... she won't even look at me.....

Silly mummy.. I stood there and cried!! Seriously, tears rolling down my cheeks because my kids didn't miss me.... I am such a saaaaaaaaadddddddddddoooooooo!

It's okay.. I 've got grip now!!!

here i a video of carrots and adam and the ducks

Camp News---- and mad idea # 610

Camp News


Campers are having a whale of a time. Camper Carys was bitten by ANOTHER wasp this morning..... wheras the other kids have the sense to RUN AWAY from them she picks up her hand and swipes them. Camper Adam desserted base camp last night and joined the neighbours campfire as they had marshmallows!!! Pauline and the kids arrived to join in the fun yesterday and they are at this moment and time eating pizza at pizza hut in Banbury... now why they abandoned one pot cooking over a stove for mouthwatering cheesy pizza I'll never know!


Mad idea #610

I have finally accepted that we are inthis house till we go to NM .. so that means true suburbia! ...no animals, no treehouses in the backyard and we'll always have nosy neighbours! I still refuse to compromise on the outdoor life for the kids but know it is insanely expensive and so out of our price range to buy a small holding. So...... I have been toying with the idea to buy some woodland instead. I have been doign some research and have found we can buy some woodland for a reasonable amount, clear a bit of it for a little camping outpost and then use the rest as an outdoor playground for the kids to explore. It will be a home away from home a weekend retreat when there is good weather to be had. There are strict rules about it though, its kind of like you buy the land but you cannot 'do' anything to it. Its to conserve what woodland there is left.... i.e we would never be able to build a cabin or anything permanent on it. We'd even have to apply for permission to erect a shed to leave camping stuff out there. This would mean no toilet... no trash facilities... no running water... etc.. you cart out what you cart in, no fences... But it would be our own place to escape. Now I only have to sell the idea to Patrick!

Still no sign of K so no camping for me.... patrick is still surviving but has expressed to me on the phone that he is stressed out from the constant Can i have... from Adam and Carys' histrionics when she doesn't get her own way.

This is great torture for men... let them look after the kids in a strange place with no electricity, basic toilet facilities, no TV, little toys and the contents of a cookout kitchen.. hehehehehe.

catch up day

Dear family,


Lots has happened since Carys birthday....

1. Carys' brand new water table sprung a leak and EMPTIED gallons and gallons of water all ove the living room floor!!!! (Carys actually pulled the plug at the bottom of the table and let it all out!)

2. Adam went to Tennis camp last week and had a fab time

3. Adam's tennis coach said he has real talent and should be playing at least twice a week ( he sounded really genuine like... but with a name like Medric who knows.. he may just be tryign to get more of my money! He will call us to arrange lessons for Adams ability)

4. My ghusband and kids took off camping last Friday without me.. :-( ( seriously missingthemnow... but I don not begrudge Daddy this time at all!! I have NEVER left the two of them for this long!!!)

5. I was supposed to go and join them camping today but due to circumstancess (yeah those involving a certain someone whose name begins with a K ends with a N and is 16 years old) I am unable to go.

6. Carys was stung by a wasp yesterday at camp.. daddy eing the prepared boyscout that he is did not have any sting relief, insect repellant or a first aid kit. However, I was assured that alot of cuddles , kisses, and loving put her to right after 10 minutes. She is now terrified of the buggers! Patrick says the campsite is full of them for some reason.

7. Nibbly Nim got stuck in his excersise wheel and I had to extricate him from certain peril on the threat (from Adam) that should anything happen to his hamster while he is away he will never ever ever trust me with his things again!

8. Went out an bought Adams school uniform today.. I think he's grwon at least a millimeter so he is now in size 5's. YIPEEEE.
9. Carys had an appointment with her dermatologist last Friday, everything is progressing nicely (i.e. her JXG is still just confined to her skin, it is not causing any symptoms , and not bothering her ) so they are leaving it alone, and we will go see him next summer. She has a referral for her eyes to be checked so he will write to the opthamologist to make sure they look out for anything JXGwise in her eyes.

10. Off to bed now.....

Love you, miss you, thinking of you, goodnight and god bless

Happy Birthday !!!!

Happy Birthday to CARYS!!!!! Carys is now 2 years old! We had a party for her yesterday because that is the day all her friends usually meet up anyway. It rained! So the bouncy castle I spent ages patching ( its been inthe shed forever!) and blowing up was pretty much useless. The kids played inside and the house ended up looking like it was smack dba in the middle of tornado alley! The kids had fun, played pass the parcel, and we had an egg and spoon race (they didn't quite get the hang of the race though). All in all a good afternoon!

Clean up time: Adam helping to tidy...

Balloons!!!

Here are pictures of the cake ... Carys kept saying HAPPY HAPPY..... she knew what to do beacuse we blew out candles last night on Patricks Cheescake!

Paying with her new toys...water and sand table and a farm..

Shhhhhh!!!

Good Morning (sunday early am here):::: I got up early to do some jobs before I wake the kids up. we are going off to church this morning. Carys has always been a very good girl in church, staying quiet mostly, and not running around too much. However, since she found her voice she loves to play 'peekaboo' behind the pew, loves to sing (this is too cute) and fight loudlywith her brother. On Thursday we went to morning mass and not many people go, those who do go are of the 'blue rinse' variety ( over 70's) and here I am with my two little ones. Adam spent nearly the entire mass antagonising his sister and she spent the entire mass, laughing, peekabooing and screaming. I somehow doubt that they wanted this kind of 'music' as their church choir for the morning. Needless to say we vacated pretty quickly once the final prayer was said!

I'll let you know how this morning pans out.

Happy Birthday to my DAD

Happy Birthday DAD!



FACEs of TATA



Gruff .. grizzly....giant...gentle....silly....ummm inebriated...



Love you DAD



Have a happy birthday!



from Adam:.. have a lovely birthday

me: Adam .. what do you like about TATA?
Adam: i don't know reallyy... but i like alot of things.
Me : like what..
Adam: I don't really remember, but there are a lot of things, or I wouldn't say it, ALOT!

this was ready to post yesterday but I was waiting for adam to elaborate on his reponses.... I'm still waiting.. I could be here till next year... so I am posting this instead today....

Mon Ca

I am sitting here completely distraught! My little baby girl REFUSES to acknowledge that I am her mother! What started off as a little fun at Nana and Tatas house has escalated into a full scale battle of wills. Hearing everyone, bar her brother, calling me Monica, Carys started to call me "Mon Ca". If I hesitated to answering her calls of " Mom, mom, mum, mum , mummy etc" ... she would revert to "Mon Ca, Mon CA Mon Ca". At which we would all titter and I would of course jump to do her bidding. As a result I /we have created a monster. For two days now Carys will NOT call me anything other than Mon Ca. I say.." no say Mom", Carys gets that cheeky grin and emphatically shakes her head 'NO'! What do I do?

Adam is off to the doctor today with his little wee sample. he thought it was hilarious to actually get permission to pee in a little bottle! Mind all men do.. don't they?? However for us women it is different story all together! Anyway, Adam is going off with his wee sample to make sure there are no underlying infections to explain his prevalence to pee ALL THE TIME. I know there's not; he is merely afflicted with the same malady as the rest of the males in my family, an itty bitty teeny weensy bladder that holds maybe a thimble full of wee at a time. But hey... what do mothers know???

The purpose of the above is to get Adam a referral to the urinesis clinic... to work on the bed wetting.

Nibbly Nim

INTRODUCING..... newest family member... NIBBLY NIM! Hamster extraordinaire!

Adam has a hamster. His furry pal was chosen form the pet shop last Thursday, he was the only one they had left and is a bit deformed (we think... however we have not passed this assumption on to Adam).. he deserved a home poor little guy... so he has been given a palace to roam around in. Adam is over the moon. Every night we hear the peal sof laughter as Nibbly does one dramatic trick after the other. I have to admit I am sick of hearing "quick quick you have to see hwat he's doing, QUICK!" But it is giving him alot of joy. Nibbly has been out a few times but I am really paranoid about the poop situation.. I wonder if I can fashion a hamster diaper? As a result of my paranoia nibbly is only allowed out downstairs on the laminate floor, his littel gifts can be ea sily identified, swiftly removed, and the floor promptly disinfected! This coming from a po'dunk Moriarty New Mexico gal who grew up with a plethora of animals and a heck of a lot more poop to deal with than this little 'ole hamster!

My house survived 3 weeks of Kieran and Patrick... although patrick did build a gate for the back garden and go to the dump countless times to get rid of the 'stuff' we had out there.

Carys is just settling into her old routine of waking up a tthe crack of dawn, noontime sleep and then goign to bed about 8 pm. Adam is living it up running amok in the neighbourhood with his mates.

Weather is just as jolly as ever, peeing down with rain. Carys and I walked to the post box at the end of the road last night and she splashed throuh each and every puddle there and back. Kieran kindly offered to peel potatoes for dinner as we are beginnign to work on his cooking skills.

Postd my dad's birthday card off yesterday. Dad is just about the only person who will get on this year. i am sooo rubbish about posting cards. i tend to e-card which is not as nice.. but I am goign to try to do it the oldfashioned way from now on.

Went to Wales camping and got rained on. Enough of that for now... gotta go as it's "time for lunch" accordign to Adam. Pictures of camping in Porthmadog, Wales (pronounced port maddock) by the sea.

Home Sweet Home

We are home-ish (in the Uk but at in-laws not my home!). We had a very long but relatively uneventful flight home. Very tired right now. The kids are just bouncing up the walls right now, never mind that it is 10 pm and they should be in bed. It was really hard saying goodbye this time. Adam had such fun wi s cousin Dean. I had a really good time with him as well. It's awful that we can only see them for such a short period and then thats that. We only had Nina Cessie for a few days too.. and they went by sooo quick. Why can't the world slooooowwwww down the weeks I am here so that each day feels like so many more! I guess I am lucky that my family make every effort to see us while we are there. I try not to think of the what if's.... what if we lived closer .. what if we won the lottery .. what if .. what if.. what if.. It is hard to be thankful for what you do have without wanting more. Live simply.....it's really tough. Lots of pictures to come....

Around the World in 17 hours!

We made. We're safe. I'm still sane. The kids weren't murdered (by me or anyone else) :-). We set off at 9am UK time Tuesdady, and arrived at Nana and Tata's at 9pm same day. Carys and Adam were REALLY good on the plane, we had a VERY good journey. Carys pestered Adam like there was no tomorrow but he did really good and just put up with it. I did spend some time telling her off for fighting nto sharing, jum,ping on Adam, pulling his hair, wanting his things. But all in all was a good trip. They only slept for about an hour from heathrow to D.C. and then about an hour and a half from D.C. to ABQ. So we were all very happy to crawl into bed when we got here.

Yesterday was a laze about day until late afternoon. Adams cousin came over and they are having a really good time playing together. Poor Carys doesn;t understand why they have ganged up on her and won't let her play. They have been digging in dirt piles, watching lizards and running away from LOBO, the demon cat of barton road.

Will post soon.

BYE

Early Bird gets the Worm!

There must be a button you can press to make your toddler sleep in!!! Someone please tell me the secret!! Carys has been waking at such an insane hour everymorning... We are lucky to make it to 6:15 am before she comes bouncing into our bedroom. Yes we do the usual, put her in our bed, lift the dozen or so toys she has brought into the room in with us, say shhh shhh not time to get up yet etc. Doens't work! Not one thing. She is bouncing, poking me in the eye, pulling my hair, poking my belly to see it jiggle, having a good 'ole time. I end up getting up and we go doenstairs for a good 'ole breakfast of coco shreddies. I know it is not the healthiest thing but this kid picks at her food and will only eat rubbish! She is watching balamory at the momemt. Adam is snoring in bed with his dad. Back an incy bit better, magic pills work wonders.
Speak to ya soon.

Trip in Jeapordy!

I hurt my back!!!!! Whay do these things come at such inopportune times!!! I feel like crying! Little miss heffalump(carys) was in a particularly 'colourful' mood yesterday I bent over with her in my arms.... to keep her from throwing herself out of them mid-tantrum... and twisted my back!! I have been so careful since Tuesday---- when I twisted with her in my arms and had a 'bit' of a sore back-. I have not been picking her up.. not lifting heavy things or moving furniture etc etc....because i know I have to endure 14 hours travelling next week. Well what do ya know.. i did it again. I 've got some painkiller s and muclse relaxers from doctor so everyone cross your fingers it GOES AWAY BEFORE TUESDAY!!!!! Had to call in to work.... they were not happy to say the least... like you PLAN these things!

Adam's got football tonight.. my friend is taking him...Carys has had to play on her own....

No funny or witty kiddie news I am afraid... .. just boring old story.

bye

parent teacher conference!

We have our final parents open evening tonight! Adam and Carys will be going to Giselles house, the two horrorbags will have great fun turning it upside down! :-)

Me and Patrick will present ourseleves to Mrs D. (adam's eacher is mega scary), and listen to how our boy is doing. We hope that there will be an imporvement over the last one. Adam does okay in school. But he only likes to pay attention to the thigs that interest him.. and tunes out all others... hmm sounds like most of us doens't it!

Room Check!

Right! I've had.... I have become 'Miss Pick-up-after-everybody', Adam and his dad leave 'bits' everywhere! Carys is a human tornado! We did room checks on a Saturday at 2 pm when we had our MAP Placement with us.....everyone had to have their rooms clean for inspection at 2pm on a Saturday.. this included us! Since Phil left, room check has gone by the wayside.... so 'fed-up' mamma is bringing it back!

Room check includes:

Toys- put away where they belong ( not just dumped into any old toybox)

Laundry- in the laundry baskets ( not left on the floor)

Shoes- paired with their partner and along the wall or in the wardrobe

Books- one next to the bed, all others put away in the bookcase in alphabetical order ( ha ha jsut joking about the alphabetical order part!!!)

Beds- everyone does there own clean sheets!!!! Adam is old enought to change his and either me or Patrick can help Carys do hers!

that should about cover it!

Adam did great at tennis this morning! Apparently he has goog hand eye coordination ( he can throw and catch better then me.. how embarassing) and can really 'move' (when he wants to that is....) I think we'll enroll him in the tennis camp this summer. It's expensive though.. so he may only be going for 1 week. I haven'[t told him yet but I want him to go to bible school this summer as well for a week. The kids only have 6 weeks off and were nearly all booked up:

School finishes 22-July.

Week 1 moms house ( we are leaving school week early to get another week at moms before she goes back to school)

week 2 trying to plan a camping trip with Pauline her crew and Margret + dogs. 4 red setters in a tent??? I don't think so! They are trying to find somewhere in Cornwall. We arrive back from New Mexico morning of the 1st and then rest a few hours before a 6 hour drive to cornwall!!! Then pack up and head the 8-10 hours back to Liverpool. we are not quite sure abotu this one.....but will do camping somewhre this week

week 3 tennis camp

week 4 bible school

week 5 ??? maybe camping???
week6 ???

4th Spetember back to school..... arghhh!

Patricks mum baught a hamster cage for Adam.. looks like we'll be keeping a hamster until a) beano eats it or b) carys squashes it.

HAPPY 4th of JULY

Happy Independence Day!!! (to my fellow Americans!)

Not onlyis it independence day, my littlebrother isgetting married today!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Guilty

Arghhh!!! Further to yesterdays post about reading book and spellings....... I went to pick Adam up from school and here he comes dragging his teacher across the playground......

Teacher: " I heard Adam went to bed early for having no spellings. Adam said I had to come tell you myself or else he'd have to go to bed 30 minutes early tonight as well."

Me: " I keep reminding him to bring them home, and he forgets"

Teacher: " Well .. sorry to have to tell you this but I didn't give any spellings out on Monday!"

Me: "UH OH"

Adam: (not one to miss an opportunity) " So mum, how are you going to make it up to me?"

Opportunis that my son is! Adam woke me up at 6:20 am this morning. He wanted a bath. His bed, blankets , and sheets were soaked. He forogot to go to bed weraing his 'pajama pants'. We are goping to hav eto crack this wet the bed thing. I'm just all out of ideas. Anyway.. ran a bath super quietly to le tthe hellion sleep a bit more... but Nooooooo.. she heard us and jumped in there tooo!

wish I could take back this one!

I came down on Adam like a ton of bricks last night... and oh do I regret it now! For months and months Adam chooses not to bring his reading book home on the nioght it is given (tues and thur) nor his spellign words (mon). After reminding him everyday.. bring your spellings and your book home... he never does. At the weekend we had a very serious chat about listening to Mum and Dad or else he will begin to get punished. So yesterday I reminded him..... and he forgot! So he went to bed early. We had to hear about the 'unfairness' of it all.. the mean mum.. the 'it;s not my fault'.. the they did not give it out business. Well this morning my friend called and said Adam left his reading book at her house afterschool! Oooops!!!! I had to apologise to Adam about the reading book but not the spellings as those were no where to be seen.

HE got his school report yesterdy. He is doing well... right where he should be everywhere but his handwriting..... so we've got that to work on over the summer.

Flasher

Carys is a right little flasher! She waves 'Hi' to everyone we pass and then presents her bare tummy for inspection! Up. down. up. down goes the shirt. on off on off on off on off go the trousers ( at home usually). She then presents her little tooty pegs in a so cheesy smile as if to say.. "whhhhhaaaaatttt". Adam had a little mate to walk to school with this morning. Paul , his brother and mum walked to school with us this morning. Uneventful walk kiddiewise.... I actually got to talk grown-up talk!
Adam is at a friends hosue until Karate.....so me and Carys are enjoying some chill time... in Carys' case it's naked chill time.

I give Adam £10 pounds this morning to give to the dinner lady (lunch lady) and he says Mum, I'm all paid up. I say Adam are you sure you asked because I haven't given you any lunch money in like 2 weeks! He doesn't waste brain time on something so inconsequential as wehter the dinner lady gets paid or not!

Nearly time to go home to visit!!
Bye

Aren't I a good girl!

Hi

I walked to and from school this morning!!!! It is insane how much we rely on our cars, when we can get along jsut fine without them. Mind you.. I was forced to walk to school today ( my car was at a friends house) so we had littel choice but its was really nice. Adam and I did our 20 times tables... with a call to dad halfway there because he couldn't understand hy 20x10 wasn't 300. He didn't believe my explanation.... he had me call dad to verify the result!!

Anyway, we found out that it takes me 43 steps between the street lampposts and it takes Adam 65, it takes me 83 steps to go over the train hill.. it takes Adam 145 and so on. We also discovered that it is nearly impossible to sing incy wincy spider, do hand motions AND steer the stroller all a the same time. Due to stopping and acting out incy wincy... we were a few minutes late to school.

Carys and I walked around town, went to toddler group, had some lunch and walked back home. so thats 4.5 miles for me today!

Adam lost tooth number 2 last night!!!!! The tooth fairy visisted and awarded £2 for the item... double that of last months do due sheer effort in removing it 'in time'. Adam then told me... ' Do you know what mum?' I said 'what'. Adam said ' The amount you get doubles for each tooth!' So thats .... umm.... well I wouldn't like to think about how much we'd have to fork over if that were true!!

Hello Bloggers!

Hi guys,

Was really lookign forward to tonight for 2 good reasons! 1) Patrick coming home and 2) I finally get a night out with friends! Well, the reality is that Patrick is coming in tonight... but no night out with my mates! Carys is sick again.... cold for 3 days, coughing, vomiting, runny poo.. the works. I thought she'd be okay but in the end canceled beacuse I knwo she is goign to be restless. It's not fair on her if I go and it wouldn't be fair on Jackie (75yr old neighbour with emphysema who minds the kids on the rare night that I get to go out when Patricks NOT in). She's fine sitting in with the kids asleep ... but she couldn't really go trotting up and down the stairs to Carys' crys.

Adam has also been off school for 2 days, same as his sister. They are both carnky and tired yet still have the energy to fight with each other over everything! Thsi week was nto a good one for Patrick to be in Amsterdam-- where by the way the SUN is SHINING and weather is fantastic, food great, atmosphere etc etc... Whereas here, its all about snot, vomit, stuffy house, raining cats and dogs ... well you get the picture. :-(

Carys has learned to put her fingers in her ears to pretend she doesn't hear you when I talk to her! She then starts to say blah blah blah.... a littel trick who brother taught her as a joke. Well Adam, its stuck!

She also goes about saying 'Bye Bye Chicken'. I call most everyone 'chicken' or 'chickie'. All the neighbourhood kids are chicken, chick or chickies....
Adam is on the verge of loosing tooth number 2. I have to fight with him to 'play' with it. I am terrified the other tooth will star tto come thorugh behind it (like the other). I am already saving for the orthodontic fund! Sorry mom... can't come see you... gotta pay for Adam's braces in 10 years time!

Gonna go watch re-runs of Star Trek with Adam... he loves that show.

Love you all and miss you loads... see you in 19 days!

Monica

Family update!

Hi MOM.

Yes I got all your e-mails and I am FINALLY updating my blog. I seem to have relished this talking over thephone business rather than blogging. However, I got my phone bill in and .... its back to blogging big time!

News.. I have a new little cousin, Adam and Carys' second cousin-- baby Natalia born to a proud mama and she is really beautiful (I don't think they can ethically airbrush babies photos so its gotta be legit!).

Carys had her first real experience with CHILE. She swiped a bit of her Dad's pizza, compelte with jalapenos, and cruched chile flakes, and did not like whsat she bit into! After some water, milk and lots of cuddles her crying abated and she will NEVER do that again.

We had a great camping trip to the New Forest( South West coast of England, think Southhamptonish area) at the end of May. Had a really good time, lots of walks, rain, and more rain. pictures to come.. I still can't ge tthe hang of embedding a slide show to a post...

I finished my college course.. YEAH!!!

Adam went on his first BEAVER scout sleepover. He went off trundling under a backpack complete with sleeping bag, camping mat and flashlight! They only camped out in the scout hut so I know they wer safe and well looked after but still didn't get too much sleep that night at home! He earned a challenge badge for the evening .. exciting for him... not so for me... another badge to sew onto his jumper! ( it has joine d the pile of other badges waiting to be sewed on... I will do it sooon!!!)

While I have not been releigious in updating my blog... Patrick has been posting pictures to opur flickr account. So go there for pictures of what we have been up to.

Can't wait to go and see everyone in New Mexico... just under 3 weeks to go!!!!

Adam lost a tooth.... and gained £1 fro mthe tooth fairy. He got up crying in a panic because the tooth fairy did not come to visit him. i said he did Adam.. he was heartbroken and said no there was nbothign there. We went back to his room and found it... but I do hae to say that the toothe fairy did not find the tooth under the pillow..... so lets hope someone nver fidns this rolling around somewhere and question tooth fairy ettiquette!

Carys is talking now... loves the word yes..... loves playign with her dolls, loves throwing tantrums, and is going fo rthe guinness world record on having the highest pitched scream! She also has aproblem keepingher clothes on!

It's been nice these past few days...

will blog soon.

Sanity

Sanity has been restored to The Doherty Household (not really.. its a nice thought though)!!!!! We have had a mad weekend with family and friends and kids for Adam's Party. The weather was GORGEOUS. We spent the day on the beach yesterday wading and digging for seashells. Carys doesn't liek anything sticky or gubby on her feet so she would not walk on the sand so me and Patrick had to alternate carrying her. After about 2 hours she finally let us put her down.

She is getting another cold. She had us up a few times last night and today she has been really clingy.

Adam went back to school.. it felt like heaven to have some peace and quiet.

Adam is officially seven years old. He is soooo big. He is big enough for some chores around the house. I'm sure he would disagree.

Until next time.

Pictures of Adam and Carys

Adam's Birthday was great! He had an army party with a camouflage cake and water bombs and obstacle courses. It was really fun. We went to the beach then and had a good time wading with the dogs. The kids are sooo tired.

here are some pictures of the kids last week

Adam's Birthday

Pictures

I got a complaint that the pictures were not suitable. I quote "You can see she has hair, that's about it!" So much for an artists perrogative :-)

here are some more..

Dazed not confused

Hi Guys. Yesterday was a strange one. P was picked at noon by his caseworker and he was taken to his new temp home. It was a bit strange last night having the house to ourselves for the first time in 2 months. It was the right move for him but we still wish we could have 'changed' more for him. Patrick took the day off so we went to the beach in the morning. We took Carys and she kicked her ball around for a few minutes and then went running in circles. She noticed teh shells and was telling me to pick tehm up for her. Or should I say she was pointing and grunting (she's positively medieval!). She does not like to get her hands grubby. If they get wet or sticky she gives them to you to wash!

Patrick took the camera but was unable to take photos as I had left the memory card plugged into the computer. He was not amused.

Adam is having an army 'boot camp' party and I'm tryig to come up with things the kids can do! I've already bought the water balloons aka bombs and we are planning the obstacle course any other ideas let me know!

I fed Carys her first pinto beans for lunch-- refried in a tortilla---- she spat them out. Sorry Mom... the little mexican in her is well hidden!!! I on the other hand loved my bean burrito!!!! mmmmm smelt like home .. a little bit of beans... fried onion... chile. Just so you know the pinto bean is also known as the Borlotti bean and I can now buy them from the German supermarket for 39 pence! You know you've hit rock bottom when you can only get beans from a can!

Blog Blues

Hi. I haven't blogged in 10 days. I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, or been to busy, tired, unconcerned, or idle. I've logged on a few times to natter but have gotten no further than the start page. So apologies to myself, my children, my husband, and our families who do or don't read my blog.

NEWS

I gave Adam and Carys 2 fat dry erase markers and the dry erase board to create their masterpieces on. I supervised a certain someone scribbling away quite happily and then went off to do my thing. I came running into the room to Adam shouting "Mom! Mom!" Carys the Carrot had drawn along the living room wall in BLUE marker she had also extended her canvas to include the floor. It was very nice work too!

I have been swimming with Carys twice now. I was worried I had left it too long and she would not like it but she loves it! I used to go with Adam every Thursday when he was a baby and Carys has lost out a bit, but we are goign to a Moms and Tots class every Friday now. She loves the water, she had floats on her straight away and she kicks herself round in circles. Next week we will put some armbands on as well as her backfloat and start teaching the water monkey to swim!

Adam and Carys have played soo well these last few days, hre they are playing with moon sand.

Adam went on a 3 mile sponsored walk with his Beavers scout group. He had a lot of fun. Thanks to all you who sponsored him.

Torture!

Patrick put and the kids through TORTURE today. We went microwave shopping. Shopping is Adam's least favourite thing anyway, and being herded into one electronic shop after another hunting for a microwave is now on his list of torture. I cannot blame him really. I mean a micorwave, its not that difficult. It heats up, it dings, what more can you want. Alot apparently. Patrick, the techno wonder has to weigh up one silver box from the other and in the end they all bland together anyway. It is at this stage I lose complete interest and then get an earful for not contributoing to the decision. "IT IS A ONLY A MICROWAVE!"

Adam, I must admit was opening and closing the doors, testing how they 'felt' and how easy it was to 'press' the buttons, weighing up the benfits of stainless steel to painted interiors. He played along for awhile and then he lost interest.

We finally ended up getting one at the grocery store!

Carys the GREAT had a lovely time being chased around the shops, had no nap, and then threw an almighty tantrum in ASDA because she was overtired.

We both got home with headaches. Adam and Dad made pizza for dinner. me and Adam did half a puzzle after dinner and he is now watching the Simpsons before bed.

Carys is upstairs in bed dreaming.

'Moon River'

Everyone at Chikara Karate was mooned today by Carys! True to form, mom (me ) was talking with the other mom's and didn't notice that Carys had dropped her drawers, including her nappy and was about to toddle out onto the dojo!

I only noticed after the titter of the crowd!

Yes she has started to take her clothes off, I'll just have to teach her to keep that at home!

Blogitis

I am addicted to blogs! I sit down at the computer to get some work done and random blogs seem to miraculously appear on my computer screen. Nothing ends up getting done! It's amazing how blogs provide you with your own private window into someonelses life. I think it is amazing. The stories of strenght, anger, despair, confusion, elation, love, hope and faith that I have come across are all amazing in their own special ways. It takes alot of courage for people to lay themselves bare in their writing. It is quite humbling. Long live the blog.

On a lighter note.... Patrick is in Amsterdam until late tomorrow night. Why he has to take the last flight home at silly o'clock I'll never know! Last night I had both kids cuddled up to me in my bed. Its a lovely feeling having those two littel ones so close. I smile each and every time I think of my little rascalls, even when Carys is being a right little madame and Adam a cheeky little monkey. Tonight, they were running all around upstairs well past their bed time. I left them for a bit before going up, as soon as they heard that stairgate the pair of them flew into their bedrooms. Adam, having the capactity to pretend to be asleep, slowed his rate of breathing right down, he was turning blue, and Carys when I looked in on her, was standing in the middle of her bed with her hands clapped against her mouth , tryign to stifle a laugh! Little hooligans!
I love them to bits!

Pen Pal

Yesterday a really nice thing happened. Adam received a letter from his 4.5 year old cousin Dean. It was great! THANK YOU DEAN! And Nicole because Ihope we can keep this up!

One of the unfortunate outcomes of my living 5,000 miles away is the fact that Adam doesn't get to 'grow up' with his cousin Dean. I remember my childhood and that there were always a gaggle of us cousins romping about when the family got together, which was all the time. My memories of the things we did (even those things that got us into trouble) are things I really treasure. I feel really sad that Adam doesn't have that. We also live about 200 miles from Patricks family, and his cousin Kim (who is 10). I suppose that happens as time moves on and families move away from tradition (blast you internet!). Well Dean's letter gave me some real inspiration. Again THANK YOU NICOLE. Adam is having some problems with his writing in school, its messy and he HATES to do it. If we can get him to write to his new pen-pal, Dean, then we can 'kill two birds with one stone'. Who said the written letter was a thing of the past?

Emergency Room Visit

Carys had to go to the emergency room tonight. Patrick and my friend Giselle were swinging her by her arms at Adam's Karate club and 'pulled' her elbow. They each had one arm and Patrick swung on one side and Giselle didn't, hence a 'pop' and Carys crying. They thought nothing of it until Patrick got home and realised that Carys was not using that arm. Each time he touched it she would cry. Off we went. The doctor was very good and she had a 'pulled elbow' or 'nursemaids elbow' where the bone in her arm popped out of the ligament that holds it in place??? It was not broken, they just manipulated her arm until they 'popped' it back into place. So any of you parents out there.... no more swinging your kids by their hands!!!!!!! She was in pain while they did but two minutes later she was playing with the toys at the hospital. WE were in and out in under ten minutes. Not bad for the NHS. Patrick felt really bad, but it was an accident. He won't be doing that again! Baby and Dad are both fine.

I am a littel worried about Adam. I don't think he is coping well with our placement. I will have a talk to him tomorrow.

Doctors Orders

Well, I complained about my cry-baby stressing me out yesterday.... i take her to the doctor today who confirms she has a sore throat and swollen glands! :-( She was not feeling good, poor thing. I went in there convinced there was nothing wrong because Carys was FINE when she got up this morning, no crying, no grumpiness, it was all play play play. Mother proved wrong again. This reminds me of the time my mom decided NOT to take me to the doctor because I'd be fine in a few days and I ended up with a cast from my thumb to my elbow! I was running around the house and bashed my thumb on a door I think, I cried and cried ( I was about 9) and I was told its okay, leave it alone, it will be fine in a minute-- a week later and I'm still crying over a sore thumb that is now swollen 3 times its normal size. I go in for an X-ray and I had a serious break! Good to see I didn't inherit THAT gene mom (just joking).

Here is a picture of Carys in the sink, this has become her favourite place to have a bath.. she isn't going to fit in it much longer.

We had last nights planned sausage casserole tonight... minus the butternut squash.... I got too much grief from P and Adam so I left it out.

Karate CHOP

Adam was presented with his orange belt at Karate today! They had their grading last weekend, and Adam passed with flyting colours. He was so proud of hsi certificate! As ususal we missed this KODAK moment! I sooo need to get more organized. Where is my fairy godmother to whip me into shape?

Carys has been such a cry-baby today. According to my parents I used to cry all the time. Payback is a killer! I think she may be getting a sore throat, I might take her to the doctor in the morning, if I survive that long!

I was goign to make a sausage casserole for dinner tonight. ( Pork and leek sausages, butternut squash, cabbage, tomatoes, onion, courgette (normal green squash), and garlic, a little salt and pepper, some stock and ooh..la...la.. NOT) I forgot to take the sausages out of the freezer So we are having a chicken pie, potato mash, peas and corn.. not nearly as nice sounding is it?

Excuses why might I have forgotten to take out sausages (other than the obvious I NEED TO GET ORGANIZED)?
1. had to do the laundry--- not valid Patrick did it.
2. had to clean Adam's bedroom--- not valid Patrick did it.
3. Adam had his presentation
4. Carys was a crybaby
5. We started clearing back garden for planting
6. Took the dog for a walk---ooops something else that didn't get done.

Fed up today... roll on tomorrow! I have visitors this week. Margaret (mum-in-law) pauline ( sis-in-law) her current two little ones and the 2 dogs.

Nightmares and Dreamscapes

I found a good site for my cooking challenge http://seasoned-pioneers.com Creole potatoes here we come!

Kids are great. Yesterday was pretty uneventful. Carys seems to have taken a backward step in potty training. She refuses to sit on her potty now. I wonder if I should have been so lax in 'loosely' potty training her for so long. She definitely tells me if she needs it. She does does it in her nappy!

Her favourite trick at the moment is climbing. Anything and everything and everything can be used as a step, if it isn't tied down its in danger!

She has this ride on tractor ( it once belonged to Adam) and she scoots it everywhere. She likes to stand on this, as it has wheels it is not stable, obviously. Well Carys hasn't figured that out yet!

I made a BIG mistake yesterday with Adam. He is getting older so the movies I allow him to watch are more diverse, i.e not just cartoons. He loves 'Batteries not included' and E.T. and Zathura etc. Well I remember that I loved Gremlins as a kid, we all did! However, I only remembered the cute furry gizmo bit....and the funny 'old lady flying out the window' scene I sort of forgot about the gremlins biting, scaring and being 'gremlins'! Duh! Anyway I put it on for Adam, (his Nina gave it to him) and he freaked at the appearance of a 'gremlin'. Mind you it had just EATEN the professor! I tried to explain it away and turned it off. Fast forward to bedtime, and absolute REFUSAL to sleep in a room with cupboards. Don't know how I'm gonna fix this one.

Lesson learned: No matter what I think I remember, I had just better check for sure first!

Today is the last day of the Easter holiday for Adam. Back to school next Monday.