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.

London town

First day back.... the house is a tip! (Translation: Tip= Dump). We got in late last night and Patrick had to work this morning so we just took everyhting out of the car and lef tin the living room. Carys helped me tidy it all away this morning beofre the sleeping beauties (Phil and Adam) opened their eyes.

We had a good time. Carys didn't cry too much on the way down. We all just had to keep singing 'I'm a little teapot' and 'wind your bobbin' to keep her happy. We need a bigger car. We had to leave Beano in the kennels because there was NOWHERE for us to put him. Minivan here we come!

We had a 2 really nice days walking in Harmondsworth Moor with the dogs. Carys wandered about picking wildflowers and Adam tried carrying every stick he came across to make a 'den'. P and Adam declared war on the first day so that was full of who could do this or that the best. Day 2 we walked our seperate ways. Adam wanted to spend time with his mom and Carys only. I think he is feeling jealous of the family time we spend with P. I hope that will change as he gets back to school or employment which shoudl be soon.

Either way. It was lovely having the kids to myself. We wandered about , inspecting everything that moved, as you do with little ones.

Only drawback, I forgot Carys stroller as she walks so much now but we were out for quite a while and I ended up having to carry her. She is sooo heavy!

We forgot to take the camera down with us!

Adam compelted his grading the mornign before we left. He looked so adorable in his first karate suit (even if it was a little big). Ok I wasn't goign to tell you about the story of the big suit, but I can't help it. Patrick wne toff to buy it, i told him to get the smallest one. Adam is so thin and short he is always at least a year behind in his clothes. Patrick broguht the smalles tthe shop had, poor little might. He looks like he has a sheet wrapped around him! We'll have to go and order a smaller one, and he'll grow into his other!

Carys is not happy that her momma is on the PC. I'll post pictures later.