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: