Monday, October 29, 2012

MULTI-TASKING LACES :)

Missy is still very young in lots of ways and loves to have pretty things in her hair.
I am not so sure however that she will ever grow out of this .
One of the 'pretties' that end up in her hair a lot are my 'multi-tasking laces ' that I buy in WHAT .
I get 8 laces for 79p and I end up using them for many things.
I first bought them as ribbons for Missy's hair but then when I had them in the house I found that I used them more and more as temporary ties.
The picture on the left is one of my fold up drying racks and the drying shelves sometimes fall down if they do not have enough weight on them when I am drying just a few clothes.
So I tie them up to stop them falling down.
* I have used them to tie up party balloons. 
* I have used them as ribbon for wrapping presents but then I will use 2 so they are part of the gift.
* Missy has used them to wear around her neck with jewellery attached.
* Pull ties on homemade bags and for many more things.



Anyone have any other ideas for my 'multi-tasking laces ' ?

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!


Greetings from Wales .
I really hope it is warmer where all my readers are :)
My shower room is south facing and is always very warm and I dry clothes on drying racks in there
BUT this morning  I found that even with sunshine and the heating on it felt like we were showering in the great outdoors!
No wonder our ancestors who did not have central heating did not wash and bath as much as we do today. It would definitely have  made them vulnerable to catching a chill or even worse.


It is the first day of half term and already I have succeeded in upsetting Missy!
When I was showering and dressing her this morning She asked if she was going to school and I said
'No, it was a holiday'
BIG MISTAKE!
The word holiday to Missy means a flight on a plane and a week in one of The Canary Islands.
She instantly ran to get her suitcase and was not a happy girly when she realised it was not going to happen for quite a while.

I have a problem ..........it is Halloween on Wednesday and I still do not now what to do about costumes.
Missy REALLY wants to be a Ghostbuster





or possibly a  pumpkin!!!!!





And I want to go as Sarah Sanderson from Hocus Pocus.






Going as Sarah Sanderson and her pumpkin would be good but I certainly do not want to be a Ghostbuster and going as something from the same theme would be a good idea.

 Any suggestions ?

Thursday, October 04, 2012

MISSY'S TOP 3 FAVOURITE SONGS THIS WEEK

NUMBER 3
 
  
NUMBER 2 
 
 
 
 
NUMBER 1 
 
 
 
These are the videos that Missy is watching at the moment.
She loves them and when she is not watching them she is singing them.
My only escape is in the car but that is not much better as Missy listens to a Toy Story CD .......over and over and over again !
I am praying that I never get to loathe Jessie's song on the Toy Story CD as I love that song.
 
 
 



Sunday, September 23, 2012

'BUT I HAVE PROMISES TO KEEP.....

And miles to go before I sleep
(by Robert Frost)

Stick to bargain, Clegg warns Tories






Nick Clegg has warned the Conservatives to stick to their "side of the bargain" to keep the coalition government going.

The Liberal Democrat leader said Tory MPs could not "force a turbo-charged right-wing agenda on the country".

The party has threatened to veto "Conservative spending cuts" if some form of "wealth tax" is not adopted at the coalition's next spending review.

But in a speech to the Lib Dem conference, Mr Clegg urged supporters against "squabbling" with the Tories.

Half-way through the intended life of the coalition, the deputy prime minister is under pressure, with his party activists showing unrest and opinion poll ratings remaining low.

Perhaps it was not the best of weeks to be asking the Conservatives to ' keep their side of the bargain  Mr Clegg'



And then there is this........

Nick Clegg spoof 'I'm sorry' video song to be released




Mr Clegg's aides said that he had requested all profits be given to Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust.

'An "auto-tune" version of Mr Clegg's statement - in which he repeatedly sings sorry - emerged on Thursday.

The official version, in which Mr Clegg apologises for the Lib Dems breaking their pre-election pledge not to raise tuition fees, is to be officially broadcast on Monday - the third day of the party's autumn conference.'

I am sorry Mr Clegg but you cannot have it both ways.


Saturday, September 22, 2012

WHAT DAY IS IT ?

I was awoken this morning to Missy putting my socks and crocs on my feet and dragging me out of bed at 7.30am!
'What day is it ?' , I  asked rhetorically to emphasise it being a NON SCHOOL DAY.
'Saturday', Missy replied as she continued to drag me to my feet.
It may have been a bleary-eyed Saturday morning but that unexpected reply woke me up like a splash of icy water in the face.

 
Thus reconfirming my total belief that just because Missy doesn't say much doesn't mean she doesn't understand everything that is going on around her .

Friday, May 18, 2012

AUTISM AND THE TEENAGE YEARS !

It has arrived!
Missy started developing physically at the age of 8 but now it seems the Teenage Angst has set in .
This afternoon I have been doing laundry whilst Missy has been playing games on Cbeebies.
Each time I went into the dining room to take clothes off the dryer or put them on the dryer  she would peek around the corner of the dividing doors to see what I was doing.
Last time I went in to put clothes on the dryer I asked her if she wanted to help hang up the clothes as she was so interested.

" NOPE ! " was the only evidence that she had actually heard me as she didn't even look up from Cbeebies when I spoke.


Are you sure ?  You can always help with the ironing  .

Missy peeking :)





Dining Room

NOPE !!!!

I have always been pretty sure that Missy understood everything that was going on and understood everything I said, now I am convinced :)

Friday, May 11, 2012

QUICK BEFORE THE STARGATE CLOSES!

Anyone else feel like we have entered a Twilight Zone and we are in an alternate universe as far as the price of food is concerned?

Today I did a VERY small shop at ASDA and bought this little lot for almost £24.
Anyone else out there think this is a lot of money for such a small amount of food and for a shop that is over 80% Own Brands ?
I totally realise that those who produce the food and sell it have to make a profit to provide jobs and a livelihood for others but I truly believe that we have entered scary times.
I have the added problem that my 11 year who is profoundly autistic still has selective eating issues and will only eat certain branded items and for those I have no choice but to buy Robinson's squash or Yoplait fromage frais.
I also buy vitamins and supplements that help with my health issues and supplements of course because I am a woman of a certain age  :)
 I do not think that those in the upper echelons of our government have any idea what it is like for the little people who need to buy food and pay their bills and pay their mortgage or rent  on a very small amount of money.
I think the members of parliament need to get involved in some Life Swaps , similar to the Wife Swap show .

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

IT SEEMS I AM NOT ALONE Autism and Lack of Sleep

I found this article an immediately thought WONDERFUL and started to read hoping for some wonderful new advice and help.
But sadly NO :(
Niamh has no double bed and telling her to go to sleep when she awakes in the night does not work because she is too wrapped up in her singing to listen!
Sitting with her makes no difference and the 'Supernanny method' of moving further and further away does not work as he singing just carries on no matter what!
Oh well,we shall carry on carrying on.
Any suggestions gratefully accepted :)   that is a very weary :)


Sleep clinic for children with autism
 Sleep counsellors at a special school in Manchester are helping autistic children and their parents deal with disturbed sleep patterns
 Louise Tickle The Guardian
 Tuesday 22 September 2009 
 Christine Hoyle is a sleep clinic co-ordinator at Inscape House. Photograph: Christopher Thomond Jacob, now 16, didn't get anything approaching a decent night's sleep from the day he was born until he was 13 years old. Nor did his mother, Marianne Bailey, for whom thousands of disrupted nights unsurprisingly resulted in chronic exhaustion. "He'd wake throughout the night, so we could be up from two or three times up to 12 times," explains Bailey. "I'm a light sleeper so I'd hear him and would be the one who got up. Jacob would be rocking, moaning and knocking his head on the bed. I tried asking the health visitor when he was two or three, and tried various things, even leaving him for two or three hours, but nothing worked. He'd only stop when I'd go in." The reason for the sleeplessness is that Jacob is severely autistic. It has become increasingly apparent that one of the problems suffered by children with autistic spectrum disorders is a lack of ability to sleep. Jacob needed his mother to be close by to calm him down after waking in the night, and so Bailey ended up having to share a bed with her son throughout his childhood. By the time he was 12, though, this was starting to feel inappropriate, she explains. It was at this point that his special school, Inscape House in south Manchester, part of the Together Trust, was able to suggest a way forward. Having heard about work done by an organisation called Sleep Scotland in teaching children sleep techniques, five years ago a group of specialist teachers from Inscape House decided to train as sleep counsellors. The disturbed sleep patterns experienced by autistic children had become increasingly apparent to teachers working in the school, says Christine Hoyle. Their shattered and drained families were desperate for help, but often thought that disrupted sleep was just part and parcel of their child's diagnosis. This, she says, need not be the case. The hope was that intensive support could be offered in methods of helping children get to sleep, and then stay asleep, that was tailored to their individual needs. "Because of the nature of autism, children might have erratic and prolonged settling down routines such having to go up and down stairs a certain number of times, or they might have to repeatedly check on their family. They may wake frequently or they might be very sensitive to light and sound," Hoyle explains. "Every child's situation will be different." Clearly it's no fun for anyone to be constantly tired, but the long-term effects are much more destructive than simply feeling a bit weary. Parents of autistic children find, says Hoyle, that being deprived of sleep over long periods greatly affects their ability to cope with the other challenging behaviours they are presented with. They also state that lack of sleep is one of their worst causes of stress. From the child's point of view, sleep is crucial for learning and development. "It's when we're asleep that learning is consolidated, so it is vital that children learn to sleep well," Hoyle explains. "If they experience sleeplessness over a prolonged period, it's going to impact on their ability to learn." Steve Tyler, principal of Inscape House, notes that some traits that make life particularly difficult for autistic children can be exacerbated when they are not properly rested. "There's irritability: people with autism – particularly our young people with severe needs – find interaction difficult anyway," he says. Sleep deprivation makes interpreting the nuances of social relationships even harder for them, and frustration can ensue. The Sleep Clinic piloted by Inscape House five years ago now works closely with parents of children at the school – and increasingly at other special schools and mainstream schools in the north-west. If a child is referred, counsellors will interview their parents to gain a detailed understanding of the sleep and bedtime patterns that have emerged over the years, and then guide them to make small, gradual adjustments over many weeks and months. Recalling the start of the sleep programme that was instigated for Jacob, Bailey says: "One thing we did was to get rid of the double bed so that Mummy couldn't get in." 
 She still had to be in her son's room, and initially sat with him on the single bed until he went to sleep. She then moved to an armchair by the bed, then moved the armchair across the room, then shifted it to outside his door. Moving the chair around a corner so it was out of sight was a big step; it was then placed at the top of the stairs, and finally, she was able to go downstairs, though had to stay within calling distance. This process took many months, not just a few nights. And Jacob would still wake up moaning, at which point his mum had to begin the process of sitting with him all over again. A second idea was to give Jacob cues about his bedtime routine that he could refer back to. Because he can't read, a picture story illustrating the routine of what happened at bedtime was stuck on his bedroom wall. "It's a story with very simple words," says Bailey. "Now Jacob is older, he will go to sleep on his own; he will pull his duvet up … I'd say it almost as a mantra, and he'd eventually say it with me." Sticking to a firm routine is the key, says Hoyle, once the family and sleep counsellor have worked out a plan that takes account of the child's particular sleep problems. But parents are likely to need patience, persistence and enormous commitment in order to see results. It took about a year for the various techniques used to take effect, says Bailey. Jacob still wakes most nights, but is now able to settle if he can hear her calling to him to go to sleep. "I have had odd nights where he has slept through, and that's fantastic," says Bailey. "It's not a complete cure, at least it's not been for us, but it's an improvement. And I am a bit less tired, because to have a night's sleep is lovely."

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

SLEEP OR THE LACK THERE OF




They say the older you get the less sleep you need but this is certainly not true in my case.
I seem to fall asleep constantly but thankfully not whilst I am driving!



Beauty seems to be awake later and later recently and eventually seems to fall asleep about 1.30am and whilst she will then sleep all the way through until it is time for school, 5 1/2 hours sleep is just not enough for me.



'Many people with autism, and their carers, suffer from sleep problems, such as insomnia. By the age of one year most children should be sleeping through the night. If after that time your child is regularly unable to sleep or if they have a period of good sleep which is disrupted then this constitutes a sleep disorder Sleep problems of children with autism can be persistent and severe. Specific problems include■Problems falling asleep
 ■Frequent waking during the night
 ■Early morning waking
■Short duration sleep
■Irregular sleep patterns
■Bed-wetting or soiling
■Daytime sleepiness
For most children with with autism spectrum disorders, these problems gradually improve over time but, for some, they don’t. There is some evidence to show that some interventions – such as anti-psychotics, cognitive behavioural therapy, and melatonin – may help some people with autism sleep better.'





The only answer I seem to have at the moment is that if she is still singing at 12 midnight then she comes into my bed and if she continues to make a noise then she is told that if she continues to make a noise then she will be back in her own bed and it works every time.
By 12.15am we are both sound asleep.
I want to take her over to Heath Park daily to 'play' on the adult exercise park to try and wear her out but the constant rain at the moment says NO!






We have tried the Melatonin but it didn't really work and I am not sure that I want her on meds for the rest of her life so for the moment it looks as if it is me and Beauty and 3 lotso Bears that stink of strawberries in a bed made for two !

Perhaps a sleep camp might work :)



Monday, April 30, 2012

MAMA AND HER BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES AT ANASTASIA'S WEDDING :)


Tiana and Fiona
 


Ariel


Belle


Anastasia and Tiana



Belle,Ariel,Beauty and Fiona


Snowhite and Tiana


Cinderella 


Tiana and Cinderella


DOES SATAN EXIST?
This morning on the return journey of the school run, I stopped at the local shop.
When I got to the checkout the sun suddenly decided to come out !
Almost all the customers and the staff in the shop turned to check out this rare occurrence and there was an audible sigh when seconds later the sun went back behind a cloud and it began to pour with rain .....AGAIN!
The lady in the queue behind me commented on how she would love to have some sunshine and I replied by telling her that I had heard somewhere on TV or maybe read it in the news that we were going to have a really hot May.
However, I did say that I wondered how they knew but then clarified that with ,'I didn't really care how they knew or how they got the information as long as there was sunshine'.
To which another customer stated,'I don't care if they sold their soul to the devil to get that piece of information,as long as it is true'.
Then the old lady in front of me turned around and said,'there is no such thing as the devil,it is just something made up to help with social control'.!!!!!!
Then she turned back to the shop keeper and paid for her purchases and trotted out of the shop leaving the rest of us with a smile on our faces.
You have to understand that I live in a property on quite a small housing estate that has a reputation (to non-residents !) similar to that of  The Chatsworth so to  encounter such deep theological thinking first thing on a Monday morning is not usual.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

AND LIFE GOES ON :)


The family wedding of the year is over and life goes on :):):)
We all had a wonderful time and all my babies looked beautiful.
And now the exhaustion sets in and the recovery time begins , I am sure it is the same for all the wedding party!
This morning Little Missy has gone out for a play date with her special needs Carers and then for lunch and I am meant to be doing lots of housework BUT my joints are saying no so who am I to argue :)
I have managed to get the laundry going (the laundry for a child with special needs does not stop for holidays :) and I have also rebooted the dishwasher so that is my 'Activity Corner' of the kitchen rock and rolling .
I intend to spend this week cleaning up the house and getting it back into shape and next week I shall start my spring cleaning.




I have also decided that cleaning, laundry and cooking will stop at 6pm so Little Missy and I can restart our quality time together.
Each evening we usually spend a little time reading and writing and doing some craft/activity work and we haven't had time in the last few weeks so it is time to regroup.
This evening I hope to do some cleaning up in the back garden and also to do some planting.Little Missy loves doing things in the garden.





I also am going to try and take Little Missy to Heath Park as often as possible so we can both exercise in the Granny Play Ground.Little Missy seems to prefer the exercise machines for the older people.

I think it is now time to get into gear and get some more cleaning and tidying done before the Little Missy gets home.
Enjoy your Wednesday :)

ANASTASIA'S WEDDING

Dimitri and Anastasia
14 April 2012
City Hall Vienna
They DO :)
Wedding Tram Ride

City Hall Vienna

Inside the City Hall Vienna

In The  Park After The Wedding


Saturday, April 07, 2012

OY , BEHAVE!

Cardinal Keith O'Brien urges Christians to 'proudly' wear cross
Britain's most senior Roman Catholic Church cleric has called for Christians to wear a cross every day.
From the BBC Online News

'In his Easter Sunday sermon, Cardinal Keith O'Brien will tell worshippers to "wear proudly a symbol of the cross of Christ" each day of their lives.
The leader of the Church in Scotland, he will voice concern at the growing "marginalisation" of religion.
His comments come as a case is going to the European Court of Human Rights to allow employees to wear crosses.In his Easter message, Cardinal O'Brien is expected to refer to remarks made by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 that Christians "need to be free to act in accordance with their own principles".
Former nurse Shirley Chaplin, from Exeter, and Nadia Eweida, from Twickenham, who worked with British Airways, are taking their call for all employees to be able to wear a cross at work to the European Court of Human Rights.'

If they want to wear crosses to work then fine BUT if you are a nurse then a metal chain around your neck is not safe .

Jesus or the Pope NEVER said the cross has to be a cross around your neck.

What about a patch you can sew on your uniform ?
The Pope wears embroidered crosses so he thinks they are ok .




Sounds good to me :)

Sunday, March 25, 2012

WEDDING BELLES :)

A very girly post today I am afraid.
Missy and I have Anastasia's wedding to prepare for in Vienna.
All I can say is ,'So many beautiful dresses and so little time and money to buy and wear them all'.

This is a dress I am considering wearing .
However, it would need a lot of taking in to wear it so I am not too sure.


Now these are 2 dresses I have actually bought .
The black dress is very 1940's and you all know how much of a fan I am of 1940's clothes.
I shall wear this to dinner on the Saturday.


The red dress I feel looks more 1950's and I also LOVE 1950's clothes.
I shall be wearing this to Anastasia's Birthday dinner on the Friday evening.



Now this is me trying on the red dress.


And this is me trying on the black dress.



Now this is a linen skirt that I bought from the Edinburgh Woolen Mill.
It feels lovely to wear and I shall be wearing it on the Sunday to go for kaffee und kuchen (coffee and Cake) with all the family.



And this I am considering buying from Debenhams.
In fact I still have not decided on my Mother of the Bride Dress for the wedding on the 14th of April !!!!!!
I think a trip to town is in order :)


And this is Missy's beautiful dress that she will be wearing for the wedding.
I am undecided as to what else she will wear but last summer Tesco had a wonderful half price sale on all clothes and I bought Missy lots of summer dresses.




And I still have the accessories to buy :)

Friday, January 27, 2012

AUSTRALIA DAY (well it was yesterday) :)

 Today ,Beauty's school is celebrating Australia day and for lunch they are having Kangaroo Meat Burgers and for break time they are having Koala Fingers as snacks...........just kidding :)

I had nothing in the house to do with Australia so the only thing Beauty could take in was Kanga and Roo and a camel .
Why the camel?
Well when Australia was first colonised they took camels with them but with the advent of the motor era there was less call for them and now there are just a few living in the outback.
And how do I know this?
A random documentary I watched on the history of Australia once :)
However, the question has to be asked, why did I not send her in with a sheep ?
We have plenty of those in the house!
All I can say is  it was too early this morning to think of things like that !



Here is Beauty on her way into school on a rare sunny morning.
Remember, we had hail storms yesterday :)


Beauty hiding her face from the paparazzi :)




No photographs please :)


Let me in :)



Beauty's breakfast/lunch table was decorated for the celebration by her teachers :)



As you must have guessed, Beauty LOVES celebrations .
Next on the list is Valentines Day :)



Wednesday, January 25, 2012

                                                    DYDD SANTES DWYNWEN

The Welsh equivalent of Valentines Day, the day we tell all our loved ones how much we love them :)



These are the cards that Beauty made for her school friends and teachers, they also each got 3 Hershey's kisses :)




Beauty with her LIVE,LIFE ,LOVE hoody :)



Beauty's Heart :)




And finally the bag of goodies that Beauty took to school.
The cards and Hershey's Kisses and a tub of sweet heart cookies to share at break time in school :)





Sending lots of hugs and love
From Beauty and Me :)

MISSY

MISSY
BEAUTY

MAMMA BLOGGING ABOUT BEAUTY AND HER SISTERS


An Irish Blessing

(A Blessing from St. Patrick)
May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

May the rains fall soft upon your fields,

And, until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.