Mixed emotions

On Wednesday night, my son was in the Rock Challenge, http://www.arrowsmith.demon.co.uk/cal07.htm

it is always a very emotional time for me anyway, as to see your child up on stage when you didn't know if they were even going to survive at birth , but then with him being 'special' makes you realise how difficult life is for them to be excepted, you start to see things through a different light. Not many specials school preform in the Rock Challenge and I think ours was the first here in this area about 6/7 years ago.

This year it was different though, as it was the first time with his new school, (his last school where he had been for nearly 12 years, closed Feb just gone, where them and another special school combined to make one new one with new head etc. Long story, 6 years of fighting in fact), anyway like I said it was the first for them, still felt a great pride in seeing him and his friends up there on the Guildhall Stage, (yes, tears in the old eyes, LOL) but something was missing, think it was the staff you had done it the last 6/7 years, a lot of them had stayed on with the new school, but some did not and one in particular had no choice in the matter, with a new Head meant a change in the top jobs, the new Head decided instead of a Deputy Head she would have 3 Assistant Heads, which meant no job for the lady in question, as she was the Deputy Head of our old school. She had been there even before my son started the school at the age of 4, she had been his teacher and worked her way up to the Deputy Heads job, we never always saw eye to eye, but she always listened., she was always there and Wednesday night was no exception, she just could not, not be there to support us, so she came along and saw it from our side, the audience.

It must have been very hard for her, seeing what she had started, as she was the rock to us doing the Rock challenge, without her determination/hard work, we would not had done even one, let alone 7. It shows what true dedications she has to special children, the children eyes lit up on seeing her, even tears as they were hoping she was going to dance with them (but of course she could not as she is now nothing to do with the new school, worse luck).

I feel as a parent with special child that I owe her a lot, because she bought a 'norm' into our children's life, proving that we were as good as the other schools, and to be honest the 'other' schools took a pride in seeing and working along side our special children,

So a very big THANK YOU JULIE, for giving our son and us, a side to life in which we would never have normally been able to see, I feel it a privilege to have known you and that you were apart of our lives, Thanks.

Rubbing salt into the wound

Why can't life be easy, I feel really drained today, had to go to MFI to try and sort my kitchen out, so what is wrong with it I hear you ask, well....

..In January I was wiping the unit (yes I do, do housework) and noticed the moulding on one of the doors was going funny, thought I sure I would have noticed it when we had it fitted (3 years ago) thought nothing more of it, apart from making a mental note to point it out to hubby (which I forgot to).

In Feb, the same door had not closed, as a saucepan was in the way and saw that the front was coming away from the rest of the door, so when I got chance, went round to MFI, they told me to have the oven checked out (as the door was next to it) did what I was told, nothing wrong with the oven, so got back in touch with MFI was told not to worry as I had furniture insurance, but the style had been discontinued, but they would replace all door/drawer front to the nearest match.

Did not hear anything for 4 weeks, then got phone call from the insurers to be told I could have £97 compensation, so I could go out and purchase new doors in place of the faulty ones (which will not match as they have been discontinued) , when ask about replacing all doors etc. as I wanted a kitchen that match was told NO, could just have the £97, which (surprisingly) I turned down. (kitchen cost over £4,500) Have not heard nothing since.

But I have been round to the store and had promises made and broken, got in touch with consumer direct, wrote the letters I was told to, but still no joy. Then on Saturday to 'rub salt into the wound' I got a bill for having the oven checked, the insurers are refusing to pay because nothing was wrong with the oven, so we have been left with a £75 bill.

So trip round MFI again yesterday to be told manager was out, so made appointment for today, just seen him and yes more promises, he is coming round with someone on Monday to look at the doors etc. and yes MFI would foot the Borch bill (seeing they told me to get the oven checked in the first place). So watch this space...

In all I wonder if it's worth trying to better your self, It took us 3 years to save up for my dream kitchen, which only lasted 3 years, I did ask the manager this morning, that should I have started saving up for another kitchen straight away after paying for the other one, as they only have a life expectancy of 3 years.

So I suppose the moral is to 'not to think you can better your self' 'and 'not to save, so you can pay cash for things' but to buy on credit, then when things do go wrong refuse to pay, or better still be a traveller when you are ABOVE the law. (but then again that's another story)

school holidays

Bit silly of me really, starting a blog right on top of school holidays. Did make a change to have some descent weather though, as usually the weather in the school hols and Bank Hols is bad, but as you all know this time it was great, so lots of walks and BBQ's but with having my son home meant having to work late after he had gone to bed and this week have been trying to catch up with the house work, shopping, work etc. since.

I did go to an interesting talk last Wednesday evening by Wendy Lawson,

http://mugsy.org/wendy/

I really enjoyed it, quite an eye opener, even though my son is not classed as Autistic, listening to her talk about her autism makes me realise he has more of the characteristic of it than I thought, also helped me understand my friends children, who are. Got another one lined up in June by Ros Blackburn.

Also we went to the footy, bit of a nail biter with the penalty against us, especially as we were right behind the goal, so was for the best it went in, otherwise might be writing this with a few teeth missing. Why do they put the disabled there you ask, I don't know, as in my son's case his reflexes are not good, so every time the ball came our way, I had to have my hands ready to cover his face, just in case, Thank Goodness only has to do it a couple of times, did put a dampener on the game, but the main thing we won 2-1, so was worth the worry.