Cannot believe

how fast this year is going...

Right update on my Christmas preparations...well I (thought) I had coloured all my stamped Christmas images, but I was wrong, as when I was trying to finish the matting and layering of them onto mirror card, came across some that I had forgotten to colour, lol but I looked on the bright side, and I now have some stamped images ready for next Christmas, hahaha

But the ones that were coloured are all matted and layered now and have chosen some card blanks (yikes didn't realized just how many I had, 2 draws full) some of the colours are not Christmas colour, but will aim to use them up next year, as hope you make a box of general cards, so have some spares all the time...

Tonight am hoping to finish some of Christmas cards, as really must think about the ones that have to be posted, and of course as tomorrow is Sunday, and as you know I usually spend that evening doing the weekly ironing, menus and shopping list for Mondays trip to Asda...

Christmas presents, well have started them, last Tuesday went shopping with my daughter to Southampton, (also took my mum and auntie along for the ride), we did pretty well, splitting up, then meeting up for lunch, then splitting up again. I managed to get all that was on the list for there.
Then Wednesday took an hour off doing the business bookwork, and popped to Makro's and Salisbury's... then on Thursday, met up with my daughter in North End in her extended lunch break, (as they owned her an hour) and we did a little more shopping then...
Yesterday Steven had an inset day off school, so took him out to buy Sam's, Matts and he's nana's Christmas presents, and of course, stopping off at a Swiss Pattisserie for a well deserved cake and coffee...

I think a quick trip to Chichester next week, (lakelands) should mean all the present are sorted... I still need to get in the loft well the 'eves' as have had an attic conversion, so we have no loft storage space left, only some in the eves, and see what wrapping paper I have left from last year, and if I need to makes some tags...

Yearly Newsletter, well did write a few notes down for Clive to start to make into a Newsletter, (he's one and only job for Christmas, lol) as some of them will need to go with the cards that I plan to post next week, (IF finished, lol)...

Food Shopping, not even thought about yet, let alone started...

So in all, I feel as if I've actually done quite well seeing this time last week, had not even finished colouring the stamped images (OK not counting the ones for next year, lol), and had not even thought about what presents I needed to buy, let alone buying them...

Blog award....

I am lucky enough to get this lovely blog award from sue bubbles who was pass it by Donna...

This is what she said about me, lol... Not forgetting the lovely Maria (who taught me how to do these natty hyperlinks!), a good friend and a great mother, and above all......a BRILLIANT stash shopper... ha ha ha!
thank you Sue, it's a privileged to except it...

All you have to do to accept the award is to copy and paste it onto your blog and pass it on to 5 bloggers who make you smile :)"

So here is my list in alphabetical order...

Alyson as I just love looking at her lovely mini books and challenges, she's an inspiration to me, also the work of her daughter...

Diane who's layouts are fab, also did you see her stall she did for Hearing Dogs for deaf people, it was out of this world...

Donna who for a New Years Resolution is going to be a better blogger, not that she know that yet, lol...

Gill another cuttlebug owner, I love looking at her work and reading about her family and that special boy of hers...

Sue C I love seeing and reading about the antics of her scrapbook club Scrappkatz

Bad blogger....

Sorry been awol again, had loads on for Steven and he's transition again, and something else which I think is classed as one of the most stressful things in life, but I cannot any anything about it just yet, as don't want to tempt fate, but hopefully can tell you all about it very soon...

We had a phone call from our Doctor the other evening, that was a bit of a surprise at him phoning us and didn't know why, but to cut a long story short he wanted Steven to have the swine flu jab, which was then booked in for yesterday...

and yes he had it and the regular flu jab to, one in each arm, poor love, then the Doctor said as I was Stevens carer I should have it too as wouldn't be any help to Steven or the rest of the family if I went down bad... so had a jab in each arm too, on the plus side I had given Steven some calpol before we left home but on the down side I had not taken anything, but to be honest it didn't hurt, I think when I donate blood every few months is more of a discomfort that the jabs,..



Oh what is wrong with our weather, we have the sun shinning one minute, yet the next it's pouring down with rain, you just don't know if you're coming or going with this weather... and never know when it's safe to put the washing out on the line, so end up hanging it all round the house to dry...but saying that I should be greatful I've got a house to dry things in, not like the poor people up in Cumbria, who have been effected by the recent floods... It does make you appreciate what you have...

As for crafting, I am still colouring in the Christmas stamped images I stamped months ago... had hoped to start making them into cards by now, but no, lol...
they're is still hope, that they will be made into Christmas cards for this year, lol...

Well, what a busy few days....

On the plus side, all the meetings and appointments have paid off... as we've got the hours we wanted for Steven for when he leaves school next July, we have the funding for him to have a 1 to 1, five days a week, and some extra hours of a 1 to 1 for the evenings and weekends, so he can also have a social life too...

All we need to do now is to decide what we want him to do, might tap into the odd hour or two at college (was told they would not except him on their courses though, as it seems Stevens ability is too low for them, even though he goes there one day a week with school and has been for the past year)... not sure, will start looking more into that next week, have loads of paperwork to read up on and will make appointments with some private day care centres to have a look round...

On Saturday, hubby, daughter and I went to the NEC in Birmingham to a dental showcase, as our daughter has to attend certain things to get her CPD quotation, as we thought it would be unfair on Steven, we booked him into Russets (adult respite), in which he made Christmas decorations (as the weather was too bad to go out)...

Well what a day that was, not only the weather was horrid, fallen trees and branches everywhere, and the rain was so fierce, we had trouble seeing out through the window screen.... but to me the showcase was like a torture chamber...

It was full of stands with drills, knives, scrapers etc. there were demos of rotten teeth, I even found one woman trying to tell me about implants and if you've not got enough bone in your jaw you can have it taken off your hip, oh my god, hubby could see I was trying to get away, so he said, that's really interesting, so she then went on to show us the screws they use, the different lengths......... arhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm sure it was human torture..... they're were lucky they didn't give me nightmares....

Oh the up side, today I actually did some crafting, yes and in daylight too, cannot remember the last time I did that, lol... Steven went out with he's sessional worker for lunch, so in between sorting and doing a few loads of washing...I did a couple of secret projects and started a few maze books, it was a fab feeling....

Wonderer returned....

Well Steven came home just after 8 yesterday, in good form, by all accounts he was loud to start off with, especially when he saw the friend that has since left school... They made it to the gym, in which I was told Steven was not to keen on the bike, but did do 5 minutes on the tread mill and kept going back to the punch bag, lol... they then went onto pizza hut and had tea....
I had a word with school today and they are going to get a programme sorted between them and the OT, so will be interesting what they recommend for him...

When Sam got in from work yesterday, I had to laugh as she ask where Steven was, so I explained he had gone out with he's friends, anyway within an hour, she was pacing around staying, now what time does he call this, it's a school night, he should be at home by now...

something we never thought we would be thinking let alone saying, lol....

Things are looking up....

As some of you may know, I have been busy with meetings over last few months for Steven with he's transition in mind, (D-Day for that is tomorrow)....

But some of the meetings have already paid off, as tonight Steven has gone out with he's new sessional worker Charlotte, they are off to meet up with 2 of Steven's friends (one who has already left school) and their sessional workers... They are going to the gym for a bit (not sure how Seven will take to that, lol, that reminds me, must phone the OT for a programme as Steven has low muscle tone)... then afterwards they are going out for tea, not sure where, I know one of the mums has a voucher for pizza hut, so maybe they're end up there...

Steven was a bit confused with Charlotte coming this evening, as all new to him, I did ask him if he wanted to go out with her and meeting up with he's friends and have dinner with them, he then got quite excited, think it was the thought of food, lol... (notice I never mentioned the gym, Steven wouldn't know what one was anyway)...

So I have hubby make us a lovely hot chilli for tea, why I'm chilling out writing this lol... haven't really got time to do any crafting as Steven will only be gone a couple of hours, but today I was naughty as when I was tidying the house (and it needed it, as have had Steven home sick from school 2 days last week, hubby poorly on Sunday and yes then daughter went down bad Sunday, so had her home sick from work yesterday), anyway I dug out some double sided card, it's very rare I even think about crafting through the day, as just haven't got the time, so this was so unusual for me, and guess what, 'I don't even feel guilty', lol...

Well the reason I wanted the card, was because I want to have a go at a maze book like the one gina made me and I saw in Val's gallery on do-crafts yesterday, as it's my friends 50th next month and thought I might have a go at making her one...

so watch this space, I might actually do some crafting one evening this week, lol....

(forgot to say, Steven knew Charlotte from the summer play scheme, as people that know me, won't let my boy just go out with anyone, lol)....

Dublin part two...

As I said in part one, we had decided we wanted walk round to the lighthouse, but by the time we got round there the wind had picked up a bit more, but it was lovely seeing all the sea spray, hitting the walls, we got some fab photos just waiting to be scrapped...

It hit the outer walls...

then if the waves were strong enough, would cascaded over onto the inner wall...

But we decided to still go for it, as not dangerous, more trying not to get wet from the spray, as we walked down on the lower wall, (not next to the sea) which was fine, but of course you couldn't see the spray coming...
It was fun though, trying to work out when was the best time to make a run for it, would we get caught by the spray and how wet would we get... but we made it, AND without getting caught out once, and was so please we did, it was a lovely little light house...

On the way back we were watching to see if there was a pattern with the waves, but typical with nature, there was not...

this bit was not so exciting, as I knew there was no other way back, lol, we just had to go for it... and we did....

I wasn't quite quick enough at one point, but with a bit of quick thinking, pulled myself up onto the railings and swung there till the water had subsided (well didn't want my boots get wet, did I?), but on the downside, hubby had the camera, but notice how far away he is taking the photo, yes such a gentleman, didn't wait for me, lol.......


It was fun though, to be honest, I really enjoyed it, as it was something we would not have normally been able to do if we had had Steven with us, so while Steven was enjoying he's time at Butlins with he's friends, (and he did as we was getting emails and photos everyday from them), we done something that we enjoyed...

Was a shame about the weather, as would have loved to have done a trip into the mountains, but that's the trouble, that's one thing you cannot book, 'the weather'... and it was over all to quick and we had to come home, as hubby was off to Bracknell on the Friday working...

...while I went to pick Steven up from school after he's week away, but he had such a fab time, that he didn't want to come home, when asked if he wanted to, he just gave me a kiss on the cheek and walked off with he's friends while waving goodbye to me, lol...

kids, don't you just love them, lol...