My little purple belt!!!

Jack has just got home from his karate grading!!!! Whoooo Hoooooo.....

Chris said he looked so tiny compared to all the others in his grade. This will be even worse next grading as he will be moved up to the later grading slot with the older children and adults!!! He even had to spa this time...OMG.

One very, very, proud mum!!!

7 going on 17!

The last few weeks have been really hard for us as a family. The time and energy it has taken to try to get Amelia supported in mainstream has drained all the energy out of me and I have had just no real quality time with Chris or the children. Not that I wanted to substitute this lack of "family time" but feeling frustrated that particularly Jack gets pushed to one side and left to his own devices- I felt the need to give him some time for himself. He is the baby of the Junior school having his birthday at the very end of August and although he is doing well acedemically I feel he sometimes struggles socailly He does his karate but that is very structured and disciplined rather than fun and social. So a few weeks ago he started Beavers- and he absolutely adores it. I do hope the enthusiasm continues after the Easter break.

I feel so guilty that all the extra pressures we have been under this past year has taken over our lives and the children are growing up so very fast. Last week Jack went to his first school Disco!!!! I took a few photos to scrap at some time-I can't beleive how grown up he looks!!!

Going green on such a dull grey day!

Weather is awful, it is dark and very wet and very very gloomy!!! We escaped the downpours on this mornings school run- hopefully we will be as lucky this afternoon!

Today I have had a free day and I have been trying to tidy some of my crafty clutter- but really not achieved much! I have managed to complete the latest dare from the Daring Card Makers though- even if I haven't done much else. I dithered around, trying to decide what colour to do, had loads of ideas but not necessarily the stash to get the look I wanted. I did find some wonderful papers, in absolutely yummy shades of pink that would have been perfect for the challenge....BUT....I just couldn't face actually using them!

I ended up "Going Green!" and using some little sparkly flowers that have sat in my stash for years and hardly ever used. The yellowy green tone matched so I just had to go with it!!

Thinking "small"

Still with inchies in mind, I have been playing with small toppers- perfect for using up scraps of paper. Group them together or use individually. This batch is made of toppers just under 2" square.

I feel an addiction coming on......

.....for Sue's Inchies!!!!! These are just so great to make and just what I needed to get kickstarted back into crafting after the pressures of dealing with the LEA! I am hoping to get some more cut and ready today, to perhaps sit down with tonight and watercolour.....well that's if I can find my watercolour pencils!!

I have taken a few pics of the ones I made up yesterday. To make the squares I used the Sizzix original square frame die and not wanting to waste the chipboard frames I had left over I quickly made some very simple floral mini-frame toppers. After that it inspired me to get out the Quickutz tag die I got before Xmas and have hardly used since. Then I just copied the designs I have made on chipboard previously.

Not only has this got me using a die that was sitting unloved and unused in a dusty box.....I have also got my stamps out!!! SHOCK!!!( I have never been much of a stamper!)

Such a gloomy day today, so dark and pouring with rain but I am going to put on some music...and the heater....and sit in the conservatory crafting. Got some crafty catch up time!

Getting there.......inch by inch!!!!

Started off this morning with Speech & Language, followed by scanning in yet more paperwork that needed to be emailed across to the LEA today to be included in Amelia's amended proposed statement! Then I had a quick look around the forums and saw some wonderful inspiration in the form of Sue's "Inchies" on Crafts by Carolyn. Well Ijust couldn't resist having a go- and as I had a spare half hour before picking the children up- I made a start on some inchies of my own. LOL- not anywhere near as professional looking and "together" as Sue's but fun all the same.

I started off with 3 similar, using Hero Art Pocketful o' posies stamps, then as I was running out of time I did some very quick flower/brads-inked and finished with golden rub on for detail.

Just finished some more using a bit of a mish mash of ideas...very quick and rough but I have really enjoyed them. Just the sort of thing I need at the moment to fit inbetween every thing else in my life!

Not much sleep for me tonight!!!

We have a meeting tomorrow with the LEA to discuss Amelia's proposed statement. The LEA have asked the Headteacher and the SENCo to attend so I am going to feel a bit out numbered. Thankfully, our IPSEA rep is coming down and attending with us. I have just run through a few more pages of the statement and some of the many reports and I feel so unprepared. I think I will be opening my heart again!!!
Just so full of it all....not feeling stressed, just not able to ever switch off from it all IYSWIM. It has taken us a year almost to get this far and I am just so drained with it all. Sorry, I know I shouldn't be negative, I need to find my strong woman's fighting hat, but I lost that ages ago!! Just need to vent really.
On a more positive note I have loaded some outgrown kiddies clothes on my pictrail site, and sold some. Not made much, but put a few pennies into my Paypal account and able to donate a few pennies into the Kent Wide Downs Syndrome account too.
Got some cards to make....so I can well imagine I will be locking myself out in the conservatory tomorrow night for some much needed chill out time!

No crafty time for me!

The last few weeks have just been so hectic. My life has been taken over with paperwork for the LEA. Hopefully there is an end in sight to it all though and in the distance I can picture me at my craft table enjoying some much needed crafty therapy ME time.
On top of all the educational issues with Amelia, we are eagerly waiting our plans from the archietect. Slowly but surely we are sorting our clutter- the garage is looking quite clear now!

My schedule for next week!!

Monday; Appointment with our IPSEA rep, attend meeting with LEA, Jack goes to Beavers (he started last week!

Tuesday: Speech & Language at school with Amelia, Jack goes karate.

Wednesday: Last morning at Family Numeracy Workshop

Thursday: A FREE DAYTIME!! Downs Syndrome meeting/training in evening.

Friday: Last day of school- possibly taking kiddies on an Easter egg hunt.

Saturday: Jack's Karate grading, Kent Wide Down Syndrome Party

Sunday: My day of rest ready for the non stop Easter hols!!!! LOL. ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Playing catch up!!!

Been a bad blogger for a few days, life just takes over sometimes. We had a childfree weekend- not for partying I am afraid, for boring stuff like life insurance for the new mortgage! After that Chris and me took a leisurely walk around a few shops where I got myself some bargain blooms from Dunelm Mills- thanks for the tip off ladies on CBC! After that we enjoyed some time together...clearing out the garage ready for the extension- how romantic!!! LOL!!! At the end of the day, whatever we do, it is nice to spend quality time with Chris- and yes that even includes sorting out the garage!!

Monday, I took an adult numeracy exam, not sure why I did it really, but it was part of the course at the school so somehow I found an extra few hours out of my already bulging schedule to sit down and do sums for and hour and 15minutes. I had had a terrible night - was woken at 4am, and after finishing the test and checking it through- I sat there watching the clock, shivering and yawning for 30minutes, thinking, I have so much else I should be doing!!

Yesterday I spent a good part of the day going through the Down Syndrome Group Accounts and I still have all of Amelia's statement to go through too!!! I have told myself I am not even going to touch that today- and give myself a complete day away from paperwork. But it still hovers in the back of my mind, knowing I have to do it all tomorrow and Friday.

Right, now I am going to put on my new CD and dance around as I finish a bit of housework and then spend some time crafting!!!!!! Might even use one or two of my beautiful blooms!!!!

41 today, 41 today, I've got the key of the door.....

.......ooopsss, perhaps I am 20 years out, but still young at heart!!!!

Going to be a weird sort of day today, can't really celebrate how I would like to as kiddies are at school and Chris has had to go to work. I will be on my own most of the day but going to have lunch with my mum and dad.

I was awoken with the kiddies jumping on our bed waving their birthday cards and singing "Happy Birthday" to me. It warms my heart each birthday we have in the family as you can see the improvement in Amelia's speech as she attempts to join in. She also sat on the middle of the carpet in her classroonm and sang and signed it with her teacher watching- I am sooo proud of her. Jack seems so grown up, and as I opened his card- I got quite emotional knowing he put so much into it.

Anyway, got to get on, want to get a few things done, so I can relax (!!!!) for the rest of the day...yeah...some chance, but I live in hope!!!

Another mad day

It's been another day of paperwork, meetings and phone calls. The kiddies have been packed away with their Nanny & Grandad for the weekend and I desperately need some time to switch off from it all-even just a little time to recharge my batteries in preparation of the week ahead.
I am trying to finish off a few more toppers but my tiredness is getting the better of me- or perhaps it is the yummy glass of wine I have!

Another topper today!

It came as a nice relief from the paperwork- just made up another topper to match the little lonely one sitting in the box!!!

Yeah hey, done some crafting today.

I put aside the reams of papers from the LEA, hid the folders from our Down Syndrome Group, and set aside an hour or so this afternoon for some crafting.

With so many fabby challenges around to chose from- I kept to something simple- literally. There is a great challenge on Craft's by Caroyln- a simpe A4 LO! Well never having worked on A4- I couldn't resist this! Not what I initally had in mind, but my printer ran out of ink so I had to use a photo from "the box!" Had fun making it, and it raised my crafting spirit a bit. Unfortunately it's gonna be back to the paperwork for most of tomorrow. Please excuse the dodgy photography, the light was fading fast and I had a 5 yr old hanging off my leg at the time!