Back from the sticks.

Hello!

Elliott and i are finally home.. YAY!

We've been so outta touch because December was crazy and i had loads of crafting to get out of my system but also because my Mac was ruined over the Shitmas break. I have a brand spanker now and i'm good to go...well for today anyway!

We headed off to Canberra a few days earlier than usual so i could spend some much needed quality time with my oldest and dearest peeps...i wish there was more time, but everybody is so bloody busy in December, even my booking two months in advance didn't work for some.

We spent a few nights at my sister's house which is always great and then headed off to Callalla Beach which is south of Sydney. The weather was hot for the first two days and then it rained and rained and rained...which the family wern't too happy about...but for me who is allergic to the heat and the sun...didn't mind so much at all!

Unfortunately, Elliott caught a cold before we left that got better and then worse, then better, and then worse throughout our entire holiday. The poor little bugger couldn't breathe through his nose at all which is really hard to watch, it's times like those that i kinda wish he were a "normal" kid, so he could just blow his nose or hock up that loogy to make it feel better. It's hard to watch him struggling to breathe so much. Even though i was waiting, waiting, waiting for the big daddy seizure to hit, it never did and thankfully so (obviously) particularly because we were in the bush or on the road which would have been even more terrifying than it already is.

We were sharing a bed which was pretty hard. It meant i had to lay down with him whenever he was due to sleep so he didn't commando off the bed. It was nice in a lot of ways but being woken up numerous times throughout the night for laps up and down the bed was not my idea of a restful holiday. Add in the coughing, snoring, farting and the feet in the face and you have one tired mumma.

To add to that, he cried, a lot...just like last year. I thought maybe he was over all the noise, and the people and that he was just dying to get home for a good old roll around the house without the fear of being trodden on. But no, it turns out he was extremely constipated and clearly very irritable from not breathing too well, and maybe about everything. He's much better now though...although i'm still recovering from my cold.

This coming week will be his first week at childcare. I'm scared but excited but scared, did i mention that already?? We headed off to get his 4 year immunisations and the Dr roped me into getting the Swine Flu vac too...surely it can't hurt ey? Too late now i suppose. I did it to protect Elliott more than anything.

For a few months now he's been able to grab and position his bottle into his mouth but often gets frustrated when the bottle is upside down. Sometimes i think he forgets how to do it, or he just wants me to do it for him, but today he proved to me that he knows exactly what to do... cheeky little bugger! I gave him his bottle and walked away and heard him drop it and let out a little whinge, so as per usual i picked it up (particularly to check that it wasn't blocked from the numerous powdered substances mixed in) and then gave it back to him. After a minute or two he did it again, so i sneakily watched him from the corner of my eye and as he thought i wasn't watching, he rolled over and picked up his bottle and put it straight into his mouth! *sniff* It was a lovely thing to watch. Deep down i know our WHS kids are cheeky buggers but it's just so awesome to see it happening, not only the amazing success and achievement of picking up a bottle but the genius of manipulating me and then checking to see if i'm watching. I'm so very proud right now! It's the little things people!

Saturday has snuck up on me this week, so i guess it's time for a song, a laugh and a dance. I loved this song back in my home-girl days, i still do, i can't help it! Of course back in those days there was no youtube so i had never seen the clip, but now i have and it's truly one to be shared. Enjoy... ladiieeeezzzzzzzzz.

Have a great day. XL

Elliott's MASSIVE 4th Birthday weekend

Well hello there. I know, it's been a while, but things have been a little crazy and i've been lacking sleep (not like Anna tho!) and have been a bit lazy about writing.

We have just had THE loveliest weekend. On Saturday we went to Ella's birthday party which turned out to be a pool party. It was just so great to be relaxing with great company and wonderful happy kids, it was definitely a day to remember. Elliott spent most of his time in a floating cabana chair (with palm tree and all) while Brendon and GH supervised and created some wicked waves for him. He had soooooooo much fun and it was a really special thing for me to watch, my heart was melting. I do get a little sad sometimes that he can't sit and play in the bath or have that sensation of floating in water, its such an amazing feeling to be floating, and I've totally taken that for granted. So, even though i have an absolute fear of the sun and the heat, i really want to try and get my little man to the pool this summer, he deserves to have that floating feeling in his life more often....well, in the very least, I'll look into getting us a pool for the balcony!

After Ella's party, GH, AC, NH and i headed back to mine (with a few bottles in hand) to play some Pictionary and to make Chocolate Crackles. The fact that we left our brains at Ella's party made for some very interesting games...and stories! Me and NH had our arses flogged by the girls, all in all, good times, good times!

Elliott's Birthday.

We spent his actual birthday at home mostly but went out for a bit of lunch with Nan. Nan got him a chair which he seems to tolerate quite well, as long as i don't have anything to do with it because he's a stubborn little bugger when it comes to me and physio therapy.

His birthday party picnic was at Edinbourgh Gardens Fitzroy. I spent all week getting prepared for the big day, and all the hard work paid off and the party went down a treat i reckon. A big thanks to GH for your help! Again, i had a fear of the heat being out of control on the day, but it was perfect weather @ about 28 degrees....hoorahhhhh!!!!!...i still managed to get super sun burnt though.

We were especially excited to have Anna, David, Braeden and the dear little Ryley (8yrs) come to our party from Ballarat. Ryley has WHS too (you can meet him here), and i was so proud to be able to show him off to my mates who had already heard so much about him. What hadn't really occurred to me is that it could be an uncomfortable position for this family to be in, to come all this way to a party where they know no-one, but i guess because i know my mates, i knew that they would be made to feel more than welcome.....guests of honour if you will! Anna blogged about how she was nervous about coming for a few reasons, but soon realised that being around friends of a another WHS child means that you don't need to answer questions, you don't have to worry about people staring at your child, you don't need to explain why they don't talk or why they're so small....the list goes on.....but what you can do is, sit back, relax and feel no pressure about any of those things and more. I was so very chuffed to read that she felt like this but amazed to hear that it was for the first time in 8 years. I wish we didn't have to face these questions and stares, but i'm so glad they were able to relax for at least one day. Thanks again to you guys for coming. Oh and, they got Elliott a wicked mixing desk for his birthday too....AWESOME!!!

The most part of the day was spent mingling and wrangling children and moving the food out of the sun....and there was also a bit of bubble blowing and bubble drinking going on too. Pass the Parcel was a highlight, although i'm not sure how Elliott will go with his winnings...pencils...i was gunning for the bubbles!! Elliott scored some awesome gifts and i want to thank everyone who came along, who helped out and for just being there. His birthday, well everyday really, is an achievement in my eyes and it's super important to me to celebrate these achievements and his life, and to have so many supporters on board really warms my heart, so thank you.

Some other special friends of mine Kris, Brendon, Jackson, Millie (And *Lola*) came along, and not only helped out and spoiled Elliott (with THE coolest backpack you have ever seen wrapped in hand painted calico wrapping!!!), they stupidly, ridiculously got me an amazing gift too. I say, "stupidly" and "Ridiculously" because they were showing their appreciation for the support I've given them during their darkest days of losing their precious "tiny girl" *Lola*, and to me, i just wanted to be there for them, in any way i could....and you know what?.... this service i offer is FREE, it deserves no reward!! They say, i deserve it, but i was/am simply hoping to drill into you that i am here for you guys.... but still, i say THANK YOU anyway for thinking of me, it means a lot and i can't wait to book into the Thread Den and get busy with you Kris! MMMWAHHHH!!!

Lastly, on a medical note. Elliott had his EEG last week (not a good experience at all) and there looks to be a big improvement on his last one that showed seizure activity every 10 seconds which is great news. December is going to be super crazy for hospital appointments, we have Audiology, Opthomology, Cardiology and Orthopedic Surgeon appointments with a few blood tests, immunisations, x-rays and ultra sounds mixed in there too....eeerrrrrr....it's makin me tired just thinking about it! Wish him well hey....especially with the Cardiology and Orthopedic appointments.

Till next time, take care in this heat people.

XXL

Random Act of Kindness and Bummers

Although I'm quite content at the moment, i found myself a little sad during the week.

I was on what some might think is a simple mission, a mission to buy my boy a birthday present. As i combed every nook and cranny in the massive toy department of Big W, i found myself getting more and more sad that i couldn't find anything suitable for him besides a ball or bubbles. Although i don't expect huge department stores to stock toys for developmentally delayed kids, i had just hoped to find him something fun, something that flashes and sings him a song or two, but no.

Thankfully today i did manage to find him something, it's a ball, but it has music, lights and a jack in the box....which will probably bring on a seizure from the surprise...but it will do and i think he'll like it.

Now for some unfortunate news. My new favourite person Miranda, is no longer my favourite person. It turns out she is a comic, but now i'm not so sure if she is genius, i think i'm too bummed out to accept how damn good she is at doing/being Miranda. Bugger!

So, i had a lovely day at my mates house, eating cake, drinking tea and wagging chins. I received an awesome "Random Act of Kindness" today from the lovely AC, a beautiful book of pretty snaps from around the world.... I'm a very lucky girl indeed!

To be fair, i think i should re-post my Sunday Song...but more because I'm bitter about Miranda... so, here is an amazing cover with a beautiful clip to boot, It's Jose Gonzalez doing Kylie's Hand on Your Heart.

Sunday Song by Miranda

So I've found my new favourite person, Miranda. She's quite a bit like David Brent of The Office fame... if you click on the video stream on the right you'll see who and what i mean if you don't know who i mean. The thing about Miranda is that I'm pretty sure she's not acting, but if she is, she's a bloody genius much like Ricky Gervais (David Brent).

It's hard to pick which clip to show you as they are all just so amazingk. Enjoy!!

Sunday Song

This is a song that i really dug when it came out a few years back (07 i think), but when i saw the clip i was in Love!

This is Ben Kweller's actual Grandmother workin it out in her basement in NYC, what a legend! The song is 'Penny On A Train Track'. I have danced around my house channelling Grandma Kweller many, many times and perhaps you will too!

Awe not ore!

.... in my last post i wrote of being in "ore" of my lovely friends....Ahhhhhh that made me laugh and has made me blush too....ahhhh dickhead!!!

Out from under my rock.

Hello! Yes i know it's been a while but I've had a whole lot going on and i just haven't wanted to write about it because it's too tiring to think about stuff any more than i already do.

But today, I'm feeling pretty good about things. We had a meeting with Elliott's new childcare centre this week that went really well and they are happy to accommodate to anything he needs, but the best thing is that they really feel it's important for Elliott and for the other kids to have someone like him in their group because it's so beneficial for everybody and i couldn't agree more. I love knowing that Elliott's cousins, our friends kids and school kids (and parents!) are going to grow up knowing Elliott and knowing that he wants the same as them, and that, is to be happy and healthy. The kids (and maybe some parents) may not know it now, but My Littles will teach them stuff that no book or teacher could properly teach them, and that's empathy, tolerance, understanding and an appreciation that we're all humans that we all need love and happiness bust most of all, that it's absolutely okay, even cool, to be different. Differences are what makes us all interesting after all.

We spent the most part of last week in the hospital. Littles picked up his first ear infection, pretty good for a (almost) 4 year old! He also had another 'unknown' virus which brought back the rash and the high temps of 40.1. He would have been home earlier but his Neurologist didn't want us leaving without having knowledge of CPR and 'bagging' but the appropriate nurses weren't available so we weren't allowed to leave and luckily so because his temp was through the roof and he had another tonic clonic seizure in the early hours. He managed okay in hospital, he even managed to sleep through the overnight hourly treatments (a.k.a. tourture) of the kids in our neighbouring beds... although i wasn't so lucky! Even though i was so sleep deprived it really helped to have nurses that i could rely on, they were fantastic and were on top of everything, It was only once that i had to ask (a.k.a. beg) for Panadol and that was to a new nurse who had only just begun her shift. So a big thank you shout out to Felicity, Amanda and Franchesca...even though your not reading this, i'm sending you good vibes anyway!

Besides all the Elliott business, I've been busy with lots of things.... editing on The Boldness.... next Wednesday @ 6pm on 3cr am, meeting up with the girls and getting inspired and motivated to create! We have a busy few months coming up (when isn't it busy really??!!) but i'm really hoping we do manage to get our "crafternoons" up and running, it would be good for all involved i think.

I'm also feeling really appreciative that i have such awesome, loving and inspirational friends and i fall more in love and in awe of each of them every day, i'm a very lucky girl.

Hmmm yis, so i think that's about it for now. Hmmm perhaps i'll post a song because i've missed a few 'Saturday Songs'...ah yes, one of the greats comes to mind today....

Sunday Song

So i obviously missed my Saturday song, i was too busy re arranging my lounge room and dancing around. So, it's a Sunday song instead. This one pops up quite a bit in my (lounge room) set lists, and i still love it just as much as i did in hmmmm 1987(?).

Saturday Song

My Saturdays have always started with Video Hits and Rage, and when they are over, i will either put on a record or if if I'm feeling lazy, i'll let my itunes decide what to listen to. So, i thought a Saturday Song would be a good way to let you know what I'm listening to and a reminder to me to post something!

Today's post is The Wolves (act I & II) by the ammaaaaazzzzziiinnggggg Bon Iver. There are a few stand out records that have changed my life, For Emma, Forever Ago is one of them.

Get a cup-a-tea, plug in your speakers, turn it up loud and be prepared to be blown away. Enjoy.

Saturday Song