Good Bye 2007....

THis will be my last blog entry for this year (funny that!) Next year, I'm going to try even harder to keep it up. The new camera will help, I'll jsut want to share pics of the kids and the new slimline me!

New Years GOALS (not resolutions, you notice!)

with the help of Spark People (my user name is wheezeybouncer there too), drop to a size 14/16

learn to drive

I AM A SIZE TWENTY!!!

OK so it's not something most people would be shouting about, but for me it marks the start of being able to shop in high street stores. Back in August I was a size 24 all over. Now, I am a 20 on the bottom (the boobage I have no hope with till I'm done nursing)

Over the past couple of days I have bought...

White (brave!) Shorts, Red 3/4 length trousers, Black trousers all size 20 from NEXT! Never thought I'd fit there 3mos after starting to change my lifestyle for the better.

Black 3/4 length trousers, grey sparkly trousers and grey with a pink pinstripe (realy nice!) trousers all a 20 and a nice top in a 24 (it's those boobs again) from MK1.

Sooo, I'm mid Ebay listing to find some room for them. I have some maternity bits n bobs to put on there as well. Photos I'm going to add in the morning though!

Home School

Education happens all round us. NOT JUST IN SCHOOLS!!! And if one more person asks me "When are you going to start Sian's education?" I may just have to SCREEEEEAAAAAAM!

Sian and Beth have been learning since they were born... all babies do. In their case though, I started to teach them "Baby Sign Language" and even now they do it. It's just one of the reasons they're staying home to learn though (none of the schools teach BSL to mainstream kids - only one primary and one secondary school have "Hearing Impaired Units")

Take the kids to parent & baby groups, swimming lessons (v important), toddler group? they're learning. Do you go to the library, let them play on the computer (CBeebies is fab according to my two), Go to teh park? They're learning. Even watching TV and DVDs can help in the learning process.

Bake Cakes, Look for numbers and letters on road signs and doors. Count steps, count cars. find colors. It's all about LEARNING!

As they get older, they'll need other outlets for meeting up with kids and adults alike (after all you don't see people born the same school year as you for 5-6hrs/day 5days/wk when you leave school do you? So, with the new year approaching. We're going to be aiming to make the nearest Home School group every otehr Thursday... Let's see if I can manage it this time! Shouldn't be too hard as my courses are both on a Friday and I can arrange driving lessons after the kids are in bed! Just need to find out when the group starts back up again now! Last time I went both girls were still in nappies and Beth was just about crawling!

Sian on the subject of parents

C: We're going to see Grandma and Richard now (R is C's step father)
S: Is Richard your Daddy?
C: No, but he's a bit like a dad to me
S: Oh, is he your father then?

Christmas Day Pics...

Bethy opening her stocking with a *just* awake Daddy.

Sian playing with her playsilk.. they got them in place of cuddly toys this year. HIT!

The girls all nice and clean(ish) in their Christmas outfits. Santa always brings new clothes.

My little Angels... I know the truth! Under there they have Disney Princess Slippers!

Me n my girlies. They're HEAVY when you try and lift them both simultaenously now. Yup, I'm grimacing!

Beth got a LOT of "In the Night Garden" related things... well, a CD, DVD, 2 books and the Ninky Nonk! Every time she unwrapped on of them she'd scream "My Night Garden!" Not saying she's a fan or anything but......

Sian got the Doodle Daisy (BIG hit) and Doodle Bear she asked for (we got them both a doodle bear) but when asked today what her favourite gift was? "My new socks Mama"

Clive got a new Wii game that he ended up playing for over 3hrs last night (ok, i played some with him, but he was coming to bed at MIDNIGHT!!!) and 2 jumpers he chose.

I got my "Strictly Come Dancersize" DVD just need room and time to do it now. I can't wait.

Decorating the tree.

So, there's no room for a tree at our house (it resides on top of the TV) BUT GrannyJan asked if Sian and Beth would like to help with her tree this year. As you can see, they did. It did need a little tweaking at the end... all the decorations seemed to end up at the front on one side.. but i think it looks good for a 2yo & 4yo.

http://www.noradsanta.org go here and watch santa's progress around the world tomorrow night. have you been naughty or nice? he's made his list, and checking it twice.

you're gonna get sick of 'em!

me n my girls... testing the timer, not a great pic!





a rare treat, mama TOLD us we could sit here!



does she HAVE to keep taking photos?



i'm doing my cat impression!

On Your Marks.....

Get set, GO!

I'm just a cutie pie!

Well, If you can't tell, I LOVE the new camera. The zoom is awesome (I used it on these two pics and one standing by the house I have the clearest pic of the street sign at the end of the road)

Test Run Pics... I LIIIIKE!

jsut for once she WASN'T gurning for the camera!

Oops, sorry you'll have to stand or lie on your side for this, i forgot to rotate it!

I love this one. She looks so high... 2" off the ground!

Super jumper... nope. She wasn't jumpin' at all!

I'm putting myself up for adoption!

It's been a few of those days in a row. The girls have been constantly sniping, whinging and scrapping with each other. Clive is putting all the blame on me, and then leaving me to deal with whatever is going on. And the kids cap it by TELLING him to go away (so the asshole does). Add to that S having a few "terrible two's" days and B getting incredibly physical with other children (she bit one Friday, Mama was NOT impressed) I just want to leave them all to it... would i come back to a whole house?! The calmest time today was (beleive it or not!) at the SUPERMARKET of all places. Daddy and Sian took their shoping list and Mama and Beth did their shopping... and the highlight of Boo's day... she got a talking MakkaPakka!

All Wrapped Up

The christmas presents that is. I wonder if DH will wrap my stocking or I'll have to do it myself... lets see if I even HAVE a stocking come christmas eve. His is done (with the exception of a drink and peice of fruit) Still waiting for Beth's last gift... but she's got plenty even if it doesn't come. Dozy Dora here decided to take the WOOL jumper DH chose for himself out the bag to wrap. It soon went back int! My hand and arm still itch :o/

Labrynthitis

That's what the dizziness was. Most people get one attack... i got 2 in 2 weeks. And the all too familiar dizzy sensation is back again. At least I know waht it is now *and* i have meds for it! Speaking of, somewhere I have some symbicort..... but where (50 million question!)

Sleep

Thats where i'm headed now. just post this, finish chatting, empty the bed (remember the christmas presents!) and hit the sack. my matchsticks are broken and i'm cold. I'll tyr and get pics off th ecamera tomrow.

Randomness from the week.

We bought a new digicam. A joint present to us, mainly cause we wanted a DECENT one to take to Florida. Should I tell DH I just saw the same one for £20 less online? It's a snazzy Fujifilm Finepix S5700. (I told him, half asleep, his reaction? "oh well") Can't wait to actually USE the thing. I'm thinking the Sure Start Christmas Party Next week! Maybe I'll offer my services as Photographer! After all, they can only say "No!" I might persuade them to get the memory card if they do want me to though

For the girls to take to FL we found for Beth an "In the Night Garden" Rucksack, and for Sian a "Peppa Pig" one. They have a new outfit each (have to choose, ones a fairy princess and ones a pirate) and some stickers to start on their activities for the plane. Sian will be taking Terence Trunki (http://www.trunki.co.uk) and in the new year we'll get Beth a Trixi Trunki (I'm not paying the £5 extra for the few extras) What I want to do now is find a bricks & mortar shop to buy one in and save shipping charges!

FINALLY! I got my mammoth crocs (http://www.lookatmycrazyshoes.com/mammoth-crocs-p-1780.html) After teh first 30mins or so when I thought they were too small.... I didn't want to take them off. You really could wear them as slippers. So warm and cozy. My feet love me again (they do NOT love trainers any more, not even Reeboks!)

Today we went to Hammersmith to go to the Disney Store... DH wanted a new mug. The girls got new PJs ... must go through theirs, I'm sure Sian only has about 3 pairs now that fit. Sian and Beth picked up a Little Einsteins Puzzle... then saw a Minnie Mouse Ears and Dress. I managed a minor miracle. SHE PUT THE PUZZLE BACK! Mind you, the ears & dress cost about £20 more! Luckily (I think!) the dress is a 7-8 so should fit for some time. Both kids looked gorgeous in it. It's defintely NOT an outfit I jsut want to chuck in their toy basket though.

Beth saw "kimmas" and had THE biggest grin when he said hello, then went all shy when he actually got down to the nitty gritty LOL. She still had the goofy grin on though, it was SOOOO CUTE! They got to tell father christmas what they want as a present (i told for beth, and then sian got shy so daddy said anything) and his helper let them dip into her sack for a pre-christmas treat each (selection box of chocolates, very nice too)

To finish it all off we hit the toy store (well, did that BEFORE we went to DIsney really) and got teh girls a toy cow each (don't ask, they chose! i think it was an influence from watching "airport" earlier) i picked them up a learn to write book each (they fought over the magazine and got me VERY frustrated) and a BIG TUB of Megablocks for £15 instead of £30.. all with 20% off. Yay!

Christmas is a comin'...

and I have got almost everything wrapped up! WooHoo! It took less tahn £100 in Toys R Us (wow) and DH and I even got some bits for the FL trip.

Both girls are getting a Doodle Bear (the large was £2 cheaper than the small!) They have a CD from each other and a CD each from us. Books and a "Something Special" DVD each. Even now they will sit and watch a whole "Justin" DVD. I don't mind. It consolidates what signs they've learnt already. They're also getting a Wii game each. Shrimp's is here and wrapped. Boo's is awaiting delivery.... I hope it's here for christmas! and to share they've some dressing up shoes.

From Santa they're getting

Playfood, a new outfit and their stockings (chocolate, drink, £1, fruit, book, toy, hair bow clippie & socks)

Christmas Eve always brings a new pair of PJs... this year they chose their own. Both have christmassy ones... but Boo chose ones in the sale (£3, bargain!) and Shrimp chose "The Snowman" at £12!!

For her birthday I think we're just taking Shrimpy shopping and seeing waht she'd like. I do know that her Uncle Stevie has got her a talking Upsy Daisy... Cause I bought it for her LOL. We were looking to see who found it first! (He got Boo talking IgglePiggle for her birthday present BIG HIT!) Psst. Don't tell the girls but he's got them Disney Crocs for their Christmas Presents!

DH chose himself a couple of Jumpers for this year. One of them is wool so goodness knows how i'm going to wrap that up! He's getting a Wii game too... just not the one he's expecting! Got to give him *some* suprises!

OMG It's a YES!!

Never for a MOMENT thinking we'd actually be accepted, DH and I decided to apply for a loan. A big one. DH knew if they said yes he'd be working overtime for the next 7yrs.

THEY SAID YES!!!! We got the loan. Of course, with that loan came a few conditions (from him)

#1 we take the girls to WDW FL for a trip of a lifetime
#2 i pay off one credit card (old one, not used for several years)
#3 i get my provisional drivers liscence

#1 is booked and paid for... we fly to MCO on Feb 2nd 2008. Staying at the All Star Resort, with a Disney Dining Plan. We also have tickets to the "Princess and Pirates Party" and 7day base passes with water fun.

#2 is all paid off. and as the company did me a deal i only had to pay back part of what i owed (always good)

#3 i've sent off for and am waiting to get back... had to get my passport first so i didn't need to send out anything else!

At this moment in time, I'm the only person with a passport! And it came back within 2weeks of me sending it, very impressive. I need to send DH and DD2s birth certificates back- will do that monday. SPECIAL DELIVERY. Mam sent DD1s back Registered and I've heard nothing. Must see how things are going with that one. I have all the reference numbers and the posting card for DD1s so we'll look at that tomrow (too lazy to go downstairs now!)

One of DHs ex-colleagues is training to be a driving instructor. Hopefullly by the time i can afford lessons he'll be ready to teach me! I can' tgo out earlier than 8pm anyways LOL

Why is it soooo easy for some people

to get pregnant? and generally the ones who DON'T want to be. I really shouldn't moan. It took over 3yrs for us to conceive Sian. But we were spoilt with Beth and conceived the first real try (1month after Sian's 1st birthday) It's a month after Boo's 2nd birthday and we're still trying. Mind you it'd be nice to wrap an HPT and stick it in Clive's stocking... hmmm wonder if that's a feasibilty! Guess he's getting jumped on every day till AF is here again (hope she's not as mean this time as she has been in the past!)

Must make myself an

appointemnt with my GP. I'm still feeling dizzy off and on. And nauseous (defintley NOT pregnant!!) and my knee is still playing up. More if anything now that i've actually got a support for it. it hurts just walking the 0.7mi to stay and play whereas a few mos ago it only hurt when i was trampolining

Sian's growing up far too

fast for me! she's been going to bed with no nappy for a week. 4/7 nights she was dry. 1 she wet literally 30mins before waking. 1 she was out so late that she was drinking right up to bedtime and 1 jsut the luck of the draw. I've taken to plonkin' her on the pot before i go to sleep though. and varying the time! sometimes it works otehr she jsut whispers no and goes back to sleep.

There's been a

French market (dreadfully sinful biscuits!), funfair and ice rink locally this weekend. The funfair sucked (think 3 kids rides and 3 adult rides plus 2 take all your money stalls and a funhouse) and the icerink was barely big enough to take one stride on. I'd planned to elt the girls try skateing- and get DH and I back into it- but 1) they were frozen solid and 2) I wasn't paying £20 for 30mins of skating on cardboard. The girls are now the proud owners of new hats and gloves though FINALLY! and a new sweater each as previously they only had 2 each. mind you they still only have enough for one on and one in the wash the way they go through clothes!

I'm too old for theme parks!

Or at least, my body is trying to tell me something of that sort. Else it's berating me for not eating totally healthy on Sunday (whilst *at* said theme park!)

All I know is the porcelain throne and 3am should only been seen together when pregnant. Which I'm not (well, as far as I know...CD18 is a tad early to tell, even with a 24day cycle) Today. I ache ALL OVER. Even trying to take my Peak Flow and Symbicort had to be done holding my ribs. That gotta give an indication of which muscles (all!) i used up yesterday.

I walked up to Hounslow West earlier...only about a mile... and didn't have the energy to take the girls to the park on teh way home. lucky for me it started to rain! (sian by the way likes the rain, but not the wind) The kids were happy though. THey got pic n mix and some my little ponies... now sian knows how to wrangle things out of mama. wait till she's ill and she says yes to most anything!

shower and bed in order now. hope thers some hot water this time. the poor kids froze in tehir shower earlier. it is so getting old. acn't wait to be moved from here. maybe now *is* a good time to get pregnant again! might even get moved by christmas (that'd be a lovely xmas presssie!)

The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List

(shamelessly pinched from elsewhere!)
From Secular Homeschooling Magazine, Issue #1

1 Please stop asking us if it's legal. If it is — and it is — it's insulting to imply that we're criminals. And if we were criminals, would we admit it?

2 Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a decent grasp of both concepts.

3 Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize.

4 Don't assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.

5 If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a "reality" show, the above goes double.

6 Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know, know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling. You're probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running up to pregnant women and inducing premature labor by telling them every ghastly birth story you've ever heard. We all hate you, so please go away.

7 We don't look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear they're in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential oil fields to see if we're doing what you consider an adequate job of homeschooling.

8 Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.

9 Stop assuming that if we're religious, we must be homeschooling for religious reasons.

10 We didn't go through all the reading, learning, thinking, weighing of options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision, tailored to the specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational decisions.

11 Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn't have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don't need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can't teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there's a reason I'm so reluctant to send my child to school.

12 If my kid's only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he'd learn in school, please understand that you're calling me an idiot. Don't act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.

13 Stop assuming that because the word "home" is right there in "homeschool," we never leave the house. We're the ones who go to the amusement parks, museums, and zoos in the middle of the week and in the off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays when it's crowded and icky.

14 Stop assuming that because the word "school" is right there in homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day, just like your kid does. Even if we're into the "school" side of education — and many of us prefer a more organic approach — we can burn through a lot of material a lot more efficiently, because we don't have to gear our lessons to the lowest common denominator.

15 Stop asking, "But what about the Prom?" Even if the idea that my kid might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don't get to go to the Prom. For all you know, I'm one of them. I might still be bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.

16 Don't ask my kid if she wouldn't rather go to school unless you don't mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn't rather stay home and get some sleep now and then.

17 Stop saying, "Oh, I could never homeschool!" Even if you think it's some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you're horrified. One of these days, I won't bother disagreeing with you any more.

18 If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you're allowed to ask how we'll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can't, thank you for the reassurance that we couldn't possibly do a worse job than your teachers did, and might even do a better one.

19 Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child's teacher as well as her parent. I don't see much difference between bossing my kid around academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.

20 Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing, aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative, pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because he's homeschooled. It's not fair that all the kids who go to school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood.

21 Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she's homeschooled.

22 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I homeschool my kids.

23 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool my kids.

24 Stop talking about all the great childhood memories my kids won't get because they don't go to school, unless you want me to start asking about all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because you went to school.

25 Here's a thought: If you can't say something nice about homeschooling, shut up!

Brrr! Heating broke. AGAIN

yup, you read right. our heating packed up for the second time this year (so, we're onto 3 heating malfunctions in 2 years. brilliatn) The engineer came to fix it today. Told him the whole system had been flushed out and he phone through for the part needed to fix it (hopefully once and for all) he'll be back tomrow- a hwole day earlier than i expected!

The Monster (AKA asthma)

I'm bidding on a nebuliser on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160173942831&ssPageName=STRK:MEBI:IT&ih=006) and have defintley gone over what i can realistically afford. but i really do benefit from a neb treatment when the ventolin needs taking every 1-3hrs (and that tends to be when i'm on max symbicort and prednisone as well.) i don't even want to use it ALL. the time. probably only 2-3x year.

Weightloss (1/4 of the way there and....)

i seem to have plateaued the weight loss a little bit. but not gained either which is good! i will get back on track with it. in spite of us having our wedding anniversary chinese tonight instead of tomrow (ok, it's pizza tomorrow but thats for the kids)


Babies!

No secret that I would love one more. Our health visitor rang me earlier. will i go accross the road and say hi to a new mum in the area. She has a little girl. Didn't tell me said little girl is a 2wk old cutie pie! Beth now wants to share her birthday with a baby. And Sian jsut wants a baby! Oh, they'd both like Mamma to have a girl LOL i todl them we get what we're given. I'm jsut glad they haven't asked *how* the baby gets there yet!!

HATS!

getting ready to show them off!
checking their hair and make up.... and hats!
sian, sucking a lemon! (she wasn't)
beth looking anywhere but at the camera!
finally! sian and beth showing of their creations

Breathe!

"If you know the art of breathing you have the strength, wisdom, and courage of ten tigers."
-Anonymous Chinese Adage

Breathing is one of the most overlooked aspects of good health. Oxygen is fuel for the brain and for the body. Good, clean amounts of it boost physical and mental performance and lowers stress. Whatever area you're building a foundation upon, your progress will only be helped by plenty of fresh oxygen supplied by proper Breathing.
(Courtesy of Sparkpeople.com )

I found this while searching for a motivational quote to keep me focused. I'm thinking "baby steps" is always a good one for me, I tend to try and run before I can walk. That, or "aim for the sky, you may hit the top of a tree" the sky is 140lbs.... the top of the tree is 150lbs. I'll be happy with the top of the tree.

I like this one too....

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence."
-Calvin Coolidge

Being persistent is extremely important when you are trying to implement a change in your life. You will accomplish much more by constantly trying than constantly giving up. Consistency is how you build a solid foundation. Without consistency forming good habits to replace bad ones or new habits to make life better will be virtually impossible. Of course, there will be failure…but that is when persistence becomes even more important. You must remind yourself of the concept two steps forward, one step back. You will overcome the failure and bypass it with even more success.

It's true for me too. I've had some set backs, but it really ahs been persistence that's seen me lose 32lbs in 2mos. I've gained and lost a few here and there (just about to do it again, darned periods!) but I know if i stick to it, I'll make it. Soooooo, I'm sticking to it!

Hampton Court

Thats where we went today. We were going to go to the Tower Of London, but weatehr and lack of funds stopped us. At least, we would have had to pay for transport to the Tower, we'd have got free admission (thanks to a lovely Mummy who works for Historic Royal Palaces!)

S&B made hats (will get pics of them off C's camera later...) and then S tried on a REAL one. And Mum did a copy of an edwardian outfit... quite well too! But the highlight of the Clore Learning Center was...... the dragon hanging from the ceiling! we found a dragon outside too... and a lion and a unicorn. The doors to the centre were amazing. Solid bronze mini statues depicting various activities that would take place at Hampton Court.

After that we walked the mile (the long way!) to ride the Land Train roudn the gardens (rip off at £2/each for a 15min ride) oh, via the Privy Kitchens for a coffee break for dad. Biiiig problem in their! They do *THE* best fridge cake .... highly calorific... so i shared it with the kids! All the foods are made on teh premises, daily. If you ever want a proper fresh meal (although expensive, Mums staff pass comes into it's own there) then I highly reccomend Hampton Court.

Grabbed our Lunches and ate in the rain... yup, you read that right. We headed to the Tiltyard Cafe for lunch, buit it was sooo busy they shut it. Clive, Sian, Beth and I ate in the rain otuside. Poor kids were frrrrreeeeeezin' ah, they loved it though, specially when they'd finished and were running in and out of the grasses nearby (muddy clothes they have!) went home soon after that. Kids and Grandparents were too tired to stay. Wouldn't beleive it the way S&B didn't go to sleep till 8pm though!