We're back!

A busy couple of weeks has kept me away from the computer,also an Orange crash causing us to have to re-configure the router.

Updates -

Grace currently still well, but flagging a little. This morning we had to be at a dance Festival by 8.00am. My older girls were concerned that she wasn't her normal self, but bearing in mind that she had done a full dress rehearsal, with make up and hair done, plus physio and medication and nebuliser before she went on stage before 9.30, she was allowed to not be her 'normal self', I don't think any child that age would be in the greatest of spirit at that time.

We are going to Church on Sunday (next Sunday) now that all of the festival is dispensed with. Dilema though, friends would like us to join them at their church which we would like very much, but Graces friends are going to Sunday school at another (local) church and she wants to go with them. So what do I do? I will probably be taking Graces friends to Sunday school next week, but their parents want them to go local - so the dilema is apparent.

Yesterday we had complimentary tickets to a Coventry City home game. Although I really enjoyed it, they were absolutely attrocious, i've never seen such diabolical football, no wonder I don't follow them anymore, but still it was a nice afternoon out.

Last Saturday was Karl and Lauras wedding, (Marks youner brother) and we had a very long day followed by dance festival on Sunday....pictures to follow, although I took them all and there are none of me in my wedding outfit, but there are some of me later on in my evening outfit. Grace had a great time and danced into the early hours (no pacing) just outright over doing it, which meant that after the festival she had to have a day off school to recover.

I have so much to post and after being almost a week without the internet, i'm struggling to remember what it all is, so it will probably come in dribs and drabs over the next few days..............

Graces dance troupe won gold this morning by the way, out of a catagory of 13 other dance troupes and they were probably the youngest troupe also.

Ok, this could be a litle in-coherant (sp?) as I have had a large baileys, a glass of very vinegary house red and one and a half g and t's. The one and a half g and t's is due to a win on the pub quiz,we won four pints or 8 halves, which we managed to wangle as a half of bitter, a g and t and a bag of nuts, of which my friend 'R' and I split the gin and tonic, good job because if I drank anything else..... I am struggling to spell presently.

Anyway, we won and thats all that counts.....

DEBATE

Ibuprofen-

Grace takes 10ml of ibuprofen bd. Since taking it she has been considerably well, but her steroids have been lowered and she has been trialling clarythromycin (contributaries to her wellness).

The ibruprofen was introduced due to her aching joints, but seems not to be able to manage without it.

Question

What are your opinions on long term ibuprofen?

Grace seems to be the best she has ever been whilst taking it, but generally there are concerns regarding bleeds and ulcers.

Opinions muchly appreciated

To date, I have had orders for £45.00 worth of mini Christmas cakes and they're not even ready yet. (No I haven't forgotten you Shelley, yours is defintely on the list).

I have officially signed up today for the NVQ3 in Childcare so I am thinking I need to be getting my very deep thinking cap on.

Grace has been asked by her Piano Teacher to get the 'Preparation for Grade 1 book'

The cat has been very naughty today and generally being a nuisance. For instance, she went inside a cupboard in the kitchen which has a small opening at the back, which she somehow managed to squeeze through and spent an hour behind the plinth underneath the cupboards. We managed to coax her out with a piece of chicken without removing the plinth. She then decided to put her paw in my baileys and licked it clean and has been just attacking us all evening! Finally when I was emptiying the tumble dryer she kept steeling pants and socks and running off with them.

I am going to a pub quiz with friends on Thursday (really looking forward to that, I love quizzes of any description) and I have also been invited to a birthday party, but its a beach party so I need to fish out my sarong (no bikinis though, I don't think bikinis and tequila shots and limbo dancing really mix at my age).

Off to bed now, not much to update, but Grace is well, if a little tired and in need of half term, but we are just looking forward to doing stuff together. She has become a little in need of Mummys company this week, maybe its because I am working, but it seems mostly at bedtime when her mind wanders, but still its nice to feel wanted.................

Good night God Bless

I've had a busy time since last blogging. I was invited to a birthday party last Friday, well actually Mark and I were invited but Mark had to attend a stag party on the same night so I decided that I would go alone as it was unmissable. Then Mark was commandeered to drive as he doesn't drink alcohol and I had to cadge a lift with some friends.

I am so glad that I did, the party was at an Arabian restaurant called 'Habibi'. I don't know if its a chain or just a one off restaurant in Coventry, but what a great place! We went through a small brown insignificant door to a building that I have probably passed lots of times and never acknowledged. From there we went through to the rear of the building into a Bedouin type tent with rugs on the floor and masses of material draped over the walls and from the ceiling. In the middle of the tent was huge sort of pit with a fire burning and on the tables were those peculiar hooka bong pipes, and after dinner many of the guests tried them out, they were generally herbal and one smelled strongly of apple, but I didn't have a go.

We had a selection of Arabian dishes and we had to take our own wine/beer etc, but it was just a fantastic time sitting on very low cushioned seating (except my knees didn't like it) and that was followed by baklava for dessert and a hot fruity tea served in teapots that looked like a genie might pop out if they were acidentally rubbed....... highly reccomended evenings entertainment.

I've been to a Childminder briefing this evening to get all the neccessary bumff to get me started on my training, and also to try and understand the 'ins' and 'outs' of Ofsted.

Grace went to clinic yesterday and they are still very pleased with her, she is due to finish IV's on Thursday.

I went for a run on Sunday and was very pleased with my progress, I am also going to the gym tomorrow morning whilst I have a spare half day.

I am selling diddy Xmas cakes again this year, but would like to spare a thought for a close friend who's very newly born Grandson died at just two days old last week, so the money raised this year will be going to 'Jimmys neonatal' in Leeds.

Muchly in need of some sleep now, it seems that these days I only get to blog very late at night.

Good night, God bless xx

Apologies to start with! I've not had a chance to blog mainly because I am working now and also whenever I am home, Mark tends to be around and on the computer! Today he has an outdoor painting job so I've got rid of him!

I was supposed to be going to the gym this morning but whilst pulling Graces jumper down I managed to pull her line out so we had to wait for the nurse to come and re-access her port. She is on her planned monthly IV's but seems to be doing very well still at the moment.

Updates

I am currently training to be a Childminder so that I can work from home, earn money and still keep an eye on Grace and be around if needed. It takes a bit of time to to the training courses and have an assesment via OFSTED, but my neighbour has taken on twins under a year old and she cannot look after them without an assistant (me) so therefore i'm getting the training quite quickly.

Grace is in training for a dance festival in November and I am already sick of 'The Ugly Bug Ball' she's also in a dance trio so we need two costumes (money money).

I am going either to the gym or for a big run tomorrow as it has been very difficult for me to do it regularly lately. Last Sunday I got up early put my running shoes on (new ones might I add) and they must have had an amazing bouncy effect on me or something and I ran for miles! It was great, but sadly I haven't been able to get out since.

The cat is currently pushing it! How many times in a day is it usual to sweep up cat litter because the daft animal has dived in and dived out of it at 100 miles an hour in one of her crazy kitten modes? and she has now discovered that she can climb onto the breakfast bar whilst we are eating and its impossible for her to be in the room now whilst we are eating or she will just put her paws or her nose in everything, although I don't think she will put her paw in my cup of tea again.

This weekend the leopard print wellies are coming out of the shed and the garden is getting its winter overhaul (that doesn't look right sp?) and I have ordered reindeer food ready to start making up my supplies and I have already made 15 Christmas cakes! I so missed it last year, but what with the dodgey builders that didn't finish my kitchen in time and Graces extremely poor health, I just didn't feel like it. This year I think I might add some mini Christmas puds to my gift list.

Grace and I have decided to make it a very personal touch for Christmas this year and we are making everyone a personal gift and cards, obviously the cakes and puds are on our list, but knitted scarfs, slippers and teddies are another and jars of chutneys etc, but feel free to give us some more ideas if anyone out there has some.

I have another update that I can't actually update yet, but as soon as I can, I will, and its very exciting! For now though, some reminders from the summer holidays

Well the hoover beckons.................. and a Happy Birthday to you Shelley Boo!

I Defy you not to be cheered up by this!

Grace said some children from year six sang this in their assembly last week and had no idea what it was. I showed her this on Youtube and since then we have sung it every morning whilst getting ready for school and even now I still can't stop laughing at it.

I have been making my first Christmas cakes today (last year went terribly down the pan due to Grace being so ill) but I'm back on target and up and running again now, obviously I sang manamana! the whole time I was making them, i'll be singing it in my sleep soon!

It really cheers you up.

Manamana

Still no reply from 'Foot in mouth' interview, I think that speaks for itself really. Anyway, I officially start tomorrow as a 'Childminders mate' and looking forward to it greatly. well actually I went to my first Sure start meeting and got invited on the Christmas night out! What a socialite am I?.... we have booked into a hotel and we will be using all of the facilitities! (I know, but I've had wine) and then an evenings entertainment of dinner followed by tribute act (no idea which one) and disco.....time for sparkly shoes and then stay overnight followed by fat breakfast in the morning and home after that. Now thats what I call a Christmas night out.

Mark has got a few jobs this week, he has two painting and decorating jobs and he has to go to Emmaus tomorrow for a big gardening contract. Emmaus is local to us, its a place where the homeless can go and be fed and a bed in exchange for working. The job includes collecting and distributing of furniture from around the city. I do not know if its a national company, but it seems to work very well here..... and also their surrounding grounds are very over grown.

Mark has gone to do an extra filming thingy this evening, he has a part in a nativity film in Coventry city centre. Its a very warm evening and he has to wear a scarf and gloves.... but atleast he is off the computer and not in!!! (sorry about the exclamations, but its nice to be home alone).

Grace has gone to her friends for tea and won't be back until 6.30. Ridhi is her very good school friend and she has just moved into our street so its all very exiting. Health wise she is doing ok, flagging a little since being back at school, but we are hoping that she will over come this once settled into her routine. Breathing a little heavy again, but nothing major is bothering her. She is due in BCH clinic next Wednesday so we will see how well she is doing.

And Faye, well Faye is never in these days, i'm thinking of getting one of those pigeon whole thingys that they have in hotel lobbys for keys and post haha!

A blog that I follow regularly made me laugh greatly when the blogger accidentally phoned home from her mobile and thought she was getting a dodgy heavy breathing type phone call, it made me think back to a night out a few weeks ago where upon I was attempting to be 'all cool like' and managed to zip my chiffony top into my handbag and couldn't pay for my drinks for about 20 minutes whilst trying to pick myself out of it..........don't think I will be going to that establishment again.

I'm off to get another glass of wine now and make my cheeks warm and rosy because I haven't got to go out or be taxi to anyone this evening.