As the old year ended I thought about how things are and what I need to change to be happier. It turns out that some major adjustments are required so I had to work out how to achieve them. I've been stressed and worried about things but I think there's been a resolution and though I'm fearful, I'm now also hopeful about the months ahead.
The Christmas holiday wasn't as happy as it could have been, but there were some brilliant times. The children were delighted with their gifts on Christmas morning. Duncan liked the Roller Coaster Tycoon CD Rom more than anything, even the cuckoo clock. Yep, I got one, and the blasted bird doesn't go out and in properly on the hour. I would have returned it to the online shop, but I see he's already customised it by painting the bird.
Thomas has been in Doctor Who heaven with his haul of DVDs, including a set from some of the old series. Lady likes her fancy new leotard and spent much time upside down against a wall or doing the splits on the floor.
I enjoyed a night out in the pub with a gang of cousins and my brother and his family stayed with us for a couple of nights; they finally saw our beach. I was also very happy to spend some time with one of my oldest and dearest friends who lives in New York. She's just as wonderful as ever.
Duncan has been hard work. He's very shouty and grouchy. I've not been able to figure out how to deal with it yet but it's hard. He's been emulating this awful YouTube video of an angry German kid, and keeps bashing his computer and disc boxes. It may be, actually it probably is, that he's picking up on my own less than optimal mood. He's my personal barometer. We were in Ikea yesterday and he roared and shouted, utterly obsessed with getting an ice-cream from the cafe behind the tills. I was very close to just heading off to the car with him many times.
It's likely that that as well as autism, as his paediatrician pointed out, he also has ADHD and this is what causes many of the difficulties. He has next to no impulse control: he's all about the Id. He can be very focused on tasks of his choosing but it's just about impossible to get him interested in other activities. He's certainly hyperactive, and when we're out places he always dashes off to whatever it is he's interested in. He's highly oppositional. If someone in the family hums or whistles or sings, even on another floor, he shouts at them to be quiet. He hates it when people express pleasure when eating, a yum or appreciative 'mmm' is countered with his angry, 'yuck!' If someone is counting down, he'll often start counting up and saying 'go' is likely to make him shout 'stop!'
I have to think again about how I can help him more. He's smart and cute, funny and loving. He's my darling boy and I'm proud of him. It's important that I see what can be changed in him or in his environment and what must be tolerated.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
5 Jan 2009
24 Dec 2008
Christmas Preparations
Happy Christmas to anyone who reads this blog. I love writing it and knowing I've got a record of some of the family's exploits, as well as my rants about this and that. I've been at it for almost 3 years now and wonder when I'll have had enough.
Lady has got some of the neighbourhood kids in for a Christmas party right now. She's made popcorn and rice crispy buns, and is playing a selection of top tunes on YouTube as they dance about. Simple pleasures eh?
Gordon is off for a run with Pippi. He's been preparing for tomorrow's dinner while I wrap the children's gifts and sort out rooms, trying to prepare a bit of space for the new clutter due to join us tomorrow morning. He'll be cooking turkey with pork belly. The pork skin's got a nipple. I feel slightly freaked out by this evidence of it's mammalian beginnings.
Duncan has been playing Zoombinis and re-reading the little book we made together called "Christmas Days" depicting the expected events of tomorrow. Thankfully I managed to source a cuckoo clock, and it's rather fine, even if it's not quite authentic and requires batteries. At least it's got a white bird and the pendulum (so I've been assured) does move so it should tick all Duncan's boxes. I might cheat and make a little label saying it was made in the Black Forest. Ah, stooping to forgery to please my son!
I'll bring all the gifts down tonight last thing. We don't leave presents under the tree here, one little boy would find it too difficult to resist ripping them open to seek the clock and other items he so desires.
One more thing, I have to get in a bit of a boast about Lady and Thomas and how well they did at their gymnastics competition. Thomas won all the gold medals for his age group surprising me with how hard he concentrated and how much effort he put in. Lady didn't win any medals, the standard was so much higher for the 10 year old competitors, but Gordon and I both got to see her performance and she did really well. She's strong and has great poise and grace. She desperately wants to go to more lessons and improve, so she can do that after Christmas. It was a pleasure to watch them both. I never realised that either of them are really any good! I usually drop them off outside the hall as I always have Duncan with me in the car and I don't like to take him in there. Lady was sad at first, especially since Thomas had done so well, but she's OK now and feels a bit more hopeful about the next competition.
Thomas was just a picture of pride and joy as he stood in the middle of the podium 3 times. On the last time, he tuned to us, his face beaming and gave us 2 thumbs up. It was a nice thing to see.
Lady has got some of the neighbourhood kids in for a Christmas party right now. She's made popcorn and rice crispy buns, and is playing a selection of top tunes on YouTube as they dance about. Simple pleasures eh?
Gordon is off for a run with Pippi. He's been preparing for tomorrow's dinner while I wrap the children's gifts and sort out rooms, trying to prepare a bit of space for the new clutter due to join us tomorrow morning. He'll be cooking turkey with pork belly. The pork skin's got a nipple. I feel slightly freaked out by this evidence of it's mammalian beginnings.
Duncan has been playing Zoombinis and re-reading the little book we made together called "Christmas Days" depicting the expected events of tomorrow. Thankfully I managed to source a cuckoo clock, and it's rather fine, even if it's not quite authentic and requires batteries. At least it's got a white bird and the pendulum (so I've been assured) does move so it should tick all Duncan's boxes. I might cheat and make a little label saying it was made in the Black Forest. Ah, stooping to forgery to please my son!
I'll bring all the gifts down tonight last thing. We don't leave presents under the tree here, one little boy would find it too difficult to resist ripping them open to seek the clock and other items he so desires.
One more thing, I have to get in a bit of a boast about Lady and Thomas and how well they did at their gymnastics competition. Thomas won all the gold medals for his age group surprising me with how hard he concentrated and how much effort he put in. Lady didn't win any medals, the standard was so much higher for the 10 year old competitors, but Gordon and I both got to see her performance and she did really well. She's strong and has great poise and grace. She desperately wants to go to more lessons and improve, so she can do that after Christmas. It was a pleasure to watch them both. I never realised that either of them are really any good! I usually drop them off outside the hall as I always have Duncan with me in the car and I don't like to take him in there. Lady was sad at first, especially since Thomas had done so well, but she's OK now and feels a bit more hopeful about the next competition.
Thomas was just a picture of pride and joy as he stood in the middle of the podium 3 times. On the last time, he tuned to us, his face beaming and gave us 2 thumbs up. It was a nice thing to see.
22 Dec 2008
The Big Family Christmas Party
It happened yesterday. I'll get my complaining out of the way first.
We gathered in a hotel back home, and though my Dad had requested and been promised a function room for our horde of 13 adults, 9 children and 2 babies, someone in management decided the room wasn't big enough for us and set our tables up in the main function room instead. And though we'd expected to have a room for 3 hours or so, we had to clear out after only 90 minutes to make way for a kid's disco.
Then the whole meal/drinks delivery was utterly chaotic. Instead of having service at the table, we had to join the queues for their lunchtime carvery in the adjoining room. When you've got loads of hyped up kiddies, going back and forth to fetch food isn't as easy as just sitting there and having it brought to you. The food was bleuch too, apart from the soup. It seems all these sorts of places can make a decent vegetable soup, the old fashioned kind with bits of lentils and barley. Duncan ate 3 bowls of the stuff.
But we were all in good form and the crack was mighty. The children were dressed in their finest Christmas specials (some in shirts Hobbits would be proud of) and the grown ups had scrubbed up nicely too. The children loved having the big room with a dance floor to charge around, and enjoyed catching up on all their important news; playground coups and the forging of new alliances on their streets, who's teeth had fallen out, what's happening in the world of culture (limited to HSM3, Hannah Montana and Doctor Who) and most importantly, who was getting what for Christmas.
Duncan had expected a particular train and DVD for his gift. I knew which sibling was buying to him and told him the items he preferred, thinking either of them would suffice But when he got the DVD but not the train, Duncan was upset and ranted and whinged for a while about the shocking injustice of it all.
Most of the time he was fine, and he liked sitting in the seats a little apart from everyone else looking at his DVD and the Thomas & Friends book he's received. But one little cousin just loves getting him all riled up, and the 2 of them had a few "wrestling" sessions. Often he just headed off whenever he felt like it, so my head was turned watching out for him and checking to see where he was and what he was up to. It would have been a heck of a lot easier if we were all in a smaller room.
After gulping down the meal we moved to some seats in the lounge, thankfully free of other customers so we were less likely to disturb people. The disco got going and our gang joined in. Even Duncan indulged in a bit of dancing now and then. They loved it.
Up to now, only Duncan had opened a gift, special privilege and all that. We knew that letting the littlies open presents in the lounge of a hotel could be just a demonstration of the effects of entropy so we all trooped off to my brother's house. Entropy still prevailed, but we had a better chance of gathering up all the pieces in the more familiar, enclosed space and knew that, if someone got home and realised that bits of their new Hot Wheels set (or whatever) were missing, they'd be able to get them back later.
The children, bless their acquisitive little hearts, liked the gift allocation bit the best. Lady gained a CD player, clothes and a beautiful necklace, Thomas got DVDs, (Doctor Who and Speed Racer) as well as Narnia dressing up clothes, Duncan has another Thomas set and Star Wars dress-up stuff. The adults all got new stuff too, and very nice it was.
Perhaps next year we'll try something different, but we'll certainly have another family get together. It's so lovely to see them, and for some freaky reason or other, all the children in our extended family are delightful, sweet, cute and brilliant and we adults still really get on well and actually, genuinely enjoy each other's company!
We gathered in a hotel back home, and though my Dad had requested and been promised a function room for our horde of 13 adults, 9 children and 2 babies, someone in management decided the room wasn't big enough for us and set our tables up in the main function room instead. And though we'd expected to have a room for 3 hours or so, we had to clear out after only 90 minutes to make way for a kid's disco.
Then the whole meal/drinks delivery was utterly chaotic. Instead of having service at the table, we had to join the queues for their lunchtime carvery in the adjoining room. When you've got loads of hyped up kiddies, going back and forth to fetch food isn't as easy as just sitting there and having it brought to you. The food was bleuch too, apart from the soup. It seems all these sorts of places can make a decent vegetable soup, the old fashioned kind with bits of lentils and barley. Duncan ate 3 bowls of the stuff.
But we were all in good form and the crack was mighty. The children were dressed in their finest Christmas specials (some in shirts Hobbits would be proud of) and the grown ups had scrubbed up nicely too. The children loved having the big room with a dance floor to charge around, and enjoyed catching up on all their important news; playground coups and the forging of new alliances on their streets, who's teeth had fallen out, what's happening in the world of culture (limited to HSM3, Hannah Montana and Doctor Who) and most importantly, who was getting what for Christmas.
Duncan had expected a particular train and DVD for his gift. I knew which sibling was buying to him and told him the items he preferred, thinking either of them would suffice But when he got the DVD but not the train, Duncan was upset and ranted and whinged for a while about the shocking injustice of it all.
Most of the time he was fine, and he liked sitting in the seats a little apart from everyone else looking at his DVD and the Thomas & Friends book he's received. But one little cousin just loves getting him all riled up, and the 2 of them had a few "wrestling" sessions. Often he just headed off whenever he felt like it, so my head was turned watching out for him and checking to see where he was and what he was up to. It would have been a heck of a lot easier if we were all in a smaller room.
After gulping down the meal we moved to some seats in the lounge, thankfully free of other customers so we were less likely to disturb people. The disco got going and our gang joined in. Even Duncan indulged in a bit of dancing now and then. They loved it.
Up to now, only Duncan had opened a gift, special privilege and all that. We knew that letting the littlies open presents in the lounge of a hotel could be just a demonstration of the effects of entropy so we all trooped off to my brother's house. Entropy still prevailed, but we had a better chance of gathering up all the pieces in the more familiar, enclosed space and knew that, if someone got home and realised that bits of their new Hot Wheels set (or whatever) were missing, they'd be able to get them back later.
The children, bless their acquisitive little hearts, liked the gift allocation bit the best. Lady gained a CD player, clothes and a beautiful necklace, Thomas got DVDs, (Doctor Who and Speed Racer) as well as Narnia dressing up clothes, Duncan has another Thomas set and Star Wars dress-up stuff. The adults all got new stuff too, and very nice it was.
Perhaps next year we'll try something different, but we'll certainly have another family get together. It's so lovely to see them, and for some freaky reason or other, all the children in our extended family are delightful, sweet, cute and brilliant and we adults still really get on well and actually, genuinely enjoy each other's company!
19 Dec 2008
A sense of style
Lady has cared about how she looks for a long time. Since she was a toddler she has chosen most of her outfits though often when she was younger, she'd mix it up in clashing colours that had me rolling my eyes and envying her nice, neat, pristine and coordinated friends. But I usually let her make that decision, knowing there were plenty of other battles that I had to win. As she's grown, she has developed a cool and easy style and always looks good. She's so different from myself at her age, when I had no confidence about clothes and hated shopping, worrying about what my friends might think about what I wore, and just having no idea what looked good on me.
Thomas too likes to dress to impress, and gave me shopping instructions for the Big Family Christmas Party we're going to on Sunday; black trousers and a button down shirt. He's not gone too far into junior meterosexual territory yet, hasn't asked for hair gel or anything, but he makes an effort now and then.
So far, Duncan has only worried about clothes when he's been dressing up. Then he'd pull together a look using stuff from his dressing up box, but also the drawers and wardrobes of all the family, if he thought it fit the part.
But when we were in Florida, I was buying tops for the children, and he picked a couple that he wanted. One was a Spiderman shirt printed with a picture of a rippling chest, which looks so funny on his skinny frame. But hey, he wanted that one. He also chose a bright Disney shirt and has worn it often since we got home.
I've usually laid an outfit out for him each morning, but more often than not he wears what he wants. Recently there was another new development. We were in the supermarket, home to dough-nuts, sweets, crisps, DVDs and toys and so full of temptations for a boy like Duncan. He looked at these in turn, chose a packet of gum, examined as usual the case of the much wanted but at the same time feared Dinosaur DVD, then said, "go see boy's things" and walked off to the clothes section! I wasn't expecting that. He liked the look of shirt/waistcoat combo, saying it was a "Lord of the Rings top." (Lady's just explained why; he's seen clips of the Hobbits on YouTube.) But he opted instead for a stripped and very handsome looking shirt, and a Superman T-shirt. Now he has a special outfit for the party too.
I just need to think about what I'll be wearing now. I can't let my fashionable children down.
Thomas too likes to dress to impress, and gave me shopping instructions for the Big Family Christmas Party we're going to on Sunday; black trousers and a button down shirt. He's not gone too far into junior meterosexual territory yet, hasn't asked for hair gel or anything, but he makes an effort now and then.
So far, Duncan has only worried about clothes when he's been dressing up. Then he'd pull together a look using stuff from his dressing up box, but also the drawers and wardrobes of all the family, if he thought it fit the part.
But when we were in Florida, I was buying tops for the children, and he picked a couple that he wanted. One was a Spiderman shirt printed with a picture of a rippling chest, which looks so funny on his skinny frame. But hey, he wanted that one. He also chose a bright Disney shirt and has worn it often since we got home.
I've usually laid an outfit out for him each morning, but more often than not he wears what he wants. Recently there was another new development. We were in the supermarket, home to dough-nuts, sweets, crisps, DVDs and toys and so full of temptations for a boy like Duncan. He looked at these in turn, chose a packet of gum, examined as usual the case of the much wanted but at the same time feared Dinosaur DVD, then said, "go see boy's things" and walked off to the clothes section! I wasn't expecting that. He liked the look of shirt/waistcoat combo, saying it was a "Lord of the Rings top." (Lady's just explained why; he's seen clips of the Hobbits on YouTube.) But he opted instead for a stripped and very handsome looking shirt, and a Superman T-shirt. Now he has a special outfit for the party too.
I just need to think about what I'll be wearing now. I can't let my fashionable children down.
9 Dec 2008
Homepages - Tales From The Irish Blogosphere
Doesn't it look great! There's a great new book out. It'd be perfect for Christmas presents for all your friends and family. It's called Homepages and here's some more information:
Homepages is a unique collection of stories and photographs, the first of its kind in Ireland. The nation’s best bloggers hold forth on the theme of “home”, covering everything from pets and expat life to parenting and the Kellogg’s Variety Pack. By turns hilarious, heartbreaking and thought-provoking, it promises a captivating read and showcases some of Ireland’s best undiscovered writing talent.Now doesn't that sound like it'd be a good read? It'll make you laugh so much you'll wee, and cry like The Champ's just died, or provoke such deep thoughts that you'll be modelling for the next Rodin.All proceeds from the sale of this book, compiled on an entirely voluntary basis from submissions made via this website, go directly to Focus Ireland, who provide services and support for people who are homeless across Ireland.
The book is now on sale for €14 ( £10.96 ) via Lulu.com on a print-on-demand basis. Click here to order your copy!
These are the contributors:
- Pauline McLynn
- One For The Road
- Manuel
- Sami
- Primal Sneeze
- Colette McNamara
- Red Mum
- Crack Jackson
- Radge
- Grandad
- CD
- AJ O’Flaherty
- Suse
- Claire Wilson
- Darren Byrne
- Ann
- Paul S
- Kate
- Annie Rhiannon
- Rosie
- K8 The Gr8
- Jo
- Katherine Kenny
- Caitriona Dwyer
- Conortje
- Anna Lally
- Marian Roche
- Devin Mungovan
- John Butler
- Red
- Beth Morrissey
- Sarah Gostrangely
- Elizabeth Hutcheson
- Simon Tuohy
- Yvonne Reilly
- Ciara
- Colm O’Brien
- Grannymar
- Andrew
- Gray Wright
- Darragh Doyle
- Narocroc
- Twenty Major
- Gimme A Minute
- Ian Poulton
- Sharon Fennell
- Bryan Mukandi
- David Maybury
- Red Leeroy
- MK
- John Braine
It is after all, a list of the nation's best bloggers, or rather, the nation's best bloggers...and me.
Plaudits to Catherine Brodigan for getting this organised. She's done a marvellous job and I hope it sells like hot pies and makes loads of money for Focus Ireland.
2 Jan 2007
Christmas Meme
Hazel tagged me.
Name three things:
* that you had hanging on your tree:
* that you’ve eaten / drunk lots of:
* that you said most often this Christmas
* that you heard most often this Christmas
* that you’ll do again next year
* that you’ll *never* do again
* that you didn’t do this year but hope to do next year
* favourite presents this year
* that you’re glad you didn’t get for Christmas
I'm not tagging anyone specifically, go ahead anyone who fancies it.
Name three things:
* that you had hanging on your tree:
- Cheap, cheerful, indestructible Christmas tat that we've collected over the years
- home-made decorations
- a photo Duncan looking cute in a Santa hat, tied with a bit of ribbon.
* that you’ve eaten / drunk lots of:
- Christmas cake and cups of tea
- Turkey; it was delicious for Christmas dinner, filled a few sandwiches and a pie and provided a base for a great stock.
- Port; goes well with the cake too.
* that you said most often this Christmas
- Happy Christmas!
- This is delicious!
- Pick that stuff up.
* that you heard most often this Christmas
- Hooray! Thank you!
- Play Harry Potter with me (new CD Rom).
- Draw Brum/Adiboo/a frog/a rocket/Toy Story Zurg...(from Duncan).
* that you’ll do again next year
- Get together with all my family and their children for a party. That was ace.
- Facilitate the magic of Santa.
- Make a big Christmas cake (next year, with whiskey!).
* that you’ll *never* do again
- Can't think of anything...non, je ne regrette rien.
* that you didn’t do this year but hope to do next year
- Relax more and tidy less.
- See more friends.
* favourite presents this year
- The joy of our children on Christmas morning, and having them play together so happily.
- A DVD of Sideways and CD by Justin Timberlake.
- My classy red handbag; thanks L. for your impeccable good taste!
* that you’re glad you didn’t get for Christmas
- Too much stuff.
I'm not tagging anyone specifically, go ahead anyone who fancies it.
25 Dec 2006
Christmas Day
It's CHRISTMAS!
I'm sitting on Duncan's bed, trying to help him get to sleep with my comforting/guarding presence. He pushing a new toy train (it puffs steam and chuffs and there's a tiny red light in the funnel) up and down his bed and chatting to himself. It's been a good day. It's been a nice few days.
The highlights for me;
When I was tucking Thomas into bed on Christmas eve, he hugged me and told me he'd love me forever.
Lady drew a beautiful picture of herself and her brothers for Santa; Santa liked it so much, he wrote her a little message to tell her so.
Thomas wrote a letter to Santa, which he read as, 'Dear Santa, I would like 5 presents please. I like you, from Thomas.' I may have seen a random selection of letters, with his name written perfectly in the middle, but Santa understood perfectly.
Duncan asked me to draw a picture of Santa, so I did. Then he wanted a Santa book. So I made a book, stuck the pages together, and he dictated the story and told me what pictures to draw, then we read it together. There's no doubt now that for the 1st time, he understood exactly what was gong on this Christmas.
At 6.30 this morning, we were all downstairs and everyone was delighted with their presents. Duncan was so excited and happy. He was shouting 'hooray!' and kept hugging me tight and squashing his face next to mine and kissing me saying 'cuddle you' and 'thank you!'
Thomas gave me one of his chocolate coins 'for being a very good adult'.
Lady looked so beautiful in her new pretty combat trousers, you know the cute ones with loads of pockets and a bit of pink embroidery so Action Man wouldn't be seen dead in them.
I played a new Harry Potter Cd Rom with Thomas and Lady; Santa decided against getting a Nintendo DS etc.
We had visitors; Gordon's mum, my dad, step-mum and her 2 sons and we all chatted, drank bucks-fizz and ate crisps.
Gordon did all the cooking while I washed-up and peeled vegetable and played with children. Our meal was wonderful. Gordon's desire to improve the taste of Christmas dinner each year has obvious benefits.
The rum-soaked Christmas cake I'd made was bloody excellent. I alternate each year between soaking the fruit in rum or in whiskey to celebrate our family's Jamaican and Irish roots. ;-)
Doctor Who (the only telly I watched) was great fun.
I thought back to Christmas 3 years ago. Duncan was 3, and because he often had his hand down the front of his nappy, he'd sometimes (or often?) inadvertently smear, well you know what. That Christmas day, I remember washing a whole box of wooden trains and track, hosing him down in the shower, and Gordon getting out the carpet washer and getting to work. Wow, we've come a long way.
Anyway, like Shane says, happy Christmas yer arse.
I'm sitting on Duncan's bed, trying to help him get to sleep with my comforting/guarding presence. He pushing a new toy train (it puffs steam and chuffs and there's a tiny red light in the funnel) up and down his bed and chatting to himself. It's been a good day. It's been a nice few days.
The highlights for me;
When I was tucking Thomas into bed on Christmas eve, he hugged me and told me he'd love me forever.
Lady drew a beautiful picture of herself and her brothers for Santa; Santa liked it so much, he wrote her a little message to tell her so.
Thomas wrote a letter to Santa, which he read as, 'Dear Santa, I would like 5 presents please. I like you, from Thomas.' I may have seen a random selection of letters, with his name written perfectly in the middle, but Santa understood perfectly.
Duncan asked me to draw a picture of Santa, so I did. Then he wanted a Santa book. So I made a book, stuck the pages together, and he dictated the story and told me what pictures to draw, then we read it together. There's no doubt now that for the 1st time, he understood exactly what was gong on this Christmas.
At 6.30 this morning, we were all downstairs and everyone was delighted with their presents. Duncan was so excited and happy. He was shouting 'hooray!' and kept hugging me tight and squashing his face next to mine and kissing me saying 'cuddle you' and 'thank you!'
Thomas gave me one of his chocolate coins 'for being a very good adult'.
Lady looked so beautiful in her new pretty combat trousers, you know the cute ones with loads of pockets and a bit of pink embroidery so Action Man wouldn't be seen dead in them.
I played a new Harry Potter Cd Rom with Thomas and Lady; Santa decided against getting a Nintendo DS etc.
We had visitors; Gordon's mum, my dad, step-mum and her 2 sons and we all chatted, drank bucks-fizz and ate crisps.
Gordon did all the cooking while I washed-up and peeled vegetable and played with children. Our meal was wonderful. Gordon's desire to improve the taste of Christmas dinner each year has obvious benefits.
The rum-soaked Christmas cake I'd made was bloody excellent. I alternate each year between soaking the fruit in rum or in whiskey to celebrate our family's Jamaican and Irish roots. ;-)
Doctor Who (the only telly I watched) was great fun.
I thought back to Christmas 3 years ago. Duncan was 3, and because he often had his hand down the front of his nappy, he'd sometimes (or often?) inadvertently smear, well you know what. That Christmas day, I remember washing a whole box of wooden trains and track, hosing him down in the shower, and Gordon getting out the carpet washer and getting to work. Wow, we've come a long way.
Anyway, like Shane says, happy Christmas yer arse.
21 Dec 2006
Other stuff on the homefront
SO, it being nearly Christmas and all, we put up our Christmas tree. (This was a week or so ago; I just never wrote about it then.) It's a plastic thing, bought a few years ago when I came to the realisation that a fresh smelling pine, elegantly draped with lights and beautiful glass baubles, really wasn't the thing to have in the house with a couple of curious children, and lets be honest, one of whom who seemed to be in training for a career in the demolition industry. So each year we dust off the fake tree, and hang the cheap plastic baubles and all the wee decorations that the children have made over the years. One of my favourite things on it is a photo-bauble of Duncan wearing a Santa hat, looking straight at the camera with his tongue poking out. It was made in his old nursery, and he looks such a picture of mischief and fun.
The children had a lot of fun dressing the tree and I managed not to get too crabbit about mess and malfunctioning lights etc. Duncan was especially excited about the whole thing. He was jumping around and marching up and down the kitchen, wrapped in a length of tinsel. singing Jingle Bells! I can see that this is the first year when he understands and shares in the excitement of Christmas. He tells people who ask him what Santa (or Santy as they say here) is bringing him, that he's bringing a present, a 'Thomas real water tower'. Well, we shall see if the old man in the North Pole got the e-mails Lady sent him.
There have, funny enough, been a few parcels delivered from Amazon over the past few days. Duncan did notice them, but I managed to convince him they were all for Daddy. One large package arrived containing a Major buggy. I'd forgotten that it had been ordered for him by the OT. It's a large stroller, designed for disabled children, and we decided to try it out right away. We took a trip to the beach. Duncan enjoyed sitting in it, he had a huge grin on his face and his arms in the air. He got out for a good run around on the beach with Lady and Thomas. When we were going home, Thomas wanted a turn in the buggy but Duncan didn't want to get out so Thomas just sat on his knee and Duncan put his arms around him and held him tight. They looked so cute together, but it was kinda hard going up the hill so Thomas got out after a while. I was pleased that it worked so well for Duncan though, I think we'll make plenty of use of this. It beats having to carry him on my back when we go for a walk and he gets a bit overloaded or tired.
The children had a lot of fun dressing the tree and I managed not to get too crabbit about mess and malfunctioning lights etc. Duncan was especially excited about the whole thing. He was jumping around and marching up and down the kitchen, wrapped in a length of tinsel. singing Jingle Bells! I can see that this is the first year when he understands and shares in the excitement of Christmas. He tells people who ask him what Santa (or Santy as they say here) is bringing him, that he's bringing a present, a 'Thomas real water tower'. Well, we shall see if the old man in the North Pole got the e-mails Lady sent him.
There have, funny enough, been a few parcels delivered from Amazon over the past few days. Duncan did notice them, but I managed to convince him they were all for Daddy. One large package arrived containing a Major buggy. I'd forgotten that it had been ordered for him by the OT. It's a large stroller, designed for disabled children, and we decided to try it out right away. We took a trip to the beach. Duncan enjoyed sitting in it, he had a huge grin on his face and his arms in the air. He got out for a good run around on the beach with Lady and Thomas. When we were going home, Thomas wanted a turn in the buggy but Duncan didn't want to get out so Thomas just sat on his knee and Duncan put his arms around him and held him tight. They looked so cute together, but it was kinda hard going up the hill so Thomas got out after a while. I was pleased that it worked so well for Duncan though, I think we'll make plenty of use of this. It beats having to carry him on my back when we go for a walk and he gets a bit overloaded or tired.
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