Valentines....

{Image from here}

Happy Valentines Day!

Mission: Complete one library bag before the morning

And I forgot so didn't get started until around 10pm!

Mitchell has library tomorrow. I wanted to make him a bag. Cost = nothing as I already had all the materials here.

Outer is black corduroy as well as the strap, lined with Thomas the Tank Engine. 'M' is also Thomas fabric ( but I guess the photo gives that away...lol). I also added two little blue snaps to keep it closed.

Mitchell is yet to see it so I hope he likes it!

A post for Mel!

I took a few photos the other day of my GORGEOUS little nephew Caleb, here are some from the totally random shoot. (For you Mel and yes I am getting the disc for you :) lol... )

Isn't he just TOTALLY cute?!!

I tell you he has won all our hearts!

My big boy

started Kindergarten on Friday!

I still can't believe he is going to be 6 in July...were does the time go?!

A day late but done!

Carolyn over at My Favourite is doing a 12 in 12 and I decided to participate. January's project was 'Something for yourself'. I'm a day late posting this but better late than never hey!

So I won't keep you waiting, here is my Madison Skirt....

I'm pretty happy with the outcome and I'm going to make another in a shorter length.

You know this blogging thing is hard to keep up with!

Things have been really busy around here...

1. Ashlee started year 7 on Thursday and....

2. Mitchell started Kindergarten on Friday

3. Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse......I have been diagnosed with a congenital kidney defect....lovely hey!

4. Our new year has begun with appointments - busy busy

5. Zach has had his follow up from his botox - we will need to meet with the head of anaesthesia at the SCH before his next botox round in about 4.5 months and he has also had 2 lots of casting for 4 and 5 days. Very happy with the result.

6. I have actually been sewing and crafting - as well as catching up on some TV time and enjoying having only 2 small children at home.

7. I'm going to be studying this year too because I didn't think I had enough to do - LOL!

All this will come with pictures and I need to complete my 'a photo day' posts. They kinda went out the window didn't they?! But photo's were still taken and will come I promise.

I'll leave you with these two pages I scrapped recently....

{ LOVE }

Credits: Kit - Smooch

{ 27 years young }

Credits: Free Spirit

OK, make that 3......

{ Merry Christmas 09 }

Credits: to come...

Oh....and before I forget! Rae and Dana are

doing a WHOLE month of......

Totally love this idea and will be following along! You should too!

Afternoon break

This morning I have:

# Washed & hung out 3 loads of washing (with one more still on the go)
# Cleaned out the car
# Scrubbed the kids bathroom and toilet from top to bottom
# Cleaned the laundry
# Made beds and thoroughly dusted, tidied & vacuumed the kids bedrooms

# Tidied and sweep out the back

Not to bad since I got a late start and didn't begin until 11am.

I have a few more things on my list to do but right now I'm sitting here with a cold drink and hoping that the mail arrives soon!

I'm waiting for....

this...

and this....

to come (and some other patterns for the kids). The weather is hot and my wardrobe sucks and since I've made a little packed with myself to not buy any clothes for at least 3 months I'm dying to get some of these sewn and ready to wear! I've also pulled out some old clothing to do some refashioning too.

This super cute 'jumper' and this little wrap dress are also on the agenda to take a look at this afternoon.

All this is going to have to wait until this afternoon though. Zachary's ADHC physio is going to be here in half an hour and I really should go and freshen up. A morning of cleaning really gets the sweat going!

I'll also be playing 'A Photo a Day' catch up this afternoon.....

Christmas Belated (Part 1 - Pic Heavy!)

So far this year we have had nothing but good, which is great right?! We had such a hard year last year with so many bad things happening things have got to be looking up now!

I thought it was finally time to share our wonderful Christmas with everyone.....

We had 4 Christmas parties to attend this year......Firstly we had our Early Intervention Christmas Party/Farewell. You see we are no longer travelling the 1.5 hours back to Cooma for this every week. We wanted to finish the year out there and then change to somewhere closer. The problem I have found though is NOTHING COMPARES. MEIS is so unique I'm yet to find anything that even comes close and thats hard. We all loved going there and were really sad to be leaving, even though we were told we were welcome anytime.

We ate fairy bread

And cupcakes....it's best to lick the icing off and leave most of the cupcake untouched

And said our farewells

The two most influential in Zach's experiences at MEIS

The one's I didn't get photos from.... The Queanbeyan Council Christmas Party - a lovely baked dinner and some entertainment and The Westfield/Spastic Centre Christmas Party - free Santa photos, lovely food, great games and inspirational people. Although none of my children would go anywhere near Santa, so no Santa photos this year.

Then it was The Special Children's Christmas Party....

Eating and drinking

Jumping castles (and a farm yard that I swear I took photos at but can't find them!)

Plenty of entertainment from snakes and alligators (that were a big hit!)

to a junior cheer leading squad - that were very good

Zach just enjoyed wondering around....

There was a great band, lots of dancing and some other rides. Police horses and dogs, racing cars, motorbikes and of course presents from Santa. The present were a hit, Santa not so much.

There plenty of Christmas lights! Our street was a Christmas wonderland!

Our neighbours house...

and some of the others...

More Christmas coming soon....I run out of time!

A Photo a Day - January 7, 2010

Another day another post!

A few weeks ago I took Ashlee to the doctors as she had been run down and generally unwell for quite a long time. Doctor did what doctors do and than decided she needed a blood test - he was thinking maybe Glandular Fever.........so off went. A few days later doctors surgery called to say the results were back and he would like to see Ashlee. Back to the doctors to find that Ashlee did not in fact have glandular fever but her iron levels were very high. There is a bit that goes into these tests so here's what is normal:

Serum Ferritin: 20 - 200 ng/ml

Transferrin Saturation: 20 - 30%

Ashlee's results:

Serum Ferritin: 314 ng/ml

Transferrin Saturation: 58% - this is the big indictor

So after a discussion about her diet....no, does not eat huge amounts of red meat etc.....and wheather she takes supplements......nope......we end up back getting blood tests. This time she they are testing for Haemochromatosis.

Christmas Eve I get a phone call from our doctor, yep she has it. Today we went back in for a discussion about treatment. We have been referred to a specialist but have also been told that the only treatment for Haemochromatosis is giving blood or at Ashlee's age just simply 'blood letting' since she is to young to give blood. Just a little fact for you all - as many as 1 in 300 people have it! It is also genetic and I have since found out that my Dad has it and I think it is in Ashlee's fathers side too. Today I had a blood test. Apparently because Ashlee has it I am at least a carrier the test is to see if I have it or not. Down the track all my other children will have to be tested as well - yippee!

So just more things to add to my plate. I also had an appointment today for the results of my cervix biopsy - see I must have done something terrible in my past life! For now we wait and repeat the biopsy in 6 months time - some good news I guess.

I'll leave it at that and leave you with some sewing that I completed today......

Firstly, a car seat canopy for my SIL Melissa and gorgeous little nephew Caleb. Now I completely forgot to take a picture when they came over earlier and picked it up, I'll have to get one later on. Until then think this but in these colours....

Then I 'whipped up' (lol!) a couple of burp cloths and a dribble bib complete with a snap

And this was sitting around waiting to be finished so I thought I would do it while I was on a roll!

One T-shirt - formally Ashlee's - refashioned into a T-shirt for Zachary!

He loves it and is currently wearing it while he is sleeping in his new bed!

Just for fun! This girl makes me laugh when I need it most!