Silent Sunday: Advent Sunday

Simple Womans Day Book

FOR TODAY… Thursday 18th November

Outside my window… It is wet and grey and horrible. Just for a change…

I am thinking… What will the Special Needs teacher from the LEA say when she comes to see me tomorrow. She called to say that they are applying for some funding so that Katie can have some 1:1 care at nursery a few hours a week. She is coming to fill in some big forms with me and also to show me the report that she wrote about Katie when she observed her in nursery a little while ago.
We are still waiting for the full results of her assessments but the news that they are applying for funding has given me a glimmer of hope that we might get a diagnosis. I don’t want Katie labelled if there is nothing there but if there is and a label helps get her the support that she needs then bring it on!

I am thankful for… my mum recovering well (again). She had a set back at the weekend and had to have more emergency surgery on her eye yesterday. This time they have treated it differently and although she will need another operation in 3 months time her immediate recovery will be much quicker. She is in really good spirits.

From the kitchen… I can smell coffee. My new coffee machine really is wonderful. I might make some Pudsey Bear biscuits later for Children in Need.

I am wearing… Comfy blue jeans and a tshirt.

I am going… to see Robyn sing at church with the school choir on Saturday afternoon. She has been desperate to join the choir for a couple of years now. This is her 1st chance and I can’t wait to see her 🙂

I am hoping… that my nephew remembers to collect Robyn from school in 5 minutes time…

I am hearing… Adverts on kids TV. The girls keep seeing things and adding to their Christmas wish lists. Trouble is that Santa has finished his shopping for them now lol.

Around the house… It’s a mess. I need to tidy up ready for the special needs teacher coming round tomorrow.

One of my favorite things… is seeing Katie smile. Today I managed to get a lovely shot of her with a beautiful, natural smile. Katie being happy makes me happy 🙂

A few plans for the rest of the week… It is the Christmas lights switch on here on Saturday. We are only a small town but the festivities are always good fun. Snow machines in the street and a definite Christmas feeling. Can’t wait!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

You can join in with the Day Book here… http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Thankful Friday

It’s been a while! I’ve got out of the blogging habit and I need to break back into it. I’ve missed it.
A gentle way to break back then is Thankful Friday. Here goes 🙂

It’s been a tough few weeks here. I’ve had to take Katie for a number of appointments at the Child Development Unit. She has been assessed by various professionals to determine whether she has an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I’ve blogged many times before about her problems and how they affect our day-to-day life. She seemed to perform well at the assessments but was predictably as good as gold. She did of course have the undivided attention of at least 2 adults at any one time, sometimes 4.
I have been promised that her behaviour at home will be taken into account. There are a couple of professionals who are submitting reports who have seen her tantrums 1st hand.

We have to wait now until 24th November to get the results of the assessments. Anthony is taking the day off work so that he can come with me to the appointment. I just about managed to go to the assessments on my own but I don’t feel I can go to the next one without support.

Robyn also had a hospital appointment recently where it was confirmed that she has significant reflux and a sliding hiatus hernia which is causing her awful heartburn. She is now on the list to have an operation (Nissen’s Fundoplication – info here) in the new year. We are all nervous about it but it will be worth it to sort her problems out.

Mum has suffered with a detached retina a couple of weeks ago and had to undergo emergency eye surgery. Sadly her and Dad were meant to fly to Malta that day and had to cancel their holiday. Still, if they had gone she probably would have lost the sight in her eye. She is recovering well and her sight in the affected eye is improving every day.

So what am I thankful for? Yet again I’m thankful for the NHS. The doctors, nurses and receptionists who have helped with getting our various family members the help they need.

Katie’s assessments are all being done through the LEA. They have also been wonderful. I’ve had contact with educational psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, a teacher for the visually impaired, portage services, nursery nurses, special needs teachers and doctors. We were also lucky enough to be provided with a door to door transport service to get us to and from all the assessments. I cannot praise the whole team enough.

I am thankful for my family and friends who have listened and supported me over the last few weeks.

And also for

• My new coffee machine. It gives me much pleasure!
• Cake. Especially Nigellas chocolate orange loaf cake which was baked by my friend.
• Central heating, good windows and doors, warm coats and umbrellas. The weather is giving us a battering at the moment!
• The sensible woman at Sky for agreeing to send an engineer to fix (hopefully!) our sky box upstairs for free instead of charging us £65
• My new gloves which are on their way to me right now. I wanted some gloves that would make taking photos easier in the cold and my friend has come up with these. They are perfect for using iPhones etc too. Like them?!… Contact her on FB and I’m sure she would love to make you some too! She charges just £5 incl p&p.

I’ll be back soon. I promise 🙂

 

 

November Scavenger Hunt List

1. Tripod
2. Action figure
3. Predicament
4. Disaster
5. Splat!
6. That would be brilliant!!
7. om-nom-nom!
8. Going Postal
9. I do not dare
10. Let Me In
11. Where`s my cow?
12. Tragic Fragment
13. Excess Baggage
14. It gives me the creeps
15. Here There and Everywhere
16. Cubicle hell
17. Oops
18. Sound of silence
19. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
20. End of day