Caitlin the photographer!

Well we let her use a disposable camera on holiday (still to be developed) ut I let her loose in the garden with my old digital one this week, won't work inside as the light meter is broken but it's o outside. You can see her efforts here. As you can see she hasnt quite got the idea of having her fingers away from the lens, but she was very definate she wanted pictures of Oliver and Jessica and her car. Don't think these were too bad for a 2 year 11 month old. I'll have her taking photos and scrapping them by the time she's 5, LOL. She did get a scrapping set for christmas, so I thought I might let her have a go with a couple of holiday photos.

Have been doing some digi scrapping over the last couple of days of our holiday pictures while I'm waiting for my photobox order. Was very impressed though as they dispatched them the same day as I ordered. Being as I didn't complete the order until 3pm though that was good.

First Night uses photoshop brushes form the very talented http://www.spaceraven.net/ with the flower embellishment and bits from Heather Ann designs.

Thank you to Tim...

...for my flickr photo thing on the side bar, very cute!

Spent today cropping and ordering holiday pictures, hopefully they'll be here in a couple of days. We still need to take Caitlin's disposable camera in to get developed. She was asking if she could take more pictures again today! Think Tim may have created a monster, but she does like doing what mum does and I do take a few pictures when we're out and about.

Fun with photos

It's all Tim's fault he gave me the link to this site http://www.flagrantdisregard.com/flickr/ great fun to play with, here's some of my efforts. I think they'd make nice embellishments for layouts, but the quality isn't very high for large sizes.

Think this is my favourite one of the holiday though, how often can you get this close to a tiger? We were behind a clear barrier, but the tiger was only a foot or so away, amazing!

The seagull one was taken at Lakeside, he very oblingingly came and posed on the post while we were waiting for the boat.

Wild and wet!

Well think that describes the weather in the lakes really! Gale force winds and rain for couple of days, largely cold and showery, but we made the best of it. Caitlin loved the camping though and we made the best of the dry spells.

On friday the weather was actually dry and sunny and we went to the South Lakes Animal Park. Had fantastic day, the lemurs are allowed to run free around the park and they are such fun to watch at such close quarters. Caitlin loved feeding the emu and various ducks. At feeding time she got to give a grape to a lemur which she though was fab! These are some of my favourite pictures from the zoo.

End of term!

Well I've made it through the first year at uni. Did my presentation yesterday which went ok, had 10 seconds to spare on my time limit and there was one really awkward question afterwards, but I hope I have done enough to pass, would be gutted if I didn't. The Community essay is handed in too, so glad to get that out the way too, just hoping I pass, even if I only get 40% because the though of resitting that is just a nightmare. Should hopefully know if I've passed the year by the end on July, but it's not certain beacuse of the marking strike by some lecturers. Our boards to ratify marks in on the 10th July and any work not marked by then will have to wait until Autumn for confirmation. Obviously 3rd years who can't graduate without this are top of the priority list. I do know most of our lecturers have been marking through the strike, just witholding marks, so I'm hopeful.

Just seems amazing the first year is over already! Was in the pub yesterday having a stiff drink to recover from my presentation and was talking to Jane, she was the first person I spoke to on the first day and has become a friend. She was saying how weird it seemed that it was only 9 months ago and how much has changed since then. Thank you Tim for all your love and support this year, you've help me find the confidence and belief to do this, even if it does waver sometimes (especially just before an assignemnet due!) couldn't have done it without you.

We're off on holiday to the lakes camping today, so normally service will resume in a week.

Finally done the essay

Yippee essay done, presentation ready for tomorrow. So much more relaxed, still not sure if I've done the right stuff for the essay, but it's done and I have something to hand in, just hope to have done enough to pass, don't care if I just scrap a pass 40% would be fine.

Bit nervous about presentation but Tim's ging to get talked at later so I can practice.

Can't wait for tomorrow about 2pm when my presentation will be over and that will be the end of the work this year. Oh and going on holiday on saturday

Getting there slowly!

well the essay is progressing slowly, very slowly but I'm almost there. Hopefully I should have the first draft done by tomorrow lunch, I always find I'm most productive first thing in the morning, don't know why. I seem to have found source material in all sorts of places from the UN to the scandinavian OT journal. This essay seems to take more time than all the others this year and it's worth half the credits. At least I know I'll have something to hand in even if it is crap. What makes it more difficult is that the core text for the module is edited and partly written by our lecturer. There's so little material in the text books as Community based rehabilitation is a faily recent concept in OT, it's all journal articles and policies scattered all over the place.

I did managed to address my own occupational balance by doing a digi LO last night though.

Assignment stress

Friday is the end of term and the day I have one essay due and a presentation to make for my two options modules. The presentation is almost ready, bit nervous about the presentation itself, but I'm not being marked on the presenting skills, just the content. So doing ok on that one, but the essay is a totally different story. I have so much info gathered together, but I just can't put it together in a coherant form. The guidance from the lecturer is almost non existant and he's not replying to emails. Very frustrated at moment, don't know what to do next. Oh well maybe it will seem clearer tomorrow, can't seem much worse than now. Really don't want to be doing an essay crisis through thursday night with a presentation to do on friday afternoon.

I'm so going to need our holiday by the end of this, even if it does look like it's going to be showery for lots of it. Can't wait to get away and have some quality time away from everything with Tim and Caitlin.

30th digi LO

I love this piccie Tim took in the garden so did digi LO, I'm going to do a paper based one when I get some more photo paper for the printer too.

Birthday tea

The beautiul weather held and we had a birthday tea in the garden. Caitlin had sprinkled mini chocolate buttons over the top and Tim had added the candles, although the wind kept blowing them out when he bought the cake out.

Today I have the appointment to get my 24 blood pressure monitor fitted and Caitlin is having her first trip to the hairdressers, hopefully I can take some pictures of her before and after. At least she'll look a bit more presentable for the christening we're going to on sunday with any luck.

30!!!!

Spent the daytime at a willow weaving class, feeling very pleased with the results. The bird was my first effort, will add interest to the garden, then I made the obelisk, hopefully I can grow some sweet peas up this. It is a beautiful day and the class was held outside, overlooking the canal in the shade of the trees, just perfect peaceful setting. Loved it, but it's harder work than I expected.

Caitlin came in to see me this morning with a parcel and card singing happy birthday. She'd got me a beautiful paperweight, and I was very impressed to see she'd signed it with a very definate 'C' I've been promised a cake decorated by Caitlin this evening, so there's bound to be candles. Hoping the beautiful weather holds and we'll have my birthday tea in the garden.

My family have all given me vouchers or money towards my driving lessons which is most welcome, so watch out after our holiday in June I'll be let loose on the roads!

Last day in my twenties!

Well I am about to leave the twenties tomorrow I become a woman in my thirties. Weird feeling, makes me look back and review where I am and where I've come from. So here's my thoughts so far on what I feel as I turn 30:

I have

A wonderful partner and an amazing daughter
Got out of a violent marriage
Finally made it to university
Completed Open University course while Caitlin was small
A home of our own
Used my creativity to keep memories for the future
Learnt to move on from the past
Beat postnatal depression
Stopped using alcohol as a crutch

I will

Graduate as an Occupational Therapist
Pay back my student loans
Finally sort the house to how we want it
Lose some weight
Get out more, especially with Tim
Have more holidays abroad
Get to more crops and meet friends
See Caitlin start school
Learn to drive

I love

Family time together
Watching Caitlin grow up
Getting away for the weekend with Tim
Gardening
Crafting time for me
Fulfilling my potential at university
My laptop and wireless internet connection
Being in the sunshine
Chocolate

I dislike

Being late

Hypocrisy
Constantly being in a mess
Ironing
The textured wallpaper in the house we inherited
Not spending as much time with Caitlin as I’d like
Being overweight
Not having much money
A long commute to university for an hour lecture

I regret

Not leaving my ex-husband earlier
Giving up my university place at 18
Losing all my confidence
Not seeking help for PND earlier
Losing contact with old friends
Being naturally messy
Allowing myself to believe I was worthless for a while

Milk Time

Another LO, been busy today, digital one this time. Caitlin feeding the goats at South Anston Butterfly Farm, although she loves the butterflies her favourite is most definately feeding the kid goats.

Latest Effing dare LO

Well the challenge is to see which of the facial expressions remind you of Tim and which of me. Love all these little piccies of Caitlin, also made Tim a little book of this for his birthday.

Feelin bit less pressure at University, have started putting my presentation together for neuro option, haven't been defeated by powerpoint yet either, although there's still time for that!

Don't you just hate insomnia?

Arghh far too early in the morning and I'm wide awake. Can't sleep, have really sore throat and glands coming up, just hoping GF isn't trying to take advantage of me being run down. Especially as I'm being taken away this weekend for a nice break with Tim, don't know where he's keeping it a surprise, all I really know is I'm going somewhere north of here about an hour and a half away. Keep asking odd questions to get a few more clues, but he's not giving much away. to be honest I'm just looking forward to some special time together, a break from Caitlin and a lie in before I turn 30!

Any how back to the sleeping thing, why is it when you can't sleep all those things you need doing and repairs to the house come into your mind and then you start worrying about those and that keeps you awake even more. So need to find someone to come clean our gutters out; the height of our house means there's no way I'm going up a ladder to do it. Then there's the flat roof over the bay window that still need sealing, that one is down to Tim, his dad has offered to help him, but still it needs doing, just been so much else going on this year. Then the big one is the damp walls in the dining room, could be leaking chimney, rising damp due to a faulty damp proof, not sure, but either way it'll probably be expensive and really does need sorting :( Arghh joyful things to think about at ungodly hours of the morning. On the plus side the whole house was sprayed for woodworm and other creepy crawlies before we moved the furniture in, so that's one less thing to worry about.

Been a weird weekend, Saturday we went to get a few bits for camping trip next month and got a few bits of shopping. Caitlin was lovely on sunday, probably helped by going to butterfly farm in the morning which she loved again, she just loves feeding the baby goats and she got to feed a calf. She thought the parrots saying hello to her was rather good too. Tim and I both held an owl I always forget just how light they are being all feathers. Today though, especially this morning our daughter seemed to be the child from hell! You'd have thought we were speaking some alien language when we said no or stop it when we wre in Matalan getting her a new swimsuit. Then she grabbed my engagement ring and threw it under the car in one smooth move when I was putting her back in the car, thankfully I found it. I was so furious with her I had to let Tim finish putting her in. Then after a nap this afternoon, she made jam tarts with me as good as gold really while Tim went to cinema. I just don't know what makes her tick sometime.

prodded, poked and x-rayed!

Well been to hospital, had another ECG and chest x-ray both of which were clear, had more blood and urine tests done and more to do over 24 hours. Then have to have ultrasound on my kidneys and a 24 hr blood pressure monitor done too(will get appointments in next couple of weeks). Think consultant is being very thorough, so I guess that's a good thing.

Physio has given me some exercises and referred me for orthotics, so Tim and I will have a matching pair. Basically she has given me some strengthening exercises, but she says that there's nothing she can do about the hyperextension and overly mobile joints that I have, so there's a limit to how much improvement I'll get and my joints will always be at risk of damage, because of the loose ligaments not holding my joints together tightly enough. Think that's about the gist of it, hopefully the strengthening exercises will help though.

Physio and hospital tomorrow

Yeah got call from physio dept today they have a cancellation for tomorrow afternoon, bit better than the 6 months wait I'd been lead to expect, so hopefully they can work on my hip to see what's going on and get rid of the pain. and it's in the village, so not far to travel.

Then in the morning I get to see hospital consultant about my blood pressure, so more tests I suspect. The GP had run out of tests and ideas, but there's more the hospital can do. Just hope they can find the cause and sort it, fed up of the headaches, migraines and constant tiredness.

Perfect Beauty

Latest LO - Perfect Beauty for this weeks effing dare. Love photoshop and optic verve labs for photo filters, changed this one to black and white. Papers are from Making memories Boho Chic Lauren range. Should really be working but taken couple of hours out for me.
Tim seemed to enjoy his birthday pressies, he got them yesterday as today's a work day and Caitlin can eb too antsy by the evening. Caitlin and I made him a chocolate birthday cake which she then decorated. Not sure where but she's picked up the rude version of 'happy birthday' so has been singing that to Daddy, very funny.