Third time luckyish

Third time lucky Caitlin and I finally managed to make the body of her piggie moneybox with papier mache. The first two the balloon burst part way through covering Caitlin and I with watered down PVA glue! Tim was duely despatched for a new bag of balloons from the supermarket. The third one didn't burst but overnight has deflated slightly while it's been drying leaving a slightly crinkly body, but never mind it will do the job. Caitlin did enjoy getting the paper all wet and sticking it down, she had far more patience than I expected. Just need to let the whole thing dry out now and then We can stick the legs and nose on and paint it. Will probably be next weekend now.

Good and bad

Good news my blood tests were all normal so I just have high blood pressure, with no underlying cause. So I can now have medication to bring it down and hopefully cut the migraines back. The bad news, the migraines and headaches have been awful over the last fortnight. My placement is more stressful and not as supportive as my last one, so that's put my blood pressure up and made me worse short term. I've started my medication and hopefully things will improve in the next week or so and the dizziness and very red cheeks will fade.

In the meantime the house looks like a bombs hit it as I've done so little housework. Tim was rushed off his feet with an important deadline last week, he was working on saturday and he's shattered too, although he's trying his best this week to catch up.

At least Caitlin is ok, if a little grumpy in the mornings, she's almost used to the early starts again though and getting back into the swing of nursery 5 days a week. Although she seem to be trying altered art at the moment, she's 'altered' her t-shirt, a drawer unit at nursery and herself almost every day this week with a combination of paint and pens. Why oh why don't they have washable pens and paint?!!

Oh and I have a date for my practical test 3rd November!

Tired

Hmm perhaps not a good idea to have a 2 hour driving lesson on the second day of my placement. So tired and making stupid mistakes in lesson. I guess I am getting there slowly, I'm just impatient and want to be ready for my practical test now!

Placement is going ok so far, the team is nice, but I still feel like a fish out of water. Everything is very confusing and there's so many names and faces. It feels like there's so much to learn and so little time. Six weeks isn't very long which makes it even more important to find my feet quickly. My educator is very overworked due to another member of staff being on maternity leave and also has a new basic grade started the week before me. I may get to do my first initial interview with my educator tomorrow. I'm hoping to start doing more and be able to play a more active role soon and feel like I can contribute more.

5 years on

My thoughts and prayers today are with all those who lost friends and loved ones 5 years ago. I will never forget seeing the second plane crash into the towers and seeing both towers collapse. Although I was at work that day I was having a test in the corner of the canteen for something. The television was on and when I got there the first plane had not long hit the tower, we all were stood there watching in total silence as the second plane hit, until the first tower collapsed when there was a collective gasp of horror.

One of Tim's old uni friends worked for Merrill Lynch in the Twin Towers, amazingly he was off work because a roller blader had knocked him flying the previous day and he was off work sick. That roller blader may have saved his life. Who'd have though a roller blader would be your guardian angel?

Tim's work

For those of you who I have tried to explain to, this is what has been keeping Tim so busy - template based authoring
Have to admit I'll be glad when he stops working quite so hard though!

Katy's christening part 2

Some more pictures from the book

Katy's book

Have finally got Katy's christening book posted to her mum before they go back to New Zealand. Here's a few pages from it. She is such a beautiful baby.

Guess who's a year rep?

Yup me. I volunteered myself and I am now elected one of the reps for the 2nd year OTs. I got fed up with getting messed about and the year reps did their best, but none of them were parents and really could address the issues some of us had. Any how this year I feel a bit more prepared for University and the demands there may be, so think I have the time to do it. It won't go amiss on my CV and when the tutors are writing our references in 3rd year and in a competitive job market every little helps.

End of the Summer

I can't believe how quick my summer break has gone, tomorrow is my last day of freedom before my second year starts. I had such good plans for what I'd get done this summer and it hasn't happened, for various reasons. I still have an attic full of unsorted craft stash and a cellar where I've not looked in one of the boxes. But I did start my driving lesson and pass my theory test and I have been making jewellery which hopefully I'll get round to selling at some point.

I guess I have also had a chance to recharge my batteries for the next year and to spend a precious last long summer with Caitlin. Next year I will have to work to get some upto date work experience on my CV even if it is just care work with the elderly or disabled people and the following year all being well I hope to be working as a fully qualified Occupational Therapist (or Octopus thera-pest as Caitlin calls it). This year the actual marks I get become far more important too as it may affect my final degree classification. This will either be 100% of 3rd year marks or 25% 2nd year and 75% third year marks whichever is higher. So in case I fluff 3rd year it's important to keep the marks up this year. So more nose to the grindstone, no social life, even if I could afford it and precious little craft time. After all Caitlin deserves my time at the weekends.

This year will be tougher too as Tim will be out of action for a while, meaning more stuff falling to me while he's in plaster. A necessary evil to improve his quality of life and well worth 3 months in plaster to help straighten out his foot. Just wonder when the second operation on the other foot will be, usually it's 6 months or so later as the second leg tends to detoriate quicker after one is done, but it does depend on recovery from the first operation and the waiting list of the surgeon. His is very good in the orthopedics field AKA long waiting list, rather the wait than some underling mess it up though CMT foot surgery can be complex.

Gingerbread men

When Caitlin and I went to the gluten-free food fair in York we bought some gingermen cookies that she loved, but I've not found any since. So I bought a fab gingerbread man cutter this week and Tim found a recipe online so we could make some instead. The cutter stamps the face and buttons on when you cut them out, so much easier with an impatient 3 year old. The cutter range has a lovely star and a christmas tree, so many just have to buy another one or two to make christmas biscuits to decorate with Caitlin closer to christmas.