Hi guys,

Well the 1st day and I was the only nervous one. Dad was happy and was ready in record time S2 was all excited about her very own 'little school' and even stood still while I tied her hair up. (usually its a huge battle)

Right 10.30 and time to go, bag is packed, hat is on . . Right of we all go on the walk to 'little school' a whole four houses away . . .lol

We walk through those huge high childproof fence and into a building to see a few little one finishing their morning tea, from outside there is the yelling of other toddlers playing . .  . . . 

We head out side and this is where I was surprised! S2 loves dirt, all dirt, all colours as long as its dirt or sand BUT she doesn't run over to play. Instead she runs to the opposite side of the yard and just stares . .  Hmmm okay, here is where I realize that this is the first time she has been around little kids her own age . .

S2 was our surprise package, all she has ever played with are kids 5 and over . .  This may be tougher than I'd imagined . .  The carers step in and talk to her but she just looks at them blankly so the carers tell us to slowly move toward the exit and leave . . .

So we did . . . Sheeeesh - I hadn't noticed til then just how badly I was shaking, hubby grabs my hand and suggests a coffee at the local coffee shop . . All I wanted to do was too go back and get her but hubby can be very determined when he wants to be . .

So a few hours pass and it 1pm, time to pick her up . . Hubby tells me to stay home and that he will go . . GRRRR - I wanted to be there to cuddle her and reassure her . . .

Then inside they walk . . S2 is chatting away in English and a mix of her own language, she is happy but very very tired so hubby says lets put her down for a nap and then I will fill you in . . . WELL that seemed to take longer than ever . .

Finally success and hubby sits down and smiles . . Apparently after we left S2 walked over to a carer and hung off her for a while and then joined in, she laughed and played and then decided to be the 'little helper' . .  My darling 2 yr old took charge off all the sand that was not in the sand pit and put it all back, then she grabbed a play broom and swept the path. Then after lunch she insisted on helping to wash and dry the table and swept the floor all by herself . .

She had SO MUCH FUN and was so excited about going back in the morning that she was in bed asleep by 8.30 and ladies that NEVER happens . . .

So all in all success for my little Miss S2 . .  Now I just have to go through it myself again tomorrow . . . hmmmm

This is taken from my other blog

Hi guys,

Well its 1am and I am here typing while my whole family is peacefully sleeping . . Yep I know, it seems silly doesn't it but I cant sleep . . . .

WHY? - Well because my adorable two yr old S2 has first first day in day care tomorrow. I am so nervous . .  We have been meaning to do this for the longest time BUT because of all her food allergies we have constantly taken a step back . .

Now we have no choice . . . Due to how sick my hubby has been the Dr's are saying that we both need time out . . .  So we have agreed to start her in daycare . .

On a plus note it is three houses down, has four other toddlers with multiple allergies and the carer is also multi allergic . .

SO WHY AM I A NERVOUS WRECK - Well she is my baby, the youngest of my kids and she has also fought since her conception to be here with us. She is our miracle, our angel our little survivor.

Today is only an orientation and we will both be there with her BUT I know my little angel and she will fly and be free, she will not turn back but instead embrace her new surroundings with arms outstretched . . . . AND ME - well I'll be the one crying and hubby will have his hands full with me . . .
Pathetic really but lets face it  . . . Are we ever ready to see our youngest fly . . .

This is taken from my other blog

Hi guys,

Well things on the home front have certainly been scary. My hubby is adapting well to his meds although he feels like he should rattle with everything that he is on . . .

Hubby is having good and bad days - the muscles around his heart are still very very sore from his tachycardia and he cannot do to much without getting a niggling pain. I think this is a good thing as it is stopping him from overdoing everything. His arms are black and blue from all the canulas that were in his arms, sadly some of them tissued in just a few hours so the doctors had to keep on putting in new lines . .

Hubby is scheduled to have an MRI, EEG, ECG and a whole lot of more blood tests on the 5th of Sept so we are pretty focused on that date and are just taking each day as it comes. . . The doctors have also scheduled me an appointment with a counselor as I am really not doing so well with all that has happened to my hubby in the last few weeks.

To be honest, I was barely hanging on after his Grandmal Seizures and to then have his heart go haywire; well what can I say . . I fell apart . . . Luckily it was NOT in front of my hubby . . . Through everything that was happening I was able to talk to one of my best pals OB and she helped to calm me down and to help me to focus, she will never truly know just how much her friendship really means to me, she has been my rock through everything in these past three weeks . .

So there you have it . . . Hubby is on meds to help stop his seizures, he is also on meds to help his heart. Then there are the meds to keep in Tumor from growing and amid all this the Dr's have NO idea what is happening . .

So we are one day at a time . . One foot in front of the other . . . One hand in each others hand . . .

This is taken fomr my other

Hi guys,

Today at 11am I recieved a call from D's school telling me that she has a headache and can I please come and get her . . So off I went, while driving to the school I thought how odd it was as D never gets headaches.

I arrive at the school and there sitting in the office is D looking fine. I ask her is she is okay and she just nods, so I sign her out and head home. On the way home I noticed she very quiet.

Once home the truth comes out . . she did not have a headache. It seems that she had overheard some of the bullies discussing how they were going to bash her at lunch time.

Sadly D has no faith in teachers so she refused to tell the school and opted to throw a sickie instead . . . *eyes rolling*

So I have discussed with her that she was wrong not to talk to the school and she is having a quiet afternoon at home. I have also spoken to the school and there will be a discussion at school in the morning . . .

Hi guys,

I just had to share this with you I am so happy with this group . . Who am I talking about, FREECYCLE . . . This is really a great group  . .  This morning I put up a cot. a car seat, plus some other goodies . . . They were all taken within 20 mins of me posting them!!

YIPPEE . .. It's great to have a website that offers things for free! ! ! ! The biggest plus that think is that FREECYLE is about not only recycling but its also about the community . . .

There is a freecycle in most bigger cities and some suburbs even have their own so if you want to know more just do a google search and then HAVE FUN . ..  . . .

I am so happy that freecycle is finally up and running in my area and that people are using it . .  Today all my things went to a young mum who was on her own with nothing - so as an added bonus I chucked in some extra toys that we had in another bag . . 

Helping others is GREAT . . .

Cheers Kellz

Hi guys,

These fact are so neat . .  Why don't you show them to your kids, your friends, your relatives. you never know what they may learn . .

The YEAR is 1908

This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine! One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1908:-

The average life expectancy was 47 yrs
• Only 14% of the homes had a bathtub
• Only 8% of the homes had a telephone
• There were only 8000 cars and 144 miles of paved roads
• The maximum speed limit in cities was 10mph

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• The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
• The average wage in 1908 was 22 cents per hour.
• The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
• A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year.
• A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

************************************************************************

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME

************************************************************************

90% of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!

Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.'

************************************************************************

• Sugar cost 4 cents a pound (1 kilo = 2.2 pounds)
• Eggs were 14cents a dozen
• Coffee was 15cents a pound
• Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo

************************************************************************

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

************************************************************************

Five leading causes of death were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

************************************************************************

The American flag had 45 stars. (It has since acquired 5 more)

************************************************************************

• The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
• Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.
• There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
• Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
• Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

************************************************************************

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.

************************************************************************

• Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
• There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !
   

************************************************************************

NOW - could you imagine living 100yrs ago?

Hi guys,

I am so completely devastated . . Hubby suffered another grandmal seizure at 5am this morning . . . It lasted a whole 5 minutes and it was terrifying!!!! . . .  The ambulance arrived 15 mins after the seizure and my hubby thoght it was 1985 and that Bob Hawke was the Prime minister . . . Needless to say it was off to hospital . . .

I am so frightened and totally devastated, I cannot even begin to describe how it feels to watch your husband go through this, his seizures are so bad that during them he makes a sound that is very similar to the Death Rattles . . When phoning the ambo's they asked me if he was breathing so I put the phone near him so they could hear that horrible sound, it frightened the operator so much that they sent TWO ambulances . . .

Hubby is home now and is fast asleep in bed and I am doing my best to hold it together . .   All I want to do is cry but my children do not need to see their mummy crying her heart out, sumara is very clingy as she was woken by strange sounds and then seen her dad go in the ambulance . . .

THEN TO TOP it all off - I decided to come here onto Minti and hide in here somewhere so I could think off something else. I was planning toi visit some lounges and blogs and just hide for a while BUT I checked my msn emails only to be told that I am being flamed on minti again!!!! I AM SO OVER IT . . . .  Why can't these people that are flaming me GROW THE HELL UP and leave me alone . . . PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE . . I cannot cope with this crap at the moment! ! ! ! Just leave me the hell alone . . .

Now I am going to put Sumara down for a nap and cuddle up to my hubby as he sleeps . . Hopefully when I get back up things will be settled and I wont feel so damned vulnerable and exhausted . . .

Hi guys,

Well the last few weeks have all been quite hectic and I have never relied so much on my kids to help out and to be honest about how they are feeling. . .  As most of you know hubby has been diagnosed with Epilepsy and he has began taking his meds . . .  This is a hard time for him as he doesn't like taking medication nor does he like it when medication makes him feel groggy etc. . . 

So my two eldest children have stepped up and have really been absolute angels . .  Danesha has been vacuming, dusting and trying her hardest to do any chores that her dad would normally do, not bad for a kid that is usually being growled at for not doing her chores. . . Now she is doing her chores plus extra . . . .

Sam has also been fantastic as she has also helped out in her own way. she is always there to make him laugh when he looks like he is getting stressed and has even been offering to mind her sisters so I could take hubby out for some r&r . . .

Here is Danesha in need a a hair cut showing me just how to pose with a vacum cleaner

Here is Sam showing me how angelic she can really be . . . .

Here is Sumara caught and cute I might add as she is catching a catnap . . .

Hi guys,

As some of you have noticed I have changed my avatar . . . . .

Why handcuffs? Well this is because in my own little way I am protesting the olympics this year . .  I have a friend who is a refugee from this area and she tells some truly gruesome stories about what she suffered . . .

Don't get me wrong - I am supporting our team with pride BUT I do not support where the games are being held . . It's also not the people that I have a problem with its the goverment . . . .

So "go ausssie go" BUT please everyone spare a thought for all those that are suffering . .  My friend is unable to have contact with her family and this is so sad, but she is very happy to be in our GREAT country and here she can raise a family without worry . . .

Cheers Kellz

 

Hi guys,

Finally I have found some time to post some pics of Brooke and Michelle's visit . . . . So here we go:-

Here is Michelle enjoy the Tassie weather at the gorgeous Guide Falls . . Brooke managed to hide from my camera . .

Here is the Guide Falls in all their glory

Poor Michelle spent most of her time with us on the phone to her kids . . he he he

Even poor Brooke couldn't hide from her phone as her partner calls her again . . he he he

Michelle and Brooke catch a yukky cigarette and Cazza's

Cazza offering a bribe to Sumara to get a cuddle

Tony, Michelle and Brooke

Me, Michelle and Brooke

We ALL enjoyed having Michelle and Brooke here with us, they fitted in so well as they are just as bad as we are at stirring . . Brooke left saying she would be back as Tony got her a beauty. . . Sumara is still asking for "chele and rooke" and Danesha was thrilled with them . . Even fussy Samantha says she can't wait for their return . .

For more pics go to CLICK HERE

Hi guys,

Well we made it to hubby's appointment on time yet the Dr was an hour late . . . GRRR . . . Hubby then endured a series of tests and one of them had me sitting on the edge of my seat as he looked like he was going to have another seizure right there and then . . . .  Finally the EEG was the last test and it proved beyond a doubt that my darling hubby has developed Epilepsy.

I have to tell you guys that I yelled "yippee" when the Dr told us, I thought the poor doctors mouth was going to stay permanently on the bloody floor . . I then found myself explaining to the Dr that we had both been terrified that hubby's tumor was back or that he had developed "Apnea Syndrome" so a diagnosis of Epilepsy was fantastic! ! ! ! . . . Once the Dr understood why I was happy he smiled and said that he had never said congratulations to a patient being diagnosed with Epilespy to which I bodly said "well there is a first for everything . . . So huuby got congrats from the doctor then he got on to the more serious side . . .

First up hubby is not allowed to drive for at least the next 6 weeks. He was not impressed here but understands the need.

Second up is hubby will be starting on medication called Epilem to hopefully stop any more seizures

Third is that there is definately some damage done to hubby's brain from to two massive seizures that he had three weeks ago so hubby is to have another MRI scan in the next few weeks. The Dr explained that the small changes to hubby's personality will most likely correct itself over the next few months . .  PHEW . . I love my husband dearly but its scary to see a side of him that I don't like and to hear that this is most likely not permanent is great news not only for me but also for him as there have been a few times when he has done something that even he has had trouble understading . . .

So there you have it . . . .

Now to the tradgedy . .  As you all know hubby and I  often take in troubled and homeless teens . . . Well the last young lady that we had was 16 and she was lovely girl . . L left our care in order to move in with her older sister H and help out H with her 2 yr old son . . . WELL . ..  nearly a week ago H went missing, police are now treating the case as a possible murder investigation . .  H is a lovely girl and her son is just the most adorable blue eyed boy - to think that he may grow up without a mum is so truly sad . . L is a mess as you can understand . .

The one thing that amazed me was the bond that the sisters shared, it was truly specail as they had both survived an alcoholic and pot using mother. Their sad upbringing gave them both a bad start but they were both climbing their own way up and out . . .

Mine and hubby's fear is that if H has been the victim of foul play then we are worried as to how L will cope. Then there is the battle that will occur between H's sons grandparents, it is all so very sad . . . .

So I would appreciate it if as many of you can please say a prayer for H, L and the little boy D . . . .

 

Hi guys,

Well today is D day for hubby as today is the day that we finally see the neurologist. My hubby is so very nervous but desperate to get some answers as to what caused his seizures and a few other strange things. We will be heading off at around 10am in order to get to the app at 1.30pm, we have also been told that there will be a series of scans and other tests that hubby must have prior to his app so he most likely will not get to see the Dr until around 3pm.

I have to admit that I am bloody nervous too, hence me waking back up at 2am. I have been so strong for hubby and have been full of encouragement and happy thoughts but inside I am a nervous wreck. My MIL is watching Sumara while we are at the Dr's, this will be the 1st time she has looked after Sumara on her own so I hope all goes well. . . . Sam is going to be at home when Danesha knocks off school as I thought keeping things as normal as possible was the best . . . .

On some really GREAT news -  Sam has asked to move back in, so we are in discussion mode about the pro's and cons. I am so HAPPY that my wayward angel is finally coming home, all I want to do is hug her tightly but I keep reminding myself that she is now 17 and I need to not smother her. It's so hard to believe all she has been through . . . .  Sam also is having an operation on the 28th of this month and the doctors are not sure if she will be able to keep her remaining ovary so we are in positive thinking mode there as well . . 

It seems unfair that at 17 she may lose the chance of being able to concieve a child naturally when she is ready too. What really annoys me is that the nasty prick that raped her 3.5 yrs ago is walking around without any health probs yet my angel has had one prob after another. I know it seems nasty BUT i can only hope that one day HE gets to suffer the way my little girl has . . . .

Anyway I am going to enjoy a nice cup of tea and then try again to get some sleep . . . . I hope all you guys are doing well and if anyone is feeling crappy then imagine me sending you a big HUG . . . .

Hi guys,

Bloody WOMEN ! ! ! ! As you all know today we were supposed to picked up Brooke's brother from the Wynyard airpot - WELL . . . .  We got to the airport and got the shock of our lives. There was NO brother instead there there was a very LOUD and vivacious lady YELLING "HA HA HA KELLZ I TRICKED YA!" . . . .

Brooke started laughing and said "oh shit - its Michelle!!!!". . . . . Next thing I know I'm being grabbed and hugged that damn tight I thought my inside were going to come up and out my mouth . .  Tony just stood there sharing his head and rolling his eyes as both Michelle (cheekymonkeys ) and I made a LOT a noise in the very little Wynyard airport!!

Turned out that one of Michelle's friends owns a little Cesna and ways planning a flight to tas today to catch with a friend so Michelle bummed a ride. Michelle had conned Brooke's partner into lying to us about her brother . . .

So today has been a BLAST . .  Michelle is a GREAT person with a huge heart and hubby cannot believe how alike we are . . .

There will be HEAPS of pics to post later - In the meantime we are having a blast! ! ! ! ! Sadly both Brooke and Michelle will be flying home tomorrow. A cheap holiday for Michelle as its only costing her $50 to get home . . 

So anyway know I understand why every time Brooke or I would phone Michelle we were told she wasn't home . . She really got us a beauty and knowing Michelle I can bet she got some others as well . . . .

Cheers Kellz

Hi guys,

Wow - what a day . . . Who knew sight seeing could be so tiring . .  he he he . . . What wore me out was Sumara, she LOVED all the mud puddles, muddy hills for which she just HAD to slide down on her butt and then OMG the water . . . . *sigh*

Seriously though Brooke is having so much fun she is a lovely girl . .  We got a call today from Brookes partner asking us how far away the Wynyard airport was because Brookes 17 yr-old brother is flying into there tomorrow and we have to pick him up and put him on the bus the the East Coast as he is going to stay with other family members tomorrow . . 

So we will have to make time in our day, it cool though . . . ..  Brooke just laughed and said her brother needs to STAY in Tas and learn how to behave himself. Well he is a typical 17 yr old boy trying to be a man . .  he he he

Today we went to look at two different waterfalls and also a nature reserve, Brooke was totally amazed at just how beautiful it all was . . Will post pics once I get camera charged up and then I can upload them . .

Hope everyone else is having a great weekend . . . . Cheers Kellz

Hi guys,

YES you are reading right . .. My mystery guest is here FINALLY . . . . . .

So who is she, now this is where it gets interesting . . . .

My mystery guest is NEW to Minti but is an old friend of an older Minti member . .

My guest has been having a hard time and was in desperate need of a holiday and some down time in order to recoup her mind and body . . . .

My mystery guest is a friend of Michelle (cheekymonkeys aka mumof10). Michelle asked me as a personal favour and I was happy to oblige . . . . My mystery guest is Brooke (pudgygirl06) . .  

Picked her up at airport at 5pm, made it home by 7pm had some tea and a few good laughs as Samantha entertained us with her stories . . Tomorrow we are off to see the sights and will blog some more as well as some pics . . .

Hope you are all doing well and wishing you all a great weekend . . .

Cheers Kellz