I know I haven't been around for a little while, life has been pretty hectic. My son has come, stayed, caused havoc (good, not bad) and gone back to Queensland. What with all the stuffing around with the flight tickets, he is able to come back on 14th September if he wants to use the ticket. He says he wants to come and will pay for his own flight back. Apparently he wants to keep his options open for the meantime. Good News!!! I got a 2 bedroom unit throught the Dept of Housing in North Ryde so I'm moving within the week - of course, this has been a major development and a brilliant one. The unit has been repainted, recarpeted, the kitchen is brand new - the only older things are the bathroom but it has a bath and a disabled shower and the stove, but it's sparkling clean and it's gas, which I love to cook on. Might give me encouragement (wink). I will be back online in a couple of weeks to chat and be more active on the site but, as you can understand, it's going to be a bit hectic for a little longer yet. Jasmine is growing up by leaps and bounds. She's so gorgeous, helpful, determined, independent, loving, everything a mother could want in a two year old. Yes, tantrums too but whatever, all kids have them from time to time. She's getting better at control and patience and she couldn't have a prouder mum. The new tablet regime appears to have evened out, so to speak, so I'll just continue till I see the specialist again. All in all, all is good. More when I can and love to all my friends out there.

It's been a hard week - won't go into detail (maybe in one of the groups if I can't take it anymore, but not here) but, basically, Jesse has just been given another hard blow in life to deal with.

Woke up this morning bawling my eyes out and simply had to do something after talking to him last night.

Well - I had a win!!! Jetstar are going to accept Jesse's ID as it stands and I have managed to spend the last of my savings on flying him down to Sydney on this Wednesday coming, just in time for Jasmine's birthday on Friday. I've booked a return flight for two weeks down the track. Not that I wanted to make the return booking, however, we'll cross that hurdle when we get to it. If I lose money over it, so be it.

So, Jesse is coming home for a short while - spirits are soaring. Can't wait to see him. I promise I'll try not to smother him ...

Thanks everyone for all your wishes of luck and hope - karma appears to have worked out in this instance !!!

Was thinking that I missed my litle man so much that I just had to find the funds to fly him down here for his sister's birthday next week. Thinking, thinking, how does he pick up a plane ticket? He'll need photo ID, won't he? Rang Flight Centre and confirmed, yes, he needs photo ID to board the plane. So, seeing as he hasn't gone for his L's yet and his old TAFE student card does not have his date of birth on it, I guess the obvious conclusion is that I can't fly him down. Not happy Jan, as the saying goes. Only one more thing I can think of - he has a passport from when he was a baby which is now obviously out of date. I wonder if the airlines would accept that as photo ID ... he was only about nine months old at the time of the photo so I'm guessing that it probably will not do the job.

Ho hum, some things just aren't meant to be I suppose.

I simply can't believe how quickly time flies sometimes. It seems like just a few days ago that I became active on this site again and I'm very happy to have met so many lovely people already.

Well, it's coming up to that time of year for little Jasmine. She'll be two in 16 days time and this will be the first birthday where she realises that the stuff wrapped in pretty paper is just for her.

I had been buying things for her over the last four months on a weekly basis when Mum piped up one day that I shouldn't really be buying things for Jasmine every time we went shopping - a shade of an exaggeration, but a valid one. So, from that point on, I've put things into a box instead to save them up for the big day.

Well, I went to get the box out yesterday to see what else I should put in it. Holy cow - there are about twelve items in there already and I have still seen two or three more things that I'd love to get her. Not to mention the three or four items that are on laybay and due to be paid off two days before the big event. Hmmmmm, I think Mum had a point about how I spend all my money on the little girl.

Jesse also has some presents put aside for him but I won't be sending them just yet. I love the little man but honestly, I'm going mad not having him around. He's not doing TAFE, not 'actively' looking for work - apparently he just sits at home all day playing with his Nintendo DS and 'Dad' just had Foxtel hooked up a couple of days ago. He hasn't even bothered to go and sit his test for his Learner's Permit. If I ever say anything to either of them about Jesse getting off his a** and doing something, anything, I just get told not to stress so much.

So, no stressing. I'm trying to save a few dollars so that Jesse can come down for Jasmine's birthday (I can't see Dad paying for a trip) but he doesn't get any of his 'Tuesday' presents until he does something worthwhile.

Oh, I see, another late night. Typical of any time I log into Minti ... bye for now.

Not that I would normally put this onto Minti, but ...

If anyone is interested in top quality designer clothing at heavily discounted prices, I have found an online supplier who does an amazing range of items for outrageously low costs. Just let me know your actual email address and I can send a link for you to get into the private website. The discounts are generally around 75-90% off retail prices.

Both myself and my mum have found items on this site that were simply irresistable. Yes, I know, the economic crisis and all that - all the more reason to get brand-new designer clothes for affordable prices!!!

I got Jasmine two fleecy sloppy joe style jumpers with the most gorgeous designs for $21, including postage. Mum has decided to go with a long, flowing grey cardigan which she has been trying to find for months.

So, if you like designer gear but don't like paying full price, get in contact with me. I think I've found the ideal solution!

Kelly

Why oh why, everytime I log onto this website, I spend hours and hours pouring over the advice, Q&A's, activity, etc. When I finally look at the clock, two or three hours has passed without me even realising it.

I love this site ... it's not a time waster but it certainly take up a lot of time everytime I visit.

WOW!!!

Just found myself the star of pic of the week!

Showed my daughter and she giggled and seemed fascinated that the huge belly was actually her. Not sure how much she understood, but definitely worth a laugh to see mum and her big fat belly.

Thanks Minti - you've made my day.

I think I've confused some people about where I live. Let me fill you in:

I tend to move around a lot - this has been something that I've done / has happened to me since I was a very young child. In fact, I probably average around two years in any one location. My timeline going backwards is thus :

• currently living in Hornsby (Sydney) - since March 2009
• Cumnock (north-west NSW) - nearly six months
• Berowra (Sydney) - nearly two years
• Armidale (northern NSW) - approx one year
• Berowra (Sydney) - about four years
• Wauchope (mid-north Coast, NSW) - two years
• Adelaide (the Hills district) - nearly a year
• Adelaide (the Plains district) - six months
• Crows Nest (Sydney) - about six months
• Hornsby (Sydney) - about a year
• No fixed abode - travelling between Sydney and Murwillumbah (very north-coast NSW) for six or seven years
• Cremorne (Sydney) - about eighteen months
• London (England) - approx nine to ten months
• Normanhurst (Sydney) - five or so years
• Roseville (Sydney) - around four years
• Ngaio (Wellington, New Zealand) - approx nine months
• Seacliff or thereabouts (Adelaide, South Australia) - three or so years
• Brighton or thereabouts (Adelaide, South Australia) - I guess around two years
• Mascot (Sydney, NSW) - less than a year, I think
• Ngaio (Wellington, New Zealand) - Birthplace

As you can probably imagine, I've not had the most stable of lives moving around so much and I wonder if this pattern will ever change, whether I'll ever manage to settle down or whether I'm destined to be transient for the rest of my life. For the sake of my little girl, I hope desperately to find somewhere I can settle down so that she does not have to endure the instability, loss of friendship, inability to sustain relationships, etc, that appears to have happened to me.

(Mmmmm, just as I thought - I counted the above list and I was right in my guess that I average about two years anywhere.)

I am currently awaiting government housing (I've been told that this could take up to ten years) and have applied for priority housing on various grounds including the fact that I am on a disability pension and cannot afford rental accommodation. My current rental accommodation is heavily subsidised by my mother who is 69 years of age and still working full-time. Not ideal if they decide against my application for priority as I could not ask mum to support me indefinitely and she has gently indicated that I have up to six months to get something more affordable without the need for further financial support. My father has decided to ignore me since the breakup of my marriage and so, at the ripe old age of 42, I wonder if I will be facing homelessness in the not too distant future - distressing to say the least.

Anyway, if life is what we make it, I'll have to start making something of it very soon so that Jasmine will not suffer unnecessarily - it's not her fault that her mum is incapable of working (reasons not for public consumption) and I will endeavour to do whatever I can to safeguard her future.

My name is Kelly - this is my life.

Well, it's been another few months since I last added to my blog.

I seperated from my husband on Valentine's day this year. After nearly fiteen years, it has broken my heart and I'm spinning wildly between hate, affection, frustration and all the other emotions that one goes through after spending so much time with the one person.

He helped me bring up my son - not to my 'standards' I guess, but I guess he did his best.

Thing is, he first tried to have me committed for insanity and then, when that failed, he tried to do the same to my son (a few days prior to him turning 16). So much for the sweetie that I have raved about before!!!

Now I find that he's seeking my approval for what he's doing - he moved to Brisbane with my son, leaving me with our 21mo daughter in Sydney. He rings and asks if I think he's doing the right thing about certain subjects and I find that, once off the phone to him, I'm having a panic attack bought on by the phone call. Yes, a real, heart pounding panic attack.

Time is said to heal all wounds. He tells me that he is not poisioning my son's mind against me yet I find that incredibly difficult to believe, especially considering some of the emails I received soon after I left the country house we were living in and returned to my mum in Sydney. Part of him is kind and genuine yet he is also an evil, nasty piece of work. Men - I never want to have anything to do with one again!!!

Keeping in contact with both my husband and son as I don't want to lose my son but gee it takes its toll on my health. I used to weigh around 56kg and now weigh a less than respectable 44kg. I was nearly 40kg when I returned to Sydney so I guess it's getting better. Stress does that to me whilst I'm aware that other people turn to food for comfort.

Oh well, off my chest now (what little there is of that left ...).

No intentions of divorce - not a believer in divorce due to family issues that date back to my grandparents days (I have/had thirteen grandparents due to that lovely piece of legislation that allows marriage to be so easily dissolved). Happy to have any 'man' out there believe I am married and, therefore, unavailable.

If anyone wants to introduce me to a lovely old man who is incapable of sex yet wants someone to look after him in his old age and leave me his inheritance of millions, I'd love to meet him (hahaha). Anna Nicole, I almost feel like you must have felt some days ... sad, but true.

Anyway, thanks for a wonderful community where I can forget my own woes and join in on the lives of others from a distance.

Seriously though, if anyone lives in the Hornsby area (I do not drive due to a car accident long ago in 1998) and wants to get in touch so that our littlies can have some fun and socialisation together, do not hesitate to get in contact with me. I am open to meeting other mothers, married, single or otherwise. I think I am a genuinely nice person and truly want what is best for my daughter.

In the meantime, we go to the Hornsby Baptist Church playgroup on a Monday morning during term time. If anyone recognises this group, please let me know as I'd love to meet someone local who also enjoys having coffee and a good laugh.

My heroes on this forum include milko-fats (a truly generous soul) and I love to write to people about just about any subject. Penpals (or whatever the email equivalent of that word is) would be nice to have whilst I silently try to get my head around this whole deal.

I miss my chickens, my veggie garden and my animals and, most especially, my dear son, Jesse.

Just as a matter of interest to anyone in Cumnock or the surrounding areas, our trio will be approx 16 weeks old come the March show. If anyone is interested in these chooks prior to show time, please email me directly. Their background is a Pye rooster and a hen from someone in Molong (that no longer breeds - we got one of their last ones). We will also be trying to have a some young Braham's ready for the show also (Pye stock also). As for the Light Sussex trio, any interested parties can contact me or Rob directly on 6367 7716.

Kelly