I never thought I'd let him near my laptop but he seems to be pretty good with it
Three cheeky monkeys - enjoying the starfall phonics website


Hannah is talking using 2 word utterances a fair bit. She has always enjoyed signing - it means that even though her speech can be hard to understand signing helps her communicate what she wants to say - we love it here.
Hot
Cold
Baby
More


Each morning I put fresh clothes and nappies for each brat on the lounge - as they are usually busy watching a Wiggles dvde and from there when I can I help them get dressed. This morning I was a bit slow but Hannah got Kit's nappy and was trying ot put it on her baby dolly. He protested of course so Iwent and got her a pair of pull ups to use on her baby.

I then set about helping Kit get ready for childcare.

When he and I went back into the loungeroom Hannah was there watching tv and wearing the pullups on her head. After a few minutes she signed 'cake' and then proceeded to go out into their playroom to do some cooking.

Mary

The Christmas Wiggles dvds I bought the twins have been a big hit. I was very impressede when I worked out the other day that Hannah was draping her doll's sheet over her head in order to be Mary - from the Christmas pageant part on one of the dvds - what a good little Catholic she is!

PC

Some people seem to have a problem with the concept of being 'politically correct' they say it with such disdain! I never have - I don't have a problem with expecting people to think before they speak. Still even with my attempts at providing a reasonable interpretation - there is something intrinsically wrong about the golliwog quilt. Let me explain ...

I love that my children still don't see difference in people yet. When we are reading a book together they like making themselves one of the characters - and in any one night they might be black, asian etc. They keep the gender real but not the race or culture. They just don't see it.

Mum did these golliwog blocks for me years ago. I love them. They bring back memories of loved stuffed toys from growing up in tropical QLD. As an adult they represent so much more that I have kept them packed away in my fabric stash not sure of how to best make use of them. When I first got them I googled 'golliwog' hopeful that there might be some story behind them that wasn't what I knew. Alas it seems that they cannot be reclaimed - naming them scalliwags just doesn't do it for me.

When Kit found them and started admiring them my dilemma returned - BIG TIME! There is no way I can condone racism or prejudice. So here is my compromise: This quilt is titled "Free and Equal ... now"

One day my children will see the differences between people. When that day comes I want them to accept and value difference. I want them to think of all the different people they know and love and not be afraid because they have noticed that someone is different. One day I will tell them the dark history of Australia and our treatment of our indigenous peoples. I will use this quilt to teach them about the past so that they can embrace the future.

I pray that they will always know the value and dignity of every person - regardless of their race, religion, social status or disability. In the meantime I hope they like the quilt.

All Good

Well I made it - the only way to best describe my Uni exam is 'horrendous' - you know when you stare at the first question and wonder if you are in the right examination - and then the second question is no better? Not pretty. Oh Well - I was feeling a bit down anyway - I am not happy with my allocation of subjects for next year at work either.

So after a grumpy start to the weekend I have to say that I had a great Sunday - spent the day working on a quilt top - with fabric I bought when the twins were 6 months and that I haven't had a chance to get to before now. It was such fun just to create something - to play with colour and pattern. Now that Uni has finished for the year and with the exception of marking final papers work should have slowed I am really looking forward to some more sewing time.

I love Christmas and have begun to get ready for that too. I will make my christmas cake in a week or so. Hannah and Kit are both well. I bought them a box set of Wiggles Christmas dvds which they are loving. Hannah is big on dress ups and is starting to extend her play with dolly (or the Wiggles figurines we have). Kit is playing up a storm on his guitar. Both of their drawing efforts are getting better. Hannah draws a totally unrecognisable squiggle that she has really concentrated on doing and then tells me what it is - usually a dog or a cat. Kit is only a bit better really!
At Play


I am feeling more positive about Han at childcare next year - she likes going anyway but I feel that they could use a little more direct teaching stuff with her and more visuals - but because her receptive language is good and she is happy to play in home corner or the sandpit she tends to be left there rather than challenged. The new teacher is a granny, she has been practising her signing with her grandson and hopes to spend about 10 minutes a day working directly with Hannah - I am happy with that for a good start - it will give her time to get to know just what Han can do and then I'll try and get her on board for developing friendships with her peers as this is still an area of weakness - she is accepted there but doens't have a particular friend that she plays with - Kit has had a best friend there - Toby - since he started at 15 months. Mainstreaming here still isn't the 'usual' thing it seems - many people end up in special schools or special needs units within a regular school - I really want to give Hannah the opportunity to go to regular classes with Kit for as long as she can manage so helping her to get ready is really important.
Sleeping beauties

Dining out on the Buddy Walk

It is way too late to be online - especially when I have my Uni exam tomorrow - hope this little montage works!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Colours of My Life

Finally I have taught my last lesson for the year ... now it is time to focus on my Uni exam next week and then my own students final exam. I might also find some time for that quilt I have been working on. The twin's Nan compiled a dvd slideshow of the Buddy Walk - we all had a great day! Here are the lyrics of a Seeker's song she put on it - it always brings a tear to my eye


I can't seem to get my sleep now any old night,
Mr Sandman passes by my door;
Life has changed since you've been there to say it's alright,
You taught me to understand what I thought couldn't be,
Don't mind missing sleep if I can see:
Colours of my life,
You've got love to fill my heart;
I don't need a rainbow
With colours of my life,
Colours of my life.
Colours blend with love to show I'm happy with you,
I can never be the same again;
Now my eyes are looking past the life that I knew,
I'll be shedding black and grey to take on red and blue,
Colours I can feel by touching you:
Colours of my life,
Bloom like flowers in my heart;
I don't need a rainbow
With colours of my life,
Colours of my life.
Colours of my life,
Bloom like flowers in my heart;
I don't need a rainbow
With colours of my life,
Colours of my life,
Colours of my life.



One of my sisters emailed me a scary anti abortion attachment tonight - of an abortion on a baby with spina bifida - colours of my life indeed - I don't need to be anti abortion - Hannah is not a weapon to be used in a political campaign - she just is. She is beautiful. The colour of our lives - no more, no less. Lucky are those who meet her and appreciate her. Lucky is she to live in a welcoming community of family and friends where she belongs ... just because she is. Lucky are the people who see her as she is - just Hannah, our Hannah - with all her perfections and her imperfections, she is gorgeous. And so very very lucky am I to have her in my life.