Real estate agents 5 Us 0 ... Hmmm
Monday, February 25, 2008
Cycling
The twins very quickly worked out that this type of cycling is a lot easier for them than trying to peddle their own bikes!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Basketball and Golf
The title links to a wonderful news story from abc6 that was posted on Downsyn forum. It made me cry with pride and joy. I don't like sport - not a popular postion to take I know! - but I do really want the twins to be able to play sport - for all the many benefits - of being in a team, skills and good health and destressing factors etc. The house we made an offer on (and still haven't heard back about - a curse on all real estate agents heads and any greedy vendors torturing prospective buyers as I type) is very near a golf course ...
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Still no word on the house - maybe our offer was so pathetic they won't even bother to tell us it has been rejected. I so want to put it all behind us. There are some other houses in the same area - but it is just mmore of the same really - a bunch of hopefuls trying to buy in the dark. It is hard to stay enthusiastic about it all. It is also hard to find a place and location that both P and I like. I can't wait until the day comes when I can post some pics from within our new home. I hope we have found somewhere by Christmas if not before! The whole thing makes me feel like crying. Unlike watching the twins at swimming - will post some pics above of today's lesson. The usual instructor was back - he is really good and particularly good with Hannah who was so much better behaved (although not perfect by any means!). They both loved it. Then we went to EI and Hannah is alwasy full of life and chatters away saying a whole lot of single words clearly. She loves counting at the moment and impressed everyone with her excellent toileting skills!
I have been thinking about swimming and I have 'a plan'! Hope it works - the pool has holiday lessons - 5 days for 30 minutes each time so I will try and get Hannah a special needs program for then and Kit and I will free swim together as he doesn't need an intensive lesson experience. It may help Hannah stay in the regular swim class. The program coordinator is very good so it should work out.
We put an offer in for a house on Sat - should hear back in the next couple of days so we are anxiously waiting. This whole house buying gig is horrible. Lots of places here are for auction and it can be really hard to predict what they will sell for - so we went for the rpeauction offer and if they reject it then we know they are hoping for at least $20 k more - which we don't have. SIGH! I hope we find something soon.
The twins ahve moved into the older group - Beeboppers - for music. They really love it although I can see Hannah will find it a bit harder in the future she is still coping very well. Today is EI and swimming. Plus I have to get my act together so we can walk up the road to get something for dinner and particularly for tomorrow night's dinner as we will have the extended family over for dinner. I hope everyone is well and that you have a good day.
We put an offer in for a house on Sat - should hear back in the next couple of days so we are anxiously waiting. This whole house buying gig is horrible. Lots of places here are for auction and it can be really hard to predict what they will sell for - so we went for the rpeauction offer and if they reject it then we know they are hoping for at least $20 k more - which we don't have. SIGH! I hope we find something soon.
The twins ahve moved into the older group - Beeboppers - for music. They really love it although I can see Hannah will find it a bit harder in the future she is still coping very well. Today is EI and swimming. Plus I have to get my act together so we can walk up the road to get something for dinner and particularly for tomorrow night's dinner as we will have the extended family over for dinner. I hope everyone is well and that you have a good day.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Well Hannah was so naughty at swimming last week!! They had a substitute teacher and she and another little girl decided to test her out the little buggers. Hannah was by far the cheekiest - instead of waiting nearby while the instructor is taking one of te other kids through their paces she kept moving further away for the group or climbing up to the back of the pool - big grin on her face when the instructr called her and told her no! Kit was great - just practised his bubble blowing and kicking while he was waiting. I hope Hannah behvaes better this week or they might expel her - I would have wanted to if I was the teacher!!! lol.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Swimming
Reading Brady's mum write about how well Brady learns in an inclusive setting reminded me that I need to update on the twins' swimming.
I rang and spoke to the person in charge of lessons - she seemed really nice - asked whether I thought Hannah could be taught in a class with other children. There was a spot for the two of them (with 2 other kids). She said how the instructor was nice and would be good with Hannah. If I found that it wasn't working for Hannah we could look at giving her one on one lessons on a Wed morning in the special needs program.
It all sounded good so I was very optimistic when we arrived at our first class. OOPS - you would think I would remember this by now but no - after all the discussions, the thinking etc Hannah was absolutely fine - went straight into the water, followed her teacher's instructions and was only a little distracted sometimes. Kit - sat on the edge and refused to budge - hey at least he didn't scream and when I bribed him with the promise of a treat if he at least did one of the things the teacher asked, he complied.
They have now been for 2 lessons and both really like it. After her first one Hannah was really happy. When my MIL and I took them swimming on our own a day or so later - she was clearly indicating to me that she did not need me hovering quite so close thank you! She knows what to do! Last week the instructor asked me what I wanted to do. She will progress more rapidly in a special class on her own but he also said that he was happy to keep her with him - it would just mean slower progress.
I opted to keep her with him. I don't need her to be the next Ian Thorpe or Karen Gaffney, much as I admire those people. I just want her to do typical things with other kids and now before the differences form tougher barriers is the time when she can just do that. Any kid would learn faster if they had one on one instruction. The other kids and their mums are really nice and accepting. We are going to be paying for her swimming lessons for years so that doesn't really matter. In the end I decided to keep her in the mainstream even though it means she won't learn to swim as quickly because it isn't just about swimming. If Kit becomes ready to move up to the next group and she is still way behind then I might investigate these special lessons again - just so that she can cram in before moving up to be in the same class as her brother again. I hope that is the right decision. They looks so cute in the water - I will try and take some photoes to post.
I rang and spoke to the person in charge of lessons - she seemed really nice - asked whether I thought Hannah could be taught in a class with other children. There was a spot for the two of them (with 2 other kids). She said how the instructor was nice and would be good with Hannah. If I found that it wasn't working for Hannah we could look at giving her one on one lessons on a Wed morning in the special needs program.
It all sounded good so I was very optimistic when we arrived at our first class. OOPS - you would think I would remember this by now but no - after all the discussions, the thinking etc Hannah was absolutely fine - went straight into the water, followed her teacher's instructions and was only a little distracted sometimes. Kit - sat on the edge and refused to budge - hey at least he didn't scream and when I bribed him with the promise of a treat if he at least did one of the things the teacher asked, he complied.
They have now been for 2 lessons and both really like it. After her first one Hannah was really happy. When my MIL and I took them swimming on our own a day or so later - she was clearly indicating to me that she did not need me hovering quite so close thank you! She knows what to do! Last week the instructor asked me what I wanted to do. She will progress more rapidly in a special class on her own but he also said that he was happy to keep her with him - it would just mean slower progress.
I opted to keep her with him. I don't need her to be the next Ian Thorpe or Karen Gaffney, much as I admire those people. I just want her to do typical things with other kids and now before the differences form tougher barriers is the time when she can just do that. Any kid would learn faster if they had one on one instruction. The other kids and their mums are really nice and accepting. We are going to be paying for her swimming lessons for years so that doesn't really matter. In the end I decided to keep her in the mainstream even though it means she won't learn to swim as quickly because it isn't just about swimming. If Kit becomes ready to move up to the next group and she is still way behind then I might investigate these special lessons again - just so that she can cram in before moving up to be in the same class as her brother again. I hope that is the right decision. They looks so cute in the water - I will try and take some photoes to post.
ordinary
As a fairly typical inner west middle class mama - I never thought I'd buy my kids toy guns. I don't have any objections with them 'creating' their own from whatever is available to them or playing with other kids' ones at their house but for me to actively go and buy one and then participate in garden warfare?? Well on Sunday after we planted some seedlings I caved and 'found' the water guns I bought the twins a few weeks ago. We had so much fun! I taught Kit some tactics - like hiding behind the Wiggle house before shooting at the enemy. P taught 'dirty tactics' - or should I say put blue food colouring in Kit's ammo - giving him a definite advantage - that stuff can really sticks and there is something very disconcerting about being 'shot' with bright bright blue water. Hannah will really benefit from 'pulling the trigger' - she is so gentle that it takes quite a bit of strength for her to get her weapon firing - hence she chose 'hand granades' of throwing cups of water about! We all had a ball.
Kit learns about playing with waterguns
hannah pours some water
Kit learns about playing with waterguns
hannah pours some water
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Craig and Kirsty WIng and Russell Crowe
Click on the title of this post to read a lovely article published in last month's New Idea magazine. Craig is a local footy hero whose sister Kirsty (18) has DS. He is organising a fundraiser Gala Event called On a Wing and Prayer which will see Russell Crowe there too (the link being Craig plays for his team - the 'bunnies'). Gotta love a bit of celebrity mixing it up in our community.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)