What have we been doing?

One of Hannah's BEST friends (she has 2 - a boy and a girl) left school. Her Mum is going to homeschool her kids. I have been talking about it with Hannah - and we got her this lovely pendant (engraved) as a farewell present. I also asked the school to put some photos of the girls on Hannah's ipad - as while she knows where her friend has gone I am not sure how she will feel about it when it sinks in that this is a permanent change. Gen has been a wonderful friend to Hannah. Hannah has LOVED having her in her life. Now I can only hope that the girls will still see each other around in the community and perhaps go to school together (maybe highschool??) at the very least I know that this little girl was the first 'best friend' Hannah ever had - and when she came home so excited from Kindy to tell me that Gen was her best friend - I cried. She was so proud and happy and in love. I hope she gets that sort of friendship again - I'm sure she will. The little boy who was part of the trio has continued to be a wonderful best friend for her.
Hannah is happy that she finally got her big Lalaloopsy doll - she LOVES the button eyes (thanks to Coraline)
Kit has discovered and loves the Tashi books

Hannah's friends and teachers aid spent a little time playing with the camera on her ipad
Hannah's drawing of her speechie done on an ipad during a ST session.
Hannah got dressed up for the soccer BBQ
Soccer season is done for another yea - we had a lovely end of season BBQ at a friend's place.
Dad sent us a care package from his holidays in SA - a stack of Haighs chocolate (divine!) and some lovely Mary MacKillop souvenirs - our first Aussie Saint for those that haven't heard of her before.
Kit chose these make 'em yourself speakers for our resident hi-fi geek.
The night before 'the birthday' I realised that I still hadn't taken hannah shopping for a present for her father - she had said all along she wanted something from the toy shop. So after I picked the kids up from after school care I raced them to the 'geek' shop near us - full of scifi and fantasy things and anime goodies etc...She decided on a bey blade for him (which was preferable to me over the fluffy angry birds toy she had been contemplating). I am standing with her trying to hurry her decision - we still had to get home and cook the night's meal after all. What about this nice blue one? I ask - and proceeded to offer her a few different colour choices - I can tell you I felt both very silly and very proud when she finally picked one up and said this one - Pegasus for my Dad. Yep she wasn't going by colour - only ignorant me was!
The morning of 'the birthday' was one of my days off - so before I went and helped at the kids school I had a cuppa with one of the Mums - and totally by accident - see our order number? I had to take that photo to show Phil - it was very appropriate.
Kit's dessert for Phil's birthday
Birthday celebrations - Kit and I cooked a three course meal and Hannah decorated a cake. Kit sang happy birthday in Italian and we all sang the English version.
A professional photographer was coming to Hannah's dance class - to take pics for the end of year concert - so a new outfit was in order - this is a variation on the one she chose to wear on the day.
I have been feeling so overwhelmed lately with everything that needs to be done - and I so often feel that i am behind in keeping up with things. Phil kept reminding me to find out when Kit's music concert was - in case it is on when we are O/S next month... so I asked his teacher - only to find out that it was the next day!!!!! So lucky that we had nothing on the next day and so could go. It did make me wonder why I always seem to feel a bit harried when when it came down' to it - I was free! The same thing happened again today when i realised that I had got my dates mixed up and we were meant to be meeting with friends this weekend not next as I had been thinking... no problem though - we don't even have to reschedule stuff - just squeeze it all in.
Charlie and Lola are still HUGE. The twins love acting out the parts and when Kit isn't available Hannah gets her father to step in - sometimes as Charlie and other times as Lola.
Costume for Ballet - must be worn when watching Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses

Ah the journeys she'll take you on....

Today I am reminded of just how wonderful and crazy this parenting journey can be. I am not a shy person but I don't think I'm particularly gregarious either... my friends are usually more outgoing and 'stylish' sort of women - they are at ease in leadership roles. I was so proud of one of my friends who recently was interviewed on a national radio show talking about how best to engage children in education. She did great - and I was very proud of her.
Then I heard that Stella Young a disability advocate was going to be on an Aust current affairs show called Q&A. Eagerly I looked at the site wanting to see what questions she'd get. There were heaps on the proposed carbon tax... but only a couple on the proposed NDIS (National Disability Scheme). Now I love Q&A and I know that the carbon tax is important but this is a weekly show and a lot of it's time seems to end up being taken with a merrygoround of factional political parties arguing about climate change. I felt that if I wanted to watch a fantastic episode where Stella could strut her stuff - maybe I'd have to participate too. There is noone to hide behind. Noone I could jostle in front... but what to ask... there are so many things about disability that I want to lobby about. And so I finally put fingers to keyboard and drafted a question - based around the issue of how social structures and some professionals seem to baulk at the idea that they should be the ones to change - rather Hannah should be made to 'fit in'. It is a topic near to my heart.
Still I nearly had a heart attack when I got an email today saying my q had been shortlisted - and could I send in a video of it if possible? Well then I really nearly did have a heart attack. I quickly replied, with my heart pounding, that I was too chicken to be videoed but I hoped that they might still be able to use my question or one similar.... Then I rang my husband. He was very encouraging. I bit the bullet and videoed my question. With my heart absolutely clenched tight I submitted it. Then I got 2 more calls this afternoon to clarify who I was and where I live and if I belonged to any political parties etc... my video is on the short list for tonight. National tv. My heart is in my mouth... who would have thought it? If I had have had 2 regular kids I might have been quietly eating my way through a bowl of icecream and milo and listening to some other special needs mama put her heart on her sleeve - yet again - for the wondrous joy that her child brings her. Spreading the word, raising issues, making sure she is seen and HEARD.
Wish me luck. I truly am terrified. What a ride!
Ferragosto time in 'little Italy' so we all walked around to the main drag to see what was happening.

captivated
These little guys had Hannah enthralled for ages. They splashed through the water - a couple tried to swim in the little bowl and in between they'd go and nibble at the bunnies at the back of the enclosure. Very sweet - I almost wished we had a pond in our back yard!
My gorgeous boy
I bought a dolly's tutu - which Hannah was keen to put on one of her many dolls - and then she gave her a dancing class.

Kit took to writing songs for some reason recently. here is one of them - the first I think? Anyway - he recorded about 8 tracks on the Mac using some software of his father's - and now the bug has passed cos he and Hannah have been too busy acting out the parts of Charlie and Lola as they watch them on dvd.
The cooking fascination continues however - Phil and he blanched tomatoes for a sauce to serve with scallops for dinner last night and he made us a jelly with praline crumble for dessert.

Craft and cooking Bugs

Disaster nearly struck when Kit started correcting the mistakes he'd made in his recipe book from a year or so ago. Lucky Phil was able to photograph some of them so all is not lost. Kit thought me very strange to want to keep those lovely little boy spelling mistakes and letter formations for posterity.
Eggs
Hannah's Fashions
Lego is a great fine motor activity for Hannah at the moment I just wish they made more kits in girly colours - it was slim pickings when she and I went to buy some - so we ended up with Lego City police van.
Hannah and I made up a new lego model
Kit's first praline - nut free.
Kit's dessert
Hannah's snap of Kit and I plating up.
How Hannah sees me.
Cosy
I may have mentioned that one of Hannah's favourite songs is Daughter by Louden Wainright. She dons a towel and pretends to be a mermaid. Phil has a part to play and has to sing along and point at her 'swimming' when the line "That's my daughter in the water.." comes on.
A simple craft collage was a great way to end our day. Hannah and I sat and cut and pasted and chatted happily for ages on this one.
Hannah wrote Mum and Hannah at the top of her creation and then in similar style but using what she describes as her 'baby writing' (ie scribble lines) she tells me she also wrote Kit and Dad.
Kit caved when he saw exactly what Hannah and I were doing and how much fun we were having. I love it when he voluntarily turns off the technological devices.
I enjoy watching these two working or playing side by side - it happens less often as they get older.
Thinking
Hannah made an elaborate craft collage of a ballet concert and stuck it on her bedroom wall. [Phil says I am too old to stick my craft on the bedroom wall and that anyways Hannah's is a bit better than mine but I say a man who was out on Thurs evening at a trivia night and who went out again on Sat night to watch NZ flog us in the rugby should keep some opinions to himself!]
Kit made crumbed chicken drumsticks and soy sauce with buttered zucchini for dinner.
Little brat sat and read one of her favourite books while the dinner was cooking.
While he was waiting for the chicken and the rice to cook he started to draw up a plan for how to 'plate up' his dish, and then the weirdo got out the colouring pencils as well!

Voila!
We've recently moved from eating at the tall kitchen bench on bar stools to a borrowed dining table. I love it. This morning I made us french toast with orange butter while Phil slept in.
Look what our neighbours delivered warm from the oven this morning - an Egyptian dessert. Yet another reason to enjoy diversity in our society.