I'm 4 today!

Stephanie is 4 today! It's amazing how the time has flown. We had a great party yesterday, with several friends around and everyone had a really good time. Stephanie got lots of presents including a new bike with training wheels, a Doctors Crash Cart Kit and puppy and vet kit, My LIttle Pony musical jewellery box, Bratz Angel doll, My Pet Shop Puppy and a gardening set. She was really over the moon.

The photo is of her in the 3legged race with Jack and a couple at the blowing of the candles ceremony. I was so proud of the way she looked when we were all singing happy birthday as last year she went all coy and hid behind her hands and started to get really embarrassed, but not yesterday, she was a gorgeous charming little lady preening in all the attention of her special day.

{sigh} They grow up too quickly.

Life as usual

Today I had an appointment with a big counselling agency and spoke with their Regional Manager for my area and their newly appointed Abuse Initiative co-ordinator. The purpose of the meeting was to help them highlight where their counselling services can be better in regards to couples who's relationship is abusive, in particular to help the abused (usually the woman) have counselling that is safe, and also how to deal with the abusers mindset in intimate relationships. The community in general believe it's an anger control problem, or the abused somehow did something to aggravate the verbal or physical abuse, but this is not true and I think that my meeting with the nationwide agency can put into practice some of the things we talked about. It was very empowering to do that.

The University admissions people also rang me today about my submission to SATAC for more information. I have my fingers crossed that I will be accepted into University next year to do Social Work and Social Planning, a double degree which is 4 years full-time. I'll find out in January if I'm successful.

A parcel from Tarisota collections arrived today, but I've not opened it yet, and I've just placed an order with Cyber Scraps for the Fancy Pants True and Botanicals paper and rub-on ranges. It's the first time I've bought new supplies for eons! Been trying to use up my current supplies.

Scrapbook Station Retreat

What a wonderful weekend I had at Victor Harbour for the Scrapbook Station Retreat. I arrived on Friday afternoon and had a room to myself, got out my scrapbook stash and started to make some cards for some dear friends.

Dinner in the restaurant was divine and I scrapped until almost 1am.

The next morning we did a class with Samantha Dorn. A gorgeous little album by Maya Road, we covered it and I used up 9 photo's of Stephanie. Unfortunately some stickers didn't arrive with the kit so it's a little bit unfinished. I'll put the photo up when it's finished. In the afternoon we did a class with Kate Mason that consisted of cutting up a zillion square pieces and mod podging. It was fun.

Dinner was totally wonderful. And there was a class on Sunday morning too, making up a divider box but I didn't do that.

I managed to complete my album with all the New Zealand photo's, gosh! It's hard to believe that was almost a year ago now.

The whole weekend consisted of non-stop scrapping and eating. No cooking, no cleaning and no kids - bliss. (But I was secretly glad to be home again.) The venue overlooked the ocean from our conference room and the weather was very blissful.

The weekend was great and I'll definately be going again next year.

Today I completed an 'open album'. It's a Kaiser Craft MDF wall hanging set of 5 plaques. I thoroughly enjoyed getting it done, I like painting and I managed to use some paper from my stash that's been there since the day dot. I'd always loved the paper and but could never find a use for it in my scrapping.

It's hanging in Stephanie's room.

Today we made Fifi's Jam Tarts. Stephanie did nearly all of it. She enjoyed rubbing the butter with the flour. We used Australian Mango Jam as we didn't have any strawberry jam. They came out ok, and it was a lot of fun making them.

I had to do another bin so that Stephanie could keep Mr Potato Head in it. Once I'd put her shoes in the first bin, she didn't like it any more so I did another one. She shopped for the lime green flowers and helped paint the inside in purple and pink. It's covered in MMM Fabric, Stephanie wanted the pink poodles on it so I had to try and match it to other stuff I had, which wasn't too difficult.

Stamping and Scrapbooking Fair

I spent the entire day at the Stamping and Scrapbooking Fair on Sunday. Had a great time. I wandered all the stalls, which took me to lunch time then I did a class with Michelle Perry which was to make a mini-album. The inside pages are all made of envelopes and tags. I'm halfway through embellishing and decorating but it's got many tags so it will take a while. A good way to use lots of photo's too.

I see that Kaisercraft have flooded the scrapping market with their Off the Page products. I bought an 'open' album, which is 5 MDF plaques that can be strung together with ribbons and hung on the wall. I'm looking forward to getting started on that. But I bought an MDF bin knowing it wasn't big enough for my scrap scraps I decided to make it for Stephanie to put her shoes in. I did it last night and she said it looked lovely this morning, so I put her shoes in it. Then she took all her shoes out and put Mr Potato Head in there instead. When I told her Mr Potato Head already had a home and put him back in his home and put the shoes back in the bin, she decided she didn't like the bin anymore......guess that wasn't a very good strategic move on my part. But I have come to a solution - I'll make another bin for Mr Potato Head. She said she'd be very happy with that and would like both bins if I did that.

Went to her speech therapy today and Stephanie refused to do any of the picture card games. In fact she showed her objection by sticking her fingers in her ears when the therapist was talking. There's nothing you can do, so our next session isn't for some time, at the end of October after her 4th birthday. It's a shame really, because some of her sentence structure is quite far behind. There's some areas that she either doesn't have or just has got the grasp of and the benchmark is for the average to have accomplished it at 2 - 2.5 years. I think there was another area that would normally be perfected by the age of 3 and she's only just starting. For instance, she'll be 4 soon but does not use the words "why?" "who?" instead if she's asking a question she'll say, "Dis be?" Or say, "You be busy?" Instead of "Are you busy?"

Today was Lilly's 4th birthday party. We had a great time. The sack racing was fun and here is a picture of the 'malteser on the spoon' race. It was easier than an egg and spoon race and much more fun.

You can see that Stephanie worked out if you put your hand over the malteser while running it didn't fall off the spoon, therefore you could win.

Many a malteser was eaten after being on the ground, but nobody cared.

A great day, thanks to Yvette, Matthew, Lilly and Natalie.

Stephanie started early entry pre-entry for pre-school last Friday. I think she really enjoyed herself. It's only 1.5 hours on a Friday but they treat it like real school with waiting to be called, designated snack area and knowing where their bag is kept etc., She seemed really happy about going.

It was time for our haircuts today, only to find out that Stephanie has lice. Ewwwww, but I guess it's not that uncommon. I think she may have picked them up from her Monday daycare. But we made a game of putting oily gunk in our hair. So instead of having an afternoon 'off', I spent the day doing multi washing loads and hair treatments.

The Fifi Magnetic World game is still a hit and I've attached some Fifi character flowers done recently.

Oh, and I actually got into my scrap stash last night and put together a card for Lilly's birthday party on Saturday. I got the components together and had Stephanie help me with gluing it together, writing inside and putting some ink on the flower. She's really excited about going to Lilly's party.

Fifi Mad

Our house is totally overrun with Fifi this and Fifi that. There's Violet, Primrose and Bumble and I believe Stingo and Slugsy will be joining us soon.

I bought Stephanie Issue 2 of the Fifi Magnetic Playworld as I liked the big portfolio type bag you got for $9.95. I was so impressed with the magazine and the colouring in and activity book as well that I got Issue 3.

Of course, it wasn't complete without Issue 1 so with a few phone calls I located a newsagency that one left. Off we went, in the Search and Rescu for Fifi.

When the lady behind the counter pulled out the Fifi package, Stephanie squealed and jumped for joy and it was the best $4.95 I've spent to date. Everyone in the newsagency smiled to themselves. There's nothing more contagious than a small child's shriek of delight.

Since then it's Fifi all over the place. The packages are pretty good value for money. You get a double sided magnetic Fifi scene and each packet contains some Fifi character magnets and the magazine has things like Fifi's jam tart recipes etc., Great for kids. The big portfolio bag keeps the lot bundled together, although we've already misplaced Fifi's magnetic watering can.

If you're intersted all the information you need can be found at

http://www.fifis-world.com/

Happy Fifiying...

What I'm reading

For the past 2 weeks I have immersed myself in the books of Dave Pelzer and one by his brother, Richard Pelzer.

Dave Pelzer is a survivor of one of the worst cases of child abuse in California during the 1970's. Since being rescued he has achieved amazing things. Stuff that you could never expect from someone who was treated so poorly. It's truly an inspiration to read his books.

His first. A Boy Called 'It', written from the child's perspective did not make me cry or upset to read like I thought it would. It's very easy to read and I finished it within a day. The second book, The Lost Boy, was just as rivetting and easy to read.

I'm 2/3rds of the way through, A Man Named Dave and am finding this one a bit of a tissue jobbie. Probably because of the adult style it's written in. I don't think it's about the recounting of his abuse that is the upsetting parts, but rather, the way the author allows the legacy of his childhood to show through to his adult life.

It is with great compassion that he can allow himself to forgive his father, and then finally his mother.

I really must say these books are a tremendous read and if anyone thinks that bad things happened in their childhood that hold them back or follow into their adulthood then these books are a must, because if Dave Pelzer can achieve all that he has with what was done to him as a child, then I can say with all confidence that our experiences are no excuse.

Angus and Robertson have the Dave Pelzer trilogy pack for $29.95.

http://www.davepelzer.com/

Mums new Boots

My daughter can hardly resist putting my new boots on at any opportunity she can.

With her new shirt on for the first time today, she was happy to pose for the camera.

Dancing

My daughter, Stephanie, hardly ever dances. She simply won't do it. Dancing is not high on her list of things to do, so I was completely thrilled to snap some shots of her when she started hamming it up for the camera.

At almost 4 this is the first time she's done anything remotely like dancing for the camera. Even though we've been going to Kindergym since she was 14 months old she has never joined in with the hello and goodbye singing.

I'm hoping that by the time she goes to school she will be more willing to get into the swing of things.

This is one of three I took of her swaying on our bed.