friday's feast

Appetizer
How are you today?

A bit better than yesterday. But I'm still not well.
Today bloodworks will be done.

Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis.

Casualty (BBC), Holby (BBC), House

Salad
What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced?

Very bad lightning when there were no houses between the lake and us.
We only had one child and I was alone with my little son at home.
I could see the lightning getting down in the part of town at the other side of the lake.
Then it hit the lake far away, then nearer...
It came closer and closer.
Then the phone rang.
It was a friend who live straight at the back of us, at the other side of the gardenpath.
She asked me to come over, because her hubby was away and she was so afraid.
I grasped a blanket, my baby, and a toy, threw a towel over my head and the baby and ran out of the house. Didn't even bother to get the keys and lock the door.
She opened the door when I ran into her garden and let me in.

When the lightning was over we saw it had struck the tree in the garden 3 houses away.

Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be?

In Scotland. I want to be near the mountains and a lake.

Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep?

A T-shirt and my undies ofcourse.

Read more...

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.
They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

My twingirls were born premature and had exchange transfusions.

We were told to expert learning problems at school.

Well, they're not the worst at school. In fact they're average and I'm OK with that.

They're clever, have self confidence and enjoy life.

It was agreed at the end of last schoolyear that both girls would be tested in octobre.

Well, I received one set of forms (they can't do anything without forms these day.

I as taught to start from a blank canvas and make a complete diagnosis from there. )

Well, I only got one set, for one of the girls.

The girls who is dyslectic still isn't subscribed.

===

What's your thursday bug?

Leave your name and url with Mr Linky so we can find you.

Download the topgraphic of this entry

or one of the following

to your computer and from there to your site.
Link it to this site, so others can find the meme too.




Thanks for participating!

Read more...

works for me: storing socks

With a family of 8 socks are an item.

Especially the kids with autism disorder need a package of a pair delivered straight on their doorway...

You see me running around each morning?

No way!

I let them agree on which clothes they wear the next day and we lay them ready for the next morning.

One way or another putting socks with the other clothes didn't work.

Each boy has his own colour of socks, so it's easy to fold them.

But where to leave them?

A drawer wasn't available, so we went through all sorts of storage untill the fae of creativity hit my head.

I went for a large poster container... a large one. (cilinder)

Ofcourse I didn't succeed untill I walked one evening through the citycentre, just before the old paper was collected.

I found the perfect container standing there.

The shopowner was still there so I asked him if I could take the thing home.
"Oh yes, I'm glad someone can put it to use. It's from the large posters here in the shop. Do you need more of them?"

I got one for each child.

At home I painted them.

Put holes at the top to get a thin rope through them, so I could hang the container.

At the botton I used the middle of a paintyhoseleg.
I glued the toppart to the inner border of the container.

And put a fancy laundrypeg in the same colour on the end, so the socks couldn't slip out.

When I want to store the socks I take the container off the hook, throw the socks in, and hang it back.

The kids have a piece of momma-art in their room that is highly functional.

Works for me.

.

Want to take part too?

Click the logo.

You'll find about another hundred tips there.

Read more...

10 on tuesday,

10 Things I've Been Putting Off

1. Deciding to go away for a weekend for caretakers to relax a bit.. I'm not at all sure I can leave things here.
   I've booked in a moment of stupidity for a 3 day stay at the sea with the caretakers organisation, in december. Haven't paid yet.


2. Deciding to have my autistic son live elsewhere or have some assistance come into the house.
   The first option is the best for all of us, so the other children have a chance to have some normal family time. But I know my autistic son will hate me forever...


3. Tidying and cleaning the attick.


4. Having my bloodwork done so I have to go to the new diabetesnurse.
   I think dealing with the complexity of my health is a doctor's job or my own responsibility.
   The doc knows me for 18 years now, and has an insight in my life. I don't need anybody to tell me I need to exercise more.


5. Telling the psychiatrist of my autistic son she's worth nothing at all. She promised to apply for a home where he can stay a weekend a month and a week during a vacation...she promised in may. And she didn't. She also didn't apply for help after he finishes school.
   It means that I can't get my son in care so I can go ...see 1. And we have to arrange help...which isn't here in the area...
   I'm so angry with that woman....


6. Painting the rest of the livingroom. I painted one wall and I'm not sure I like the color.


7. Writing down my experiences as a mom of a family with 4 boys with autism spectrum disorder (and their father too).


8. Well...I can't think of anything else at the moment..

Want to take part in the meme too?
Clcik the logo.

Read more...

manic monday

You’ve won $100,000 – but have to give it all away.
To which charity or institution would you donate it?

Well, knowing that so many organisations need too much money to have people travel to the site where help is needed, too much money to make people keep their jobs, I doubt if I would hand it over to an organisation or institution.

Most likely I would gather with a few other parents of autistic and autism spectrum disorder children and team up to buy a house so they have a place to stay when they get a bit older, under care and supervision.
There's no place in town or in the direct area where my 15 year old autistic boy can stay.
It's a shame!
The only place is 5 hours travelling from here and that's unacceptable.

What do you think is the most soothing sound?

For many people: the sea.
For me too. And the rain... especially in an old town.

Does time heal all wounds?

No.
It can take away the sharp edges. It can make it possible to laugh and live again.
But the death of my children, my gram and my father will always stay with me.

Read more...

friday's feast

Appetizer
What is your favorite type of art?

To be honest, it depends on my mood.

As a former balletdancer and teacher I love ballet.
But I love music too, I can appreciate paintings, sculptures, everything.

When a face is involved I want it to be right of proportions and to be handsome.

Art needs to lift me up, make me think or feel different.

I don't need impulses to be bad.

Soup
When was the last time you got a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner)? Who paid for it?

Well, here in The Netherlands people don't get a lunch at a restaurant often. Let alone breakfast.

The last (and as far as I can remember the only) brunch I ever had was about 9 years ago, when I stayed with my youthfriend and pseudobrother. He paid.

Last free dinner at a restaurant was.. eh... eh... about two years later.
A friend offered it to me because I'd therapied her out of a depression.
The salmon was prepared as bad that she could have relapsed in it right again, but she liked it.
I went to the cook with a serious question about it, and he agreed. So I got a steak and mushroomsause of the house.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how emotional are you?

It depends on the situation.

I've been trained as a psychologist, so I can be non-emotional...outward...
That's how I am when I deal with people who hurt me or my children, with the school is nagging about something unimportant or when they refuse to understand the condition of the children.

Right now 2 kids are ill at home, and I'm dealing with a lunginfection. It makes me short of breath and very tired.
So when they start complaining I get emotional up to 9.

Main Course
Approximately how long do you spend each day responding to emails?

Well, there are so many things going first, and at times the sending of mails is so slow that I can't get them out, so it depends.. I'm always behind.

Dessert
To what temperature do you usually set your home’s thermostat?

Well the thing doesn't work properly.
It states 22 when it's 18 degrees.

I like 23... so that's 19.
But it depends on my activity level.

Want to take part?
Click the logo.

Read more...

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.
They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

This week my thursday bug is:

That internet is too slow to visit or comment.

It drives me mad... (You did notice, didn't you? LOL!)

Read more...

works for me: recycling garden material

Shannon blogged about her gram.

Mine was and still is also an abundant source for good ideas and habits.

She never took something for granted, never took something from nature without giving something back.

This time of year she pruned the shrubs and trees.

This resulted in a huge pile of cuttings, which was no problem and we didn't need to take it far.

She had my uncle, who lived with her, dig a deep hole in the gardenpath.

We threw all the leaves and chopped wood in and covered it with sand.

The sand that didn't fit in anymore was left beside the garden gate.

When the wintercold would make the road slippery, we spread the sand on the street and pavement.

At the end of the season we swept it back in the garden, and it always was enough to fill the area to an even level.

My gram had the best growing garden in the whole city.

Want to take part too?

Click the logo.

Don't forget thursday bug, tomorrow.
See sidebar.

Read more...

10 Things You Do When You Have Nothing Else to Do

10 Things I Do When I Have Nothing Else to Do

1. Take care of the plants
2. Walk into the garden and look around for interesting small wildlife.
3. Take a cup of coffee and surf TV. Usually I'll land at the BBC, discovery channel or National Geographic channel.
4. Read the paper. I always save them for boring moments.
5. Surf internet or I get irritated because the connection is too slow to leave comments.
6. Did I forget taking something to eat? I bet it's higher up the list. LOL!
7. Take care of the laundry.
8. Tidy something.
9. Prepare things for dinner
10. Make a mental note to tell the kids to clean their home.

Want to take part too?
Click the logo.

Read more...

september give-away

sticky post

The new give-away is up and running.
Click the logo to read everything about it!

Also pay attention to the post under it, please.

Read more...

manic monday

If you could enter a racehorse in the Kentucky Derby, what would you name your horse?

Well, firtst I don't know what the Kentucky Derby is.
I guess it's a famous racehorse event.

I've never been interested in racehorsing. I wonder how respectful it is to the horses, so maybe I would name a horse... if there was no chance to escape from entering: respect horses.


What famous person, whom many people find attractive, is most unappealing to you?

To be honest, I don't care much for all those famous people.
Just because they're a singer, politician, movieplayer or whatever it doesn't mean they need a red carpet.
I don't know very well, who is regarded to be attracting.

In my own country we have someone who is regarded to be nice or something.
And I certainly don't want to be her. Verdonk is the name.

Which foreign country are you least interested in visiting?

A country where people are kept poor so the rich can enjoy everything the want.
A country where I'm closely watched so I won't get in contact with people who talk freely about their own country.

Want to take part?
Click the logo.

Read more...

saturday special

1. While sailing on vacation the sea gets rough and your boat hits against the rocks of an island, you __________?:
...thank the Gods for their intervention.
I start calling and on the rocks a nice handsome man arrives who gestures me to stay put and wait.
So I lay down in the sun and say goodbye to my former life.

After a while the man throws a rope and climbs down.
He smiles when I tell him my luggage needs to go first.
It's not much, but I can't take the risk he won't get it after we're on the rocks.

He climbs up with my bag and is back in a minute to help me.
His hands are warm, his arms are powerful.

Oh...finally a real man..


2. In front of you is a small cliff with a lighthouse, you __________?:

Crawl on the rocks to the lighthouse. The man smiles and lends me a hand when necessary.

3. You are able to climb the cliff and enter the lighthouse, when __________?:

I hear a bunch of children cheer.

I'm puzzled...they sounds like my kids... but I'm far away from the real world, so I just think them away.

4. Happy to be able to, you __________?:

look up to the handsome face of the man.
His eyes are like the summersky, his lips are begging...


Want to take part in this meme?
Click the logo.

Read more...

autumntable

I've been asked how we here get autumn into the house.

Well ofcourse people have there own preferences. So I can only tell how we do it here in the house.

When the children were young they went to a school where they had a seasontable.
Each season the table was decorated with a tablecloth that fitted the season, with the leaves and fruits of the season. And added were little handmade dolls, also made of what was available in the season or of wool.

We kept part of this wonderful idea by having a large flat bowl on the table with stones that are found during the season. (We have a stone finding fool among us, sorry).
Right now we have added an apple, some bramberries (which will be gone in a minute, because they won't stay well long and I like them fresh. LOL!), but also with nuts, acorns, and the first coloured leaves.
I have already made a little man from toothpickes a maple and acorns, and many more mans, horses and dogs (the last two only distinguished by using your phantasy.LOL!) will be made the next week.

Slowly everything will change with the bowl in the centre.
The summermugs will be replaced by ones that are autumncoloured, even the food will change from fresh yellow and green to brown and red.

The way the sun shines in the room will change, so the room will look even more different.

My curtains match the season, but that's sheer luck.

Read more...

friday's feast

Appetizer
When was the last time you visited a hospital?

As a visit: the day before yesterday to get the results of the lungtests of one of my sons.
he's got asthma, like me.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?

That depends.
I'm 9 on trying not to be ambitious.
I'm 8 on wanting to change the world a bit.
I'm 3 on wanting a professional career. (Not with all this at home)
I'm 7 on wanting to be a highland bagpiper in the band and
I'm 10 on wanting to be a bagpiper that is entertaining one one of the bagpipeinstruments.

Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part.

abdomen - a bedouin dared overcome meager evil nerds
head - hopefully edy ate daisies

Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?

It would be for parents of autism spectrum and adhd children in my country, named:
parents against bad school and bad psychiatry.

Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?

It's woodcolor.

Want to take part?
Click the logo.

Read more...

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.
They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

This week my thursday bug is:

In may the psychiatrist of my autistic son was supposed to refer us to another clinic, a referral which is needed to get him support after getting his diploma.

The same letter would contain a subscription for a weekendhouse, where he can stay one weekend in one or two months and 2 weeks during the vacation.

She didn't.

.

Read more...

works for me

Twingirls are great!

But at time the wallet doesn't stretch as far as we want.

They're bagpipestudents.

I've found some very nice earrings on internet: bagpipes.

Because they loved them so much, I bought one pair, and made them into pendants.

As earrings they were too big for them anyway.

Now they're both happy.

Works for me.

Want to take part?

Click the logo and read the rules.

Read more...

manic monday

If you could "un-invent" one thing in the world so that it would no longer exist, what would you choose?

war

Monday morning you usually waking up thinking:

Ugh... another week of stress.

Do you find it easy to ask for help? Why or why not?

No.

• My kids need a special way of dealing with them, otherwise they'll get worse.
• I don't like other people to clean up the things of my household
• I have been disappointed so many times.

Read more...

saturday special

1. Favorite Computer Cruising Time?:
For a fast journey: early in the morning when connections are relatively fast.
For a luxury tour: in the middle of the night and later, when my friends are online too.

2. Favorite Time To Write Your Blog Entry?:
When something pops-up, or late in the evening.

3. Favorite Internet Service Provider?:
This one is crap, bu we have no other choice.

4. Favorite Email Service?:
rock-mail.
They warn in advance when they'll have maintenance and last year, when they're changing the system, they backed up all the mail, even though they said it would be lost.

Read more...

friday's feast

Appetizer
Using only one word, how does grocery shopping make you feel?

poor

Soup
What is your favorite part about the season of Autumn?

It's an alltogether experience...
If I could have the fruit without the falling leaves,
the sun without the cold night,
the colours without the dead branches...

Salad
Have you ever had any bad experiences online?

Oohhhh yes....
A groupleader of a very large women group saw me as a threat and just kicked me out when she could slap me in the face because I couldn't fullfill her orders when the connection got down for three days. She didn't even give me the chance to say goodbye to others.

And of another kind:

A dear friend died in a car accident in december 2003 and none told me where she's burried.

I considered someone else a good friend too... I called her to wish her happy new year and she's never mailed me again.
No, I didn't say something wrong!

Main Course
Name three things that make you happy daily.

Happy....?

My girls, my garden,.......

Dessert
What one household cleansing or organizing item would you not want to be without?

vinegar

Read more...

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.
They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

This week my thursday bug is:

My second son has had a difficult time at schools.

At the last school he was physically abused by a group when he defended a friend.

He refused to go to school and we had a hard time dealing with it all.

At last we found a school in another town that was able to give him the right education to become a photographer and video maker.

With the help of the former school he was admitted.

Before the vacation he went there a couple of times for tests and to get acqainted. He was very enthousiastic.

Yesterday he went...

Today he refused to go.

To make a whole story short: they'd made a mistake and put him in the wrong group: level 4 final year, instead level 2 first year.

It triggered all his feelings of being unsafe, not being able to fit in etc etc.

And he refuses to give it another try.

This is really bugging me today, as you can understand.

===

What's your thursday bug?

Leave your name and url with Mr Linky so we can find you.

Download the topgraphic of this entry

or one of the following

to your computer and from there to your site.
Link it to this site, so others can find the meme too.




Thanks for participating!

Read more...

Works For Me: The Brand-Loyal Edition

I want California instant soup. The kids like my soup better, because it's better.

I want Maggi soupseasoning.

I used to use Yves Rocher suncream as a daycream. But they changed it, and now it smells like babybottoms after a bath... well, after so many babies I don't fancy smelling like that. LOL!

And I love a certain sweet soft licorice. I realise I don't even know the name, so when they change the look of the bag I won't be able to find it. LOL!

At the moment I can't think of anything else...

Want to take part in "Works for me wednesday?"
Click the logo.

Don't forget the september give-away and the hair fundraiser.

.

Read more...

10 on tuesday

10 Things You'd Save in a Fire

Only my things:

1. The photo's of the children. (Where's the truck? LOL!)
2. My bagpipes and performance clothes
3. My flutes, whistles, guitar, violin and other instruments.
   
   Now I have to start thinking...
   
4. Passport, insurance papers, agenda and notebook
5. Jewelry
6. 2 drawings my dad made
7. box with memories of my two girls that died
8. box with cd's
9. box with memories of my balletcarreer
10. my glasses

Want to participate? Click the logo.

Read more...

manic monday

What is one thing that you wanted to do this summer but didn't?

Go on vacation.

If you lived a hundred years ago, what job would you've had?

I would have been a doctor, maybe in Africa, maybe in Scotland or Ireland.

Why?
I've always had a considerable knowledge of medicine, I feel a strong bond with Mali and some other african countries, and my accents are acknoelwdges by Scots and irsih friends. LOL!

What are some of the most persistent and challenging obstacles in your everyday life?

Duh... the junk and untidiness of my family.
The autistic features of my autistic son, his father and the other boys.
And the schools.

Read more...

How to make a sticky post.

I was asked how a sticky post is made.

A sticky post is a post that stays on top of your blog.... one way or another.

Some blogging systems allo you to date forward.

So you can set the sticky post for a special month on the last date of that month.

Other systems allow you to chooseone sticky post.
Sometimes it's your introduction that is kept on top that way.

You can put your sticky post in that entry.

Another way is to update the post each day after each new entry. Not quite convenient though..

Read more...