Not the bathroom

     

Okies i fibbed in the entry heading LOL...Well the drying out company came round and took away their equipment...I have to telephone them to let them know what is going on as they will probs have to come back once the ceiling is removed...Then the loss adjustors phoned and said they would have someone come round in the afternoon but i'd get a call first...The woman who came round was really nice and very sympathetic...Chances of a counterclaim ain't very high though as we'd have to prove negligence somehow with upstairs eejits...So now am waiting on a call from the builders that have been appointed...Then they have to come round and give a quote for removing ceiling and probs the wall...Well i told her that the wall was saturated too and i really don't want it left up not when i have an asthmatic son...Oh she did say as long as what i choose doesn't go over the quote from flooring peeps i can get vinyl instead of carpet :o) ...Told her am thinking of putting in a new bathroom suite once the building work is done and she said she'd do the same LOL...She expects a quote off them within next 10 days...Then however long after that to get the work done, then i presume i'll be allowed redecoration...I did say i don't want the wood replaced, that i'd be happy with just new ceiling, the walls fixed and a coat of bathroom paint...Oh the flooring people haven't phoned yet even though i got told yesterday within 24 hours.

Went to tesco this afternoon and bought a pile of vest tops and t-shirts...El cheapo ones in bright purple and my fave black LOL...I never go to tesco but the ones in there are long in the body which is great for a long back like mine...Oh and i shocked K as i bought a skirt!!!!...Yeah me who lives in trousers/jeans bought a skirt...So 3 strappy vest tops, 2 t-shirts, another vest top and a skirt for £25.50...That will do me for a while as i never buy clothes for myself as such...Right M wants me to take him to asda to buy a DVD game and i need to pick up pics...Will post them laters :o)

Toodle pip tc xx

How to read an entry just now

I discovered by clicking on link in alert to an entry in someones journal then i can get into the journal...Okies it maybe takes a couple of attempts but it does work...Any other way says not avaialble

Bathroom part 6 LOL

                 

Well the stuff kept working whilst we were away at weekend :o) ...However this morning just as i was leaving to go to a meeting i had a call from the drying out company...There has been traces of asbestos found in the artex...She did say not to worry it's not dangerous as such...I was told to switch off the fans and the dehumidifier...They will collect them tomorrow morning instead of checking how they are getting on...So i left for my meeting late...Sat down and low and behold my moby rings (had it on silent)...This time it was the loss adjusters so i asked them to call back, no probs...An hour later i had another call this time from flooring people LOL...Said am in a meeting please call back laters...Flooring lot called as i was driving home...Buzzed K to see if she wanted anything from bakers and the loss adjusters called back then LOL...I phoned flooring lot when i got in (i had a number for them)...So they said they'd contact a local company to come and see about replacing the flooring...Hung up the phone and low and behold loss adjusters phoned...Explained the sorry saga to nice welsh lady...She is organising a local office to come out to assess all that needs doing regarding ceiling, wall and floorboards...When i mentioned about the boys she said she'd put that down so i'd be dealt with ASAP :o) ...So instead of going to asda am now stuck in waiting on calls...Flooring lot called back and a company from banchory is gonna be in touch...Banchory is miles away LOL...They won't put anything new in until the rest has been sorted though :o) ...Hoping i don't have to get more carpet as i want vinyl instead...Also whilst am at it i've decided to see about getting a new bathroom suite...Well i don't want nice new decorated room and minging old suite put back in...Actually at this rate of things i can see us having to be put up in a hotel at some point...Oh well at least M will go in bathroom now that the noisy things have been switched off...He would go to the loo but no further so i was having to sort facecloth etc for him and wash him out of the room and hand him his deoderant to put on.

We had a good trip down for K :o) ...We stayed with my friend onfri and on sat nite...We had a BBQ on the sat as the weather was so gorgeous...Left a lot of K's things at my friends so have to get her something nice when it's all picked back up...The meeting i was at this morning was at M's school and about the new additional support for learning act in scotland...It's all a bit complicated but far better than what was in place before :o) ...Yesterday was M's school award ceremony...Every year in last week before summer hols they have this...Every pupil is given something...The primary age pupils get a year book full of photos of what they've done and any certificates they have been given...The secondary pupils get certificates of achievement for all their work...The prefects get an extra one, the prefects who passed the wheelchair test got an extra certificate...M got 9 certificates yesterday :o) ...Him and one of the girls who was leaving sang a duet :o) ...They had 2 other pupils joining in the chorus with them...Even though am his mum it really was very special...All the pupils who are leaving get an extra special year book...A leather bound book with their name, school, years they have been there in gold gilt on front cover...It is full of pics from all their time at the school and not just their final year :o) ...They also used to have 2 special awards but now have 3...One of them is a cup in memory of a former PE teacher and is for a secondary pupil who has achieved a lot or coped well with a lot etc over the year...One of the girls in M's class got it as she has been in hospital a lot and had a very major operation on her back...She's in a wheelchair but not she is 6 inches taller since this op...The award for same thing for a primary pupil is presented on behalf of the local prison and is a shield...The cup and shield are kept in school and the pupil gets an engraved silver plate to keep...The new award this year was presented to the school on behalf of the family of one of the auxiliarys who died earlier this year...It is a beautiful glass trophy...Again it will be kept in school and there are to recipients one for primary and one for secondary...It's a friendship award and the 2 pupils who won it got a smaller replica in glass to keep...When M went up to collect his certificates the head teacher announced that he would be going to the mainstream high school local to them to do standard grade maths...Just aswell i warned him as he was shocked LOL...He got a round of applause for that and his friend who is going to do 4 subjects at standard grade got a round of applause too...We also saw a powerpoint slideshow of things all the pupils had done over the year...There was some of bendrigg and no way would i have done what they were doing <shudder> ...I've put in pics to be developed from the footie, bendrigg and other stuff so will post some on here once i have them.

Toodle pip tc xx

Offski for the weekend

                        

We're away for the weekend to pick up K...Again she has to be out of her room with everything before 10am...Stupid time really if you ask me...So we are going down straight after school...Well not quite straight after but asap after the boys get home...M has his school sports day tomorrow morning so fingers crossed it doesn't rain...It did today intermingled with sunshine...Rather annoying weather actually it's like it can't make it's mind up if it's going to be sunny summers day or rainy, windy autumnal like day LOL

Today i have spent trying to clear up stuff...Find a temporary home for stuff that isn't K's bedroom and generally got right fed up of clearing up etc...It's quite weird going to the loo because the fans and dehumidifier make it rather windy in there (scuse the pun)...I got a call from the specialist cleaning company and they'll be back next wed morning to see how things are...The humming from the bathroom is quite frankly doing my head in...It's like a dull throbbing noise all the time...When you're in there it is so noisy am suprised M and G are going in...Suppose it will be worth it in the end...I certainly wasn't putting up with being fobbed off as G has asthma and i don't want some yukky mould growing on my ceiling and walls...Anyways i will see you all next week...Have a good weekend everyone :o)

Toodle pip tc xx

 

Bathroom part 5

                       

Well i did get an Oi off K last nite <ggg> ...Think she'd rather i removed that entry but tough am not cos am nice like that :o) ...So today what i have a i done...Well not a lot as i couldn't be bothered but i do wish i'd had a bath in the morning...The specialists came round from insurance...Two really funny blokes who will be back...And oh boy is this bad...Because of the pine cladding it was hard to get the damp meter to take a reading...Then one of them, who seemed to be main bloke, put the prongs on the meter and poked them in...Low and behold reading went off the scale...Same with the wall and the floor...So i had to clear the bathroom out to get carpet ripped up...Now there is a fan and a dehumidifier on the bathroom floor drying it out...There is a fan in my airing cupboard to dry out the false ceiling...They took off some of the wood from the false ceiling and there's another false ceiling under it...With possibly artex that may have asbestos in it...It will need tested...These 2 will be back in a week to see how the drying out is going but they warned me it could take up to 3 weeks at least...Then it will have to be builders that come, decorators and floor fitting peeps...At end of the day i wanted my bathroom redecorated but couldn't afford it...So even if they can't counterclaim it will only have cost me £50 for new decorated bathroom that could have cost me a heck of a lot more...See am being optomistic about this whole debacle LOL...You must be all sick fed up of me going on about this saga by now <ggg>

G came home from school yesterday all smiley and happy...On a tuesday he is over at the other high school to do his technological studies class...On tues he is there over lunchtime and he wasn't happy...No-one from his school or this other one would talk to him so he felt alone and left out and mega unhappy...Last week one of the other schools support workers had gone into his class to see if he was managing fine...He said the class wasn't a problem but lunchtimes were and said why...So yesterday she introduced G to a lad from this other school who is also in 5th year who also has aspergers...They got on like a house on fire and this lad is going to introduce G to his mates next week and G is now happy :o) ...So that's a problem solved :o) Anyways i've been trying to write this for last 2½ hours LOL

Toodle pip tc xx

K

Ladies and gentlemen may i introduce you to my daughter XcheekydimplesX ...Very apt screenie too i might add <ggg> Her name is actually Kerry but i just call her K on here...And now i am going to get a virtual clip on the ear for this entry :o)

Bathroom saga part 4

                                     

Okies i wrote a huge long spiel here yesterday went to save and got internal error...Did it again and got same thing so gave up...Was going to try it again last nite but i was too busy.

So the debacle with the bathroom continues on...On sat nite i put down more bin liners and towels...Just as well as on sun a massive drip appeared just in front of the loo...The bin liners were floating with water so i chucked a towel down to soak it up...Put a bucket under the new drip and by midday it was half full!!!!...Emptied it and by 5.30 it was again half full...Don't think the plumber the landlady was round with believed that but tough cos it's truth...So she'd come round with a plumber and he shut off the water upstairs, removed their toilet cistern and took it away to repair or replace...Now they were both supposed to be back yesterday evening about 8.30pm...No-one appeared so am not a happy bunny...My bathroom STINKS...That plumber said the wood would dry out and just need a coat of varnish!!!! Scuse me don't think so i want to have the walls tested for damp...G has asthma and goodness knows how badly the plaster has been affected...M refused point blank to go in the bathroom at all on sunday...I had to go in get facecloth to wash him with in the morning before playscheme and his deoderant for him to put on...He hadn't gone to the loo at playscheme either :o( ...Once this major big time drip slowed and came to an almost halt he finally went to the loo at 9.40pm on sun evening...So my son had not been to the toilet since before he went to bed on sat evening, almost 24 hours he hadn't been to the loo...I have just phoned my insurance...They are sending a specialist company out later today to check for damp etc...Fortunately my contents & buildings insurance has a no claims policy and my no claims is protected...Even though i had a claim 2 years ago it's still protected so my insurance won't go up :o) ...They will try and make a counterclaim against upstairs landlady...It is buildings insurance it will go through and as she is the owner then it's her responsibility...I just want my bathroom fixed and not stinking of damp...Better go put another load of towels on LOL...Although the drips have now stopped, finally, overnite the wood is clammy and yuk to touch.

So on to the car debacle LOL...Went round yesterday and nice garage man has a ford mondeo he is flogging me for £100 until he can find me a better car...They had to valet it out for me and get new tyres so am picking it up later today...I've been round with my documents and they will either scrap my old one or one of the mechanics wants it...So nice garage man is going to take the money i would get back from DVLA for my road tax off this other car...Saves me filling in yet more paperwork...This mondeo is road taxed for 2½ months and MOT'd for 3 months...So hopefully by then he'll have found a better car...Or this one may be alright and not need much doing at MOT time.

Oh and you know how things come in three's...Well K phoned last nite from A&E again...Her right wrist had made a really loud, painful cracking noise at tea time...Her fingers and thumb were all numb...So they went to A&E at 6pm...She got X rayed at 8.30 and didn't get seen again by a doctor until about 11.30...He said they can't see anything broken and not sure what is wrong...They tried to say the numbness was because she'd been waiting in their so long...They wouldn't listen to her when she said the reason she'd gone there was BECAUSE they were all numb DUH!!!...She also explained she broke that wrist 7 years ago and it took 2 weeks for the break to show on X rays...She got told to come back if it didn't improve and they put a tubigrip on it...Hmmm she's home at weekend, think our GP up here will be getting a visit on mon LOL...Last time it was the scafoid (sp) bone she broke...It's a small bone leading from wrist up to the thumb...It's very hard to spot a break in it...I remember David Beckham broke same bone not long after K broke hers and he'd same trouble LOL.

Toodle pip tc xx

Saga of the bathroom part 3

Okies it is not MY landlady...I own my flat i don't rent it...It's the <deleted> upstairs landlady...I managed to get her on the phone about 6pm...Deleted upstairs is a lying <expletive> ...HE told her on the phone that there was a drip from the overflow...NOTHING else...She also didn't know until she phoned him on thurs looking for his rent money...No wonder he wouldn't let me talk to her on his phone...Cos he wasn't bluddy talking to her is why...I know his landlady she actually used to live in that flat...She's horrified at what i have said...Oh i now have black plastic bags over the floor as we have more damned drips down the wall...Now several of the wood panels on the wall are soaking wet too...By soaking wet i mean they have soaked up the water and are yukky to touch...His landlady is coming round first thing tomorrow morning with one of her friends...He happens to be the plumber that she uses...She was going to phone the <deleted> to get him to turn OFF the water in the flat...Also there is only supposed to be him staying there, he doesn't pay full rent as it's only him as ONE person living there...HE's always late paying his rent...She's already tried to get rid of him and hit a sticky wicket...I told her he's not the only one living there...There is at least 1 other person, probably more...We have post arrive here for several nigerian names...I am not being racist at all...The one who is officially staying there as i said before has always been pleasant and easy to talk to...Well the fibbing <expletive> git can go get lost now...He hadn't told her there was water leaking elsewhere and not just the overflow...I actually think with the water running down the walls the way it has then the flat below may be affected too...And bloke downstairs has just done up his bathroom...Anywas best mate took me out shopping to asda...Just got in and the boys are like 'you're late mum'  LOL...Oh and i wanna punch my best mates fellas lights out but nowt new there he treats her like dirt :o(

More tomorrow...Hey ceiling may have caved in by then LOL

The saga continues and M's trip

Well don't have lightning or thunder but we do have rain...It's not cold outside though just nice and fresh...I do fear that very soon i will have a downpour in my bathroom...Late yesterday evening neighbour came down and gave me landladys number...Decided can't phone someone at 11.30pm as it would scare them...I know it would scare me if i wasn't expecting a call...I immediately think who's in hospital or who has died...So last nite i added more tubs to the bathroom floor and i also spread towels over the floor to soak up any drips that missed the tubs...Hmmmm towels were very wet this morning :o( ...Phoned the landlady and got answering thingy...So left a rather polite but disgruntled message...I did leave my number for her to call me back...Sorry is a lot to ask to want to sit on the loo and have a piddle without being dripped on...Or have the fear that you may have a deluge on top of you at any moment...The panelling on the roof is soaking wet :o(  ...I really dread to think what the plaster is like underneath...Oh well lets look on the bright side my bathroom is going to need redecorated and NOT at my expense.

So M came home yesterday just slightly later than normal come home from school time...He had his new shorts on and a baseball cap he had bought at the centre...He was shattered though <bless> It is a heck of a long trip from aberdeen to the south lake district...So on tuesday they did the walk to the waterfall, caving and the bbq as i said earlier in week...Wednesday they did rock climbing which he thoroughly enjoyed and actually did it twice :o) ...They also did a zip slide thing which he also enjoyed...In the afternoon they did archery which he also liked...Abseiling was on wed as well but he didn't do it because it was way to scary...And i agree there with him LOL...No way you catch me abseiling full stop not even for a million quid <ggg> ...On thurs they went canoeing on Lake Windermere...Don't think he was too keen on the type of canoes they were in...They also did tube slide on thurs...Now they had to go in a sack and keep their arms in tight and slide down a tube...He said there was dark bits and lots of tight corners in it...He enjoyed it though as he went down it 4 times LOL...They also had a little disco on the thurs...And on fri they came home with a stop at burger king LOL...He's not sure if he wants to go again but no doubt he will...They had to make their own beds, brekkie and packed lunches but not their meal in the evening...He has taken photos so as soon as i have them i will post some.

Toodle pip tc xx

 

I hate fridays

                                            

Crap day to end a few crap days...Upstairs neighbours have a leak in their bathroom which in turn is dripping into my bathroom...Plumber is supposed to be arriving today hmmm...Yesterday was when they finally answered the damned door and it got worse overnite so went up again earlier...Demanded he phone his landlady there and then and get plmuber pronto...Has the plumber appeared yet as he heck

Car is now officially dead :o(  ...I can't afford another one so gawd knows what am gonna do...Going back to the garage on mon...He may let me pay one up again <fingers crossed>  Stoopid thing has cost me in region of £700 since feb...I could have bought another one for that price...Cylinder head gasket not worth the repair costs...But at least he is giving me a loan of one to go pick K up and get her and her gear home next weekend :o)

K has an appointment to see neurologist for results...Great at long last...Hmmm not really the appointment is for the 4th of july...Of course she isn't in edinburgh then she's up here...Oh and we have no car.

G is off school with the tummy bug.

On a bright note M comes home this afternoon...Got a postcard from him today :o)

Off to hibernate and scream

ARRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

Thank you's and other bits

                            

Didn't realise time had flown past so quickly since i did entry last week...Thank you everyone for the lovely comments left about K...There's a lot of people read this that don't leave comments but have told me lovely things too :o) ...She reads this now though so i have to be careful what i say LOL

Hasn't the weather been just glorious :o)

On saturday M decided he wasn't going to club but G did and he actually went outside LOL...Normally when it's weather like this he doesn't as it makes his hayfever worse...On sunday me and M went into town shopping...He took some of his birthday money as he wanted to buy a sonic screwdriver...For anyone that doesn't know then it's from Dr Who...This toy one is actually quite cool and doubles up as a pen :o) ...I was shopping for clothes for M for going away with on mon...I had bought trousers but they didn't fit him so need to take them back to asda...Managed to get 2 new lots of tracky bottoms half price in JJB's, got 2 vest top T shirts in primark for only £2 each, got loose summer trousers in primark cheap, got another set of shorts in primark too...They did have a specific clothing list but because of the hot weather i decided to pack shorts and t shirts on top of everything else...Here's where he's off to  The Bendrigg Trust - activity holidays for disabled people ...It looks brill :o) ...Sunday was so so so hot that me and M were puggled with the heat LOL...Later after cooling down inside i went to asda to do weekly shop, packed lunch for him on mon shop and to get more el cheapo trainers...He still can't tie laces but once they're tied for him he manages to slip then on and off LOL...Oh and i had to buy him a camera so hopefully he will have managed to take some pics.

On monday morning his taxi was late...So here we were sat at 8.40 M ina panic and no taxi yet...Just as i was about to phone the school i got a call from the escort saying the taxi had been delayed and hadn't even picked her up yet...Their taxi dirver lives about 13 miles out of the city and had been delayed in traffic on way in DUH!!!!...As there was 3 on his taxi going on the trip i managed to assure him they wouldn't leave without him...When they eventually picked him up the escort asked if i would phone to say they were on their way...Monday early was a bit dull here but he dressed in 3/4 trousers and a t shirt and hoodie anyways as i said would be hot on the bus...He phoned at about 8pm to say they had arrived at 4pm...They'd had treats and a special cake, he was sharing with a lad i don't know and they had to make up their own beds...Now in school newsletter last week it said what they were going to be doing...Last nite he decided to phone again <bless> ...He's enjoying himself but is missing me and is missing his brother...Rather funny as G is missing him too...The two of them are missing arguing and fighting with each other ROFL...Anyways yesterday he said they had been on a wonderful walk and say a beautiful waterfall...They also went CAVING!!! yesterday...He enjoyed it ARGGHHHHH...I know G likes that kind of thing too but no way am i ever ever going caving full stop...Hmmmm wonder if a carer could take them or maybe health & safety would say nopes LOL...No doubt he will probably phone again tonite <bless> The other activities they have planned are canoeing, rock climbing and abseiling...If you look on the website you will see they do wheelchair abseiling :o) Oh and last nite they were having a BBQ  Now M likes to cook at a BBQ (typical male) but he won't eat at one...Well he was having sausage in a bun last nite so he can do same at home <fingers crossed>

Jules should be back out of hospital tomorrow as she had operation yesterday and nasty painful bit has now been vamooshed :o)

Toodle pip tc xx

 

Grrrrrr

Wireless alert for previous entry and it's the one about K at the conference :o(

My wonderful daughter :o)

Okies it's late but who cares as promised entry about my darling daughter who is such a star and i am so very very proud of :o) Siblings of children with disabilities/special needs are classed as Young Carers...Now it doesn't matter wether it is a child looking after a parent or a child helping a parent to look after a sibling they get a really crap deal in life...Crap ain't the word i wanna use but i don't want told off from AOL <ggg>

On monday K was one of several speakers at a conference organised by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers...The conference was in edinburgh and it was for so called professionals...The Young Carers Development worker (presume for scotland) imaginatively called Scottish Young Carers Conference LOL...Anyway K was down as Deputy Convener for Social Justice in the scottish youth parliament :o) The convener of the social justice committee was there with her too...Anyways without being too big headed but my daughter was the STAR of the day according to the organiser :o)

She really cheesed off some of the academics who were there <ggg> One of them was a speaker and he has been given 35 research grants totalling 1.2 million in the last 12 years into young carers issues...One of his current studies is looking into the vulnerabilities and resilience of children caring for parents with hiv/aids in the UK but also Tanzania!!!!...Now pardon me if i look uncaring here but surely our money here would be better spent looking ito young carers issues in the UK ONLY...AND all that money gone into research with a mere PITTANCE gone into helping set up and develop young carers projects across the UK...To provide them with the counselling, education help, help in the home, help for them NOT to lose their childhoods as sadly many have and do :o(  K said when he was talking that the funding would be better being put into frontline services rather than research and apparently his face was a pretty picture <ggg>  He also had said why did the figures only include 5-17 year olds and not under 5's...They can see that as being his next bright idea for research when a lot of the young carers worker DO have under 5's on their books and have said so...This may be a bit daft of me but putting that money into FRONTLINE services would in itself be far better research than some surveys handed out asking how do you feel, what do you do etc etc etc

K said on the day when she got up to speak her knees were shaking...She just started speaking and at the end she got a huge round of applause...She said in her talk that only 3 years ago when she joined the SYP she was very shy and she couldn't have done this at all and she'd have been hiding in the toilets :o) I do think the SYP has been a wonderful thing for K and has given her strength, confidence and resilience that she didn't have before...K made a point that young carers are tagged onto adult legislation where they don't fit when they are in unique circumstances...The UN convention on the right of the Child states that a child has the right to protection from abuse and no-one is allowed to exploit a child...When you have very young children being a primary carer for someone then that surely is exploitation and abuse...NOT by the person they are caring for but by a country that looks the other way rather than give recognition to a MASSIVE problem in that country...In article 32 in that UN convention it says: that you shouldnt be involved in jobs which threaten your health or education and that the government must set rules about work for children and young people...Like G said at the weekend he's been told they shouldn't be working more than 10 hours a week in a part time job...Also if you are at school and have a part time job then both you, your school and your employer have to sign some form with all kinds of rules and regs on it...If you are a Young Carer then that doesn't seem to count...Also Carers Allowance you can't get if you are under 16...That is ridiculous if you are the main carer regardless of your age.

She put a bit about being bullied cos of who you care for, then a bit about there needing to be support for people who want to stop caring

A bit about how being a young carer has affected her personally and spoke about me, her father and the boys.

She put a wee bit of background "It's said that 'a person is grown up not when they can take care of themselvs, but when they can take care of others' " blah blah we lose our childhood and grow up too quickly

The end of her speech was kinda personal too but really good in my opinion and sums it all up beautifully

put people in the situation of a young carer - "Imagine having to look after you parent, or your siblings, constantly worrying whether they're alright, having to do things an adult should be doing, having to grow up far too quickly and missing out on just being carefree and young. Running in the grass, going out with friends to movies, having a dog... all these things you cant do because you have to care for someone. it can ruin your health, it can ruin your education, and it can ruin your future. We save the government a LOT of money, but get very little thanks or appreciation for it. It's high time that we did have thanks, and we did have appreciation, support and proper recognition. It's high time that we weren't forgotten about and we wre given the support we need. And it's high time young carers were able to have their childhood"

She told me according to some of the speakers there that young carers project workers are NOT professionals and should refer young carers to professionals...What a load of UTTER TOSH (being polite again LOL)...As K says that is a complete INSULT to project workers.

Apparently afterwards a lot of the evaluation forms said that K was very good :o)

K and the other person from SYP went into a workshop about priorities for a national young carers strategy, and there were scottish exec representatives (just civil servants, no ministers) there who said that the current policy in response to care 21 was to mainstream services as best as they could and maybe revisit the idea of a strategy...K and her friend  between them, probably mostly K, ended up convincing them they need to go back to the ministers and tell them they need to do a u-turn and they dont need to tell them its what the professionals are saying, although they do need to, but they NEED to tell them its what the YOUNG PEOPLE and the actual young CARERS want

At the lunch break the scottish exec folk came up to talk to K and 2 others and they got K's email addy after talking to her friend while K spoke to the princess royal trust for carers person about something. After that her friend told her she'd just got K onto the scottish exec's young carers taskforce LOL...Time will tell wether that is true or not.

K also had a rant about respite and how bad it is...Most of the *professionals* there seemed to think you can click your fingers and get respite just like that ROFL..Sometimes i do wonder where they get some of these people...K never once called them experts because in her opinion they were NOTHING of the sort...Maybe experts at shuffling bits of paper around and looking at figures but know nowt about the reality...K also mentioned in her speech the campaign the SYP is doing about young carers which is in the main her *baby* :o) One of the poepl there is going to email her about it as his young carers feel very alone and isolated :o(  Being a carer regardless of your age is very isolating...NO-ONE knows how it feels unless they are in the same/similar situation...No offence meant to anyone who reads this who is a paid care worker but that is very different...At the end of the day you go home away from your job...I don't have many friends as no-one really understands...Most of the friends i have now are also carers themselves...K never had many friends at school and was bullied by others as no-one understood it...K mentioned in her speech of how lonely it is and how isolating...It's bad enuff for me as an adult but for a child it is horrendous.

Some of the above i have copied direct from the IM i had on MSN with K...I know it is a bit jumbled up but i am damned PROUD of her and i only wish i could have been there to see her...Then again am not a professional and it was for professionals...To stand up and say what she did in front of people like that makes me cry...I love ALL of my children dearly and although i wouldn't change the boys for the world at times i do wish K had had a much easier childhood and didn't have to grow up so quickly...I've told her that on numerous occasions and she always says the same back "She doesn't mind" ...At the end of the day the boys have made both of us much stronger people and more patient and more understanding...We do have our moments when we could just scream blue murder and wish we were elsewhere but i know that am not the person i was before 13 years ago when G was diagnosed...I happen to think and i hope that i am a much better person than i ever would have been without the boys in my life...K has a strength of character i could never have had at her age and that is something that will stand her in good stead throughout her life...Did i say i am PROUD of her already <ggg> i am and much much more...Better go get some sleep before i cry anymore :o)

Toodle pip tc xx

Under the weather

Just a short note in case anyone has been wondering where i am....I've been poorly since sat...Sun i was so ill first thing i had to phone respite and ask them to pick the boys up in the mini bus...Fortunately social work have it written into the contract they will pay transport if needed in emergency...Had the GP yesterday for my monthly checkup about the depression...He said there is a particularly vile tummy bug doing the rounds and that's what i have...OH JOY!!!!...If the boys were going to get it then they'd have had it by now <phew>...I can't find M's clothing list for his trip ARGH...If i can't find it tonite then i need to get another from the school...It's mon he goes away so i need to get washing and packing...Typical i have a bug and need to lie down when the weather is glorious and i want to be out in the sun

I have another link from the NAS website...Don't know if anyone remembers not too long ago a mother commited suicide with her son by jumping off the humber bridge...Well a couple of years ago another mother did the say in Durham with her son...Both the children were autistic spectrum and these parents were at end of their tether...I can totally empathise as it wouldn't be the first time over the years i have felt like enough is enough i can't do this anymore...An MP has tabled a motion in parliament for better provision of services etc after the most recent tragedy.

The National Autistic Society - Speaking up for autism in Parliament

Ok this was going to be a short and sweet entry...K was a speaker at a conference on mon which i will write about tomorrow...I am reading but not commenting as such so do forgive me...K has not had the results yet but i will say when she has.

Toodle pip tc xx

Friday

I didn't manage to get back on here yesterday and now i've forgotten what i was going to put LOL...It's been one of those weeks really, well more one of those fortnights...I've been so busy elsewhere online that i have had little time to read journals, boards or do entries here :o(  I ended up throwing a hiss fit last nite as i was so tired <sigh>

Today the sun is out and all the windows are open and it is a glorious day...Still can't hang out the washing because of the builders though :o(  ...Both the boys are in school today HURRAH!!!!...G is in for induction day to 5th year and on mon he starts 5th year properly...M goes away to Bendrigg on the 12th and i can't believe how quickly time has flown in for that...One IMPORTANT thing i have forgotten to say is that UKHostWasp is unable to do entries on his journal just now...He's having problems with accessing it to make an entry but it working on the problem but he doesn't have much time due to his voluntary work that he was telling us all about so wonderfully well...Hopefully he'll be back sooner rather than later...Oh and i put a different pic on my sidebar...I meant to a couple of weeks back but i couldn't shrink the pic enough...Am totally useless with techy stuff LOL...Eventually i did manage to remember to ask a friend on here and he tried to talk me through doing it myself...We gave up and he shrunk it for me <ggg> ...Much prefer this one as my face doesn't look so shiny in it :o)

Ohhh i remember what i was going to add yesterday now LOL...M wasn't happy and didn't want to talk about the tournament at all...He had coped brilliantly well until right at the end...Their manager was told they were in a play-off so he got them together to go and play again...Then the organisers said sorry we made a mistake...M didn't take that too well <sigh> ...So yesterday he didn't want to talk about it at all...But at about 5pm yesterday G pointed out that his team lost one of their games 10-0...M then said he'd only let in 8 goals in three games so he's now happy that out of the four teams from here his did the best and he was the best goalie LOL...He did go to athletics last nite and they were doing high jump...Hmm considering M is most definitely NOT built for high jump he wasn't too bad.

Time to catch up on journals and perhaps learn to say NO to people...Am too nice and say yes if asked to help or do something for others...Last nite's hissy fit means i really have to learn to say NO or i will burn myself out again...I have the opportunity to go away in sept overnite and i desperately want to go...But as it is the day after Robbie i don't know if it will be feasible...K hopefully may be able to brother sit in edinburgh but she won't know for a few weeks...Oh well time will tell

Toodle pip tc xx

Footie

Am shattered today and so are the boys...G's last study leave day so he had no school anyway and M looked like death warmed up this morning...Phoned his taxi escort said he's not going in he's done in and sent him back to bed...Yesterday was a very long day...We were up at 5am, well i was and i woke the boys about 5.15am...We did have a quick brekkie and i made sure that i had everything packed and not forgotton anything...Well i did forget something, suntan cream LOL...G's face is reddish/brown, M's is a bit pinkish and my nose is burnt...The weather in glasgow was glorious...To be honest after lunch it was a bit too hot for them playing 5-aside footie...I had packed plenty non fizzy drinks for them though...All in seperate bottles for after each game.

The 5-asides is graded and despite the disabilities officer up here asking several times she had not been given any advice on what grading our teams should be...So our 4 teams were in too high a grading :o( BUT they tried their best which is all they could do...G's team lost all 3 of their games, so did the other 16+ team and one of the under 16 teams...M's team lost 2 games and drew the third game...Poor G was shattered as he had run his heart out trying to be in defence where supposed to be and up front at same time...Haven't seen him have to use his asthma puffer so much before...M was goalie in his team and although he let in a total of 8 goals his team were more fairly matched up in their group...Actually M's team did gell together very well and were damn unlucky...M did have some fantastic saves :o)  The first 2 teams they played against our lads had a lot of shots on target but the 2 goalies were good...And in the 2nd game they had a rubbish ref <sigh> ...In their 3rd game our lot were 2-0 down when they missed a penalty...Then they got another penalty which they did score from, then scored a brill goal and in the last few seconds they missed a sitter of a goal...They did all enjoy the day though which was the main thing :o)

One of the other parents had been talking to some of the other teams and was not impressed or happy...Apparently one of the teams was from a young offenders institution!!!! and a couple of others were from schools for kids who had been excluded from everywhere because of bad behaviour...Now whatthe heck were teams like those doing at national DISABILITY sport tournament!!!...There is words going to be had between our disabilities officer and the organisers and about the grading system...We will be back down next year though :o) Anyways more later as i have to go for a bit

TTFN xx