Well the school year is officially DONE! Last year my eldest went to a school that finished a week earlier and I think our school was finished last. Yesterday I had a cup of tea with a friend and she was already starting the "wind-down" and I was thinking, 24 hour more to go...
Since my eldest finished his PAT's they've been pretty much in Summer holiday mood... so I thought I'd add to it with some Cupcakes with faces, they were kids faces, thought I'd throw some Sugar into the mix on the last day!
After school we got some Summer clothing as they are already stocking the shops with SNOW GEAR!!! yes SNOW GEAR! I thought my friend was joking that on July1st that's when you buy your WINTER GEAR! I had to believe it to see it!
We had a lunch out which was a nice treat and then we went home.
Oatie had his 3rd "sports day" he was very disappointed that he didn't have a sports day so the rec centre creche organised the gym last week so Oatie and the creche friends could have a sports day too, it was pretty cool, they put up slides, nets tunnels, balls etc... they had so much fun they did it again on Friday and today Oatie was really sad as today was the last day of Creché until September, so they went to the gym but he was just so sad. The other day he almost made me cry as we drove past where his preschool was that he went last academic year, (that he couldn't go this year as they had a neurotic aide for him who despised him) said that's MY SCHOOL, I MISS MY SCHOOL.
Well he's going to his brother and sisters school in September, so I know he's looking forward to that.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Oatie's 3 Sports days
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Oatie has been approved of a Service Dog !
Hooray! Yesterday we got a letter saying that Oatie has been approved for a service dog, which is excellent news as it will mean when he gets the dog, he won't use his walker very much at all as he'll used the dog to get around instead!!! With us or a dog Oatie doesn't toe walk and walks properly as he walks slower... in the walker he speeds around and toe walks which isn't very good for him... not to mention having a BFF, and someone who can help him take his mittens of, open doors pick items up for him, be with him when he swims and ice skates and goes to school...
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Binoo and Oatie are so happy together...
Our other cats have pretty much left Binoo alone and if Binoo gets too close the other's either hiss and run or just run...
Binoo cries if he is apart from Oatie, so when Oatie calls him, he beeps and comes running to Oatie, it's so cute.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Binoo the CAT!
We went for a lovely dinner around a friends house and when I got back I decided to look on the classifieds for a kitten.... and low and behold there was one just down the road from us, a boy kitten and the type of breed that we were looking for... so on the buy and sell site, i msg-ed them at 1am ROL (Roar of laughter!)...
The next morning it was Father's day and the kids really wanted to go and sing in the school choir at church... so we did that, then took Oatie's dad to Starbucks for a super coffee and we got the call from the "cat lady", so we went and had a look,,,, Oatie and the kitten bonded instantly and well, put it this way... we came home with "Binoo".
Oatie has been sharing my cat, but he really wished for a pet of his own... we're still waiting for news on the Service dog, but already him having his own pet has made such a difference as Oatie picked him out and each time the kitten is away from Oatie, he cries....
What kind of influenced our decision was that the "cat man" had a terrible accident, and broke 39 bones in his body, his back in 3 places, his pelvis and legs the lot with a car falling down on him... They were told he'd be lucky if he wasn't paralysed... and then when they told him to stand they didn't know if the pins in his pelvis would take him standing or whether it would split apart and he'd never walk again... well luckily he will make a great recovery whatever that will be as he isn't paralysed (but they can't operate on his back where the injury is) and he can stand... and is now learning to walk. He's been out of work for 4months and will be lucky if he could return to work at Christmas, he just got out of hospital a few weeks ago.
So after that, we decided that it was fate that I happened to look at the classifieds for a kitten for Oatie just then and buying the kitten will help "Binoo's" cat family out... too.
So there we have it, Oatie got an 'early' birthday present as when we saw the kitten we were expecting that we couldn't take him home for another month... but the "cat lady" said we could take him the same day....
Friday, June 15, 2012
Oatie's Cerebral Palsy Bike Rally
Last Sunday in the most horrid winds, Oatie, who really dislikes WIND rode his 1km bike ride and did it with style. His Brother, Sister and I made some sparkly things to bling up his bike... and we wore his hot pink skating top, but underneath some layers.. it was so windy that my eldest put on his snowpants and ski jacket!!!
It was meant to be a pretty level course but with the wind against us, it was that type of wind where you can't breathe!! takes your breath away!... the CP kids struggled battling the slight incline...
The adults and kids were AMAZING, if you ever feel that YOU can't do something, do and see something like this where non of them were distance walkers... they all needed "wheels" of some sorts, so to see people who can't walk on land but pedal was just totally brilliant.
Oatie all along the route in the wind said, "money for more bikes for friends" it was his mantra to get through something he hated with something he LOVED (the bike).
Oatie was awarded the highest fundraiser and he raised over $1315! my original target was $100.... I have left his page open for a week or two more as he's still getting sponsors in...
He had a brilliant time and his brother and sister rather than riding off ahead with the other able-bodied siblings wanted be with their brother, and cheer him on.
after the half way point we were out of the wind and Oatie left me for dust... his brother and sister ran along side him and he finished the 1km on his wheels before I got there on foot!
To finish the ride, they all got potato chips and then after we had hotdogs and pop.
It was a brilliant morning and Oatie is looking forward to doing it again next year...
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
My first fieldtrip !!!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Art... Felt Tip Pens.. Cerebral Palsy... and Bikes
Oatie is amazing, he can walk about 20feet on land which is brilliant in it's self... but on his bike he can ride for over half an hour. Yesterday, he rode on our hard surface patch at home for 30 minutes and when i told him that we'd have to take him off the bike as the bus would be pulling up soon, he asked if he could ride to the end of our drive where the bus drops the kids off...
As the bus approached... all we could hear was cheering and screaming... all the kids on the bus cheered for Oatie...
I just hope the weather holds out for him...
Oatie would also like to one day do adaptive surfing... (good job I'm a swimmer and ex lifeguard!!!) and a parachute jump... he saw my photos of the one I did when I was 18... and would like to do one too, I told him he'd have to be about 18 but he said ok... oneday...
As he loves biking so much, I think that in the future, I'd like to get an adaptive Tandem bike for he/I so I could take him on the the "ride to conquer Cancer" which is a 200km bike ride... I managed a 60mile/100km London to Brighton in England when I was 11... so I am sure I could do it, if I trained hard enough... so It would have to be adapted that when he was tired he could rest his legs... but that would be so great. My friend was telling me about some triathletes who take their sibling who is unable to enter a conventional triathlon on adaptive gear so they can come too....
One thing I do know, Oatie LOVES sports, high paced action sports, he's such a sporty kid... just like my other two, I love it that we all share a passion for sports together/individually... I think giving your kid "fitness" is a precious gift these days... and I was telling another lady at swimming how the government does NOTHING to help get people who can't run up and down their stairs at home to keep fit... to keep fit.
The bike will help keep Oatie fit, as does his swimming, skating and in time his skiing will too, when he learns how to lean or control his bi-ski himself...
Oatie has discovered ART... the drawing above is of a River and the Ski Mountain!
Unlike lots of other 4/5 year olds, he is very respectful with them, he doesn't push down and damage the nibs he colours with them like he was much older.
A quietish weekend after a manic day, which consisted of swimming, getting some forms for skating tests next week, picking up my elder two, shopping for birthday gifts for their friends... home and lunch, ice skating and making birthday cards, and decorations for Oatie's bike ride... Phew! Glad it's date night...
Looking forward to a nice takeaway/take out and a film!
Hope you have a great weekend too.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Sunday Triathlon... ice Skating, Swimming and Bike riding...
Sunday we had a very fun packed day... the Oatie wanted to go Ice skating, then the kids wanted to go swimming and then bike riding... Oh and we slipped in a quick hair cut all round... cupcakes for my eldest's class party the next day... a BBQ and later on hot chocolate and fire pit toasted marshmallows...
The ice skating made me tear up a bit as one of my older two's figure skating friends was out there and he really likes Oatie. This boy is an only child and has a special bond with Oatie.
So there was Oatie, wearing my eldest's hot-pink ice skating carnival top... with 3 really good figure skaters for their ages all fussing around him and my husband too. It was super cute and it was the first time Oatie has ever had a friend on the ice before (apart from his family...)
After that we had to dive to WALMART of all places, to collect some photos for the kids to take into school for Father's day projects... we bought some flip-flops for the swimming pool too.... then we went swimming. When we got home we played inside a bit and had a snack...before heading out on the bikes which is always great fun, followed by the BBQ and then hot chocolate and marshmallows... oh and we squeezed in 30 minutes of one of our favourite family films too.
We had a great day, but I have to admit I was pretty tired by the end!