I haven't done any stitching to speak of since last November, but I did do a wedding sampler for my nephew's wedding last month. I left it until the last minute to start it so had to shorten and adjust the original design, but it was well received any way :-)
The only reason I managed to get it done is because Janine and I took a few days away in the fostering association caravan, in Talybont, North Wales. I really needed the break and it was lovely to unwind and relax. The tv in the caravan didn't work, as Wales have already gone digital, so we watched a dvd each night and stitched and went to bed early. After having 2-3 long walks on the beach every day I was ready for bed I can tell you lol. Janine has adopted CAL, a collie cross rescue dog and he came with us and loved the freedom of the beach ... but not the water! lol
I finaly got some extra support from fostering, and last month a carer started coming in for an hour in the evening to help me get Jack sorted and in to bed. He's getting so big now! He had his 13th birthday in April and I had a party for all his family, here in my home. My ex went down to Ludlow to pick up all 17 of them and bring them here, then returned them back again after the party. I hired a bouncy castle for the children and put on a buffet, so every one had a lovely time and realy enjoyed them self. It's the first time since Jack was little, that both sides of the family have been together and it went off very well.
Jack is struggling to eat and drink so much now that we're having to go to Alder Hay Childrens Hospital to have a gastrostomy peg fitted so he can be fed straight in to his stomach. He choughs and splutters so much that he's asperating his food and it's getting quite dangerous for him, so although it will be such a shame to take the food away from him, it's the best thing for his health. We're going to see the consultant in a couple of weeks and will hopefully get the date for the surgery then. We have also had to alter his meds this year as his seizures have been very irratic and not very easily controlled, but we're getting there slowly!
I have taken on another foster child as a long term placement. Daniel is 8 and has autism and learning disabilities. He has had 3 placement breakdowns in the 2 yrs he's been in care, and needs an experienced carer to look after him. He has been struggling with going for poo's but with lots of good food and extra fibre, I've got him going reasonable well, and he is so proud that he isn't soiling his pants any more! Bless him lol He can fixate on things and get very distressed if things change with out him knowing, so I have to be carefull what I promise etc. ie I said he could have crunchy nut cornflakes for breakfast one night, but Janine had the last of them before going to work that next morning, so I gave him frosties instead, but he knew it was wrong and it took a bit of coaxing to stop a full blown paddy insueing lol He has a phonominal memory and remembers the days things happen very clearly and exactly what has been said!!! If you have ever seen the film Rain Man, with Dustin Hoffman , then you will have an idea of what Daniel is like, although he isn't a Savaunt like the charactor in the film.
In May the girls and I had a day out in London for my birthday. We got an early train down to Euston and did the London Eye, the Tower of London and Madme Tussauds. It was a lovely sunny day and we didn't have to rush any where it was just so nice! We did however lose Cindy on the underground lol She got off the tube ahead of us and the doors shut, trapping me and Janine inside the tube and took us off down the track! Cindy had the sense to wait there and we got on the return tube back again, but when I said I'd meet her at the top of the stairs (as we were then on the opposite side of the track to her), she followed every one out, through the barriers, and ended up on the otherside of the dual carriage way to us !!! Thank goodness for mobile phones!! We managed to find each other again, but she was shaken up and needed a cuddle lol She is now DEFINATELY not going to live and work in London rofl
Well, that's my news in brief, just to keep you updated and to let you know that I'm still here, working hard and still smiling :-) :-)
