The blog list sucks

Why does mine never update reliably?

Photographic evidence of our boganity...

Dream on

It’s been a busy few weeks here at The Shack. Lots of grown up decisions to be made which never makes for fun times. Some of you know we recently considered relocating the family (yet again…) and were very close to actually doing so when all our plans fell apart at the last minute. To say it was rather fucking annoying is somewhat of an understatement… It was at this point T & I did a bit of soul searching and made the decision late last week to pull the house off the market.

So now what? Well, I guess we stay put. Disappointing as the whole situation was, it has in a way inspired us to continue with our own plans. Plans we’d almost forgotten we had made. It’s so easy to lose sight of your goals if you don’t keep them foremost in your mind and easier still to become focused on the seemingly endless long commutes to work, slap-dash dinners and piles of washing.

So for now, here, the fire has been re-ignited and we are at ease with our decision. The days are once again looking rosier and we are both excited to once again be back on the same page with our ideas. Now, to stop procrastinating and actually carry them out… (See, some things never change.)

Finally...

It’s finished! Took a long time though, I must admit and there was even a stage when I wondered if it was destined to become another one of my many half completed projects stuffed back in the sewing box. It did take me many weeks to psych myself up to do the binding – for some reason I was terrified. First I wasn’t sure if I would have enough of the fabric I wanted to use and next I was put off by the thought of having to hand stitch the back of the binding. Ugh, boring…

Anyway, I learnt many things along the way:

1. Hand stitching the binding is not that hard after all.
2. I really need a thimble.
3. And a walking foot.
4. During the quilting stage, even when you think you have more than enough pins to keep it all from moving, add 10 more.
5. 3 year olds should not be allowed to “help”.
   
   Here’s a close-up of the binding from the back:
   

Probably not perfect, I imagine the CWA ladies would have a field day with the faults but there has been too much self-congratulating going on for me to worry about that sort of nonsense… ;P

Lovely friends

Aren't they nice to have? One of mine has just sent me an enormous stack of ill-gotten sewing patterns. God love her & her loose morals... ;P

Jesus - I'm in the negatives!

-31 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

Okay, now that result even shocked me. I'm taking it again...

-7 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

Right, shit. That wasn't much better and I was even rather liberal with my good points. Stupid online tests...

Early & Late Birthday presents

I was absolutely stumped for ideas for my nieces 6th birthday (which was actually in June...ooops) so have stolen Ellie's idea of sending a crayon/texta/pencil roll. Ta love... :)

So because it's either a feast or a famine with me, I thought I'd also get in early for her brother's 5th birthday in October. I figure by the time I manage to actually remember to get to the post office and send them off, it will be at least August - dead smack in the middle of both birthdays. I'm a genius.

While I adore my niece's texta roll (and am secretly considering keeping it for myself), cutting in to a sheet of Amy Butler fabric did feel a little like I was desecrating a sacred garment. It really should come with a warning...

15 July

Breathing easy... for now

Opthalmologist
Left eye - Marvellous
Right eye - Marvellous
General sight - 6/12 Right eye, 6/6 Left eye.
Meds - eek, complicated change.
Follow up 12 weeks.

Medication:
Maxidex - Once per day in right eye for 1 month, then change to Flucon
Homatropine - One drop every 2nd day both eyes
Flucon - cease drops in Left eye

Redipred - 1ml every 2nd day
Methotrexate - 10mg per week
Naprosyn - 250mg per day
Folate - 50mg per day

Phew. I think that's it. The next review is going to be hairy though. Because Matthew is responding so well to his current cocktail of drugs it is now time to try and ease him off some of the topical steriods (ie eye drops he is on). Firstly dragging out his Maxidex to every second day, then reducing him to a lower strength steroid (Flucon). The Flucon has been stopped altogether in his right eye. (Breath Shannon...) In the event that he responds well to this new regime, we can in time look at getting him off the more toxic drugs like Methotrexate. If he doesn't respond well, well fuck, I just don't know... Lets not go there right now, okay?

Anyway, all that aside, it was a great review. Sometimes it's easy to lose track of why we are subjecting him to so many irritating little procedures on a daily basis so it's nice to be able to look back and see a result. Keeps you motivated for the next 3 months. Next challenge, to keep the goddamn contact lens in his eye, instead of in a container of saline on the microwave...

Suddenly nervous

It's the eve of Matthew's opthalmologist appointment again - the first time since we went 12 weeks ago. Last time we had a long break like this between visits his eyes went to hell in a handbasket. His cataract was completely occluding his vision, inflammation in his eye was out of control, he needed surgery immediately & lots of horrible, horrible phrases like "blindness", "glaucoma" & "losing his eye" were bandied about.

Please friends & neighbours, cross your fingers for a good report. Send vodka too if you have some spare. I'm a little jittery...

It's official - My 5 year old is braver than I am...

Matthew is holidaying at his grandparents place for few days over the school holidays and yesterday included a visit to a local zoo. Confession time though - when he emailed the photo to us last night, his father and I initially agreed that the snake had to be fake. Matthew is the kid we often have to hand-hold to encourage him to pat the frogs but I am assured the beast he is holding in this photo is real. I desperately hoping this hasn't encouraged him to add "snake" to his upcoming birthday list...

~ ~ ~

In other thrilling news, the toilet training seems to have been a great success. Ryan now seems to be reliably trained and has even started waking in the night to ask to go to the loo. 3 nights running with dry night nappies. Long may it last, I say...