Monday 30 August 2010

strange dreams indeed


I have been having some very strange dreams lately.
Admittedly I am going through some huge upheavals in my life lately.
But all the same they are weird.

A few nights ago I dreamt that I was a lot younger than I am now, and I had just started teacher training, but as a 6th form teacher - the kids were only a couple of years younger than me. Then it starts getting odd, these kids also want to be teachers - but only at Great Ormond Street hospital!
Suddenly we are looking for a ghost, a girl they knew who wanted to teach too, but died and now haunted the corridors of the school *shakes head*
the whole thing went on and on with odd things, that I cant really put a finger on - and we ended up visiting a lady with a baby, which turned into a trip to a farm and the lady had 25 kids!


Then last night I dreamt I was entering a baking contest - but I was told I would lose points if I got ANY crumbs on the cooling rack?!?!!? I have no idea what happened in the dream, although I do know that at one point I was carrying a baby in a hug-a-bub ( lovely purple one) but when I looked down I couldn't find the baby, I put my hands inside to feel it and it had slipped down, so I put it back in the right position, but it slipped down. This kept on happening until eventually the baby wasn't there anymore. However I felt no sadness or remorse or fear. All very odd happening's.

Any dream analysts out there?

Sunday 29 August 2010

Funeral Planning

I am 41, less than half a year away from being 42. potentially half way through my life, I have done a lot with my life – 3 kids, lots of work experience, twice married and now at uni doing a degree.

There are 3 things in life that are guaranteed; being born, paying taxes anddying!

How many of us give much thought to any of those? We may celebrate the birth of a baby, grumble at the amount of tax we have to pay – but the dying bit, do we think about it? Maybe in so far as writing a will.

Who is going to pay for your funeral? And that’s something that I have been thinking about – maudlin maybe, but ever practical that is me!

So I thought I would look into funeral planning and a prepayment plan. During my research I have found out some fascinating stuff;

  • You can plan what you want, poems, eulogies, music, cars etc
  • You can hire a casket - seriously! you can hire a posh coffin to be viewed in and then swap to the more basic cheaper version for the burial / cremation! and why not, after all we hire wedding frocks
  • You can pay bi - annually, annually, monthly, quarterly - basically however suits you!

So just like you plan the arrival of your baby, your wedding day or a family holiday you canplan your funeral exactly how you want it ensuring your funeral is a unique reflection of your life and your wishes are fulfilled.For someone as anal as me that is a blessing – now pass the cheque book please

Here we go again


Loyal (insane?) readers of this blog may remember a couple of years ago when we had our kitchen done.

Well on Friday its the turn of our upstairs bathroom and downstairs loo. I am facing this with some trepidation!

Kitchens can be avoided (after all thats what restaurants and take aways are for) but bathrooms...........

O well it will be worth it in the end!

Thursday 12 August 2010

In these shoes? I don't think so!



If you are like me you possibly have little, or no, interest in the lives of the 'Celebs', but when it comes to the choices they make for their children, or allow their children to make for themselves - my mind often boggles!

For those not in the know, the picture above is of 4 year old Suri Cruise (daughter of Kelly Holmes and Tom Cruise) yes 4 years old. Apparently the choice of footwear was hers. I am all for giving children freedom, independence and choice. But surely as parents we should guide our kids?

Interestingly Clarks Shoes have offered to step in and fit Suri with a pair of shoes which would be better for her feet!

Here is their press release of the matter

Clarks offer to step in to save Suri’s feet

As Tom Cruise defends his daughters’ choice of high-heeled shoes in an interview with GMTV this week, leading footwear specialist Clarks, have offered to expertly measure & fit Suri Cruise with shoes.'

With recent trends highlighting the addition of a heel as the new ‘must have’ accessory for girls under the age of ten, Clarks has offered to step in and provide Suri with equally fashionable party shoes that are also well fitted, comfortable and promote healthy growing feet. Their hope is to make parents aware of the potential health issues that high heeled shoes can cause for their child’s developing feet.

With around 70% of foot problems coming from wearing the wrong footwear or ill-fitting shoes, Clarks is concerned over the negative effects this new trend may have. Bob Hardy, Foot Fitting Manager for Clarks International comments:-

“Children’s feet are made up of pliable bone that is not yet fully formed, which unfortunately means that they’re prone to being bent out of shape without parents even noticing.

Unsuitable or badly fitting shoes can prevent natural growth and cause discomfort, leading to health problems in later life that could adversely affect a child’s walking development.

We urge all parents to get their children’s feet expertly measured & fitted for shoes so they can be sure their child’s foot bones are developing in the correct way.”

Clarks also recently offered its support to the Mumsnet ‘Let Girls be Girls’ campaign, which asks retailers to pledge that they will only offer products that don’t play upon, exploit or emphasise children’s sexuality.

On GMTV Tom Cruise replied to the query over Suris footwear by pointing out that in Spain children wear heeled flamenco shoes from a young age. I wore plimsolls from a very young age (you got to love growing up in the 70's) but I know its not good for my feet to be enclosed in them all day!

I wore Clarks shoes as a child, I hated it. They were boring, plain and the same year in year out. But have you seen them lately? Very pretty, and there are some more 'grown up' styles for the older kids. Yes I am concentrating on girls shoes, but then I have only daughters myself and lets face it do boys really care whats on their feet?



OK so you can now order Clarks kids online, although they can only be picked up in store so the fit is checked properly, but if you already have an idea of the child's foot size you can order a couple of pairs in ready to get fitted - thus avoiding said child's disappointment of there being nothing in their size.

You could always use this video on youtube which Clarks have created to check to see how your child's shoes are doing - might even avoid the stressful trip to the shoe fitters!


Tuesday 10 August 2010

I Love Melatonin!

At least I love what it does to my 9 year old!

Middle child has a diagnosis of ADHD and Aspergers syndrome (although I am not convinced of that, I do know she has *something* that affects her behaviour). She sees a couple of specialists and has been prescribed a medication called Risperidone. this is to calm her down and to make 'the voices' in her head stop telling her to do bad things (her words!).


At her specialist appointment a couple of weeks ago I spoke about middle child's sleeping problems. She goes to sleep okish, but wakes very early and will often wake up every couple of hours during the night. This in turn leaves her tired and washed out which has a big impact on her behaviours, I asked about the possibility of giving her Melatonin.

So 2 weeks ago we started her on a small dose each evening at dinner time. and tonight even though she was told she could go to bed at 7pm, and have 'quite time' before lights out at 7.30pm she asked to go to bed, with no quiet time at 6.45pm!

She also seems to have a better handle on her temper and reactions to things. The bags under her eyes have diminished and she doesn't look as drawn out.

Hooray!

Doesn't sit easy with me, drugging my child up. But it makes her life an easier place to be. And this can only be a good thing.

Sunday 1 August 2010

*phew*

What a year.
A year of mixed emotions
A hard year on a personal, academic and work level.
But a year thats over! I survived, about to do my last few shifts as a first year student!

Its been hard, bloody hard - and if you are thinking of doing it you better have fire in your belly because you wont survive without it!

My fellow Student midwives have felt the same. There have been amazing highs (my first water birth, my first delviery, a mum saying thank you , passing my exams) and some incredible lows (births more like blood baths, women who are scared, women who do not educate themselves, failing assignments) but I live to fight another day

Here's to being a year 2 student midwife!