Pink Candy by Caroline

Auction for Ellie and then some....

Well half term came and went in the blink of an eye.  Kids had dentist and optician appointments which, when combined with other things on that day, seemed to take the whole day.  Days out bowling and visiting in-laws, a bit of shopping and the week is over! 

Went to Stitches last Tuesday to source some new chippie products for the shop, and whilst I didn't find anything I didn't expect, I did order some lovely Maya Road stuff, which should be on its way soon I hope. It is such a tiring day though, not helped by Darren taking us the long way round to get to the car and at the NEC you know how far away the cars can be!  I reckon I must have walked at least 157,000 miles that day.......

Met a friend for coffee yesterday and as she is not a scrapper it is usually a day for gossip and coffee and completely non-craft related chat, which you need sometimes when its usually 24/7, lol.  Anyways she wants me to do some design work for her and that developed into something much bigger which is quite exciting but I'll have to keep schtum on that a while longer.  If I tell you now I will have to kill you. 

I have a ton of DT work to do as well as CJ's and recipe cards.  Sounds like I am moaning but I am not, I love it all really.  Just wish there were more hours in the day, but don't we all......I will pop up some sneaky peeks when I can.

Don't forget the Auction for Ellie which is going on on the BFF (Bubbly Funk Forum).  Take a look here and it will take you to a couple of links where we are trying to raise a bit of money to  help this little girl. I have had lots of bids in already, but we could do with some more!!  So what are you waiting for.........

Update on my little piggy pig, Kappa

My poor little Kappa had not been very well since coming back from the vets on Tuesday evening, all day Wednesday he was very quite, stayed as still as possible, barely ate nor drank.  He just wasn't right, his little eyes were sunken and he was obviously unwell.  We arranged the cage so that Wiggy was with him but they were separated, although could still see each other.  I'm sure that gave Kappa comfort.

Then Thursday lunchtime I put them both out into the bigger outside cage, which seemed to perk Kappa up a little.  I kept checking on them and would find them both snuggling up together, Wiggy obviously knowing thats what Kappa needed.

Thursday 4pm was the appointment for us to go and get Kappa's little stitches out.  The vet took Kappa into a separate room to do this but when she brought him back where she had taken the stitches out you could see the prolapse was beginning to come out again.  There was nothing more we could do.  Kappa was old, he was in obvious pain and discomfort, so we had to put him to sleep.  Abi and I were in pieces, and I am so, so sad about it and crying as I type.  He had shared our life for over four years and after seeing the rabbit put to sleep I never wanted to have to do this again.  It is heartbreaking.

I love the piggy pigs.  Their cage is opposite the kitchen window, so I could watch them regularly, as I wash up and I always glance across when going past the window to see them.  They are truly loved as part of the family.  We have had guinea pigs since Abi was about four years old, and always had them in pairs then when one has died we have got another one to keep the remaining one company.  This time though we are going to keep Wiggy on his own, poor thing, as I really don't want to keep having them now as Abi is older and the boys aren't so bothered, so most the time its left to me.  Thats why I get so attached.  Poor little Wiggy though, he is on his own in the cage and just staring out the bars, lost and lonely. *sob*

We bought Kappa home and buried him where we buried the previous guinea pig Cobweb.  At least they can be together, and the rabbit is buried close by too.  We have a right little pet cemetery going on in our garden.

Thanks for everyones kind wishes, it means a lot.  I know some people couldn't understand the loss I feel, but he was part of my life for four years and I loved him as much as anyone can love a little piggy pig.........RIP Kappa.......xx

We detest maths........

I am hoping to get my car back at the end of the week.  I have been driving a Seat Ibiza which is very nice and new but just a bit, well, ordinary.  So I am expecting a car that looks just like it did two weeks ago - or even a little better and a bit newer on the one side, lol !

We had our first CyberCrop on Bubbly Funk Forum at the weekend and it was such fun!  Hard work and a tiring day but a laugh and we had a lot of new people join us too which was great. 

I have to go to Abi and Jake's school this morning as its Pupil/Tutor Review Day, where they go in at an alloted time to chat with their tutor along with the parent.  Should be interesting chatting to Jake's tutor, say no more, but I do have a query about Abi's report which we got at the end of last week.  Abi has been consistently good throughout school, top sets for everything except Maths where she is second from top.  This is good though as Abi is like me and hates maths.  She always does her best though and despite a lack of confidence in the subject she is in the second group out of about eight groups.

This school term she has had a new maths teacher who is very good and has given Abi more confidence in herself about the subject and made her try even harder to get her head around it all.  She studies hard and spends hours, and I mean hours, going through her maths exercise book and plodding through the questions.  She has been dedicated in a way I have not seen her before, spesh with a subject she doesn't like.  Thats the thing about Abi, she tried her best in everything she does and I love her for that.

Their reports are graded 1-4, one being unsatisfactory, 2=satisfactory, 3=good and 4=excellent for three areas - Progress, Homework and Behaviour.  Abi strives and maintains a report of 3's and 4's and was expecting nothing less that this for this last report.  Imagine her horror and upset when she is graded as a 2 for effort in maths.  Any other subject I don't think she would have minded too much, but her exceptional drive to get better in maths this term has surprised me and I would have expected that to be reflected in her mark.  She had a 3 for Progress and Homework and a 2 for Effort. 

She was that upset she cried.

For some students this can make or break.  You can either be knocked down to a point where you can no longer be bothered if the effort isn't recognised or it can make you work even harder.  I've tried to make Abi think the latter way, but time will tell.  I do worry she will give up as it is a subject that holds no interest for her - I mean Maths, bleurgh, who likes Maths!  lol (I know there are some of you out there, but really...?!)

Soooooo, I am going to ask for an explanation of this mark.  Watch this space.  Not a big problem I know, but Abi is studying for GCSE's now and I want her to be encouraged not put down and this made her feel as though all the effort she had put wasn't worth it.  I hope I managed to bring her back up though.

Blimey, I wrote quite a bit about that, didn't I.  Must be bothering me more than I thought.  I was upset for her though and I will fight her corner as any Mum would do........:)

Right, off to get my baby boy Cam up and ready for school.  He will hate having to go when the other two are home, lol.......

Sad news.....

Abi's three dwarf hamsters died yesterday.  At least she found them yesterday and I am guessing they died the night or day before.  Complete mystery.  Haven't a clue how or why all three of them have gone as they were well cared for and loved hugely by Abi.  Both Abi and myself were crying last night as we did love them, they were the cutest three little sisters you ever did see.  They were stick their little pink noses up through their bedding just to say hello and I will miss that.

Tears are welling now as I type this.  I do feel sad about it.  Abi isn't up yet but last night she was truly devastated and it creates a pain in your heart when you see your 15 year old daughter sob.

Here's a piccie........ they really were the cutest of cute.