Sally's World

My daughter Robyn had a Sunday to herself, no school, homework up to date, no karate /horse riding/work experience/extra curricular lessons....so how does she chose to spend it...like this....

Robyn had a school art trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum last week, however, time was limited, so she (being the perfectionist she is) wanted to go back to make sure her sketches were accurate, and to maybe add a few more.

I can't complain, she wants it to be right bless her.

Its a lovely museum, I haven't been for years, I loved the buddahs, so here are a few pictures of our favourite things.

I can't believe its a year to the day that I started blogging. My good Friend Trojan,(Trojan's Corner) not only suggested it, helped me set it up (as in...he did most of the work lol) and he has given me nothing but encouragement all along.

I can hardly remember life before blogging now. I have been able to reach out to so many people, and have been helped and supported by more people, from more places than I could ever have imagined.

I had to laugh when Iwent back to our intentions a year ago, http://sallyannestephenson.blogspot.com/2008/10/hi-im-sally-i-live-in-london-with-my.html I was going to put out a blog once a week...crikey, I've done at least one a day...

I was going to only talk about issues that surround being a parent of children with special needs...

Well, that all went out the window, i chat about anything and everything, this is my online diary, thought process and has been great for meeting new people...

So thankyou for reading and supporting...

And special love to you Trojan xxxxx

Have you noticed, that the more you hurry, the slower you go?

The more you wait, the longer it takes?

The more you worry, the less you dream?

But the more you live, love, and laugh, the more you live, love, and laugh.

OMG this is so funny, wrong? cruel?...yes, but hilarious too!!!!

i seem to be continuously apologising for ignoring everyone. i can't say how much i miss spending a little time on all of your blogs each day, but there just doesn't seem to be a spare minute. i used to spend those nighttime hours when i couldn't sleep on the blog...now I'm out working and spending my time with people far less savory than all of you.

gosh, i thought i was busy before i am now looking back on my life a couple of months ago and feeling that it was quite leisurely!!!!

I am trying to get it to balance out, and I'll be back commenting and posting much more...

right off to work...i think the phrase 'you'll meet yourself coming backwards' was meant for me.

I am also concerned, as one phrase pops up alot! and that's 'no rest for the wicked'...okay, i don't think I'm wicked, but its starting to worry me lol!

have a great day all of you....

Now, you would think that having a paying job (as well as all the other stuff you do, which roughly equates to five jobs anyway...but thats a blog post for another day!) would mean that you would be better off financially.

When you sit down and work out the cost of actually going back to work, decent clothes that aren't elasticated and designed not to show childrens food and mess, shoes that look smart rather than comfy, travel, childcare, and take out for dinner on days when you just havent got to the supermarket or are not home....it means financially you barely break even.

Its actually cheaper to stay home, and then as a bonus you don't have anyone moaning at you because the dry cleaning isn't picked up, or the printers out of ink, or clothes aren't ironed on the right day, or we're out of the right t-bags, or the house is a bomb site.

You can hardly blame parents for staying home can you? It's the cheaper option!

This is one of them.

This story has been all over the news the last couple of days. It highlights the depravity of some members of society... three people have been charged with horrific child abuse and distributing pornographic images of children...one of them is a nursery worker, all of them are parents.

Now police and social workers are trying to work out who the children are in the images. Aparently so bad, they could not even describe them for the press.

It is the worst kind of abuse of trust, abusing the most vulnerable. Abusing innocent children while their parents feel they are in a safe, secure, loving enviroment.

Some freinds and I were talking about this, and one felt that it almsot seems worse when its women involved, is this true????

"Female sex abuse often remains hidden behind the veil of happy family life and the apparently normal relationship between mother and child so victims are less likely to come forward.
And those in contact with the family are less likely to notice what is happening.
This combined with the stigma and silence surrounding the issue means the result is chronic under-reporting.
The statistics in this field are dangerously inadequate, but it is estimated that at least 25% of victims of sexual abuse are abused by women.
Two years ago the Behavioural Analysis Unit at CEOP (The Child Expoloitation and Online Protection taskforce) began a study into female sex offenders.
The results are still several years away, but Graham Hill, leading the team, expects the findings to show a high incidence of female sex offending.

These monsters are due to be sentenced next month. one things for sure, whatever happens to them, will be less than they deserve.

My heart goes out to the babies and their families, imagine how hard it will be for them to let those children out of their sight again, imagine how hard it will be to ever trust anyone again. As parents we are told to show preference to well run, registered nurseries rather than child minders... tell these parents that!

to read more click here....

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Nursery-Abuse-Vanessa-George-Angela-Allen-And-Colin-Blanchard-Admit-Child-Sex-Assault-Offences/Article/200910115396963?lpos=UK_News_Third_UK_News_Article_Teaser_Region__4&lid=ARTICLE_15396963_Nursery_Abuse%3A_Vanessa_George%2C_Angela_Allen_And_Colin_Blanchard_Admit_Child_Sex_Assault_Offences

Three different people sent me this...do you think they are trying to tell me something???

I posted it, because, you know when you see something, and it really gets to you, and you find it hilarious, and every time you think of it you laugh....this did that for me.

hmm..perhaps I can relate!

I just had to write and tell you about a recent experience.

A friend of mine has a distant aunt, they found each other on face book recently. It turns out that this aunt is a medium, a good one, she's been on TV, travelled all over the world doing this, some of her customers are famous people.

While she was talking to my friend, she told her that she could see a little boy, and told her to ask his mum to phone her...nothing else was said.

Well, I did phone, she arranged to phone me back another day at a quiet time...and I'm so glad she did. She knew things, that no-one else knew, she described my house, where I keep a box of Aaron's things, other mundane things he sees me doing. She named the names of his Friend's his favourite uncle, my grandparents...it was pretty special. She knew his favourite toys, teddy, food, games, it was amazing. There is not one thing she said that didn't mean something to me, even if it was confusing for her.

But most of all, the best thing, the thing that was indisputable was... when she described how she had had a mad day, was worn out, so she decided to go to leave me a message saying we would rearrange and go to bed instead...well, apparently she tried but Aaron wouldn't let her, she said he drove her crazy with his incessant 'ring my mum, ring my mum' she said it was like that scene out of Ghost when Patrick Swayze wants Whoopie Goldberg to phone Molly....

Of course, there isn't another person who ever existed as stubborn as Aaron, so this really made me smile. There are times when I feel Aaron, particular moments, and recently Dragon from mysterious creature told me how to contact aaron in dreams...this medium knew all about this and told me not to doubt it.

I feel calmer somehow, less worried that he is lost, or lonely, or not being looked after...and certainly there is no doubt he is with us all....

Big breath in, my heart feels joyful today!

I don't know who wrote this, but it was sent to me by a friend and I wanted to share it.

When I have no one to turn to
And I am feeling kind of low,
When there is no one to talk to
And nowhere I want to go,

I search deep within myself
It is the love inside my heart
That lets me know my Angels are there
Even though we are miles apart.

A smile then appears upon my face
And the sun begins to shine.
I hear a voice, so soft and sweet
Saying, 'Everything will be just fine'

It may seem that I am alone
But I am never by myself at all.
Whenever I need my Angels near
All I have to do is call.

An Angel's love is always true
On that you can depend.
They will always stand behind you
And will always be your friend.

Through darkest hours and brightest days
Our Angel's see us through
They smile when we are happy,
and will cry when we are blue..

Thanks for being my Angel my friend
I will be there for you until the end.

This is a song that always makes me think of Aaron, not just because R.Kelly was his favourite singer, but because the words (especially the chorus) are lovely.....and apt...

"I wish that I could hold you now
I wish that I could touch you now
I wish that I could talk to you
Be with you somehow
I know you're in a better place
Even though I can't see your face
I know you're smiling down on me
Saying everything's okay


And if i make it out this life
I'll see you again someday
I wish, I wish, I wish
I wish, I wish, I wish"

You will not believe what happened to us the other day...actually...sadly, you probably will. We were not allowed in a shop because Deion may have broken something while in his wheelchair...apparently, kids in electric chairs are NOT ALLOWED. Pushable ones, and buggies are okay, but electric chairs are too much of a risk in the breakable goods department.

Okay,I'll tell you what I wanted to break, and it wasn't anything they were selling in the shop!!!

"So let me get this straight?" I asked in something just below roar level! "Disabled people are not allowed in your store."

"Oh yes, of course they are," said 'thick as shit' store assistant, "just not kids in electric chairs!"

Well,I don't need to go on about the small argument that ensued, and there's certainly no need to repeat any of the threats made (who me?)...

But the manager was called, we were assured that it IS NOT store policy to keep out electric chairs, and the 'thick as shit' assistant got it wrong. Apologies were made, I resisted the urge to tell Deion to drive around at top speed like demolition derby and break everything he could (very understanding of us I think!)

And I know what will happen next, we'll get a letter of apology from head office and some store vouchers, I know this, because it happened once before in another store. I don't want the bloody store vouchers, I want to be able to go shopping with my son and not be turned away because he's in a wheelchair...simple...you'd think! The vouchers will be rolled up and returned with a suggestion of where they should put them!

Okay, I know we are moving ahead, and things are improving...but come on...can we get there a bit quicker please, people are being treated like second/third class citizens here! GGRRRRR!

If you know anyone who has a wheelchair, and you want some stickers or number plates, then let me know. Deion and his Friends love theirs and I send samples to my t-shirt customers, they are great, and I have loads...so let me know and I'll stick (sorry couldn't resist) some in the post.

I take no responsibility what so ever.......

We have finally got acompletion date for the move...five weeks....where do I start??? how on earth did we manage to accumulate so much stuff???

I'm being ruthless, the toys they don't play with are going to the hospital, the clothes they no longer wear are going to the charity shop, Daves twenty million boxes of paperwork spanning 20 years are going in the shredder...any kitchen appliances that were obviously bought in order to keep me in the kitchen 'doing' for everyone else...binned! any clothes I have kept, waiting for them to come back into fashion, recycled, I don't think the charity shops even want my multitude of power suits with shoulder pads to rival that of any footballers.

I want zen like minimalism, well in one room at least.

I am looking forward to living in our new house, but I am dreading the move itself. The disorganisation of being upside down...

The kids are busy planning colours for their new rooms, which would be fine if Deion didn't want orange and black...I need to find a compromise.

Okay, I'm off to tackle the cupboard under the stairs now, I dread to think what I'll find..... probably the bones of the last guy who came to read the meter...

I can't remember the last time I had a good cry, I go into zombie mode instead. Some sort of self preservation I guess...today, I can't seem to stop, my emotions seem so close to the surface.

I can't seem to get a hold of my emotions this last few weeks, I was so angry the other week I wanted to strangle someone, now, today, the slightest thing (and I mean the slightest thing) and I want to cry.

I suppose there have been a few changes lately, Deion becoming more independent and going to big school for one, more working and even less sleep for me for another, and with the move coming up.

I don't know...sorry, nothing positive to say today....ignore me!

Sometimes you can tell whats been going on in my life by the quotes I put in a post...this is DEFINITELY one of those times!!!

"He finally accepted that if you don't succeed, then try doing it how your wife suggested in the first place!"

I loved when the kids were small, and birthdays were all about cake and balloons.

Now they are all about the right dress and make overs.

Robyn was 15 at the weekend, and no, she didn't want a McDonald's party, or to go to the park or adventure playground, she wanted to shop til she dropped and to have a sophisticated lunch with her friends....

Where do the years go???

Okay, so i know i said yesterday the ball was probably a mistake, but look at Deion having fun with it...everything else is replaceable, can't buy smiles like that!!!!