The Cloud

The Cloud


This is the book of short stories that has my first published story. Mine is one out of 10, and all the stories are written by talented, dedicated writers - and the stories are all different, entertaining and thought provoking.




The novel project called THE CLOUD is a concept created by Odin Roark based on a premise that challenges religion, commerce, and science, as well as general behavior in the 21st century. The plot involves reactions to a dark gray cloud that takes residence over the skies of Las Vegas in August of 2013 and is still there at the book’s conclusion in January 2014. The genre of this book is literary.


Thought at first to be just another incident of weather, the cloud ultimately becomes a concern for both science and religion, as over the course of several months, it seems to be moving only a few miles at a time, always returning to a similar position over Las Vegas. Given the seeming permanency of the cloud, science investigates, coming up with no answer as to how and why it refuses to move away or extinguish itself.


City coffers begin to suffer for a lack of sunshine, and low hotel bookings begin to pose serious problems to tourism. Conventions, vacations and weekend getaways continue to be impacted, as well as the job market. Layoffs begin, casino profits plunge, and for the first in its history, concern for the bottom-line compels the city to conserve energy by shutting down 30% of their night lighting after 10 PM.


50% of the net proceeds will be equally shared by the estimated 15 to 20 authors. 50% of the remaining net proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the formation of a charity fund developed by Odin Roark that will provide computers for children in developing countries.




It's well worth noting this last part about the charity! I'm excited to be apart of this. And it's one of the reasons why I eagerly yearned to be involved. That is why I will gladly give my proceeds to them
 
These are the authors -- and they are amazing writers in their own right, and some have published works already.
 
Zephyrus White (NYC),


Mitch Geller


Doug Moore


C.N. Howard


Sara Basrai (NYC),


Liana Vrajitoru Andreasen (Russia),


Anne Elle Altman   ~  http://clarissadraper.blogspot.com/


Kat Nove  ~   http://katnovian.com/


Louise Ann Saville (Australia)


Matty Zink (China)

The Cloud

It's a great read and I encourage anyone who is reading this to check it out.
 
Thank you!!




   
 
 

The New Year

I missed my online journal!  But I'm looking forward to more blogging this year.


2010 was a tiring year - not a bad one, just exhausting. I'm working more hours and my son was especially demanding. And working hard with my writing. I was getting alot of my chapters up for review as well, because for me that's a slow process. I'm discovering it is challenging getting so many reviews, which I seem to be getting lately. Not that that's bad as such... well, perhaps it is - but I need to go through and do revisions as well (and there's alot!) but I also have to work out if the reviews are right for me and my story. Reviews from other writers have to be dissected carefully, to make sure the advice isn't coming from their own 'story' writing perspective. Sigh!  But overall advice has been good and mostly helpful. It's a great encouragement.


But great things - I've nearly finished Part II of Guardians. But still more to go. Plus I need to do revisions.

A couple of Awesome events -  Having two short stories published!  Actually it seems quite extraordinary. So that is pleasing.




I'm quite a fluid writer. I look at a piece after a few weeks and I can rearrange and trim, easily cutting out things that I had at first deemed important. It's good in a way, but even so there are some things that are in deadlock and they will never be removed, especially in dialogue.


I'm planning on getting my map redrawn and then I shall upload. I think that will be helpful.


I'm also getting my Manga Blog ready!! Whoohoo!  My new great LOVE!   I'm so excited about manga. I'm already writing a fanfiction story.


and hopefully will be working on my Dyspraxia blog as well. I think that could actually be a useful blog.

I Won Something!

I think most people know by now. But I want to add it to my blog.

My Short Story won a place in the The Cloud anthology competition at The Next Big Writer. Yay! It's a great thrill. And it's official now with a contract.
I'm sure it is just the beginning. Also the publishing company will be using the profits to begin a fund for a computer program in Africa. I'm not sure of the details to that, but hopefully I can find out more.

I've pimped up my blog again, so I'm quite happy with it. Except the COMMENTS have all gathered at the TOP of the SCREEN. AAARHG! what a pain. Please note; I have got comments. It's just that they have disappeared, and I'm too daft to know how to get them back.

But seriously, there's alot of talk lately on the writing site I'm on, about marketing your writing on the internet. How important it is to have an online face - through blogs, and twitter, and facebook and the rest. How we should be following Agents, authors and anyone else who can tell us how to get a leg up. It's making my head swim, and the more I read of how important it is, the more I creep back into my quiet dark blog corner. It's not that I don't agree. I just don't know how to write about writing.

Don't get me wrong, I loooove networking - oddly enough. But I just want to make friends. I especially get excited when I know they will one day be published. I can then brag how I know a published author. Yay! cool. and maybe get free holidays in other countries. When I can afford to travel. (hehe! hope they won't mind)

Now I've got so many links of blogs, twitters, forum posts, and facebook, I hardly know where I'm supposed to be. I tried to be friends with someone on facebook but I was already their friend. I don't know what blog I should be reading, as well I'm trying to review other writer friends on tNBW. Did I mention that I have a life outside of the internet? yes, it's true. I can't believe it myself! how dare Life? and it suffers, and makes me suffer.
I should be more organized. But I really think that I have a form of ADD. Maybe that's ALWAYS DAY DREAMING! I can't get myself together, but I'm trying. I have to.
no, really I think I do suffer from ADD.


The only way my book is going to get published is through a miracle!
It's all exciting! well, I'm feeling it- on most days.

smoooch! :{}

Extraordinary Life

A few days ago I attended a Christian Conference, and it's been on my mind to blog about it. It had such a great impact on me I had to say something. But as usual I'm slow to blog. This year I want to blog at least once a month. That's not too much to ask of myself, is it? And I thought what a good way to start the year off with this blog.

Influencers Christian conference will be held every year in Perth, and this is the 2nd year! This year was at Burswood. My church Sunset Coast Christian Life church does alot of the serving and organising, which is pretty cool. I would love to volunteer but I had Caleb this year. There was a programme for the kids and Caleb went to this, and he enjoyed it! Luckily for me. I'm not sure how many people were there, (alot) but there were 140 different churchs represented from all over! Fantastic considering the size of our state.

One of the amazing things about this conference, I was quite ill for it. I suffered serious heat sickness the day of the beginning of the conference, and it was only because God really wanted me there that I could attend the whole thing. I was loaded up with painkillers - every 4 hours - and prayer! haha! and also, my car was in the repair shop and the mechanic is telling me my car might not be ready for a day! But no, it was ready!

Anyway, that's just the logistics! I love Influencers Conference! And I love what God is doing in my life! We had the Paradise Church band from Paradise church in Adelaide (where the conference originated) and the Headline speakers from Messenger Int. - Pastors John Bevere and his wife Lisa. Phenomenal People. She was beautiful and Incredible. And I knew he had to be a good speaker - he's written so many books, and travels the world, teaching and preaching. But when I heard him I was blown away. I wish I could sit under his teaching and suck up what he has to say - he was so transparent. I'll have to be satisfied with reading his books. There are many things I could say about it, and I'd probably go on an on. But really he came with a message, and it was hard to hear at times. God WANTS us to have an extraordinary life, and we can't live this extraordinary life without his empowering grace doing in and through us what we can't do on our own. They have changed my way of thinking, in many different areas - getting rid of the shyness. God is more important than what God can give you - if that makes sense. The Promiser is more important than the promises.
I'm a steadfast little truster. yes, I keep going - keep holding on. I know I must be on my way to an extraordinary life simply because I live through my life the way it is now - hard, hard, hard. I'm wonderfully happy despite all the troubles of my life! And any one who knows me, knows I have a few. And not to forget my special needs child who seems possessed sometimes.

But now I'm wondering... what has God in store for me?!

ok. Keep you posted on that!

Love to all
Lou

Blogging NewS

What an AwEsOme Title! wow, I'm really getting the creative fire going there.

I was comtemplating moving to another blog page, well, I actually made an account there, but I haven't the time to post there and fancy it up. The thing is, I can't even post enough on this blog.

I've now lost all my japanese manga music - apparently they don't have the licensing to allow me to have it on my blog. I'm going to miss it.

Now my Chatterbox is gone. I will try to get that back, so that internet weirdos can stalk me. Yay! without them, the internet would be a dull place indeed.

I've still got Yoshida Kiyoshi! Cheer for Japanese drums. one of the staples of my writing life.

I have to go over all the blogs I'm following, because I'm following new ones.
And I made a twitter account which I don't use. I'd like to use it. There seems to be alot going on in the world of twitter.

anywaaay - I wanted to say, I will be posting some beginning chapters (hopefully soon) on a public site for people to have a read. Once I've done UBer Revisions. Then I shall post the link - somewhere. Hopefully in a place where it will be seen - by people.
I will do that mainly for feedback.

Take care all you Happy Readers!

hugs
Lou

Jus' Saying....

This is a mini post to all those who might stalk my blog....

just in case.

I haven't the time these days to type anything. This might be due to not having anything to actually write about.

I sleep.
I get child ready for school.
I work.
I keep appointments
I pay bills
I try to open my mail on time.
and all the rest

Actually, I've been extremely disorganised lately. I've been wondering if I suffer from ADD - certainly not, ADHD. (I wish) but yes, I've been unfocused, can't get my stuff together and do what is needed.

I've gone back to reading online manga. This is a great escape, but time consuming, and imagination sucking. haha.

Mainly, I spend time trying to keep up with Caleb. The hardest part of my life.

And for all those who wish to know, I am working on my story. I'm really excited at how many changes and revisions I'm making.

ok! back to it! watching some Naruto.....

have I told you how good the manga, Naruto is? next time :D

Why I'm Busy

I hate saying this... but I have neglected this blog lately.

I come back and notice my friends faces don't upload. hmm, but they are showing on my control page. That is sad. It is also hard to type blogs if you are unsure if anyone is reading it. oh well!
Write on, I always say. You must write for yourself and no one else. If someone reads what you write, then that's cool, if they actually enjoy it, then that's a bonus.

As some of you know, I like writing. I always have. I was writing before I knew how to write letters, before I knew the alphabet. lol. I took my parents novels and my own children books and scribbled lines of 'story' in their books. My poor parents. They would find me going through their books with a pen. I was writing the story! don't they know that...

Once I knew how to write real letters I would write anything that could be strung together to form a sentence. I spent many years (and many notebooks later) writing poetry. That I'm not sure made any sense at all. And I took up this weird habit of writing it all backwards. It was so easy to do, which is scary when I think of it now. I could hold the poetry up and read it in the mirror. Wow.

anyway, that's not what I meant to blog about. but in a way it is. I am a woman of contradictions.
I've been spending time re-writing, revising, resurrecting, revamping, and all the other re words there are, my story that I've written. I'd love for all those reading this to one day read it.

Now I've come to the conclusion; the only way my book is going to be published is through a miracle from God. That's not to say my novel is too awful to publish. No! (I have to have some level of pride in this) It's because it is sooo damn difficult a task to get it published. There is much against me. Where I live on this planet, the length of my novel (a big secret) let's say it's BIGger than average, my inability to Sell, Sell, Sell, my fear of hundreds of rejections, leading me to believe that it is not good enough.

All of that is to do with me, then I have to find an agent who is suited to my genre. Those agents have hundreds (not exaggerating) of query letters a day. They have to really want to see your work - first. Then interested enough to go further. I'm not certain if anyone in the States would be willing to take on anyone overseas. I say the States, because there are only a small number of agents in Australia, and even less publishers. They all seem to only take on celebrities, or rebellious teenagers. And defintely not fantasy! omygoodness! I'm not helping myself, am I?

Back to my initial comment. For God's sake and because I believe in God and his miracle working power, and his purposes for my life; if my book is published, it is because God wanted it to be. Pure and simple. Because honestly, I don't think it could happen any other way.

ok, maybe I sound down about it right now. I admit that.

but that's why I haven't given much time to my blog, not that I don't like my little blog - I do - I've just been busy getting my story tightened up and ironed out.

also, I've tried to update my story on one of the links. Hope it's clear for you.

thank you for reading!

:D

that's it! as soon as I get time, I'm redoing my blog. Bigger and better! .... when I get time.

ps. thank you to all those people who commented - on my facebook!

Watoto Ministries in Uganda

Over a week ago my church, Sunset Coast Christian Church, hosted Western Australia's 'Just for Her' women's conference. It was attended by nearly 2,000 women, which is an awesome number considering it's only been going for 4 years. The conference starts with a lunch for the leaders and then runs for 2 days including nights.

Our church hosted the lunch for 230 women. I was one of the happy helpers! yah, thats right, and it took us 4 hours to do sandwiches, dips/vegies, and all the rest. Was a brilliant day.

But I'd really like to talk about the speakers and where they came from.

We were so fortunate to have Marilyn Skinner from Watoto Ministries in Uganda and the Watoto Children's choir as well. Marilyn is an amazing christian woman of this age.
Marilyn, along with her husband Gary, went to Uganda 26 years ago as missionaries. They went into a war torn Africa, that everyone was desperate to get out of at the time. They were headed in while everyone was running out. They also took in their young children.
God's call to them was to start a church.

They came across many orphans whose parents had died of aids or been killed in the guerilla fighting. They began taking them in, despite them not 'wanting' to look after children. Gary's plan had been to pastor a church, and evangelise, but God wanted them to look after the children.

Eventually they discovered there were mothers without children, so they put the orphaned children in the care of the childless mothers. They were fullfilling scripture, the childless woman shall have children and those who are alone will be put into families.

This was the beginning of the Watoto ministry. Now it is a community of God-believing Ugandans, living together in homes, some of which are made by volunteers from around the world. They have a school and church. They have also created a nursery for abandoned and orphaned babies called 'The Bullrushes' - in reference to Moses being left in the water on the nile. Little princes and princesses being rescued from death.

The Watoto children's choir travel all over the world singing and praising God. The least of us have become a blessing to all of us. Again fullfilling scripture, the Lord will lift you off the garbage heap and seat you with princes. These children have met the queen, more than once. They have had tea with the new US president, and the previous one. They have sat in the Oval office, and played with the presidents dog. Children who were destined for death, rape, and becoming child soldiers have been lifted up.

Many children are taken and forced to be child soldiers, forced to kill their own family members. Some stories are too terrible to tell here. Girls, as young as 10, are taken to be sex slaves for the soldiers. Sometimes their noses are cut as well as their ears to mark them as being owned.
Watoto are saving these girls and boys, but still there are 1,000's, even millions, living this way.

It hasn't been an easy road for Gary and Marilyn. They have faced guns to their head, threats of violence and rape. They have held secure and now they are reapping the fruit, well Uganda is reapping the fruit of their labours and hardship. Uganda is changing, they are creating the future leaders of the country and bringing a change to their society.

I think Marilyn and Gary are awesome people, and I admire them greatly. I'd love to go there one day as well. I think it's good to be informed about what is happening in this world, especially in a spiritual sense.

Rescue a Child - Raise a Leader - Rebuild a Nation

http://www.watoto.com/index.php

this is their website!

To My Dear Facebook and Online Friends

I've addressed this to facebook friends and my online friends, so you will know - Yes, I'm talking to you!

Alright then, alot of you are coming to my blog, and quite frequently, I've recently discovered. Well, you can no longer just come in and out without a word to say you've been here - No way. You are required to leave some sort of message and that's not a dirty smudge on the screen. lol

anyway, you know I'm not that awful. I can't make anyone do anything.

and to my online friends, I wish I could meet you all and hang out and do.... anything. Instead, I have to make do with your pms and your funny posts, and informative blogs. I think we know each other more than what we think. We are cerebral friends..... I hope that's not insulting. :D

but really, I want to say thank you to all my friends. I know I don't get to see you all that much these days(and some I never see), so it's important we all stay in touch in some form.

I really appreciate you and I'm priveleged to know you and be able to call you my friends. I'm also very proud of you all - most of you - hahahaha.... no really.

There's something I realized, I don't see you all enough and something even more significant, I don't value you all highly enough. I forget how important you have been over the course of my life. All of you have given me something of worth that I've kept and carried along.
All of you have been encouraging and reliable, and are there if I need a helping hand.

Maybe I'm getting too old - whoa, am I saying that online - maybe I'm looking back too much, maybe I miss you all, maybe I just can't stop typing......idk

oh well, the soppiness is over... for now.

this was going to be for news and such. This blog pretty much contains my online life, except for that forum that no one knows about......lol.
I'm slowly putting my poetry up, some of my book is around - for those of you who bugged me to read it! you can if you like.

There's the Dyspraxia association. Sorry that's a private forum. And there's a forum where you can whinge about your kids - Raising Kids. That's quite helpful

I'm a member of a music site for unsigned music artists and I do reviews there. As well as a writing site, where reading and reviews take place.

Manga, manga, manga - just had to get that out of my system. There's an anime site too.
The music on this site is from Naruto, ummm, yer that's manga and the best around, and it's right at the bottom of the page.
and the other style of music is from Kiyoshi Yoshida - ah, the drums.
I'm sorry if it's really slow :(

There's a pretty chat box you can use, you don't even need to leave your real name.

All the music listed is from people I know. I'm so lucky, I know cool muso's - and the poor buggers know me - yes, you.

There's also a secret blog of mine linked to this site - but of course that's a secret.

man, are you actually reading this! Good on ya. if you made it this far you must be a real friend.

Wait till I'm famous. haahahahahaa.... you'll have the last laff then..... yer right.

A BIG HELLO AND THANK YOU FROM LOU AND CALEB

A spot of Poetry

I've joined an online writing website, actually I've joined a couple.

Lately, I haven't had a chance to write any poetry but I've got a backload of work that I'm slowly putting onto a couple of sites.
I wonder what the etiquette is at these writing sites..... can I post the same work on all the sites?
oh well....

I thought I'd post something in my blog. This particular poem I wrote as song lyrics for the book I've written. Female singing, in an old world celtic manner - beautiful deep voice. Also it has a subtle hint of erotiscism - can't have the love song without something like that.

I have attempted to sing it, and I did sing it, but I can't for the life of me put the tune down on paper :( i guess what I'm saying is, it is singable, which I was quite happy about.
It's possible I might simply post poetry here in my blog.

Love Yields

‘Bright as the warmest sun,
shine ov’ leaf and flower true,
to reign in heart and song.
My love’s fairest voice ensues.
Remove not your deep tune,
but shed light on my bleak fields
and come unto me,
as I wait and love yields.
~
‘Heat my silent inner part
with the lengthy rays of affection.
And I, a flower, loving heart,
seek your song above all perfection.
Wither me not my ardent one,
But shed your light on desolate fields
and come unto me,
as I wait and love yields.
~
‘Beneath my winter skin,
desire in me to make
our burning hearts akin.
Need for love do not forsake.
All promises I shall fulfil,
if shed light would ravish my fields.
Till you come unto me,
I wait and love will yield.’

My New Job

Every time I finish a day of work I am amazed at how much I love doing this job.

I have had a couple of different types of jobs over the years eg. secreterial, book-keeping, childcare, but this is the best by far. Now I am a Domestic Carer. In it's base practical form it could be labelled as a glorified cleaner. It is true, there is alot of 'cleaning' to be done. Yet there is so much more to this job and on a far deeper level. I have come to appreciate that the truth is there is alot more to this job than cleaning. In fact I don't think you can do this job if you think that is all you will be doing.

I think the reality is, the cleaning is an excuse to get into someone's house and give them alot more than a clean house. Cleaning must never take place over giving an elderly or sick person your time and attention.

Don't get me wrong, the cleaning is important to these people. Those who I have encountered are humbly grateful for all that you do. Alot of them are embarrassed that someone comes to do what they have been capable of doing for years for themselves. The elderly don't like not being able to do for themselves - they hate it. Some of them (if they are able) tidy their house before I come and they still try to do so much on their own when they shouldn't be. I can hang clothes out, I can change bedlinen, lift heavy stuff up onto a shelf, do ironing! I tell them that, and slowly they understand that's why I am there to help them do whatever they can't do. They are overwhelmingly thankful for anything you can do. It's my job and I like that. Even when they ask 'do you like this work?' I do, I really do. It's more than just a job.

I could never clean houses for just anyone. These are people who actually need housekeepers, they are not wealthy or lazy.

They are lovely people. They want someone to chat with, someone to listen to them, and they want to hear about my life and what I do. I'm beginning to really care about them and their lives and they are getting to know me. Some of their lives, currently and their past, are terribly sad and tragic. While a couple are still with their spouses and have family around them. They are all interesting, and all have amazing life stories.

I'm very good at digging up their memories, so I have to be very careful. That's my bad :(

Another aspect of this job - I virtually work with no boss. I have my clients for the week and their times and days and off I go. I send in my time sheet at the end of the week.

I chat, have cuppas, talk about my son, talk about their children and grandchildren and everything else that's happened in their lives - whilst mopping their floors or washing their dishes. I'm serving the aged and I get paid!

This job is fantastic!!

Success!

Twice this morning I feared I had lost my blog!

All I want is a different looking blog layout... is that soo hard?! it seems to be - for me.
and I even had a clip showing me what to do and step by step instructions - it's still difficult. Because those It people think people like me 'know' how to do certain things.
I'm not complaining - I love the IT people! they try, they really do.

My trouble is I keep trying even though I've got no clue. I will either break the IT code or I will break my blog.

and now I've wasted too much time..... again


PART II

I have discovered - if I put on a new layout I will lose all my links and applications. Hmmm.....

why do i continue to torment myself with these high fangled technical jabberdywiggedy thingys....?

PART III

Finally - success, yet it's only partial. I can't seem to get 'new' layouts but I can add extra columns.
atm I'm happy with that.

I must remember this site

http://bguide.blogspot.com/2009/02/3-columns-harbor-left-and-right.html

Dyspraxia.... My child has...

I thought it would be worthwhile posting a serious topic, and this is a very serious topic. It's a topic that I try to avoid because it takes up alot of my energy and when I type I like to not think about it - if you know what I mean.

My 7 yr old son was diagnosed with dyspraxia when he was 3, and this came about because he couldn't talk. He also did not crawl until he was 15mths and he was walking near 2 years old, which is not good. This disorder could be from his premature birth (and thats a whole other topic) or from having viral meningitis at 8 weeks old, from which he had seizures and stopped breathing 3 times.

Anyway, dyspraxia is difficult to explain as it is extremely complex, but I will give it a shot. Dyspraxia is neurologically based, it is not an illness or disease from which you can recover. It is not a unitary disorder, which means there are a specific set of symptons common to each case. With dyspraxia each child is affected in different ways and to different degrees.

Dyspraxia is a disorder of Praxis, where somewhere between sensory information gathering and storing, ideation, motor planning, and execution, the messages are not getting through, and are not producing the right result. Maybe the information from the senses was not collected, transmitted, or sorted and stored properly, or even stored in the wrong place. Whatever is happening, Praxis is failing. Now it is inconsistently failing, sometimes some days the messages get through and hit the mark and the person actually gets whats happening and can perform the task, while the next day he may not remember how to get dressed or in my son's case he may forget where the pantry is. He is constantly needing to relearn tasks.
My son has a very poor memory, and this is on top of his dyspraxia, so it doesn't help things, I can tell you.

I suppose I should explain Praxis. Praxis is the link between brain and behaviour, it allows us to make choices, to plan our lives and actions. With it we can function in our world, we dress ourselves, eat with a knife and fork, drink from a cup, write, type, talk, achieve tasks and goals.
First we need to have the idea of doing these things - this is called Ideation.
Second, we then plan how best to do them - Motor planning.
Third, then we perform the action to carry out the idea - Execution.
Yeah, so that is Praxis, the ability to organise our activities in new and creative ways. All of this happens in the blink of an eye, the speed of thought I should say. The brain is a wondrous thing.

My son's praxis is deficient. His wires are screwed, his connection is damaged. And there is no way of telling exactly how damaged he is inside. It is like having a loose wire on your blurry faulty tv and if you jostle it a certain way it works, but then it falls back to where it was making your tv reception shocking. Then you shift it or you have to hold it and then your tv works a little better - but it's never perfect.

Not to worry, there is a bright side for my son and others who suffer with it. It can be overcome to some degree. My son has been able to walk - for a time I was really worried he wouldn't know how to walk! but he did. He has learnt how to talk! a Miracle! he is starting to write and read a little. It does eventually happen that the child develops and can do things that other kids can do so easily.

It has taken oodles of speech therapy, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy to help him, and that's still all ongoing. and added to that a physcologist to help me understand his memory problems.

There is much to say on this, and maybe I will next time.
Caleb faces many challenges as do I, but he is so happy and he loves people. He is fearless despite not being able to talk properly. He doesn't care what people think about him, and thats something I love about him.

A terrible downside to this condition, is that suffers are trapped in their minds. They have ideas they want to talk about and carry out, yet they don't have the means to express themselves freely. He gets frustrated and angry, and often he gets aggressive because he cannot talk about what is going on in his head. He lacks self-control because it is a skill that needs to constantly be learnt, the same for everything else. He also gets mad because he says the wrong things eg. swearing, then its difficult for him to express remorse or regret.

He can't speak spontaneously, and he can't have a fluent spontaneous conversation with you. He often says preprogrammed things eg. he repeats his sentences all the time, because he has 'learnt' that particular phrase or sentence. He will tell me again and again the same thing or he will ask me the same question over and over. Sometimes he will start a conversation or speak about a subject, and we will talk and I will ask him something about it, and he will look at me with puzzlement and say 'what are you talking about mummy?' AAAargh. He has forgotten what we were talking about! I have to laugh - alot. sometimes it's like talking with an insane person.
Yes, it is frustrating for me too! thankfully, I am a patient person.

That's all very long. I will speak more on it another time. Hopefully that will shed a little flick of light on dyspraxia for anyone who has never heard of it before.

Quickly... Help Me!

Currently my life is being sucked out of me, and every semblance of creativeness is being juiced from my brain. It's all I can do to type this urgent message..... if there is anyone out there who knows how to escape munchkin hell - and I don't mean the weirdass card game, or whatever it is - please send aid!
I am trapped. Constant noise assails me, and it's a chaotic screeching amid cries for immediate help, that as soon as I give, it is no longer needed. and then there is the coercion to play with boy toys and fix numerous disassembled lego cars, trucks and whatever else those things are supposed to resemble. I am forced to go to toy shops! we must look at every toy that we looked at the day previously. Every vehicle that has sounds must be pressed, pulled or pushed. I must guard against the packaging being destroyed. and like every other parent in the toy shop, I find myself saying; you've got another 5 mins then we're leaving. But he's too smart now. He knows we really don't have anywhere to go. bah! I just want a coffee, doesn't he understand..... it's far too early for something stronger.
In short, I am the slave to a seven year old on school holidays.
How much longer do I have to play mariokart? how many hours do I have to stay at the swimming pool? why can't I go online and do just a little 2 sentence post. Can't I even do this blog??
Even now, the shouts reign through the house. He's not winning on the Wii. the little lego jedis fail him. His childhood goal in life - to own Boba Fett - is still a distant dream.
*sigh* Now it's too damn hot to go to any park, where he can run for a few hours and exhaust himself to death.(yes, it's free) yet even there I must watch, praise, be attentive. When does this happen to me? when did this entrapment happen to me? How?

I need help! Are there any sensible people left in the world who don't have kids? Please send me some of your freedom, or at the least tell me how you wish you had kids. This naive statement would make me laugh, hysterically - Laughing is good medicine so they say, and I need a good shot. aaargh! ok just send wine and chocolates, remember wine and chocolates!

don't forget me. I'll still be here. oh wait, no, I'm needed.

think of me.

'is Christmas over yet??'

The above title is quoted, from only moments ago, from a friend of mine. I could have been the one saying it. I will say, thank goodness, christmas is only one day!
There is no way I can type this and not make it sound dreay, however I will try.
Actually, this christmas was alot better than previous christmases. Caleb was here for the morning this year. Alternate years he spends the morning with his dad. Caleb was up at 5.20 this morning! He went to the clock in the kitchen to see what the time was - because I complained, and for some reason he thought he would be justified if he told me the time. Walking past the kitchen, he fails to even notice the presents under the tree. I ask him, 'has santa been?' Caleb has no idea. again he runs off (cuz Caleb runs everywhere- true)and on site of the mountain of goodies, he yells madly. and he starts bringing presents into me. It is time to get up. I try to put it off as long as possible, but my mum remains fixed to her bed and she is quite happy to remain there. So, the crazy present opening frenzy begins. Paper and packaging abounds.

Flashback: the night before I spent hours readying everything for the morning. I had to wait till at least 9.30, because Caleb would not sleep. I wrap, I stick. I search for all the presents I have hidden around the house. I have to be creative with hiding spots. My car. In fact the present I left in my car is still there. Caleb is an only child, therefore I am allowed to spoil him. Well, that is my excuse anyway. I wonder what I will say when he is a teenager.
During my exciting time wrapping presents, I get distracted by the internet - as usual. but now I get drawn into watching some silly indi movie about a teenager who is discovering he is gay. He rebells, but then he flows with his confusing adolescent feelings and ends up doing it with the guy he initially beat up for being gay. Yes, it is on SBS, and yes it is foreign, and you are right, it is not very christmasy. I never see the end(whether his parents accept him), and I hate when that happens. it will now haunt me for all time, because you never know what will happen in these foreign films.

Morning time. Caleb wants me to open all the packaging of every toy he gets. And this is a slow process. Anyone who has children will understand this. I am boring myself.
This year we got the Wii. Yay! I like it. and there is other stuff, but the Wii is the best.
Caleb does not want food, he is heady with the thrill of new stuff! There is no time to eat.
We rush, rush, rush over to my brothers and his brood - my nieces and his wonderful patient wife - and my friend, who I never get to really talk to these days.
Presents galore - and partly crying, and sometimes smiling, but always sweet, little nieces enjoying the glories of christmas, and despairing of ever being able to play with the exact toy they want to play with.(the hardship of having siblings)
Caleb gets the coolest present I have ever seen or heard of. and I can't even mention it, cuz no one is meant to know about this thing.
Once we spoil their neat and tidy house, we leave - in fact we speed off! We have the goods - HaHa.
We have to get back to the Mother! and for lunch. Yay! we are eating prawns, the only thing Caleb eats all day - unless his dad manages to get food in his mouth. yeah, good luck to you.
Despite Caleb's not wanting food, he does have a good day, and that is what makes my day.
Lunch is fantastic. The red always helps! and especially if you don't need to drive anywhere, and you don't have a child later on in the day.
Later Caleb is whisked away, by you know who, and even the Mother goes out. Aaarh. Peace for a time. I also get to mess around on the Wii without any interference.
And I'm not even going to start about the reasons why christmas and I don't get along. Just to say, christmas and I have difficulties, yet we get on, and we find a happy compromise. We lower our expectations, and show respect for each other.
Christmas, you big merry Christmas, you.




btw, the tree is up there, because the dogs were eating it and the decorations. There was a great fear they would bury themselves under the toppled tree - not that they would care. They would just eat themselves free.

I Had No Idea.....

I forgot I made this account at Blogspot. I made it awhile ago, when I was searching for Kasey's blog. I thought I had to make an account to read her blog. hahahaaha. Spambot found my, empty, blog, and I had no idea what he was talking about when he said he found it. I made the address up on the spur of the moment, never thinking it was the real deal. I am surprised I was actually able to have that address!
Now I can type whatever I like! Yay. and no one has to understand it. Yay.

I still feel inclined to talk about tBS though. We'll see how I go. I will also attempt to be serious. I'm not sure how possible that is until I try it.

I can't do much now, because my son is going mad on his computer game. He's playing Oblivion. It's ok though, he's playing godmode. He cannot die. The trouble is there is no longer any challenge in the game, so he ends up killing - Everybody! even his own horse gets killed. Am I raising a murderer? apparently not. Because of his condition he will only associate this 'violence' with that particular game - his doctor tells me that. So I hope for the best.
He is actually a very caring boy, very helpful. except he doesn't like dogs that much. well only dogs that jump all over him..... like our dogs. He doesn't like them in his face. He reacts very badly around them sometimes.
Currently, he has calmed down. He gets too excited when there are too many guards trying to take him down. I go and see what he is doing, and the whole town, no exaggerating, is attacking him, and his poor little character, which used to be mine, is full of arrows. But he cannot be killed.

I had no plans to speak about my son.
It's not that I don't care about him, he occupies my mind most of the time, but I had much more interesting things to talk about...... ummm, I'm sure I did.

Now I really do have to go because the dogs are annoying me, and I need to tell them to shut up. The girl dog, Ruby, will be in season soon, so she is very suky. We will have to keep the little boy dog away from her soon. That will be fun - not. You never know, I could be showing pics of puppies soon enough. You can get good money for these dogs too.

I will do more blogs later, I guess. I have to figure out how to add people onto my list. That way I can bother people quicker and more efficiently.