Autumn is here!

Well I think Summer is over :( standing at the bus stop today with a cold wind blowing and drizzle coming down it made me remember why getting the bus isn't always so attractive.  It is in the Winter that I miss driving more, I think the worst bit is the part of the year, it a bit of a shock to the system it takes a bit of time to adjust.  Better get the winter clothes and waterproofs out then we'll be just fine!

But there is one point I would like to make and that is that drivers who think it's funny to splash people walking along the pavements are mean, but splashing someone pushing a buggy that is down right evil...

I will leave you with that thought!

Warrior Mum's ~ My story

My story is the feature of Michelle Daly's Warrior Mums blog today :) hoping that it's another way of my story helping more women with epilepsy.  There have been some wonderful comments, I don't feel like I've really done much, just told my story.  It's not a story full of drama but just about being a mum and overcoming the challenges epilepsy has thrown at me along the way... but if my story can even help just one other person then this is all worth doing :)

Have a look at Michelle's fantastic blog:

http://michelledaly.blogspot.co.uk/

Also keep an eye on the new page "other mums' experiences" I've added to my blog, there are some fantastic mum's writing for it as we speak.  If you'd like to share your experience, e-mail me:

claircaxton@hotmail.com

And she's off ~ finally she's walking!

Well she's done it, she's walking!  And now the fun begins :) she's getting pretty fast pretty quickly so she's keeping us on our toes.

It's lovely to see her getting about on her feet and she looks so proud of herself! She can get herself up from the floor now too so she's well and truely off.

I find babies walking so funny, they look so unbalanced and they have to concentrate so hard on it.  I find you can't help but smile as they waddle along :)

I'll leave you with a picture showing how proud she is of herself (and we're even more proud of her)

Epilepsy Awareness Presentation

I've been asked to give an epilepsy awareness presentation to some students and staff at a school in Maidstone.  Apparently it's quite a lot of people which is a bit daunting but will be really good to reach that many people and for me to build my confidence.

I'm not quite sure how I'm going to go about the whole thing, luckily I'm not doing it until January so I've got a while to figure it out!  Scary stuff!

It's World Smile Day!!!

"Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile"!

 

Anyone who knows me knows what I think about smiles :)

Never stop smiling, it truely can make a difference... if you're walking down the street and you smile at a complete stranger... do they smile back? If they do even if it's just for a second you spread just a little bit of happiness to them.  Smiling keeps you positive, even when things are really bad a little smile can help you cope.

As Sandi Thom said on her album... "Smile it Confuses People"!

P.S. I don't think you should only do kind things once a year but it's nice having a day devoted to acts of kindness and smiles :)

Nursery ~ finally she's settled

Well yesterday Riley was at nursery and she finally seems to be settling in J when I dropped her off she didn’t cry, well not while I was there.  They said she’d had a really great day and was starting to play with the other children and giving them kisses… she's even made a little friend :) She is now in Caterpillars, she’s evolved from being a Ladybird.

I think it helps I'm now working 9-5 it means she arrives in time for snack, then has lunch and then dinner at at 3.30, comes home and has her 2nd dinner at 6pm ~ so basically her day revolves around food!  I hope she doesn't become a comfort eater, will just have to make sure she's super active.

I think Riley is quite a shy child, she doesn’t seem to like going off to play at baby groups as much as a lot of the other children.  Hopefully her confidence will grow with time.  She’s not shy at home and with people she knows so it’s just strangers and in busy places which I can totally understand.

I have also noticed that her understanding is increasing every day.  I think she understands most of what we say, she certainly follows most instructions.  It’s nice to feel like she’s responding to you even if she doesn’t have much language to talk back (maybe that’s a good thing!).  I guess from now on we have to be much more careful what we say around her.

50 Things to do before your 11 and 3/4

50 Things to do before you’re 11 ¾ is amazing Riley loves the outdoors and it’s a way of really making the most of that.  Now we have our new carrier we’re off!  How many have you done?

1. Climb a tree

2. Roll down a really big hil

3. Camp out in the wild

4. Build a den

5. Skim a stone
6. Run around in the rain
7. Fly a kite
8. Catch a fish with a net
9. Eat an apple straight from a tree
10. Play conkers
11. Go on a really long bike ride
12. Make a trail with sticks
13. Make a mud pie
14. Dam a stream
15. Play in the snow
16. Make a daisy chain
17. Set up a snail race
18. Create some wild art
19. Play Pooh sticks
20. Jump over waves
21. Pick blackberries growing in the wild
22. Explore inside a tree
23. Visit a farm
24. Go on a walk barefoot
25. Make a grass trumpet
26. Hunt for fossils and bones
27. Go star gazing
28. Climb a huge hill
29. Explore a cave
30. Hold a scary beast
31. Hunt for bugs
32. Find some frogspawn
33. Catch a falling leaf
34. Track wild animals
35. Discover what’s in a pond
36. Make a home for a wild animal
37. Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool
38. Bring up a butterfly
39. Catch a crab
40. Go on a nature walk at night
41. Plant it, grow it, eat it
42. Go swimming in the sea
43. Build a raft
44. Go bird watching
45. Find your way with a map and compass
46. Try rock climbing
47. Cook on a campfire
48. Learn to ride a horse
49. Find a geocache
50. Canoe down a river