Fe-Fe's World Of Craft, Creations and Kids.

This blog was started mainly for my crafting, however I also find myself writing about my family life too and in particular about my son Josh. Josh is just Josh to us and we're used to his quirky behaviour. As I don't want to have to mention Josh's autism every time I post about him, I thought I'd mention it here. Hopefully you will bear this in mind as you read and it may give you a little insight into the wonderful world of the autisic child in a very gentle way!

Sunday, 21 December 2008

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's my birthday today. Another year older and wiser?! Hmm not sure about the latter. Lol.

Of all the mornings to have a lie in, my kids chose this morning which would have been lovely if I had not woken up at 6.30am and then spent two hours awake waiting for the kids to get up so that I could open my presents.

Peej and I ended up having the funniest game of eye spy I've ever played with some really obscure objects being picked, like C.I.C. being "crack in ceiling" and P.C.C.I.C which was "paint covering crack in ceiling." Then of course there was B.L.T.D.W which was "bedside lights that don't work!" (There is a long story about the bedside lights not working but I won't go into that now. Lol) The fact that we were actually managing to get the answers to these either shows that we are on the same wave length or we're both just as mad as each other? I'm not sure which it is, but it was very funny, well it was to us anyway and it filled in the time until the kids eventually made it out of bed at 8.30am.

I got some great presents and some beautiful handmade cards which I will take photos of tomorrow and post them up for you to see. In the mean time I will share these two cards which I made with free downloads from Papercraft Junkies.

This card is made with a Christmas tree download from PCJ's, papers and ribbon by Dovecraft. The cat and mouse stamp is by Sugar Nellie. The card I also did for the Raspberry Ribbons challenge but I was a little late sending it in so I'm not sure if it has made it onto their blog yet or not.

This image is by Debbie Moore and is a free download on PCJ's, I coloured it with Twinkling H2O's and added some Sprinkles to the snow and snowflakes. The patterned paper is some for the Cricut and the Merry Christmas is by Lili of the Valley.

10 comments:

Unknown said...: Hi Fiona, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you had a nice day.

Love
Barbarax; 21 December 2008 at 17:37
ScrapMomOf2 said...: Oh Fiona!! A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!! You had me chuckling at the eye spy game you and your husband were playing!! Yes, you're probably both very much mad AND on the same wave length if you were getting them right!! Ha ha ha ha ha!! But, seriously, that is so cute! I can't wait to hear more about what you did on your birthday!! Have a fantastic day! Enjoy all of the spoiling you'll be getting today!!; 21 December 2008 at 17:50
ScrapMomOf2 said...: I got all excited about your birthday, that I forgot to comment on your cards! They're both VERY cute and festive! I love them both!! Have a great Birthday!!; 21 December 2008 at 17:51
ScrapAddict said...: Happy Birthday!!!; 21 December 2008 at 19:17
~Emma~ said...: ~Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
You look like a pickled onion...
and you smell like one to!!~

LOL! Fe I didn't know! I hope you had a great day and sending you all lots of love for Christmas. Big hugs Em.x; 21 December 2008 at 20:30
Anonymous said...: Happy Birthday Fiona - hope youve had a wonderful day xx

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and yours xx; 21 December 2008 at 20:49
Debbie said...: Glad you had a nice birthday Fe....oooh eye spy -I love that game. :)

Great cards you have made with PCJ freebies. :) :)

xxDebbiexx; 21 December 2008 at 22:37
Femin Susan said...: Hello……
HAPPY BIRTHDAY..........
You are welcomed to my blog…….
"A Merry X'Mas and A Happy New Year''; 22 December 2008 at 00:25
pescbrico said...: I wish you a really happy birthday!!! I lost my voice so I won't sing but since I'm writing... here you go in French! :)
Bonne fête à toi, bonne fête à toi, bonne fête, bonne fête, bonne fête à toi!

Seriously I wish you a wonderful year full of nice suprises!!!; 22 December 2008 at 03:27
Dawn said...: Aww these are just so cute - lovin' the cat stamp!!; 23 December 2008 at 22:00

Ode to Special Mums

Ode to Special Moms(by Erma Bombeck)

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. This year, nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint, Matthew.
Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint, Cecilia.
"Rudledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint, give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child."

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," says God. "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.
"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word.' She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations."I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, pen poised midair.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

"Welcome to Holland"

"Welcome to Holland" By Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.