The Thomas'

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

The attachment.....

Tuesday 20th August

When Tilt'n'Jammy came up, they brought Teddy Bears for Jade and Blake.... and the kids were absolutely thrilled.....

Blake took his to daycare - and pretty much everywhere for the weeks that followed....

So, after having been for our first appointment with the Paediatrician in Bundaberg in June - we're now off to Rockhampton to start the testing process to see whether Jade is in fact ADHD or whether she's simply got a High IQ and is simply bored with the work at school....

We've had this problem for a few years now and we've been trying to get the teachers to give her more challenging work at school to keep her motivated... unfortunately as she wasn't doing the "basic" work - she couldn't get the advanced stuff... and she wasn't doing the basic work because she was being left to go off into dreamy land, or wherever she goes when she's staring into space....

Anyway, so to sort this out - we had to start the process....

Very excited about a day off school!

When we arrived, we went into a meeting with the Psychologist and then Jade was taken off so that she could talk to us privately and ask a million questions about Jade and how she functions etc.... so after an hour or so, we were through this process and then the testing began.... for the next 2hrs Jade completed a pile of tests and was having little breaks every half an hour or so....

At Midday - we were asked if we'd like to come back and continue testing after a lunch break (so that Jade could recharge a little....)

They hadn't assumed that she'd get through so much testing because of her age and focus issues - but she was plowing through the tests and was happy to keep going......

At the end of the day - we were one test short of all of the testing that they'd planned to do over two days... so we arranged another date to come back and complete the testing......

Jade was completely exhausted and fell asleep on the way home....

She was very happy once she woke though!

Well, that wasn't as painful as we'd first imagined........ but the journey has just begun....

Post Trials BBQ & ouchies......

Sunday 18th August

So, we got up early and had breakfast with the derby peeps that were staying at the house... Then, HeBe, Suz, Drew, Tilt'n'Jammy & the kids and I headed out to Benaraby to a trials competition.... I was determined to beat HeBe.... even though I've barely spent any time on the trials bike lately due to so much derby taking up my time.....

We got through the first two laps quite easily.... I was falling behind in points, but I was feeling ok about it all.... but this one section was throwing me.. I'd get through it all clean and then when I got to the log right near the exit - I wasn't always hitting it in the right spot and it was costing me points.... (not all 5 - but - enough to make me try to beat it....) - Well... I should have been happy with sticking with a 2 or 3.... because I went over the log and hit it on such an angle that the bike just slid down the log and then I went over... landing on the end of the log... (or more importantly the roots that were sticking up) and pinned myself between the bike and the roots...

Ride Trials (they said....)

It will hurt less than Roller Derby (they said!)

or... maybe not!

The first look at the bruises.... and this was after only a few hours.... it continued to grow over the next few days.....

August Bout - Skate of Emergency -vs- Northern Brisbane Rollers

Saturday 17th August

Our next home bout was against Northern Brisbane Rollers... this was a last minute change of plans as Townsvillains had pulled out of the bout 3 weeks before the date... even with all advertising thrown all around town - we had to change everything and find a team to fill in...

Luckily for us, NBR were brilliant and sent up a team mixed between their A and B team players.... (and I believe, only 8 players!) They were amazing... It was also a double header - so Paradise City Roller Derby (a new league made up mostly of old Gold Coast Roller Derby players) went up against Mackay City Roller Maidens (both of these teams hammered us last year... so it was refreshing to see PCRD hammer Mackay! (in a nice way, of course!)

The pics throughout this post were taken by Drew, Richard Tompsett & John Todd (our league photographer)

Team Pic

HeBeGB skating past Tilt McKilt

We were allowed to watch most of the first bout... so we lined up nicely in the suicide seating.... a sea of green knee socks...

Video Bob - these bouts were streamed live by DNN and watched all over Australia....

(I had friends down in Adelaide watching and also posting to my facebook timeline during the bout...)

Ref meeting....

NBR warming up

Hustlers Warming up

Jade & Blake had their faces painted in support of the Hustlers

I got Blake a Glow Sword....

Jade got a Glow Wand

Body BagHer & Frank

(oh - and if I haven't explained previously - she does actually work in a morgue)

Rob loves any opportunity to pick up a Mic :)

Bout Pics!

Zerky's hubby Krakka....

Jade helping Suz to MC

Blake hasn't managed to stay awake for a bout yet!

Me & Suz

Coming to Congratulate me after the game...

Greg even finally came to a bout to watch....

Jade was a happy little Hustler Supporter

Lil Miss & Zerky

Teams Pic at the end...

Chatting with the Mackay girls...

One very tired puggle coming to say hi....

Me & Suz again....

(I need to learn to stand on the other side of people so that I can say XXX and I)

Me & Tilt

It was a great bout.... although, given that HeBeGB and I had a trials comp the next morning, we didn't head to the After Party for long so that we could get a decent sleep.......

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Bookfair 2013

Friday 16th August

I discovered late on the 13th that Jade had Bookfair... for someone who loves dressing up, she's not one to get overly excited about telling me everything about school..... (or, she wasn't (coming from 2014 - she's completely different now... but this is all about the new school - but that'll be explained eventually - if I can get this blog up to date)).

I read it in the school newsletter that I managed to find in her school bag.... and we discussed who she could go dressed as, and she'd just started watching Doctor Who and got completely obsessed.... so, there was our theme....

Now to just make it happen!

I bought a glitter party hat, black braces and a black bow tie from KMart and some curtain tassles, red glitter glue and a tube of red glitter from Lincraft.. and there you have it.... Doctor Who!

The hat - which I then cut the brim off to make the Fez

I wasn't overly thrilled about opening my Sonic Screwdriver - but, it did complete the costume... so Jade was under strict instructions to be careful with it - and I even put the batteries into it so that it lit up and played the sounds....

(and ready to go to school!)

Walking down to the basketball courts with her class....

There was even a Dalek there...

Miss Norris - one of the Admin staff

Then you had the Star Wars people...

(I do think that it's a bit funny that the one teacher felt she needed to hold a book to show who she'd gone as - was she worried that her make-up wasn't correct? Nice Effort though!)