So Astound Me!

Annual Father's Day photo last Sunday

Compassion

Sometimes my son with Asperger's astounds me. Just when I think he is oblivious to the plight of others around him, he will do something so totally lovely as to surprise me completely.

For example, last weekend we had friends over playing on the trampoline. Our neighbour's 9 year old daughter, Maddy, somehow came off the trampoline through the mesh where the door is. She injured her arm. She cried every time she moved it. Fearing a break, I was quick to splint it to a wooden spatula and then put an ice pack onto it.

I sent Duncan over the road to fetch her mum whilst I phoned her up to explain what had happened. Then I watched as Duncan gently put his hand on Maddy's elbow and walk her back home with her mum. A few minutes later he returned and asked me if I could help him retract the stand on her bicycle. Then he wheeled it back across the road for her.

Maybe 5 mins later he asked my husband if he could have two sausage sandwiches to take over so that Maddy and her older brother would have something to eat as they headed off to hospital's Accident and Emergency. It was a 5 hour wait to find that nothing was fractured. We were all relieved.

The next morning, before school, Duncan asked me if he could pop over and see how she was doing.

It melted my heart. 

Bookweek Character Parade - you can see that my boys love the villains

Performance

This week he played violin in his first public performance. It was with the Beginner Strings group during supper at the school's Performing Arts Evening. He was so enthusiastic and it has re-invigorated his interest in the violin. He was going to finish at the end of the year but has now decided to continue tuition so that he can play in next year's Performing Arts Evening. 

Journalism

He has just written his third article for the student newspaper.This one featured the LEGO Tower Bridge that he constructed last holidays from 4000 pieces. He earned the bridge by doing all of his homework for a Social Skills Program that ran for all of Term 2. His article also included facts about the real Tower Bridge in London.

Construction

His mainstream Christian school support teacher is such a gem and works with Duncan mostly on construction projects. He gets time out of the stress of the noisy classroom to  work  with a friend. She informed me that latest project will be the Parthenon to be displayed in the High School History room.

Little Brother

Tristan has been doing so well at school this year but this week the wheels have fallen off the cart and he has been having mini-meltdowns over the smallest of things (dropped pencil, someone taking the handball, being bumped). Usually these things would just emit a 'squark' as his teacher likes to call the noise he makes. But with all the rehearsals (with costumes) at school and at the venue, for the Performing Arts Evening, it has been too much disruption to the routine. He does not do well when there is constant transition.

He's been learning to recite poetry. For the Eistedfod his Stage learned 'Hist! Hark!' and 'Forgiven' (Alexander Beetle). Then the past 2 weeks in class he's had to present a poem for News and so we've learned 'The Zax' and 'Too Many Dave's' by Dr Suess (from the Sneetches and Other Stories). 

But the Deputy Principal (whose son also has atypical autism) praised him for his ability to hold it together last week with a playground kerfuffle. I have to say I think, with such a busy term full of rehearsals, Eistedfods, Book Week Parade, Art Night etc., he has done exceptionally well to last 8 weeks! So in conjunction with his teacher, I am giving Tristan a Mental Health Day off tomorrow from school. He will be in LEGO construction heaven. I can only hope that he and little sister will get along.

Little Sister

Fran has a lovely friend at Preschool on Mondays and Tuesdays. They rave about each other.  But at Pre-Kindy (attached to the Christian school) on Wednesdays and Thursdays it is a different matter. She has major Pre-Kindy anxiety. Every week there are tears and stories about no one liking her, wanting to be her friend and being mean to her. I can tell you that it is becoming a major issue for us all. 

Yesterday I had a word with one of the teachers and today with the Director about the difficulties I had getting her to separate from me at drop off plus the negative comments. There is some concern that she lacks social skills that are necessary for entering into games already established with other students. Where have I heard that before? Now my third child needs social skills help! It probably does not help that she has two older brothers who ignore her most of the time and lack the very same skills. Sheesh! 

Anyway it will continue to be an issue until I can do some work on 'friendship' and 'what it means to be a friend' and 'what to do if a 'friend' does not want to play with you'. I think a social story might be in order for her. It never ends but I guess it is time I turned to her needs after years of looking out for the boys' needs.

Fran dressed up Tristan's bed pal 'Froggy Green-legs'. He was not impressed!

PPP - Neighbourhood Play Mat (+ A Giveaway)

Neighbourhood Play Mat

Hello and welcome to my little blog for today's stop on the Practically Paper Piecing Blog Hop through Quiet Play.

I am totally new to the foundation paper piecing method - my first lesson was with Kristy just last month. And my first block, a little house, is incorporated into my finished project today. See if you can spot it. 

With each of the house blocks I used two charms from the Lu Summers 'Summersville' collection. Then I stuck to solids or tone on tone prints in the primary colours, plus orange, green, black and white.

If you are interested in making this project, the 8"x8" 'Little House' pattern was designed Kristy and is available on her blog as a FREEBIE along with her 8"x4" 'Little Tree' pattern. The 8"x4" 'Charming Tree' pattern is available here on my blog.

So here it is. It's a whole paper pieced neighbourhood playmat for the kiddies - complete with faces at the windows, zebra crossings, roads to drive on and a Lorax in the park to keep an eye on the environment.

On the back, also inspired by Kristy's version, are 2 stacks of Lego blocks so that the playmat   can double for a Lego mat. 

And my middle child loves it!

I used the Quilting in the Rain' s 'Quick Quilt Binding' method of folding the backing fabric over to the front. It was my first time and it was sooooooo much quicker than any other method I have yet used.

I also included a sleeve with the option to hang it on a wall.

Summersville Charm Pack Giveaway

I have two charm packs of Lu Summers' 'Summersville' to give-away to two lucky readers. All you have to do is comment below for a chance to be in the running to win one.  This is open to international readers too. 

The winners will be randomly selected and posted on Sunday Stash #28 coming up on Sunday 2nd September. So you have until 8pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on Saturday to enter. Please make sure you leave a contact email that is valid to be in the running.

Thanks for joining me today on the Practically Paper Piecing Blog Hop. See you at the Linky Party starting Wednesday August 29th.


Linking up also with...

Sunday Stash #27

Spot the Solid

This month I have a couple of projects that involve using solids.

Laura from Quokka Quilts has requested a Piet Mondrian style block for our QCA Bee. I am up for the challenge as I have always admired the simplicity of his designs.

So I needed red, yellow, royal blue, black and white. Step in Kristy, from Quiet Play - who not only designed a paper pieced block for herself, two others and me - but also popped an envelope of scraps of these solids into the post for me nearly 2 weeks ago.

Alas they have not arrived. Cranky at Australia Post we are.

photo courtesy of Quiet Play: see link to post below

But then Kristy also had to go and make the most enviable Lego border, for her son's Lego quilt, in the same solids with an added green. And my kids love Lego too. That did it!

With 30% off storewide at Spotlight on Tuesday I went in and bought a few flat fat solids. (I had to slip that Argyle sock print in as well).

And some fabric to make a Darth Vader cape for Australian Bookweek Parade this Friday.

So what is new in your stash this week? Feel free to link up below.

A Tale of Dragons

Last scene of Episode 4 by Duncan

Today was Lego Friday in our house. The Lego shop (run by me) was open from 8-6pm and the kids could make to their hearts and patience content.

It started with a couple of small NEW Star Wars kits that all three got as a reward for their 1st Semester Report cards which arrived yesterday in the mail. I sat them both down separately and went through their reports with them (have to explain the terminology like 'commendable', 'consolidating' etc. Sheesh!). I was not so worried about their actually results for subject areas but my husband and I were disappointed in the words assigned to their effort. Tristan went from being mostly a 'commendable' student last year to 'satisfactory' for everything this year. I must say I was really surprised because I think he has been doing so well in Grade 1 this year.


Duncan got a couple of 'needs improvement' remarks for music and arts and a couple of 'satisfactory' remarks as well. We talked about making a concerted effort to improve each of these areas for the next Semester. Parent/Teacher interviews are later this month.

Consequently, the boys  only received a small box of Lego as a reward with some Endor troops and flyers. 

I helped Frances make her first really fiddly Lego - chicken walking thing from the forests of Endor. She got a great report from Pre-Kindy but needs to work on her social maturity. 

The painting was done by Tristan in Preschool - I love it!

We set up the Star Wars display on the bookshelf.

Duncan worked a bit on his Tower Bridge.

Tristan, not really patient enough to find the pieces for the instructions, made his own creations.

Duncan and I helped Frances to build a little house. She made a farm/garden all by herself.


My goal was to re-make the 2 Ninjago dragons that had been pulled apart last term (Tristan got a 4 week Lego ban for destroying these, a space shuttle and a rocket too).

The ice dragon never got built. By step #3 I was in trouble and it took me literally all day to find the missing 2 pieces. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow. That is the downfall of Lego kits and instructions - sometimes they rely on single and unique pieces that cannot be substituted nor left out.

The earth dragon was a slow job. Even with Duncan coming in to help intermittently, I had to  spend a lot of time searching for certain pieces in order to continue. By 6pm I had come to the last steps assembling the tail and was stopped again by the missing vital piece. So earth dragon is tail-less for now.


I was browsing blogs for Lego dragons and found this amazing scene from 'The Hobbit' created with Lego.

A Sly Dragon

There will not be much sewing until the kids return to school next Tuesday I am afraid but I have been browsing paper piecing blocks on Flickr. And here's what I found! 

'Smaug' by Amber's Originals, via Flickr

Smaug the Dragon - sitting on his treasure hoard. Isn't it amazing? I now have something to aspire to as a beginning paper piecer - well maybe a bit further down the track. So wonderful for a Lord of the Rings nerd like me to chance upon this site.


This is a FREE pattern designed by designer Michelle Thompson for a an online Flickr group called 'There and Back Again' put together by  Fandom in Stitches . If you just go to their site you will find the MOST amazing paper piecing designs for many popular books - Harry Potter, The Hobbit, The Hunger Games etc. 


Save the Date for My 'Get Acquainted'


Yes, it's my turn to host on July 26th, I am not sure if I will be putting a tutorial together for paper piecing or not. I might have to learn a few more blocks myself before designing them. But the Tolkien blocks are very inspirational. So please pop back on that date and see if I can rally to the occasion.


Save the August for Paper Piecing


And speaking of paper piecing it looks like Kristy from Quiet Play has found enough people to sign up for a Paper Piecing Blog Hop for weekdays in August. She has managed to rope in some amazing talent AND sponsorship.


I am very excited about THIS one and hope that I will be able to contribute a new block design by then. I will also be having a small give-away.

Lego Fest

It's winter school holidays here and so I declared Monday and Tuesday 'Lego Days'. I was the Lego shop keeper. Out it all came yesterday and I got to sorting Lego for about 5 hours whilst the kids created. 

Later on I got a chance to build 2 Lego Star Wars vehicles. My kids are really into the original Star Wars trilogy at the moment.

Duncan also finished a 9 week course that taught him Social Skills for kids with Aspergers. His reward for lots of social homework? The Lego Tower Bridge! It might take him longer than the holidays to complete though.

Today I tried to piece together the mini-figures and managed to put some of them on display. I hope to superglue some of their limbs and heads on later.

Junk Wars

I am not sure if everyone has this problem - little items of stationery, missing toy parts, Lego bits, candles and rocks (yes rocks!) - that seem to just keep finding their way to the kitchen bench. It's a daily problem for me with 3 children.

I went to look for something but got overwhelmed by the sheer number of junk that had overtaken my bench and the 3 boxes I store thing into. So I declared war!

I took everything out and put it on the bench. More overwhelming, but necessary, to see everything.

One pile to discard and another pile for donation.

Then I started sorting things according to which room they needed to be returned to - garage/car, bathroom, my room, foyer, and a pile for each child. I was able to cut down the number of trips to return the items by doing a few along the way.

Then I tackled each box by labeling each - Stationery, Bits and Pieces and Paper - and put things away according to their kind. Nice and tidy back in the cupboard.

Next I tackled the 'Nuts, Bolts and Screws' box to help me find missing shelf tabs. Everything on the bench.

Sort into - allen keys, screws, brackets, shelf holders, nut and bolts, wheels, childproof gate pieces, fuse wire - this time I used some mini storage containers and snap lock bags. This was a much quicker job.

All sorted and packed away. Made me feel great to get these boxes sorted....and I never did remember what I went looking for in the first place!

How do you go when you tackle a box or drawer full of 'junk'? Do you have a sorting system?