Herding instinct.

What a beautiful spring day. No storm yet but it is clouding over. Yesterday was beautiful too until about this time when the daily storm rolled in complete with thunder and lightening.
I got busy and got planting. I put in tomato, capsicum, cucumber, celery, passionfruit and corn seeds. I planted out some parsley seedlings that survived the storm. I made a compost holder. A great idea of my dads. He uses plastic netting and makes a circle, cable ties the ends together and fills it with prunings, leaves and other things he doesn't want in his compost bins and then ignores it for a year or two. I have a different take on it. I am filling my smaller ones (about .8 of a metre in diametre) with my weed, scraps and leaves. Mine only stand about .4 of a metre high. When they are full (all four of them) I will move the first filled to a different spot in my garden and refill it. I figure its a good way to keep unused soil covered and improve it at the same time. But we will see.
Latte has an uneasy relationship with the cats. From his point of view he is better than a cat and they should all be rounded up, chased and provide him with hours of entertainment. Thomas and Knight strongly disagree and Doppelganger is prepared to make a truce so long as he doesn't have to be a chew toy. When watching Latte with the cats you can really see his Border Collie instincts.
You will go where I tell you.

Why do you not run so I can chase you. Obey me!!!
Puppy love mummy. (Actually I am holding him down so I can chew him some more)

Disaster 2

We had three cute little chickens. We have one puppy and three cats who lead the cat council over our back fence. The cat council is made up of 23 cats - which is quite a few.
I built a stronger chicken run. I am not at all handy with tools but it was cat proof.
I have a dog. Dogs are stronger than cats.
I am sure you are getting an idea of where I am going with this post.
Dog is left outside unsupervised. Dog gets very excited by chickens. Dog makes quite small hole in poorly constructed chicken run. Dog gets bored and goes away. Two stupid chickens go exploring. There are some big fat happy looking cats sitting on our back fence.
So there was one. What to do? What to do? I've given up on building chicken runs. We have a nice strong rabbit hutch. Wave my magic wand and the chicken thinks it is a rabbit. They love to sleep in a heap - chicken on top.
All safe for now.

A little disaster

Spring is in the air. My plum is growing leaves, my apricot is budding up.My rabbits are hungry for spring goodies.
If you put rabbit cages close to trees they disappear.
The sister fejoia tree. Now you see it.
Now you don't. Let that be a lesson. And stop laughing!

Disaster

We had a storm today - thunder and lightening.
We had a storm yesterday - thunder and lightening and heavy rain and a power cut.
We had a storm on Monday - heavy rain.
We had a storm on Sunday - rain and very, very windy.
It was the storm on Sunday that ripped apart all three of my little plastic houses. It broke my largest in many places and destroyed most of the seedling that were ready to plant out. I cried (being already stressed with sick kids).
Today I picked up the pieces and put them back together. I replanting any seedlings I could find. I planted new seeds. Spring is here and I'll soon grow a new lot but it has put back planting in the garden by a month. Thankfully friends have offered me some of theirs to keep me going.

World Famous

Latte is world famous.
Well maybe famous in New Zealand.
Actually only famous to those on lifestyle blocks (or wanting to be).
And who read the Growing Today Magazine.
The photo above made it to the publishing stage in the September addition of the Growing Today. Didn't win but who cares he is cute anyway.

Things really haven't improved much.

Just when you think things can't get much worse - they do. Liam got sick. Really, really sick. Kathryn didn't get any better and my stress levels just kept climbing.
Came to a head last Wednesday when Kathryn went into ketasadosis. I had already spent two days crying on the phone to the hospital that she wasn't getting any better while they tried to reassure me all it took was time. Liam lay on the floor out of it with a temperature of 40.9 and having autism he doesn't do medicine at all. I gave in and rang my doctor - they didn't have any appointments so I took the kids to the walk in clinic. They were too full and turned us away, even though I explained the situation and had Liam unconscious in my arms (he is really really heavy). Then as I was standing there crying in frustration they had a cancellation - but for one only - which one was sicker. In the end I chose Kathryn because medically she was more in danger. Two minutes later I had my referral to the hospital, but still no help for Liam.
So off to the hospital we went. Kathryn's referral got her seen quite quickly, four hour wait to see Liam they said. No beds in wards, no beds in emergency, not even any beds left in corridors, so we got an ambulance stretcher in the ambulance bay (and we were not alone).
I put Liam in the bed as my arms were killing me. He is such a dead weight and hadn't woken yet. The nurses kept trying to give him attention over Kathryn because at least she was up and walking (and very, very sick). Finally Craig got off work and came to get Liam, who was now awake and topping and tailing with Kathryn in the very narrow bed.
Craig took Liam off to a walk in clinic in Tauranga - just in time to have in start power vomitting all over him. There is some justice after all. Ten minutes wait at the new walk in clinic and they were being told it is just a virus go home and take painkillers (ha ha).
Kathryn was finally admitted back to hospital, finally got a bed in one of the adult wards (they had two to a bed space in the children's ward). They sent her home the next evening saying she was better.
It is now a week later and she is still sick. I almost took her back to be admitted yesterday but managed to get our specialists cell phone number and have taken to calling him at all hours for help instead.
Liam has continued to get better and I'll send him to school today because I need a break. I continue to cry at the drop of a hat but am getting through it all.
P.S. We have had a couple of non medical disasters too. It never rains, it pours - all the time, heavily and that is part of the problem. Weather!!!!

Tales of Woe

For a week that started with promise it went steadily down hill and seems to still be in a slide.
Monday I ran a homeschool sewing class for a couple of friends girls. We had a great time, the girls sewed themselves a pair of pj's and were very proud of themselves.
Tuesday Kathryn stayed home feeling unwell and her blood sugar levels were a bit interesting.
Wednesday I took her to the doctors and told him no hospitals, I'm sure you can fix it. By 3pm we were in hospital and there we remained amongst doctors and nurses, sick kids and stressed parents, blood tests and drips.
Thursday the promised we could go home at 6pm and at 7pm and at 8pm but we were staying again by 9pm.
Friday we came home to a puppy who'd missed us and a Liam who hadn't that much.
Saturday the bloods were going haywire.
Sunday we tried to find a babysitter to go to my parents 'no kids please' housewarming. Plenty of takers for Kathryn but no one wants to look after small autistic boys. So feeling very sorry for myself as I sit here missing probably my only party of the year. I am going to have to make some more friends it seems.

I saw some bright shiny stuff

It's true! I saw some bright shiny stuff I think is called sunshine. Actually it was beaming in pretty strongly - and I had sewing to do. I only managed one costume before sneaking outside to put up some more bird netting around the chicken run.

I think I banged inexpertly two staples before a friend arrived and made me a coffee. The aforementioned friend's husband is still supposed to be building me a chicken hutch. Before I knew it the morning had gone and I was taking Kathryn's netball team for their exchange with the other local primary school. So off we all wondered and played their best - with very sad results as we were far outclassed. Half way through the game winter came back with vengeance. The local bus company was called to take us all dripping wet back to school.

Once home, changed and drinking yet more coffee the sun decided to come back out. So I abandoned the coffee and went back to the chicken run. I popped the Dixie Chicks out and they loved it. Unfortunately it was not cat proof and the dog had a good go at getting in too. If it is fine enough today I'll see what I can do to make it safer while they are still quite small.

The wonders of the wet

I am still sewing although I'll take some time of today to take Kathryn's netball team on an exchange with the other local school.
It has been so wet that seeds have germinated in out doormat - amazing what nature does.

Still sewing

I am still sewing as fast as I can. I have six costumes of the original 19 to complete by the end of the week so I am doing quite well. I could have sold another couple but the time they had to wait put the buyers off - I'm not to sad about that.
My kitten had a sleep on Saturday and woke up without various parts of his anatomy. He seems to be recovering well and is almost back to normal this morning.
And Latte and I finally managed to walk all the way around the block - yay. I can't wait until he can walk just a little further (and faster) and we can go exploring.