Do you think I cannot see
What is beneath your eyes?
That what you say is not always true
But sometimes only lies
I think sometimes it's easier
To pretend and hide behind
The walls that are around your heart
Not to share what's on your mind
I think it's sometimes simpler
To wear a happy mask
Than face the fears and demons
Answer the questions some might ask
But when the day is over
And there's no-one else to see
Surrounded by the darkness
That's when you'll simply be
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
A question
I've been trying to come up with something interesting to blog about, but I've not managed. It doesn't help that my head is feeling all blocked up thanks to the cold I have and that the day outside is rather grey and rainy, so instead I will share with you what I found.
One of the blogs I like reading because it is so thought-provoking is this one (click here). And in their latest blog entry they ask a whole range of questions to get you thinking. To help you reflect and find more meaning. I never realised it, but they seem to have a whole blog dedicated to these kind of questions (click here). And because I don't feel all that inspired today, I'll share this one with you that I saw on this new blog I found:
I think this particular question is rather relevant for this time of the year when we start slowing down (or will soon) and reflect upon a year that has simply flown by and a new year just around the corner.
For me 3 positive things that happened this year:
So what are three positive things that happened to you this year?
How about you go through the list, find a question that stands out for you and share your thoughts!
One of the blogs I like reading because it is so thought-provoking is this one (click here). And in their latest blog entry they ask a whole range of questions to get you thinking. To help you reflect and find more meaning. I never realised it, but they seem to have a whole blog dedicated to these kind of questions (click here). And because I don't feel all that inspired today, I'll share this one with you that I saw on this new blog I found:
Photo taken by Kaptain Kobold.
I think this particular question is rather relevant for this time of the year when we start slowing down (or will soon) and reflect upon a year that has simply flown by and a new year just around the corner.
For me 3 positive things that happened this year:
- While I had a few disappointing experiences on the friendship front, I have made a few really good friends. And for me quality is far more important than quantity!
- My mum's immigration process. This has to be one of the highlights of my year!
- Doing things like Funrazor, the hospital visit and volunteering at the SPCA and CCF. Giving a little bit back and trying to make a difference was an extremely positive and rewarding experience for me. With Funrazor it was amazing to see a community coming together and be part of it.
So what are three positive things that happened to you this year?
How about you go through the list, find a question that stands out for you and share your thoughts!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
What a day!
At 9:30 Terence and Caitlyn left to catch their train - first to Coastlands Mall and then to Porirua and from there a bus to Adventure School in Whitby where they had the CCF Christmas party. Bianca was hugely disappointed that she would be missing out.
Here is some of what Caitlyn got up to:
At the same time Bianca and I went to the Kapiti Gymnastics hall where it was the gymnastics / cheerleading display and award ceremony.
I found the morning session particularly full on as I sat there with my stuffy / runny nose and my head feeling rather sensitive surrounded by a large group of noisy kids (including some pre-schoolers) and their parents. Bianca's cheerleading group did their routine and then Bianca's gymnastics group also did a bit of a display of some of the things they've learned all year long. And afterwards she was awarded a "badge" award with a score of 8.7 that she received when they did assessments during the year.
The cheerleaders stayed on at the end of the morning session to prepare for their afternoon session and I quickly came home for a little bit.
The afternoon session was mostly for the more competitive gymnasts as well as all the cheerleaders. The 4 cheerleading teams each did another display and then it was their prize-giving. And Bianca received a trophy and certificate for having the best attitude in the Kapiti Rays team.
By the end of the ceremony Bianca and one of her cheerleading friends decided they want to do a cheer / dance "duo" at the competition next year (so I guess we'll definitely be going to Auckland again next year). Will have to speak to the coach and find out how that will work.
One of the other mums decided yesterday it would be nice for the girls to give something to their coach and so last night I quickly helped make the certificate.
The other mum organised a special trophy and some flowers. And so today at the end of the awards ceremony the girls gave this to their coach who was very surprised :-).
Looking at the schedule for Bianca for next year it would seem she's going to be fairly busy - Monday (5:30) gym, Tuesday (5:00) swimming, Wednesday (4:30) cheerleading and once the netball season starts then that will be on Saturday mornings. In one way it is good that cheerleading is now going to move from a Saturday afternoon to a Wednesday because it does mean a less busy weekend, but I liked that my Wednesdays were not as rushed. And who knows what activities Caitlyn will want to do once she starts school in February...
Here is some of what Caitlyn got up to:
At the same time Bianca and I went to the Kapiti Gymnastics hall where it was the gymnastics / cheerleading display and award ceremony.
I found the morning session particularly full on as I sat there with my stuffy / runny nose and my head feeling rather sensitive surrounded by a large group of noisy kids (including some pre-schoolers) and their parents. Bianca's cheerleading group did their routine and then Bianca's gymnastics group also did a bit of a display of some of the things they've learned all year long. And afterwards she was awarded a "badge" award with a score of 8.7 that she received when they did assessments during the year.
The cheerleaders stayed on at the end of the morning session to prepare for their afternoon session and I quickly came home for a little bit.
The afternoon session was mostly for the more competitive gymnasts as well as all the cheerleaders. The 4 cheerleading teams each did another display and then it was their prize-giving. And Bianca received a trophy and certificate for having the best attitude in the Kapiti Rays team.
 |
| Being called up to collect a cheerleading award |
 |
| Feeling really proud! |
One of the other mums decided yesterday it would be nice for the girls to give something to their coach and so last night I quickly helped make the certificate.
The other mum organised a special trophy and some flowers. And so today at the end of the awards ceremony the girls gave this to their coach who was very surprised :-).
 |
| Thank you, Coach! |
Looking at the schedule for Bianca for next year it would seem she's going to be fairly busy - Monday (5:30) gym, Tuesday (5:00) swimming, Wednesday (4:30) cheerleading and once the netball season starts then that will be on Saturday mornings. In one way it is good that cheerleading is now going to move from a Saturday afternoon to a Wednesday because it does mean a less busy weekend, but I liked that my Wednesdays were not as rushed. And who knows what activities Caitlyn will want to do once she starts school in February...
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Not feeling so great today
Oh joy! I have picked up a cold and have not felt the greatest today!
I'm surprised my arms are not killing me today - at yesterday's swim lesson the coach really worked us hard and she ended up making us swim around 50 lengths of the pool. 10 of those lengths she timed us, and while it was hard work, I felt pleased that I managed to maintain my time. I had to laugh at one point when she told me that it looks like I'm pretty fit and I am most definitely not very fit at all. I think the only thing that drives me is my fear of failure and that I don't want to be the slowest in the class. And of course the faster I try and swim, the quicker I get to the other side and the longer I can rest (or something like that...). She did confuse me at one point when she wanted us to count all our strokes. Now up to now I'm used to the whole 1, 2, 3, breath kind of routine and so when she made us count all our strokes I started off well, but then suddenly I would realise that I forget to move my arms, or to kick, or to breath and then forget to keep counting. Sometimes I'm not very good at multi-tasking.
This morning Caitlyn and Terence went to Caitlyn's daycare Christmas party somewhere in Raumati and she had a great time playing at the park and going on the little train and playing with her friends. Until the man in the red suit arrived. And then she freaked out and cried and cried until Terence assured her it is fine and that he would get her present on her behalf and that she would not have to go to Santa. She's never been terrified of Santa before...
Then this afternoon Bianca had her second to last cheerleading practice for the year. Can't believe it's been a whole year already! And she's made such progress! She definitely wants to continue with this again next year. Tomorrow is their prize giving / end of year display and Bianca is very excited for this, but very disappointed she'll be missing out on the CCF Christmas party. Caitlyn and Terence will go and Caitlyn is very excited as they'll be taking the train / bus to get there. The way I'm feeling tonight am pleased it won't be me being stuck on a train / bus to be honest!
And that is pretty much our Saturday in a nut shell. What did you get up to today?
I'm surprised my arms are not killing me today - at yesterday's swim lesson the coach really worked us hard and she ended up making us swim around 50 lengths of the pool. 10 of those lengths she timed us, and while it was hard work, I felt pleased that I managed to maintain my time. I had to laugh at one point when she told me that it looks like I'm pretty fit and I am most definitely not very fit at all. I think the only thing that drives me is my fear of failure and that I don't want to be the slowest in the class. And of course the faster I try and swim, the quicker I get to the other side and the longer I can rest (or something like that...). She did confuse me at one point when she wanted us to count all our strokes. Now up to now I'm used to the whole 1, 2, 3, breath kind of routine and so when she made us count all our strokes I started off well, but then suddenly I would realise that I forget to move my arms, or to kick, or to breath and then forget to keep counting. Sometimes I'm not very good at multi-tasking.
This morning Caitlyn and Terence went to Caitlyn's daycare Christmas party somewhere in Raumati and she had a great time playing at the park and going on the little train and playing with her friends. Until the man in the red suit arrived. And then she freaked out and cried and cried until Terence assured her it is fine and that he would get her present on her behalf and that she would not have to go to Santa. She's never been terrified of Santa before...
Then this afternoon Bianca had her second to last cheerleading practice for the year. Can't believe it's been a whole year already! And she's made such progress! She definitely wants to continue with this again next year. Tomorrow is their prize giving / end of year display and Bianca is very excited for this, but very disappointed she'll be missing out on the CCF Christmas party. Caitlyn and Terence will go and Caitlyn is very excited as they'll be taking the train / bus to get there. The way I'm feeling tonight am pleased it won't be me being stuck on a train / bus to be honest!
And that is pretty much our Saturday in a nut shell. What did you get up to today?
Friday, December 2, 2011
Sometimes...
Isn't this just the cutest little person?
So tiny and small and curious about the world around her. She has the cutest little smile in the last photo. And such big bright eyes in the middle picture. Let me tell you a little bit about her...
I don't personally know her. Have never met her. I stumbled upon a blog (which I will link to soon) where I got to "meet" her.
This little girl's name is Katie or Katerina. She is 9-and-a-half. That would be 9-and-a-half years, not months. Yes, I know it seems unbelievable!
Here is Bianca. She is 8 years old. Spot the difference?
Katie weighs around 10 pounds, 9 ounces (4.7kg) and is 29 inches (73.66cm) long. Her foot is 4 inches (10.16cm) long, her upper thigh circumference is 5 inches (12.7cm), her upper arm circumference is about 3 inches (7.62cm). She is tiny. To give you an idea - Caitlyn was 10 pound 7 when she was born. How did this little person become the tiny whisper, a tiny little bird that she's become?
From birth she was "dumped" into an orphanage somewhere in Europe - I don't actually know which country to be honest. I imagine she was thrown away because she had Down Syndrome (as it often happens). When she was "found" she was confined to her cot day in and day out, taken out for bottle feeding and nappy changes and that was pretty much it. This child was never loved, she never received any stimulation, very little interaction and was severely malnourished. Just recently this tiny little whisper of a child was rescued and adopted by a family in the US. They have a long road ahead of them and I imagine the process will be incredibly slow.
Just imagine what she could have been if she was loved from the start! I hope this little girl will learn to trust, will learn to feel safe and loved and wanted and cared for. She must have an amazing fighting spirit to have survived the conditions she did for so long.
It breaks my heart to know that there are children living like this day in and day out. I look at my kids and yes, sometimes we feel a bit frustrated when they keep arguing or fighting. But I cannot ever imagine subjecting my kids to the conditions Katie had to live with for 9 and a half long years! It absolutely breaks my heart!
Today when you see your kids, give them an extra hug, tell them you love them and when they've gone to sleep, quietly tuck them in and whisper that you care for them. Because when you look at the photos of Katie, it is heartbreaking to know the damage it can do when a child is neglected and not given any love!
To follow Katie's journey click here.
So tiny and small and curious about the world around her. She has the cutest little smile in the last photo. And such big bright eyes in the middle picture. Let me tell you a little bit about her...
I don't personally know her. Have never met her. I stumbled upon a blog (which I will link to soon) where I got to "meet" her.
This little girl's name is Katie or Katerina. She is 9-and-a-half. That would be 9-and-a-half years, not months. Yes, I know it seems unbelievable!
Here is Bianca. She is 8 years old. Spot the difference?
Katie weighs around 10 pounds, 9 ounces (4.7kg) and is 29 inches (73.66cm) long. Her foot is 4 inches (10.16cm) long, her upper thigh circumference is 5 inches (12.7cm), her upper arm circumference is about 3 inches (7.62cm). She is tiny. To give you an idea - Caitlyn was 10 pound 7 when she was born. How did this little person become the tiny whisper, a tiny little bird that she's become?
From birth she was "dumped" into an orphanage somewhere in Europe - I don't actually know which country to be honest. I imagine she was thrown away because she had Down Syndrome (as it often happens). When she was "found" she was confined to her cot day in and day out, taken out for bottle feeding and nappy changes and that was pretty much it. This child was never loved, she never received any stimulation, very little interaction and was severely malnourished. Just recently this tiny little whisper of a child was rescued and adopted by a family in the US. They have a long road ahead of them and I imagine the process will be incredibly slow.
Just imagine what she could have been if she was loved from the start! I hope this little girl will learn to trust, will learn to feel safe and loved and wanted and cared for. She must have an amazing fighting spirit to have survived the conditions she did for so long.
It breaks my heart to know that there are children living like this day in and day out. I look at my kids and yes, sometimes we feel a bit frustrated when they keep arguing or fighting. But I cannot ever imagine subjecting my kids to the conditions Katie had to live with for 9 and a half long years! It absolutely breaks my heart!
Today when you see your kids, give them an extra hug, tell them you love them and when they've gone to sleep, quietly tuck them in and whisper that you care for them. Because when you look at the photos of Katie, it is heartbreaking to know the damage it can do when a child is neglected and not given any love!
To follow Katie's journey click here.
Tiny whisper of a child
Alone for so long
Never hearing a soft voice
Or a sweet and gentle song
Stuck alone there in a cot
As each day changed into night
Every day slowly passed
To simply live, you had to fight
Cannot imagine how anyone
Could look into your eyes
Throw you away
Despite your tiny cries
An angel softly came
She rescued you that day
When she first saw you
She was committed to find a way
Tiny whisper of a child
The road ahead is long
But you are cared for and loved
I pray that soon you'll sing a happy song!
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