Clinks, Pinks and Monet

Claude Monet. Waterlilies after 1916 Nympheas.

On our day trip to London, we were supposed to be going to the London Dungeons on that 2 for 1 offer via National Rail......bloody rip-off that was! Couldn't even get anywhere near the entrance, the queues trailed all down Tooley Street and around the corner by the traffic lights. Ridiculous!

However, all was not lost. We traipsed along the South Bank and ended up in 'The Clink' prison. When I was little my Nan always used to say to say to me, when I was naughty, - 'you do stuff like that and you'll end up in the Clink!'.

Now I know there was an actual prison called The Clink, I thought it was just east-end slang!

Not much to see just a few chastity belts, thumb screws and a scolds bridle that stops a woman from gossiping! Its all about the girls innit?

We set off again and I took the kids to into Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, mainly to use the loo, but it was lovely in there. We peeped through the doors and across the court yard so we could see into the Globe. (They wouldn't let us in because we didn't have tickets). But the kids got a glimpse of the Globe's round stage, which they found interesting because of all the stage work they do.

Then we descended upon the Tate Modern.

Past experience has taught me to be a little wary of the Tate, especially with kids in tow, because some exhibits seem to have an unhealthy obsession with sex for some reason!

However, on the second floor they had an abundance of Pablo Picasso. Amber is very interested in art and she loved Picasso's Three Dancers.

Then, oh, joy of joys I found a Claude Monet!

One of my favourite painters.

When I was twenty-something I nipped over to Paris with my sister to go to the Louvre Museum, they had a Monet exhibition there, however the day we attended there was some bomb threat, so we never got to see the exhibition, and it has always bugged me. We ended up going to the Moulin Rouge instead!

Seeing Claude Monet's work really made me think.

Had it really taken that long, a zillion years, to finally see something I was interested in? And then to only see it by sheer accident?

Had the arrival of a Hubby, marriage and kids distracted me so much that I forgot my hobbies?

Apparently so.

I am in a 'Clink' of my own!

Anyway, I thought I would share with you his beautiful work, and I hastily add that that picture, although the painting is not one of his best, does not do it any justice whatsoever!

It was full of pinks and blues and greens and yellows.....truly lovely.

Clinks, Pinks and Monet

Asperger's Roller Coaster

The Asperger's roller coaster of life has hit the Rebel family again.

The last few weeks of Olly's primary schooling was extremely difficult. He had lots of plays to do and what with all the impending change at primary school and the change to senior school in September, it all got too much for him.

He freaked out big time.

This particular incident was shocking - even for me! I thought I had seen everything, but I was mistaken.

I am too ashamed to write a description of the incident. But zero tolerance is exhibited in any country or culture of an incident of this nature. I was appalled enough to threaten him with the police and social services to get him removed from our home. And if it happens again, I will call them.

Sometimes I am at my wits end. You do your absolute best, to try to be a good mother, to raise a child to be a good, law-abiding adult, to lead a happy and successful life, but when a child is on the Autistic Spectrum, quite frankly, you have your work cut out.

I feel like I keep banging my head against a brick wall.

You do all this work, attend appointments, ASC Support groups, get the diagnosis, get a good school for him, get him surrounded by people who, (supposedly), understand him and basically work your bloody arse off in doing what is best for him (and your life becomes his life), then he goes and does something that he could go to prison for. Asperger's Syndrome or no Asperger's Syndrome.

Sometimes I feel like I'm fighting for a lost cause.

Over the last four weeks I have walked on egg-shells for him. Pussy-footed around him, just to get through the last week or so of school. I have bend over backwards trying to keep peace and harmony around him, so he can get through this difficult time and I have never worked so hard in my life!

Even when I had three jobs and studied, nothing is quite as exhausting as Olly.

You would think that he would be happy now, with no school to go to? Well he isn't. He is miserable. A miserable git!

He is attending a holiday club, just in the afternoons for 2 weeks. It barely equates to 3 hours a day. I drop him off late and pick him up early, just so I can do my chores - shopping or house cleaning or some other monotonous crap!

He seems to think I have a 'jolly' time without him, that I kick up my heels, go dancing, or that he is missing out on something. I have to give him a full description of my 3 hours when I pick him up!

It beggars belief!!!!

And the miserableness is catching..........I cried today because he just stomps around, crashing things about, moaning, always looking like a great thunder cloud is hanging over his head (he has that dark, moody look) and the continual and habitual arguing with his sister.............Its enough to drive a sane person mad and take to the hills!

However, instead of running for the hills, I have booked a day out tomorrow in London with Hubby and the kids to try to lift morale.

Hopefully, the Asperger's roller coaster will level out slightly. We can but live in hope!

Asperger's Roller Coaster

Flying Birds And A Short Joke

As I am taking a little flight this month with Hubby (He does not work for any of these airlines, I hastily add), but I wanted to show you who he has to work with!

Ole Madam up there no doubt!

Yeah, he mentions the poofs but not the birds!

So, here's a little joke for you.......................

A man was sitting in the bar at Heathrow Terminal 3 and noticed a really beautiful woman sitting next to him.

He thought to himself: Wow, she's so gorgeous she must be an air hostess. I wonder which airline she works for?

Hoping to pick her up, he leaned towards her and uttered the Delta Airline slogan, "Love to fly and it shows?"

She gave him a blank, confused stare and he immediately thought to himself, 'Well, she obviously doesn't work for Delta'.

A moment later, another slogan popped into his head, so he leaned towards her again and said, "Something special in the air?"

She gave him the same confused look, and he mentally kicked himself, while scratching Singapore Airlines off the list.

He thought "Perhaps she works for Thai Airways..." and said, "Smooth as Silk?"

This time the woman turned on him and said, "What the F*** do you want?"

The man smiled, slumped back in his chair, and said - "Ahhhhh, Ryan Air!"

Flying Birds And A Short Joke

Blame Tara Meme

The wonderfully Sticky Tara, at Sticky fingers has passed on her Meme to me.

What is a Meme?????

Anyhow, the Rules are as follows:

I'd like to get to know you better, answer these questions and pass them on.


1. Who is the hottest movie star?

Johnny Depp - I just swoon!

2. Apart from your house and your car, what is the most expensive item you've ever bought?

Must be tickets to travel somewhere, as I cannot see any items of any value anywhere in this god-forsaken house! A burglar would be most disappointed.

3. What is your most treasured memory

Giving birth 3 times and knowing that I will never ever have to do that again!


4. What is the best gift you received as a child?

Having known my Maternal grandparents for 17 years. I wouldn't have missed that for the world. Fabulous people. And having my friend Lou. Still mates after god-knows how many years.

5. What's the biggest mistake you've made?

Cant one have 3 mistakes? (oops)

6. 4 words to describe yourself

?
??
???
????

Enough or do you want more! How can you ever describe yourself? I think the other people are more qualified!

7. What was your highlight or low light of 2008?

Highlight - miserable old grandad (the other one) popped his cloggs - Low light - he stiffed my father for his inheritance and my aunt tried to hide what he did have.

With lawyers and solicitors I got it back for him.

8. Favourite film

Gone with the Wind......I shall never go hungry again!

9. Tell me one thing I don't know about you

I was born in East London.

10. If you were a comic book/strip or cartoon character who would you be?

Beryl the Peril.


OK, so pass it on:

A Modern Mother

Amy At And1moremeans4four

The Ice Queen over at the Constant Chill Factor

Dottie at Bringing up charlie

Woman at work

Jo Beauxfoix

Miss Leslieanne at life with a little dude

Fraught Mummy at Brits in Bosnia

Fragrant Liar


Maternal Tales


Right, that's another one done. I've got another to do - but I really don't know how to answer it.

PS My pizza arrived one hour and 45 Min's late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blame Tara Meme

Tag of 8's

A million years have passed since the lovely Wife of Bold tagged me and I have finally got round to the Tag of 8's!

The Rules are:

1) Mention the person who tagged you
2) Complete the list of 8's
3) Tag 8 others and let them know.


8 Things I am looking forward to:

1) Kids back at school - yeah, I'm shagged already!

2) When they all finally grow up, bugger off and not keep coming back like boomerangs. (It has been a very hard and long, long day!)

3) Getting the results of my exam (mid-August).

4) Travelling to Singapore in mid-August and maybe Oz. Not sure whether to do both - if I do, I have to travel to both places within 8 days!

5) Getting stuck in Singapore because there are not enough seats to come home. (This I really dont mind one bit, because I will be on my own. At last!)

6) Stuffing a pizza tonight. It's on its way!

7) Stuffing chocolate straight after the pizza.

8) Waiting until everyone has gone to bed so I can stuff more chocolate!


8 Things I did yesterday

I really cant remember - will today do instead?

1) Made lunch for kids

2) Went to Gay Pride Parade

3) Missed Gay Pride Parade - we got there too late!

4) Shopped with kids for clothes as they look like ragga-muffins.

5) Bought kids hot dogs to stuff in their mouths to stop them moaning and arguing.

6) Bus packed on the way home and kids still arguing - told bus driver to stop bus and throw them off. He reprimanded me for being a bad mother.

7) Treated all 3 kids to pizza, (guilt) but everybody wanted something different. More arguments ensued.

8) Have jammed earplugs into ears in attempt to block out the noise.


8 Things I wish I could do

1) Fly

2) Fly away

3) Run away

4) Been born a man

5) Been born a rich man

6) Have more freedom

7) Have any kind of freedom

8) Be someone else


8 Places I would like to Travel to

1) Timbuktu

2) Peru

3) Machu Pichu

4) Shanghi

5) Bejing

6) Fiji

7) Malaysia

8) Las Vegas


8 Places I've travelled to

1) London

2) New York

3) Paris

4) Singapore

5) Sydney

6) Maldives

7) Mauritus

8) Los Angeles

and many, many more! I looooove to travel!


8 People to tag

Zooarcheologist at Being a Mummy

Grit over at Grit's Day - she really makes me laugh!

Muddynosugar at How I like my coffee

Jenny over at The cigarette Diaries

Joanna at The Fifty Factor

Chic Mum over at 4sprogs

Laura at Arewenearlythereyetmummy

and Sandy over at Baby Baby


I have some more tags to do so I'll be getting on with that until my pizzas get here. They are is still not here!!! Where are they???? This wouldnt happen in the states you know!

Tag of 8's