Who Gwendolyn, can we hear more about you?

[bee*]

That''s amazing news that you passed your thesis

I''m delighted for you! Glad to hear that things are going great in the love nest. Can''t wait to hear more.

 

[gwendolyn]

Awww, Harriet, you make me feel so loved.

Thank you!! How have you been? How''s married life? Fantastic, hopefully, m''dear!

Skippy, thank you, darlin''! I am very excited and happy it is all over!

LP, thank you, my dear! The job has been good--very, very challenging, but quite satisfying as well. My class only has 8 students in it (compared to 27 back in my class in the US), but they are all very needy. One student in particular has very difficult behaviour--he keeps trying to bite, kick, hit and spit at anyone who comes near him and thinks it''s very funny to hurt others, and has no problem hurting himself as well (he slammed his head so hard against a table one day that it sounded as if he''d cracked his skull open!). He regularly runs out of the classroom, screams at the top of his lungs, and pushes other kids off playground equipment. Other teachers at school say he won''t remain at our school because we don''t have the facilities to support a student like him, but we shall see...

My other kids are lovely, if a bit behind academically (they are 13 years old and half of them can''t recognize numbers or letters). We had some bonding moments playing tag together and dancing to some music off my laptop, so everything else is going well, methinks.

How is everything with you? Are you and Kris all settled in now or are you still a work in progress like James and me over here?

bee-star, thank you so much for the congrats, darlin''! I''m really excited that it''s over. It''s so lovely to have James to come home too, also. Makes me feel much more at home here in the UK.

 

[Maisie]

Congratulations on passing your thesis!!! Well done!!

Its good to see you back. I was thinking it had been a bit quiet round here

Just to keep you updated. We saw the paediatrician with James and he has decided James is not autistic, neither does he have learning difficulties. He says he does have Dyspraxia though. Unfortunately this means that the funding we fought so hard to get for James to have help in nursery has now been withdrawn! I am not happy, he still can''t communicate properly so we are appealing the decision.

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 9/14/2008 7:21:38 AM
Author: Maisie
Congratulations on passing your thesis!!! Well done!!


Its good to see you back. I was thinking it had been a bit quiet round here

Hehehe, thanks!

Just to keep you updated. We saw the paediatrician with James and he has decided James is not autistic, neither does he have learning difficulties. He says he does have Dyspraxia though. Unfortunately this means that the funding we fought so hard to get for James to have help in nursery has now been withdrawn! I am not happy, he still can''t communicate properly so we are appealing the decision.

That seems strange to me that the doctor would opt for dyspraxia as a diagnosis, since the symptoms (as far as I am aware, anyway--I am not an expert on dyspraxia) have some substantial similarities in the main identifiers. I don''t remember if you mentioned a lack of physical coordination as one of your main concerns--I was under the impression the language was the biggest worry. Will James still be able to get speech/language therapy services? Communication difficulties are a part of dyspraxia too, isn''t it? Is there any way to fight again to get funding on those grounds? Or maybe get a second opinion? I know I am not a doctor, but I think I would rather err on the side of diagnosing autism to make sure James receives as much support as possible, rather than removing it now at such an early age when it could most benefit him. Maybe he didn''t take into account the educational provisions element linked to the diagnosis? Either way, I don''t think it''s good either.

Please keep me updated on what happens next, ok?

 

[Maisie]

What really annoyed me about the whole diagnosis thing was that it was based on an one hour appointment with the doctor. Just because James didn''t freak ourt around the doctor. He didn''t freak out because we didn''t leave him alone with him and Gary spent the whole hour with James looking out of the window to watch the trains go by!

I think someone said there are 3 types of Dyspraxia. James has the verbal one. I don''t know much about it so I need to look into it more.

James will still have some speech therapy but not the intense one to one he had been in line for this term. I am really annoyed. Its all about funding.. or the lack of it.

 

[gwendolyn]

Is there anywhere to get another opinion? Can the school test him?

 

[Maisie]

No, the school don''t do that sort of thing. Basically he can understand everything you say to him. And follow instructions etc. He just can''t say the words back to you. It frustrates him so much. I feel like the school just don''t care. They seem scared that they might have to actually dip into their funds to help him. Bah!!

 

[Delster]

Gwen, welcome back, we missed you! Your work sounds so challenging. You work so hard to inspire these children, you are a star.

Delighted also to hear co-habiting is suiting you and J thus far! Long may it last

Maisie I''m so sorry to hear about your difficulties getting James the treatment he needs. He''s so lucky to have a Mammy who''ll fight for him like you do. That''s the battle mostly won right there already. You must post some pictures for us again soon, James is such a cutie!

 

[Delster]

OMG I''m such a dolt, I forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS on passing the thesis!!! YAY!!!!

 

[Maisie]

Date: 9/15/2008 1:47:12 PM
Author: Delster
Gwen, welcome back, we missed you! Your work sounds so challenging. You work so hard to inspire these children, you are a star.

Delighted also to hear co-habiting is suiting you and J thus far! Long may it last

Maisie I''m so sorry to hear about your difficulties getting James the treatment he needs. He''s so lucky to have a Mammy who''ll fight for him like you do. That''s the battle mostly won right there already. You must post some pictures for us again soon, James is such a cutie!

Thank you Del, I am definitely a fighter! He is a little cutie but has a very bad attitude lately! He gets put on the stairs for time out a lot!

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Congrats on passing your thesis woman! You are so awesome!

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Gwennie!! So nice to see you around and hear things are well. And congrats on passing the thesis! I hope to see you more often!

 

[Daydreamer7130]

YOU GO GIRL !!!! CONGRATS !!!

Love, love, love the new avatar..... you have that sneaky look in your eyes. That mug is awesome!

Cynthia

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 9/14/2008 2:41:03 PM
Author: Maisie
No, the school don''t do that sort of thing. Basically he can understand everything you say to him. And follow instructions etc. He just can''t say the words back to you. It frustrates him so much. I feel like the school just don''t care. They seem scared that they might have to actually dip into their funds to help him. Bah!!

That is awful, Maisie! I do not know how things work here precisely, but in the states, when parents are unsatisfied with the level of service being provided to their children, they can appeal to the school, school district, local and state governments, etc. until the appropriate provisions are made. Is there any sort of option like that available to you and James?




Hello, Delster, thank you so much for your sweet post! How goes your wedding planning?

iwannaprettyone, thank you, sweetheart!! Congratulations to YOU on marrying your sweetheart over the weekend!!! How thrilling!!!! I am absolutely over the moon for you, darlin''!!! CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah, thank you, my dearest!! What did you ever decide to do about your LSATs? Did you retake them? Have you chosen a school yet? Let me know what''s going on with you!!

Daydreamer7130, thank you so much, m''dear! Both for the congrats on the thesis and for the compliment on the avatar--I have that look in my eyes fairly often, so I thought it''d be appropriate as an av.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Hey gal! Cute new avatar! How''s the living together life going?

I decided not to retake them. I threw in the towel on that one!

Which makes me happy because it would be this weekend and I''d be freaking. Most applications open tomorrow, so I am applying probably next week or so. Ahhh I am scared, wish me luck!

How''s the job going?

 

[SarahLovesJS]

P.S. Gone ring shopping, yet?

 

[gwendolyn]

Oh sweetheart, you don''t need any luck--you''ll do just great regardless! You are brilliant and will make them all love you! No worries, babe!

The job is going well--it''s challenging but good. Living together with James is going well too--been cohabitating for over a month now! Can''t complain about that, since except for the stress of being the sole breadwinner at the moment, things are fine. J has a job lined up, but it doesn''t start until the end of October, which kinda sucks but is better than nothing!

And no, alas, we have not been ring shopping yet. We haven''t been able to save up any money, and definitely won''t be able to start until J starts working. Even after we can start saving, we might not get a ring for a while, what with all the crazy stuff going on financially in the world now... We shall have to see how things go.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Date: 9/30/2008 1:33:46 PM
Author: gwendolyn
Oh sweetheart, you don''t need any luck--you''ll do just great regardless! You are brilliant and will make them all love you! No worries, babe!

The job is going well--it''s challenging but good. Living together with James is going well too--been cohabitating for over a month now! Can''t complain about that, since except for the stress of being the sole breadwinner at the moment, things are fine. J has a job lined up, but it doesn''t start until the end of October, which kinda sucks but is better than nothing!

And no, alas, we have not been ring shopping yet. We haven''t been able to save up any money, and definitely won''t be able to start until J starts working. Even after we can start saving, we might not get a ring for a while, what with all the crazy stuff going on financially in the world now... We shall have to see how things go.

Thank you!

I''m glad you like your job! Well, at least J starts work soon! It''ll be nice having two incomes, definitely. Just take your time, it''ll work out. Look for sales around Christmas!

I think that''s when we''re going to get the wedding bands. Sigh. I am a bit worried about affording the honeymoon now. All of this money stuff makes me nervous!

You need to come around more often, miss your cheerfulness.

 

[gwendolyn]

Awww, you are so sweet, Sarah--thank you!

And Christmas sales--hmmm, hadn''t thought of those...

Guess what? The most random thing happened--last night, a good friend of mine from the US said she''d be in London TODAY!!! So after work, we are heading into the city to meet up with her (before catching a train up north to spend the weekend with J''s family for his birthday tomorrow)!!!! So exciting!!!!!!!

 

[FrekeChild]

Hi Gwen!

Made any lovely desserts lately?

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 10/3/2008 2:58:47 AM
Author: FrekeChild
Hi Gwen!

Made any lovely desserts lately?

Hey, babe, good to hear from you!! I''ve missed you!

No baking or any real cooking for me recently, I''m afraid. We were holding out until I got paid at the end of last month before we could afford any real ingredients for things, and then since then I''ve been sick and James has been doing all the cooking. Am home from work today to try to sleep off the last of this nasty bug, but I promise to make him the gorgeously sinful Nutella cake when I am well again--he can have the birthday that never ends!

 

[coatimundi_org]

Congratulations on passing your thesis dear KGwen!!

Want to hear more about what you want to do with your flat!!

 

[Harriet]

Are you back from Yorkshire?

 

[FrekeChild]

WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Gwennie how are you dooooing?

 

[ladypirate]

Gwen, where are you? Please come back and check in!

 

[FrekeChild]

Gwen, love, I miss you.

How are things?

 

[gwendolyn]

Oh my goodness, ladies, I am so very sorry! I only just now saw that there have been posts to this thread since I last commented. Ooops. Where''s the blushing emotie when I need it?

I''ve been a bit out of touch lately because, for the past month or so, I''ve been rather ill again. Really bad cough, trouble breathing, achy chest, sore throat, earache, headache--been on two rounds of antibiotics and it''s still lingering. I last saw the doc on Thursday and he gave me a new inhaler to help me breathe (because sometimes the coughing is so much it closes off my airways and literally no air can get in for longer than is comfortable). It''s helped a bit but the coughing is still present. Have to go back next Monday (the 9th) for a follow-up and another inhaler if things haven''t improved by then.

Other than that, I have to report that (as of last weekend) I am officially graduated from Cambridge University!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

I graduated in absentia because we didn''t have the money for all the travel/uniform needed to do the ceremony, and since it would''ve just been James attending and since I haven''t been well, I decided it would make more sense to skip the ceremony and just have them mail me my degree. I ended up feeling a bit bummed because no one did anything to celebrate--no card, no phone call, no nothing--and it was such a difficult year for me that it''s almost like it passed without anyone else noticing, like it didn''t happen sort of? Plus my parents were originally going to fly out to go with me, but then due to the economy they couldn''t. Which I totally understand, but they didn''t even call to say congrats...and James, who heard more about my stress last year than anyone, also forgot...so I was a bit down. I''m over it now, but if any of you could be a bit excited for me, that''d be great.

Ok lemme see....

Oh dear, Coati, I am only about 5 months behind answering your post, BUT I am VERY excited that James'' and my flat is actually looking like a home now!! We don''t have all the finishing touches that I''d like to have, but it''s definitely feeling MUCH more like a home--and a friend of mine came over the other week and said she thought it looked like we''d been living here for years! So that made me feel pretty good. There are some things in a few stores and this one artsy woman''s catalog that I would LOVE to get at some point, but it''ll have to wait until we''ve got a bit more moolah to play with. But for now, I''m diggin'' it.

Harriet my sweet, yes, er, I am back from Yorkshire.

We had a mostly nice break up at James'' parents house--one of his sisters has been going through a rough time in her marriage so she needed to talk a lot about that, but besides that we had an absolutely lovely trip. Not sure when we''ll be going back up, since we''ve got a trip to the US planned for next month, for the first half of April, both James and I (WOOHOO!!!). Am very very excited about that. How have you been, m''dear?

Freke honey, hi!!!!!!! How is everything going with you? Have you decided whether or not you''re going to get married in Vegas? I saw your wedding shoes and absolutely ADORE what you did with them--so much so that the naughty side of my brain is contemplating the same thing when it''s my turn...

Sarah sweetie, how are you doing? Have you heard back about your law school applications? How much longer do you have until your wedding? Any planning left to do?

ladyp, hi darlin''!! Sorry to leave you all hangin'' for so long--am doing ok! How are things with you? How are you settling in to your new home? Liking your job and everything? How is Kris? Any idea when you guys will be getting engaged?

Ok, think that''s me all caught up....if I forgot anything major, I''ll add it on when my old brain remembers... And thanks for not forgetting about me!

 

[gwendolyn]

OH. Forgot one fairly major thing--you know how for ages now (close to two years), James has been ready to get married but I haven''t? I''ve wanted us to live together in the ''real'' world (as opposed to the visits we had when we were long-distance). Well, we''ve lived together for six months now and the tiny little doubts that I had are gone and I am fully ready to get engaged/married now.

We''ve talked about it a bit and our money is VERY tight at the moment (our electric bill for this winter was AWFUL and we just bought two tickets to the US) so we''ve been weighing the options of saving up for the ring I would like (MWM Torchiere with a good quality diamond) which would take longer than expected and would probably not have us engaged until Christmastime or so, or getting engaged much sooner using my great-grandmother''s engagement ring and then getting my ring later on (like for an anniversary or something so it''s still sentimental). He''s in the shower now so he doesn''t know this yet, but I''ve cleaned my great-grandmother''s ring, put it in a Tiff''s pouch and box and set it aside on a bookcase to give to him later, so he has the option of sooner rather than later if he wants to.

I''d be happy either way honestly, but considering he''s said a few times, "Man, I wish we were already married," he may want to move on with the engagement and not wait around to save the dough. Think I might leave it up to him!

So, yeah, that''s kind of big news. In a perfect world, we would already have the money saved up and could put the order in now for my ring to maybe be able to pick up the Torchiere from Mark while we''re in the states, but that ain''t going to happen! So, we''ll see what happens... No matter what, it''s a wonderful feeling to be sure.

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 3/1/2009 5:24:10 AM
Author: gwendolyn
OH. Forgot one fairly major thing--you know how for ages now (close to two years), James has been ready to get married but I haven''t? I''ve wanted us to live together in the ''real'' world (as opposed to the visits we had when we were long-distance). Well, we''ve lived together for six months now and the tiny little doubts that I had are gone and I am fully ready to get engaged/married now.

We''ve talked about it a bit and our money is VERY tight at the moment (our electric bill for this winter was AWFUL and we just bought two tickets to the US) so we''ve been weighing the options of saving up for the ring I would like (MWM Torchiere with a good quality diamond) which would take longer than expected and would probably not have us engaged until Christmastime or so, or getting engaged much sooner using my great-grandmother''s engagement ring and then getting my ring later on (like for an anniversary or something so it''s still sentimental). He''s in the shower now so he doesn''t know this yet, but I''ve cleaned my great-grandmother''s ring, put it in a Tiff''s pouch and box and set it aside on a bookcase to give to him later, so he has the option of sooner rather than later if he wants to.

I''d be happy either way honestly, but considering he''s said a few times, ''Man, I wish we were already married,'' he may want to move on with the engagement and not wait around to save the dough. Think I might leave it up to him!

So, yeah, that''s kind of big news. In a perfect world, we would already have the money saved up and could put the order in now for my ring to maybe be able to pick up the Torchiere from Mark while we''re in the states, but that ain''t going to happen! So, we''ll see what happens... No matter what, it''s a wonderful feeling to be sure.

GWEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!My dear this is WONDERFUL news!!!!! I am so so so so happy for you!!!! Between graduating AND being ready to get engaged, everything is just moving right along. I''m just ecstatic for you!!!!! You''re going to have to keep us updated and post as soon as it happens!!!!!

I have missed you, it seems like a whole different world over in LIW at the moment, and even though it was only a little over two months ago that I *graduated*, it feels so different.

As for wedding stuff, it''s all planned, the deposit is down, I''m wearing a silver Badgley Mischka gown that musey found for me a year ago (found it on Blue Fly last month!), I have two pairs of shoes, all kinds of accessories, an really I just have to fill out some forms, send them to Mandalay Bay and figure out where to have our reception, and then next January, we''ll get married! Yay! It''s been really stress free for the most part, although I''ve just been whiny in general lately. It''s been an icky last few months.

Oh! In other news I''m going to get my ering stone reset, and then set my other stone in my original setting. We''re going to see the jeweler tomorrow! (Unless I can convince him to go today, which is not looking likely.)

OMG, I just SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited for you!!!! (And here is a little *party in a picture* just for you and for graduating!!!!)