I've been scrapping

Yep,made time to scrap,I had to or I think I would have given it all up for good!!
Took me ages to start though,think I had forgotten how to do it!

We are looking for flights to Beirut and thinking of going during the Christmas holidays. We would catch 3 celebrations then - Christmas, Eid and New Years.I have never been there for Eid before so that will be fantastic,we should feel a festive atmosphere which we never quite get here! I am interested to see what the weather will be like in December,we have only ever been in the height of summer. There is no way it can be colder than here but it will be strange to wear a coat in Lebanon,we are just so used to being mega hot when we are there.I wonder if we will need a heater for the flat?

There are some good people out there you know,I have been thinking about this a lot andthe support I got (or didn't) during the war. I got more support/thoughts from my online friends than I did from my own family. I don't know if thats because they didn't know how to react or because they really didn't care,I don't know. But,it doesn't take long to say "hope you are OK" etc and these messages I got from the Padders and from UKS kept me going when all I wanted to do was hide away.I had some surprising messages and one lovely lady said her son wanted to send us a package of goodies for a child who needed it in Lebanon. We received this parcel and it was lovely,fullof sweets, small games, a toothbrush and toothpaste,soap,pencils etc. It was very thoughtful and we will make sure that it goes to a child who needs it when we get to Lebanon.

It send me thinking though,I would love to collect shoe boxes full of things which a child would appreciate from UK children and take them over there and distribute them to needy children. I just have no idea how to go about it. If anyone has any knowledgs of this I would love you to tell me.

Big school for Layla!

It's Layla's first day at Secondary School and doesn't she look smart?
She is going to the same school I went to which is a bit wierd as someof the teachers are still there.I also know her form tutor which Layla is gutted about! We were both at college together when I did a TEFL course.

Ali is starting in Year 9 tomorrow. They will be at the same school again which is reassuring, just hope it is better than the last excuse for a school Ali went to!

Got a parcel today, I bought some American food from ebay to try.Layla and I have a slight obsession with cupcakes at the moment!! I wanted to try a cake mix which the Americans bang on about so got a Betty Crocker French Vanilla mix with pudding in the mix (makes it moist dontcha know!) and a WHITE cake mix,it is actually white not yellow.Then I got a tub of cream cheese frosting and a box of Kraft Mac Cheese.Now I have never tried the mac cheese but I have hear people talk about it lots,hope its not mingin!!

Couldn't believe the news yesterday that Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray barb. Very sad.

My Lumpy Bumpy Layla

After a nice break away it makes sense in his bloody awful life I seem to lead now that we have another problem,doesn't it. It seems to be any time I enjoy myself some other shit has to come along to cancel the good out.

Me and Layla were visiting an old couple across the road 2 nights ago when I looked at Layla and noticed a large lump on her neck, where an adams apple would be, it doesn't hurt her and she just thought it was normal!

I took her to the doctors yesterday who said it is her thyroid gland,it could be due to puberty or some other abnormality,told me not to worry as it is 99.9% curable. Then sent us to the hospital for a blood test. Now we are waitingto hear and guess how worried I am :(

I am trying so hard not to google "thyroid in children" as I will only freak out more, but if anyone knows anything about it please let me know.