Journal Entries
Crabbing in Felixstowe
Posted Nov 25, 2002
Yesterday was really good. A real holiday. We arrived at our friend's house near Ipswich around 11am and had 
and homemade 
. The weather was beautiful - sunny and clear with a real photographic feel to it. Forgot my camera, though.
Then we got nets and fish-heads and went to Felixstowe. We stood on a jetty and dropped the weighted nets with the fish-heads and waited for the crabs to come for a free feed. We did really well and on occasion, we caught them three or more at a time. We caught a couple of nice big hermit crabs and a prawn. My friend said he'd never caught a prawn there previously! (yes, *I* caught it)
We went back for lunch - swordfish, chips and salad, followed by home-made raspberry tart (the raspberries were home grown as well), then we went to see the Harry Potter film, stopping to watch the boats on the river on the way. There was also a tide driven water mill, one of only three in the country, I'm told. We bought some crab and fishcakes from a wet fish stall.
Then back for more , and tart - and then home. Sprog was playing with Lego until the last and said that he felt he really had the chance to be a child there.
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Latest reply: Nov 25, 2002
Taekwando
Posted Nov 23, 2002
Little 'un started his first ever Taekwando class last Thursday. The teacher told them he was going to teach them how to do it, and manners. Manners consists of bowing when anyone wants to leave the room, enter the room or any number of other occasions.
He was a bit floppy in some of the stuff, however his concentration was good (very good for him!) and his manners were excellent. I think this will be a very good way of teaching him discipline and focus as well as him having fun. I amy join an adult starter class when they are next taking on new people. It takes place after the children's class. I'll need to be confident that he will sit quietly and watch.
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Latest reply: Nov 23, 2002
Challenging behaviour and boundary setting
Posted Nov 16, 2002
I've been tackling some behaviour from my son just recently, and of course, the behaviours have got worse. Hopefully, only until the penny drops that they aren't productive. I'm also trying to reward productive behaviours positively, so he gets good strokes from doing well and no strokes at all from behaving poorly.
I think the main cause is attention seeking. The include whining, manipulation, name-calling, sitting down and refusing to move, or lagging well behind.
When he's done something naughty and that behaviour is tackled, he gets angry at himself and then starts saying things like 'I really hate myself' and 'I shouldn't be alive' and 'I want to get run over'. All attention-seeking stuff.
I've started to tackle these by ignoring them where possible and then by removing privileges. He really doesn't like being ignored. Today, we were going to the supermarket for food and he started to whine. I gave him a couple of opportunities to stop, saying that if he didn't I would turn the car round and we would go back home. The whining continued, so I turned the car around and came home. Sulks, whines and tears, which were ignored.
I wonder how long this will take to achieve a positive result?
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Latest reply: Nov 16, 2002
Clutter clearing
Posted Nov 15, 2002
Made a big effort to start to tackle my clutter recently - Life Laundry and all that. I think I need a plan. My living room and bedroom look much better now, although there is still stuff to do even there. Tapes and books in the bedroom and the remaining papers in the living room.
Next stop, I think after that will be clothes, followed by toys, then books and photographs.
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Latest reply: Nov 15, 2002
Sudden death
Posted Oct 30, 2002
Went to my t'ai chi class yesterday evening. Hadn't been for a few months because of childcare issues. No-one was there. I rang my teacher when I got home. Devastating news. His only daughter had suddenly died of cancer the day before my father collapsed. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer a few weeks earlier and the speed of it had been frightening.
On top of that, my teacher also found he had cancer and has had an operation. He and his wife sound chopped off at the knees.
His wife and daughter used to look after my son while I did t'ai chi at one point, before circumstances meant they couldn't, and I've known them for many years.
What do you say to somone in those circumstances? I said I would pray for them. I will also help rebuild the classes if he decides to continue with them later.
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Latest reply: Oct 30, 2002
Zarquon's Singing Fish!
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