November 2009

Icing Biscuits for Therapy

November 13, 2009 · 0 comments

Smilie Biscuit

There are so many language goals you can target by simply playing with milk arrowroots, icing, food colours and some lollies. I tend to have the kids requesting the items them want into order to make the iced biscuits of their dreams. Practising question forms, descriptions, listening skills, clear speech, and sequencing (you know, so they actually ice the biscuit before they try sticking lollies on). Then there’s describing to their parents what to put on their biscuit.

Then there’s the one where the therapist pre-prepares the biscuits and we run the “canteen” in the group session. The kids have to buy the biscuits, but they have to describe them pretty thoroughly in order to get the biscuit they actually wanted. Cupcakes work well too, depending on how motivated you are!

Of course, there’s always the checking for allergies and other food issues, but most kids are allowed one treat from the speech canteen :)

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(Blatantly stolen from comment #31)

1) Being gay is not natural
- And real people always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, hearing aids, polyester, and air conditioning, tattoos, piercings and silicon breasts

2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay
- In the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall, or hanging around black people will make you black.

3) Legalising gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behaviour.
- People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract. Lamps are next. Who knows, Mormons might want to have multiple spouses. What’s that? They already do?

4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn’ t changed at all
- Hence why women are still property, blacks still can’ t marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed
- And we can’t let the sanctity of Britney Spears’ 55- hour just- for- fun marriage be destroyed

6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children
- So therefore, gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn’t be allowed to marry because our population isn’t out of control, our orphanages aren’t full yet, and the world needs more children.

7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children,
- Since, of course, straight parents only raise straight children.

8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion.
- In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in Australia.
(Did I miss the lesson where Jesus says He hates gays? )

9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home.
- Which is exactly why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms .
- Just like we haven ‘t adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, multiculturalism, social welfare or longer life spans.

The ACT passed its civil unions legislation again, which will probably be struck down by the feds. Again. And we’ll pass it similarly again. And you know we’ll keep it up. Gotta keep fighting.

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Okay, just a plug.

Remember the Chupa Chups contest I entered? Well, the voting is open now over at facebook…

Go vote now. Please?

In syd

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Blooming

November 11, 2009 · 0 comments

In Bloom

My tomato seedlings have their first flower! You never know, I may actually get fruit! :)

And a lil baby spider:

Baby Spider

Yay for Spring!

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Chrifsmas is Coming!

November 11, 2009 · 0 comments

Flying Spaghetti Monster Decorations

Ready and waiting to go on my tree come December 1. *grins* I have a long way to go until my decorations are as cool as some of these!

(buy these same cute Flying Spaghetti Monsters for your tree from Ring of Fire)

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Inked

November 10, 2009 · 0 comments

Teaching position concepts this afternoon, by standing with stamps and ink pads one large sheets of butchers paper.

Me, the kids, and the parents wound up rather inky.

Oh dear. Let’s hope they learned something!

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Summer's Creeping Up

November 9, 2009 · 0 comments

I do believe my arms are slightly pinker than usual, and my spots (freckly spots!) are coming out, so summer must be here!

Spotty!

Look at the freckles! (ignore the look on my face, and the shiny head. But the freckles! No idea how freckly I’ll be by the time summer is actually here!)

Summer means wearing summer frocks, drinking lots of water so I don’t fall down, and sunshine :)

It also means getting back into gear and running again, yes I’ve been slack this winter… did my first loop of the lake (5km) in a *ahem* slow 35:03… this included a few walking spots, including one because I think I lost my right foot on the Commonwealth Ave bridge. It just went numb, and wasn’t there anymore. Found it and ran to the end… *dies*

I want to get that time back under 32 minutes by the end of the month – really that just means finishing without stopping. I’ve been promised a dinner out if I can do under 32 twice in a rom (since I’ll be away at the very end of the month, I’ll let myself the weekend at the start of Dec to get there…)

Almost beach time! (Oh I love Beach Therapy… fixes all the woes of the world)

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Tiniest cats ever

Sent in a parcel from Rish’s parents “just because”, these little guys are about as tall as my pinky fingernail is long. I’m thinking they will need to be blu-taked down in order to not get lost… they must be very lucky!

They made me smile (and squeal a lil)

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As I head into a weekend of writing my final essay for my Managing Complex Behaviour subject for this semester, I have a little light to look forward to – hitting Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road for a week at the end of it all.

Holden Astra

The car has been hired, but still planning what to do and where to go in Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road in the time….

Any suggestions, my dear stalkers?

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So, in Canberra, in order to give us Melbourne cup day off, they concocted some sort of family day where we’re either meant to be getting drunk at the races or sitting in the park with babies.

I nearly got all community on you – I bought a Lion’s Club sasage sizzle in Glebe park… then promptly exited before I got caught up in all the “family” excitment going on.

Sanga

I made it to the gym – sweated sooo much. Going to start running around Lake Burlery Griffin again. Warmed up with a 15 min and a 10 min jog in my cardio today. Helped get that sausage in all its fatty goodness burned off!

What did you get up to for Melbourne Cup day?

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Finishing Touches

November 3, 2009 · 0 comments

Finally got around to doing my tax yesterday – after hitting the shops and buying three pairs of summer sandals and thinking I needed to pay for them somehow!

Bag from Jen @ RedInstead.com.au

I also got a cute little parcel from Jen @ Red Instead

Bag from Jen @ RedInstead.com.au

Looking forward to the Christmas Handmade Markets on Nov 21 (yes, Jen’s stall will be there, I believe!)… will get all my Xmas shopping done there – though I might not have the car that day, we’ll see if I’m up for the 6km walk (take a backpack!)

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After the relatively disappointing visit to Sydney two months ago, Halloween weekend was the chance for everyone to make it up to us.

Starting with the Diamant Hotel, Sydney

Diamant Hotel Sydney
Wine and chocolates on arrival… Rish tells me the Lindt chocolates were yum. They smelled great!

The room this time around was free, with the wine, parking, and then a bottle of diet coke from the minibar thrown in to make up the difference…

Diamant Hotel Sydney
I love how comfortable the beds are! One day, I’m going to have to stay there for a reason that means I sleep in it for more than 4 hours! *bliss*

Diamant Hotel Sydney
The balcony courtyard rooms are on the 2nd floor, we were the second one from the left of the building, side onto Kings Cross Road.

Diamant Hotel Sydney
The promised courtyard.

Diamant Hotel Sydney
The view from the balcony. Hello, georgeous Sydney day!

Sushi!Sushi!
Sushi from somwhere along South Dowling St. Don’t remember the name, but it was delicious, on the Eastern side of the street, and very close to William St.

Great to have an excellent stay the second time around :) Will definitely think of staying at the Diamant another time, if I’m dacing away in the Cross :p Or we want the most comfortable beds in the world.

November 033
Perfect place for the sunset.

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