struggling with special needs children

[Matchy69]

Does anyone else have children with special needs.I am struggling with mine.My youngest cant use a toilet when their at the age they should be.I am getting tired of changing them,does that make me a bad parent?The constant hyperepisodes are taking their strain especially that i am going through other personal stuff in my life

[Matchy69]

My daughter said yesterday they had plenty of cats but not many kittens as well as heaps of dogs.She said they had one smaller with funny ears.Hopefully they get adopted before Christmas as they will have another influx after.They also get the uncollected animals from the pound.

[Hanna3]

Hi Mark

Another baking hot day here today.  I won't look for a rescue dog until next year -I am possibly thinking of another move and will see what happens with that - and pre-Christmas is not a good time to get a new pet, the vets close or charge extra over the Christmas period and it's hot and tiring.  It will be easier when the weather cools a bit at the end of summer.  I sure wish I had aircon in at least one room here!

What do your kids like to do in the summer holidays Mark - and do they get excited about Christmas?  I'm just going to have a quiet summer and try to save some money for next year - anyway it's hot everywhere and soon we will be busy with touriest everywhere here!  I have been organising the home to get it more streamlined and clutter free today and now I'm going to stop and have a rest and some dinner - I watched a documentary by Brian Cox the other night on the universe - I can't take it in, it's all too amazing - I like him, he is so interested and enthusiastic about everything!  So I will chill out this evening with a movie or something.  Don't know if I mentioned I ordered Easy Rider from ebay!

[Matchy69]

Hi Hanna I thought they were getting a lot of animals coming in at the rspca at the moment.They do sell them for a discounted prices after christmas.I am sure you will find the perfect dog for you when you are ready.

My son is excited about Christmas and I am going into the big town tomorrow to take him to see Santa.My daughter is older and not that excited these days.

I hope you enjoy Easy Rider a real cult classic.Another motorcycle movie I like is The Motorcycle diaries and is in Spanish and has subtitles and set in 1952 and is based on a true story about a couple of friends who travel across south America on a 1939 Norton.

We had a storm before with some nice rain after a stinking hot day.

[Matchy69]

The first line was suppose to read I thought it was interesting that they were getting a lot of animals in at the rspca at the moment.Its hard to type when I am getting interrupted by my son.One more week and he is finished primary school.

[Matchy69]

I took my son into the big town and he saw Santa.I am so worn out now.It was so busy on the roads and in the shopping centre.A hot day to after a storm last night.

[Hanna3]

Hi Mark

How did you son like Santa Claus?  Does your son tell him what he wants for Christmas?  I often think Santas must have an answer ready for some difficult questions - the things kids must say to them! 

It seems a strange time to hand dogs into the RSPCA - I wonder if that's because people want to go away on holidays and don't want to pay to have their dogs at a kennel - it is expensive.  Does your daughter know why people hand them in?  Poor dogs!  I feel sad for unwanted pets.  Poor things - when I volunteered long ago as a walker for the RSPCA I felt so sorry for the dogs people dropped off - when they saw their owners drive away the poor dogs were beside themselves.

I watched a funny video today, it was a couple of years ago at Chester Zoo in the UK.  One of the orangutans escapaed the enclosure with her two babies.  She had a good wander around and got to a floor near the ceiling where staff kept all their covid gear.  She sat down and proceeded to have a great time, pouring the hand sanitiitizer bottles empty, trying to put on the blue gloves - she emptied box after box of them - and she tried to put on the face masks but didn't quite manage to get them over her ears. After she'd had fun she took her kids and wandered back to her enclosure.  It's a video of Orangutans escape at Chester Zoo. I enjoyed seeing her have so much fun  - although it was very dangerous having her loose of course.  The zoo staff watched it all on the CCTV which is why we have the video of it.  I guess she enjoyed her outing that day!

It's very hot and muggy and I have a housing inspection so I've been makiing my home neat and tidy.

I have seen the Motorcycle Diaries long ago but must watch it again.  I haven't seen Easy Rider so hope it gets here before Christmas and I will enjoy it, I know it's a famous movie.  

I was going to go to the big town and get some photos of Sam developed, but my neighbours warned me how busy the parking is and I decided to delay until after Christmas - it's too hot to have to drive around looking for a parking spot and then wander around shops!

I hope you have a restful evening Mark, it sounds like you've been busy today!  Sorry I'm so late responding to you. 

[Matchy69]

Hi Hanna yes people going on holidays and people moving this time of year and people buying new pets for Christmas drop off their old ones at the rspca.It is very sad.

My son enjoyed seeing Santa and had typed up a letter for Santa and gave it to him.I had to prebook and order a photo and only got the cheapest package.They must make a lot of money out of Santa photos.They are practically booked out now.

I will be interested on your views of Easy Rider when you get to watch it.I might watch it again tomorrow night myself,I am to tired to watch anything tonight.I might even watch the wild to,I like thebold bikes in that.

I don't blame you staying home if you can.The traffic was bad here today in town and the parking in the shopping centre was really  full.

Looks like some days of hot weather here forecast so I might not be doing to much.My sons end of year concert is Monday and the final day of primary is Friday with final send off for the year 6 students.

[Hanna3]

Hi Mark

So people are already dropping their unwanted pets off at the RSPCA - that is so sad.   I can't understand people - when I was a kid growing up my parents told my brothers and me that when you get a pet you take on responsibility for that animal's care.  The staff at the RSPCA must see the worst in people!  I wonder what your daughter thinks of them.

Your son has a busy social calendar!  Yep the Santa photos are a rort, we didn't have those when I was a kid and didn't need them!

Easy Rider is still on its way to me - the pre-Christmas rush must be on at Ebay and at the post offices! I liked the look of it from the trailers.  

I volunteer with a couple of animal welfare organizations and one of the things I do is look for any animal abuse on utube - unfortunately the amount of it is just terrible and it's very hard to get utube to remove it.  I have just succeeded in having two videos removed completely for animal cruelty and one made restricted, which means you have to be over a certain age to view it.  A tiny victory for me but I am glad utube is starting to take notice.  

It's very hot here Mark and will be all week I think - I did too much the other day and felt quite faint, so I will be more careful today!

[Matchy69]

Yes Hanna a big intake at the moment at the rspca.Before it was very quiet with not many drops off.Goes in waves.An interesting thing is a lot of the volunteers have a disability and love working there.Giving them something worthwhile to do.

I put up a shed today yo store motorbike parts in.It was so hot even started early.Fhe forecast is the same for the next week or so and hot my daughter to give me a hand.

Their was a family all dressed the same for their Santa photo.They do ones with pets as well.I know my daughter gets her two dogs in the photos.People just go overboard today.I remember sitting on Santa's lap and telling him what I wanted for Christmas and getting a bag toy soldiers or something and definitely  no photos in those days.The photographers have found a really good money making opertunity today.

[Hanna3]

Hi Mark,

I feel sorry for the pets people drop off because they're unwanted over Christmas.  

I'm not surprised the RSPCA employees people with a disability - they need the work and experience and make such good employees especially with animals I think - animals are easier to deal with than humans - animals don't gossip or form nasty cliques or bully - animals are simple - if you treat them with kindness they will respond. Treat them unkindly and they will not like you.  I have an elderly farmer friend where I lived - he is 82 and amazingly fit and active, he farmed sheep for wool all his life and I thought he'd be tough about animals - but he's the opposiite, a real nice guy, and he says all animals respond to kindness.  He still adores his two retired old working dogs.

I agree about the Santa photos but people seem to like them.

It's cooler today and windy and I am going out to a cafe for a while - it's a bit of relief from the humid weather we've been having!