Well, this is just a test to see if this new, awesome client works and will update my lj. If it does, then it will be soooo coool and awesome. A big thanks to Lulu for sharing it with me. I'm happy! hehehehe

Well, I'd just like to say to my awesomest and latest additions to my lj, welcome. I know I haven't written in lots of years, lol, but I am going to make a big effort to write more. I like writing and sharing what goes on in my lovely life. Stay tuned. Updates on Hannah and my latest indevers.

Someone remind me again why I wanted a puppy. Well I didn’t really want a puppy. I wanted a dog that was already house trained. Lol, but seriously, I’ve about had it. I just got done cleaning up pee. Luckily it was in his crate. See, we keep him in a crate so he won’t go peepee wherever he feels like. Crate training is supposed to teach him to go outside and not in his sleeping area. ~Well, it doesn’t work very well with this dog. He is getting better but he seems to have stepped back a few steps in his house training. Help! Lol
On top of that, I’m trying to potty train Hannah. That will take some time though and she will do it when she’s ready, not at some magical number that people have preconceived that kids should be potty trained at.
Anyway, we’ve just taken out the trash. It’s so nice outside. The air is cool and still. I’m seriously considering buying a tent so we can sleep outside. It’s so darn hot upstairs in our room at night. Who’s bright idea was it not to put air conditioning in all the houses. They sure do have enough heating though. Heating is everywhere. So people would rather be warm in the winter but not cool in the summer? Being too hot in the summer is just as dangerous, if not more so than being too cold in the winter. Trust me, I’m from Texas where it can be 100 degrese daily. Heat can kill, and quickly. I want air conditioning. If we didn’t have heating in this house, the land lord would probably put it in without a fight. But try to get air conditioning put in and they think it’s a luxury and would laugh at you. I don’t think so. I can’t sleep when it’s too hot and I can’t do anything about being too hot. If I was too cold, all I would have to do was throw on more blankets. Most people are such wimps. Makes no sence.
Anyway, I digress. Wish it was like this evening all day. Hannah is in bed so I have another one of those rare times for me.
I’m still on skype with my parents. It’s nice having them around. We can talk as we all go about our ways around the house.
I’m probably going to take a shower soon and get things ready for tomorrow. We’re going to a farm to have some fun and show and teach Hannah about all the animals that live on the farm, and some that don’t. She loves animals so she will really enjoy our farm adventure.
Oh yeah, change of subject….
I sent a box over to the states this past Thursday afternoon. How long do you think it took for it to get there? Only two days. That’s right, two days. That’s incredible. You can bearly send a package in two days in this country. And it was very cheep, 27 pounds. Cool!
Now I’m on vt. My parents have gone to my old house to finish fixing it up because they have moved into a bigger, better one and they are celling the old one. Anyone wanna buy it? They are asking 169,999 dollars. Oh man, I told my dad to give it to me and I’d move back to the states tomorrow. Hahaha
So, that’s enough now. Going to do something else.
Laters

I’ve just opened up Microsoft word and have decided to just start writing to see what results from my random thoughts. I really love to write and share with folks what goes on in my life but with having a two and a half year old daughter, running a house and family, studying for my business course, and doing many other important jobs, it’s extremely rare to find a quiet moment to myself to just sit and do what I want to do. Those days of just sitting, doing what I please, lazing around are long gone. I’m so glad that those times are gone however because I have my own house, wonderful husband, adorible, special, beautiful daughter, and my own life that I don’t miss those times at all.
Anyway, James is out getting his new glasses and I’m on skype with my mom. Hannah is in her room chattering to herself. She’s just waking up from her nap. That is why I have a few rare minutes to myself but they won’t last long. I’m going upstairs now to get her from her room and we will play. I’d just like to say that Hannah talks enough for the entire UK as well as the US. It’s constant talk, talk, talk, talk. It’s very intelligent speech though for a two and a half year old. She speaks like a four year old. She asks a million questions a day and is very observant. My dad said I was like that when I was Hannah’s age.
Ok, since that last sentence, I was totally distracted. Hannah came downstairs and I tried to get her to go peepee on the potty. She said she didn’t want to and that she wanted to get off. Then James came home from getting his new glasses. He said they screwed up yet again. They are so imcompatent. This has been the third time I think to not get his glasses right. Silly heads!
Who cares about the glasses though. Hehehehe, He came home with presents! He brought a new frying pan I wanted, two sets of silverware, two trays for our brand new outdoor table, and best of all, a new swimming pool!!!! I’m sooo happy. And no, this time we won’t fill it up in the livingroom like we did the previous pool. Hahahahaha
Hurray! We’ll probably set it up Thursday since we already have plans for tomorrow, and swim all day! I’m so glad to finally get to teach Hannah to swim.
Earlier today we bought a brand new, solid iron, table and four chairs. I’m so excited for that too. Now we can eat and work on the computer outside. Yes! The yard is great! And the gate to keep Spike’s poopoos under control is done too. James and his uncle built and put it up from scratch and it’s fabulous! Bring on the summer!!
Insert another long pause….
We just had dinner of lovely homemade pizza. Mmmm Now we’re going outside to enjoy the yard and put another bolt on the gate. Watching tv later and probably going to study business, or chat on vt, or just do whatever.
laters

Just a quick one to say that my family has created a channel on youtube so we can upload all the cool and silly videos of us. It's also to keep everyone in touch with my baby girl, Hannah. You should check it out and add it to your favorites. lol
The link is
www.youtube.com/jgrunshaw

laters,

Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids?! Have you ever kissed someone? Missed someone? Told someone you loved them? Drank alcohol? 49 questions for the people who are a little older...


What bill do you hate paying the most?
BT phone bill, or sky tv. The people who work for them are so incompetent.

What do you really want to be doing right now?
Playing carnival on the WII.

How many colleges did you attend?
two universities, University of Texas at El Paso, and Sam Houston State University.

Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
I just grabbed it out of the basket. It’s a geek squad shirt my mom sent me.

First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
Which one. The first one was the dog wanting to be let out. The second one was Hannah yelling and playing in her room. I wanted to stay in bed both times. I do what I have to do though.

Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Something of a sexual nature. Hahahaha, and telling my husband I love him. And then about all the stuff I had to do today.

Do you miss being a child?
Yes. I miss not having to really worry about things like bills, having enough money, stuff like that. I just miss not having a care in the world really. I miss my parents taking care of me.

What errand/chore do you despise?
I don’t really despise any. Doing chores is a little unpleasant but I don’t really mind doing them. I love the results after doing the chores so that helps me not mind doing the actual chore too much. I guess my least favourite is the dishes.

Have you found real love yet?
I sure have. My husband, James.

Favorite lunch meat?
hotdogs

What do you get every time you go intoAsda?
Oh gosh. I go in Asda at least twice a week. Lol I probably get some sort of drink like coke, juice, or milk every time.

Beach or lake?
lake, I love to water ski and swim in the lake, and most lakes aren’t salty.

Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
absolutely not. Although I think too many people rush into marriage which leads to a lot of divorces. Marriage is something you need to be sure of before actually going through with it.

Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?
neither, much rather watch ER. Lol

What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
the entire cast from ER, president Obama, and lots of fiddle players to name a few.

Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
I’ve flipped over the handlebars of my bike and fell on my roler blades hundreds of times.

Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
nope

Ring tone?
I’m yours by Jason someone.

Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
camping in the woods, in the kitchen, sitting on the toilet.

Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
LA

Do you go to church?
I use to all the time. I haven’t found one here in the UK yet so I go to my own church.

At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Career, I’m in the process of doing that.

How old are you?
27

Do you have a go to person?
yes, my husband and daughter

Are you where you want to be in life?
almost, I’d like a few more kids, to move into a big house with lots of land, and have a well paying job. I’d also like to move back the the states.

Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?
Muppet babies, chipmunks, my little pony, carebears, etc.

What about you do you think has changed the most?
my tolerance for inconsiderate and rigid people. I’ve been too nice for too long and I’m tired of it.

Looking back at secondary school were they the best years of your life?
no way. Kind of boring.

Are there times you still feel like a kid?
All the time. I have a very young heart and it helps that I have a two and a half year old daughter.

Did you ever own troll dolls?
Yeah, I won them a lot as prises. Strange things.

Did you have a pager?
No

Where was the hang out spot when you were a teenager?
pretty much everywhere.

Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?
Yes, I was very sensitive to other’s feelings and I got along with everyone unless you really pushed me too far. Then they were so sorry because I’m not one to mess with.

Who do you think impacted your life the most?
My parents. They helped me to develop and use the most out of the vision I have. They also brought me up very well.

Was there a teacher or authority figure that stood out for you?
A lot of my elementary teachers.

Do you tell stories that start with ?when I was your age??
no

Just wanted to put in here that on Dec. 9, my baby girl, Hannah turned two. She is such a sweet, cute, adorible little girl! We had a nice party for her with friends. Her presents consisted of an electronic keyboard with microphone, some igglepiggle pajamas and shirt, some stockings and another shirt, about ten books, lol, a huge stuffed bear, two coloring books, three boxes of crayons, and a lovely baby doll with blanket. She loved them all.
I can't believe she's two already! She is so smart. She know just about every animal and the sounds they make. She can recognize the letters A, B, C, D, and O. hahahaha She loves picking them out on signs, cars, everywhere we go. She also understands and follows everything you tell her. She weighs about 32 pounds and everyone thinks she is at least three years old. Her looks, smarts, and maturity make her seem lots older than she is.
She's the best little girl ever.
So, happy birthday my sweet precious Hannah. I love you so very much!

Well, this letter explains it all. We wrote this letter to Blackpool transport and the paper.

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to make a formal complaint regarding the level of treatment my family and I received while trying to make a journey on the tram from Clevleys Beach Road to Fleetwood Preston Street at 9:30pm on Wednesday 3rd December 2008. I would also like to make it clear at this point that myself, and my wife are registered blind and have a 2 year old daughter, I would also like to make clear that I have forwarded a copy of this letter on to Fleetwood Gazette.

On Wednesday 3rd December 2008, myself, my wife and our 2 year old daughter had been visiting a friend in Cleveleys (Derby Road). At around 9:15pm, we headed up Beach Road to wait for a tram at the Beach Road stop to get back to Fleetwood. I myself am a Nowcard holder, and so travel free, my wife does not have hers at present. When the tram came, we got on and asked for our tickets. The driver asked for £1.60 for the journey. We counted out our change and found we were 8p short, so gave him £1.52. At this point, some of our change fell on the floor. We pointed out we could not see it and asked for help. The driver did not help us and instead, pointed out that we were now 39p short. I tried to find the change on the floor whilst my wife took care of our daughter, but I could not find it. Once again, I asked for assistance and was ignored. The driver said he could not take us for being 8p short – at which point a passenger rudely remarked, “Some of us would like to get home…”. The tram driver asked us to leave the tram and refused to give any of us a ticket. I tried once more to explain that we could not see but he interrupted us and asked us to leave. We had no choice to get off the tram as it sounded like he was closing the doors, which we were in the way of. We stepped quickly off the tram, leaving some of our money on the floor. As it drove off, we were left in the cold and dark with no money. We were forced to walk back down an icy Beach Road back to our friend's house. By this time, it was nearly 9:45pm and our friends had gone to bed. We had to wake them up in order to get some change to take the bus home – we did not want to risk the tram again. I would like to point out at this time that our friends are also registered blind and have a blind 7 year old daughter. By this point, our daughter was getting distressed and upset. We found out that the next bus home was at 10:35pm, the number 84 Stagecoach. We borrowed some money from our friends and waited in the cold at Cleveleys bus station. When the 84 came, we explained about the situation that had jjust taken place on the tram to the driver, who very kindly let us all travel for free. I would like to extend my gratitude for Geoff, the driver of the 10:35pm number 84 to Fleetwood. It was while we were on the bus that Geoff explained to us that the tram driver should have taken our address details, and could have even taken the number of my Nowcard, to issue us with an unpaid fair notice, something I would have welcomed. When we finally got home, it was 11:00pm and our daughter was very distressed and tired. It took a lot to calm her down. It is virtually impossible to explain this situation to a 2 year old.

I would just like to say that I am very disappointed in the transport system and a lot of its drivers. It is not the first time that we have felt mistreated, but it is the first time that we have potentially been put at unnecessary risk.

I look forward to your timely response in an appropriate manner

Yours Sincerely.
So, tomorrow a photographer from the newspaper is coming to take our picture and do a story on the incident.
We hope we get the message out to have public transport drivers recieve better training on disabilities and politeness. lol

Here is a link to some videos we took doing different things. There is a combo box where you can select which video to watch.
enjoy,
www.grunshaw.net/video/

Well, I just love this weather. Tons of wind and pouring rain for over a long period of time. Only problem with it is that Waggle really can't go outside and swing or go to the beach so she gets bored and irritable with having to stay inside. We find things to do though and have fun dancing, singing, playing with toys, and creating things.
Today was just one of those days where yo ujust want to stay curled up in bed and having comfort in knowing the rain and wind is outside and you are inside nice and snuggly. We did manage to go outside on a short walk, or should I say flight from the high winds. It was refreshing and helpful.
Haven't done much else today accept for talk on skype and play with toys. lol I need to get started on something but am putting it off for reasons of feeling overwhelmed. lol. It's fun though and I'll be better once I've started.
Aww, Waggle has just handed me a car and said, "car." Think I've decided to devote my next entry entirely on updating you on how Waggle is doing developmentally wise.
So I'll go now and continue to listen to music, play with Waggle and just do whatever.
Laters,

Just a little thing to say that my LJ has a new look. I got tired of the old look and it was boring. I changed the theme and stuff and the size of the text.
Also, we all had fun earlier trying out some new 600 wot speakers. Wow, think we made the neighbors mad. lol It was lots of fun blasting the music so loud and Waggle and I dancing.
Speaking of neighbors, I think someone has finally moved into the house next door to ours. It has been empty ever since we've lived here which has beena year. We did have to painfully endure about 3 months of people totally redoing the house, I mean practically gutting it. I think they should have added insilation. lol, You can hear almost everything from next door.
Well, I'll come back maybe in a few minutes to finish writing. Waggle is pulling my hand and saying, "come on." She wants to take me somewhere. Think it's her bed time. So, I'll go brush her teeth and put her to bed. Then I'll be back.

Well, this isn't the entry I referred to in the previous one but I wanted to put it in here.
The three of us were playing on the floor with big building blocks. Waggle was chattering away. In fact, we were all being quite loud. We had the music on in the background. A song came on and James said, "oh, I like this song." He cranked up the volume and we started jamming. We jammed all of three seconds because all of a sudden, the music went off with a bang and the lights all went out in a flash. We all just froze for about five seconds. Then I said casually, "I think we're out of electricity." hahahaha I didn't know the house could get that dark. It was a little unerving and spooky. James went down in the dongoun of our basement and got the electric card and the flashlight. Just having that little bit a light made a big difference in the mood. I put Waggle's shoes on and then my own. We all went marily and loudly to Spar to put some money on the card. The walk was very nice, fun, and refreshing. We all made sure to be loud to get back at the people who come by our window at 2 in the morning drunk off their face, yelling without caring who they wake up. But that's another entry for itself. We were playing games with the flashlight, making Waggle chase it and spot lighting our butts and stuff like that. lol
We came back to the dark house and James put the card in. Then there was light, wonderful light. lol.
I'm now on skype again with my sister and James is behind me making a hurendous noise by drilling wholes in the new case he bought.
So that's that. I forgot how much fun it was writing in here. I'm sure there will be more to come.
Laters,

Well, I just got done eating a very yummy lunch. It was nachos. This is how I made them. I got plain tortilla chips and piled them on a plate. Then I sprinkled grated cheese all on them. Then I spooned spicy refried beans on top of that. Then I put salsa on top of it all. Then I put in the microwave for a minute or two. I sat down to eat it and it was sooo delicious. I can't believe I ate it all. I can honestly say I'm not hungry any more. lol.
Wow, a package just arived. It's more stock for our business we are starting up. oh yeah!
I'm currently on skype with my sister who lives in Texas. She has four kids and they make for very entertaining skype conversations. lol. The two older kids are in school for most of the day so my sister and I talk while we do work on our computers. It's so enjoyable.
I'm being asked to look so I'll be back with another very important entry you don't want to miss.
Laters,

Just dropping in quickly to give a brief update. It's been a few days of change. First off, we got a stair gate and first we put it at the bottom of the stairs. It was too wide so we had to do some adjusting to get it to fit on the second step which was a little dangerous for us trying to get down. We then put the gate on Hannah's door because of a second change. We decided to take the bars off of her bed turning it into a normal bed. I thought she was ready and needed to make the switch. A lot of people like to wait as long as possible to take the bars off because they don't want to deal with the child continuously getting out of bed and having to fight them to stay in bed. Hannah seems to adjust to change so well that I was willing to try it. There is no set age of doing this but most people wait till the child is two. Hannah is 15 months old. We went out and bought her a nice new duvet cover and inside to go on her new bed. She had been sleeping in a sleeping bag made especially for babies. I could have kept her in it but I thought it was contributing to her problem of getting stuck at the top of her bed. So I made up her nice pretty bed, without the bars and bag. A few hours before bedtime, I laid her in it and showed her how to get out by turning on her tummy and sliding off. She quickly caught on. That night, we went for it.I laid her down and snuggled her into the duvet. I expected her to get up and try to jump which she normally does before going to bed. She got up once and I just laid her back down and covered her back up. I closed the gate on her door incase she got out. My mind stayed on alert all night waiting until she either fell out or got out of bed. It never happened. She stayed in her bed without bars all night and waited for me to get her out in the morning at her usual wake up time. I was so proud of her! I couldn't believe it! She's always been a good sleeper, going in her own bed and room at 3 months old and sleeping through the night at 7 weeks old. I'm so lucky. I have the best baby ever!! She's slept fine in her bed since then and she seems to really like it! I love my wonderful special baby.
Another change was that I took down and put away her playpin. She wasn't using it much anyway and it gave us more room in the play room. My baby is growing up! I think that's enough change for now. lol
So today we went to the beach and walked around. Oh yeah, speaking of walking, we bought Hannah some awesome new tennis shoes. They have Dora on them and she really likes them. She likes bringing them to me to put them on her. She has some new socks as well. She weighs about 26 pounds now. She loves her vegies and cereal bars. lol She is more of a chatter box too. Sounds like she is speaking Chinese most of the time. hahahaha.
I've been on skype the rest of the day with my mom and sister, a conference call. Those are fun and we just leave them connected all day, talking and going about our business. I really miss my family and friends. I miss my bands I played in, my best friends, and the Huntsville community. I wish I could be there but cercomstances don't allow me right now. I feel like I am trapped here. There is nothing I can do to fix it right now. I will some day though. It gets lonely and I relish the skype and messenger calls to my friends and family across the pond.
Anyway, another thing we did recently was really clean up the yard to get it ready for the warmer weather. We swept it good, shoveled up lots of trash left over from the attack of the cats, and unblocked the drains. We then poured concrete disinfectant to get rid of the mold and yucky stuff. It looks real good now! We also removed a rose bush that was pretty but was more of a nusence. It was on a narrow path and it scratched you everytime you walked past it. It was also too dangerous for Hannah when she plays out there. So it's gone now, sawed off to be dug up later. I feel like I have ccomplished a lot the past week. It feels good to keep busy and enjoy the results.
Going to bed now to do one of my most favorite things, snuggle under the covers, warm and comfy.
laters,

Around 1:00 this morning, I was just drifting off to sleep when suddenly I heard a rumbling noise and then the bed started shaking rhythmically. This lasted for maybe 15 to 20 seconds. Not too sure. I sat up, my heart pounding. James did too. We asked each other if we had shaken the bed. In shock, we realized it was an earthquake and couldn't quite believe it. We got the radio and listened to the news. It was a 5.1 on the rictor scale. Wow! That was my very first earthquake. It was quite an experience. I can't describe it really. It's something you have to experience yourself in order to understand it. So that's why I'm up at 3:00 AM. I can't go back to sleep. Guess I'll try to go back to sleep. I'm going to be scared everytime the bed moves now. lol
night night

It's almost noon and thought I'd kill some time by writing in here. Got up this morning, got ready, and then went downstairs leaving James and Waggle still in bed. I'm always the first one up. Last night I went to bed before James and was practically asleep when he came to bed. So there was no "comfy convo" yet again. It will happen, I promise. lol I turned on my computer this morning a little afraid of what would happen. Yesterday it would start up and then freeze before going into windows giving me a black screen. This happened over and over again forcing me to use my laptop for a while. It mysteriously started working and was fine for the rest of the day. This morning it started up no problem. So strange. I canceled a lot of subscriptions in my paypal account that I didn't put there. James had used it and forgot to tell me about them or something so I was surprised when money came out yesterday that I didn't authorize. They're gone now. Then we tried to feed Waggle breakfast but she really didn't want it. So I gave up and saved it for later. She's now in her play pin playing with toys and watching baby Einstein. James's Nan dropped by for a few minutes, not sure what for. Oh yes. All the cooking I did yesterday must have used more gas than I thought. How much do gas stoves use anyway. So, we were out of gas this morning. That meant no central heat and no hot water. Yikes! The water was so cold it numbed my hands and turned them red. James just came back from putting more money on the gas and electric cards. Yay! So that's all for now. Maybe going to clean the house a little and talk on skype. Gotta get up at 6:30 tomorrow and not looking forward to it. Oh well. More later.

It's almost time for bed so I'll write before hitting the hay! This morning was a lazy morning. I had a killer, I mean killer of a headache. The one only cured by pills and sleep. It started last night before I went to bed and wasn't gone when I woke up this morning. So I changed and dressed Waggle and brought her back to bed with me where we all fell asleep in the bed. It was cute! Then we fed Waggle and let her watch her daily baby einstein. There's one that teaches about animals. She loves that one and says, yeah, and laughs during it. Her favorite animal is the doggie. She calls everything either a doggie or a duck! I had breakfast and some cheetoes. lol Then we went to buy trash cans and a shovel to clean up the mesy yard thanks to some cat and birds. James cleaned most of it up while I made dinner. I'm surprised at how long making a good dinner usually takes. I mean, the frozen stuff, you just throw it in the oven and 30 to 45 minutes later it's done. But real cooking takes preparation, watching, time, and lots of work. It's fun though and I enjoy it. I use to hate using this stove. It's gas and it's my first ever gas stove. They're scary at first but it just takes keeping on using it and it's not so scary. I'm actually starting to prefer it over electric but shhhh, don't tell James. lol The response of gas stoves is ten times faster than electric. We ate and watched tv, ER. I've been updating twitter a lot today. It's fun. I need more people though. We fed waggle again, oh and gave her lunch earlier too. lol She didn't seem to want her food much. I think she's addicted to katsup and likes her food real hot! lol.Not much exciting today really. Hoping to have a better night. Didn't have a "comfy convo" because of my headache but will hopefully have one tonight. So that brings me to now. I'm on skype with my sister. We usually keep it connected all day. It's lots of fun just being able to talk to her and her kids whenever and still do things that I need to do. Waggle talks to her too. If I'm not on skype with her, I'm on a video call on MSN with my parents. We leave that connected most of the day too. I find it comforting to have them available to talk too whenever I want. I miss all my family and friends! So, laters and things.