My friend's son Charlie had his operation today, after it got cancelled yesterday. It went well, though he still has a worrying time ahead.
Tom recovered dramatically quickly yesterday - enough to be shovelling down crumpets, chocolate cake and hot chocolate with marshmallows at tea time. I kept him off school today though just in case.
My friend Tracy also came over today, and we had a lovely relaxing chatting and pamper morning, while the kids pottered. It feels good to STOP sometimes.
Took this picture on Monday night after I had been sorting out a load of old fabric. Harry kept asking me for bits, and this is what he'd done with them... little beds for his 'ratties' etc. And we got in the garden today! Spring!

(I should also mention that last week Scott watched Twilight, and last night watched New Moon... he even asked what happens next!)

Too much nervous energy today - my thoughts are all over the place...

First off, my friend of the past 14 years (I met Ali the same time I met Scott) has her son Charlie in hospital today, for his open heart surgery. I feel jittery and ill every time I think about it, so what it is like for Ali, her husband Pete and Charlie I can't imagine. I just hope all goes wonderfully well.

It is Scott's and my 14th Anniversary today. We aren't doing anything special today - we'll leave that for America next week! I feel very lucky to have met Scott and married him. He is a rock, never getting stressed or angry or irritable (err - the opposite of me!) He is intelligent and logical and still makes me laugh a lot. I'm thankful for the happy life we lead.

Talking of America, I really feel like I need to get my head around it - we drop the kids off next Wednesday and leave first thing Thursday. I really have given it so little thought. Scott has done all the booking of things so far, with me giving the odd glance at the computer screen when he tells me to. I am going to buy myself a suitcase at some point soon.

This week is going interestingly so far. On Sunday night after a nice evening with the Chattertons, I went to sleep at about 9pm, but was woken later by Lucy who was sick a couple of times during the night, and felt really dreadful.

On Monday morning, I had a phone call at 8.15 from a Mum of one of Jack's friends, asking about the school trip that day. I had thought it was next week (inspite of it being on the calendar), so we had 5 minutes to get him a Victorian costume organised. Luckily he could just wear the Oliver Twist costume that we did for Book Week a little while ago. (He said he had a brilliant day, in a 'Victorian' school, with quills to write with and the pretend cane etc!)

I took the younger boys to school then, with the intention of trying to swap my Tuesday's Playgroup duty for a later day, so that I'd be able to go to quilting class. But somehow I'd written the wrong day on the calendar and had to do my duty that day. So I quickly popped home to make some lunch for me and Harry, and make sure Lucy was OK with being on her own all day, because I had a meeting at church straight after playgroup, to organise the church activity for Saturday. Poor old Lucy stayed in bed all of yesterday and today so far, but hasn't been sick any more.

Today I went to quilting class up at church, and learnt some good stuff about free-motion quilting. As I was leaving to go and pick up Harry though, I couldn't find my car keys, and was looking everywhere for them in all my stuff, when my mobile rang, and I managed to cut off the call (because I can't even answer a call yet on one!!!) It was Tom's school, so I rang them back, and they said he's been sick everywhere, and could I come and get him. I rang playgroup to say I'd be late, and then found my keys, thanks to Susannah, in my pocket.

I got to Harry about 15 minutes late, and he was with the leaders, crying because I was late. We then got Tom, got home and Tom was sick in the front garden. I'm sitting on the settee with him now, emptying the sick bowl as required! Poor little thing. I just hope the Jack and Harry manage to avoid it now.

At least I am pretty up to date with housework. Mainly thanks to my new toy that has made me become (nearly) house-proud! My Dyson hand-held vacuum. When our old Dyson blew up, we got a new replacement, and also this one... it is fun to use!!

This past week too, Harry has been playing with lego a lot - he is into 3 story buses:
I forgot to mention, Harry went to the Doctors again on Friday, to see how he's doing with his skin etc. and get the blood test results. Everything is OK (though our Dr. had conferred with the other Drs. about Harry's case, because it was unusual) and is being put down to a virus.

Mainly Harry

Harry seems to have had things happening... on Friday after his doctor's appointment, while we were picking up Tom from school, he fell over, hurt his foot, and couldn't walk on it whatsoever. Thankfully I was parked part of the way to school, so only had to carry him some of the way home. He was in a lot of pain with it all that day, but could hobble by Saturday. Lucy enjoyed her trip to Cambridge, and the rest of us did some shopping. Harry needed new shoes - and thanks to the Clarks sale we got some for £20 (not the £36 they should have been...kids shoes are SO expensive!!)
Harry, Lucy and I missed church again on Sunday - Lucy and I felt rubbish, but the kids had made lovely Mother's Day treats for me. Harry thankfully entertained himself pretty well - we made a little house from his shoe box, and he has been inspired by the Winter Olympics - this is him on a 'bob sleigh' (I think he means like the Skeleton event)This morning Harry had his bloods taken following the Dr. visit on Friday. There was some mix up and we were ages, then he had the numbing cream on and had to wait another half an hour for it to work. Had a chat with Dawn who was in the waiting room too. Harry was brilliant having the bloods taken - just looking at it all. I have seen my kids have millions of immunisation injections before and it's never really bothered me, but this really made me feel peculiar - I think it was the thought of him losing blood I didn't like. He had a visit to the cake shop after, and we have had a quiet lego day.

The rest of the week

After the busy weekend, various of us have been under the weather, with even Jack missing some school. I'm looking forwards to everyone feeling OK again and not dragging ourselves around. Harry's rash turned into dry skin, which has now gone all blotchy and has been peeling off in chunks, so this morning I took him to the Doctors (He's also been a bit deaf and shouting a lot.) The doctor said it looked like some disease beginning with C which I can't remember, and the only reason he's not in hospital is that he just deosn't seem ill enough to go with it! His heart and kidneys were checked and OK, now we just have to have blood tests done on Monday and another appointment. Harry got to go to the charity shop after to choose a new soft toy for being good. It was good timing because the building across the road was being demolished, so we had fun watching that. Also this week, I babysat for a friend's 2 little boys on Tuesday morning, and it was Scott's birthday on Wednesday. We made up a hamper for him, with lots of treats in, but his main present will be going to America at the end of the month. The kids had tea (Scott and I had an Indian later) and we sang to Scott and he blew out his 37 candles - creating a room full of smoke, much to the kids' amusement...

Also on Wednesday I went to my friend Harriet's farewell party, as they are moving away. She is genuinely one of the nicest people I know, and I'll miss her. She founded one of the book clubs I go to.

Yesterday we had a tree surgeon come and take a lot down from our neighbours trees that overhang. It will block a fair bit less light in the summer.

Also this week I got some quilting done, and yesterday the vacuum gave up the ghost. It was about 10 years old, so hasn't done too badly. Everything else had dropped off it long ago, so I suppose we'll go and get a new one tomorrow. Also tomorrow Lucy is off to Cambridge Uni for a sceince day.

Family

A few family pictures from Sunday afternoon.Harry and Adam hooked on John's i phone...

My nice sensible and calm child, with his Great-Grandma Asher.

Emma's Blessing & Lincoln

After a bad night (sharing a bed with Harry...), we all drove over to Lincoln for church, and for my niece Emma's blessing, given by Robin. The blessing and all the rest of the church meeting were lovely and there was just a lovely spirit.
Afterwards, John & Hannah, Katy, Dan, Amy and my lot went to the centre of Lincoln for a wander round. I hadn't been before, and was pretty impressed with the stonework of Lincoln Cathedral. It was beautiful weather... soaked up some blue sky.
I love these ones of Lucy in the stained glass light.

I didn't know Harry was licking the viewing mirror, till I looked at this photo after.

Back at Mum and Dad's we had a lovely feast, and the present opening, then spent a pleasant afternoon chatting, before all driving to our separate homes.

Dog Racing

On Saturday morning Harry, Lucy and I drove to Mum and Dad's house, to have The Big Birthday Celebration, and for Emma's Baby Blessing. (We were celebrating Dad, Mum, Scott, Adam, Robin, Katy and Niki's birthdays - all between the 9th and 12th, except Dad's on the 1st)

Scott, Jack and Tom were staying behind to go to Ethan's Baby Blessing, and they also went by train to London on Saturday. They went by boat to Greenwich, went on the HMS Belfast, to the Science Museum and various other places, and by all reports had a fantastic day.

After a slow journey (1 mile in 45 mins at one place), we got to Mum and Dad's, and then Lucy and I got the bus into town and did some shopping. We also went on the massive big wheel in the Market Square - which was high. I really had to not notice just how high. The view was fabulous and I was fed up about not having a camera on me!
We met up with Katy, Dan and Amy in town and then got the bus back to Mum and Dad's. Robin, Niki, Adam and Emma, John and Hannah came to Mum and Dad's too. Dad showing us his new free bus pass...

In the evening some of us went to the Greyhound racing. John suggested it because he knew it was something Dad has always wanted to do.Dad was his usual unembarrassed self - yelling his head off for his dog (or in the first place yelling 'Come on Betfred!!' ie. the sponsor's name written on all the dogs...)We didn't place any proper bets - just decided on a dog each between ourselves, and put 20p in the kitty! Lucy and I won on a dog called 'Devils Daughter'!! We stayed for about 4 races, and had a real good laugh! I got face-ache laughing so much.

John and Hannah weren't laughing quite so much afterwards though, because Dad had hidden their car at the far end of the carpark, and they thought it had been stolen...