T-Bird Anni Rides Again

Yesterday was good.  Had Kung Fu for free as it was my birthday, although the trade off was that everyone sang happy birthday to me which was just a shade embarrassing, but hey!  After the lesson Aprilia was persuaded to stay and play for ages with New Friend (hmmm, really must think of names… something Kung Fu related I suppose….. Jackie for New Friend, Jet for her little bro?  yeh, that will do…..lets not mention that Jackie Chan is a bloke hey?)  and I was sociable with lots of people.  Lovely.  Played on my DS all afternoon, having got Professor Leyton and the Curious Village from Aprilia, and had chippy tea.  Also had long gossip with Young Tom (first aider in that first flush of over exuberant youth, as opposed to Old Tom, a paramedic of indeterminate age) who was working with Uncle Curly last weekend and can confirm that yes, he has been suffering a bit with his back but that he’s okay again now, which was good to hear.  Wine O’clock was declared really rather early and I hardly moved from my chair until bedtime. 

There was a slightly fraught moment when it became aparently that Duke had forgotten…… walzed off to Oulton without a word and not only that, didn’t redeem himself by texting birthday wishes to me either, which caused humour as he did pass on said wishes from his sister but didn’t even think then to tag on his own greetings!!!!!!  My phone was hijacked at that point and someone sent him a pointed message…….  Poor boy.

I got some money off mum for my birthday and being a bad girl, I opened the card early as I wanted to shop today when I had more time!  Came away with 2 pairs of Lee Cooper canvass shoes, have lusted after them for ages but couldn’t anywhere near afford one pair but thanks to birthday money and a 70% off sale I got not one but two pairs!!!  Easily pleased me….

In other news… we swam this morning with Nelly and family, a very pleasant way to spend a morning.  Yesterday we had a lazy morning but then she decided to be sociable all afternoon but only on the condition that I was sociable too which was a relaxed way to spend the afternoon but didn’t get my studying done.  Really losing the plot with this course at the mo!

Tomorrow I am planning on pampering myself.  Anyone want Aprilia for the day then I don’t have to share the treats

Okay, so who stole the week then?  It can’t possibly be Thursday already!!!!

The hacking cough mentioned on Facebook seemed to slow down our week a bit, she was sleepy/weepy and did that limpet thing for a few days.  I was going to take her to see Moonacre at the leisure centre but she decided that it wouldn’t be fair on everyone else watching it if she coughed all the way through it which I thought was very considerate of her.  She also declined a gentle swim although said she really did want to go, just didn’t’ think she was up to it.  She wasn’t hot to touch (no, we don’t have a thermometer in our fully kitted out first aid bag!) and I was absolutely sure that the sore throat was down to the coughing and nothing more so I settled for rummaging through the various cough syrups at the back of the fridge for one that looked about right.  She liked the flavour of that one which was a bonus!

It would appear that we are now "taking it in turns" to do Kung Fu on Saturdays (and I am not discussing that further on this blog…. although I may mutter about it elsewhere at some point, if I can be bothered getting cross about a done deal) so I ambled off to Oulton with Harley and Duke took her to KF where, aparently, she was fine but tired by the end of the session and he did okay but someone made fairly firm "touch contact" with him.  I told him he’ll get used to it.  I had a relaxed day, did a bit of studying, logged into the WiFi that we now have in the med centre, treated the grant total of 1 wasp sting and a headache and came home.

Sunday she wanted to go to church when she got up, but when it was time to go she had changed her mind.  I could get bothered by that but I think it is just that she only has one friend there and if she doesn’t go then she does feel a bit "little girl lost" which I can understand.  It’s a mainly older congregation, even I feel a bit young some weeks.

Monday we did day 1 of Sonlight core 2 with extra added Princess and the Goblins.  She wanted to ease back into some sort of routine and that seemed a good place to start.

Tuesday we went to Jungle Jim and an extra bonus family turned up for whom I need to think of blognames for as I suspect they may become regulars (and I need to sort out a cast list too don’t I!)  All the grown ups had a good gossip and then had to referee a bit of a stand off…. Aprilia invited New Friend back for a play at our house, Nelly had wanted Aprilia to go to her house and Aprilia didn’t quite know how to deal with this.   We shooed them all away whilst we had a case conference and decided that as Marge was really knackered due to vile bedtime behaviour of all 3 of her offspring (we can forgive the baby, the other 2 are just monsters about sleeping) then she shouldn’t be expected to look after Aprilia and referee the inevitable wails when Nelly starts to lose it a bit.  So New Friend came to ours for the afternoon.  Then they decided to go back to Jungle Jim later (her family stay all day, little bro is hyper and it’s just easier to live there in the summer than try to contain him at home) and then sprung the question that I really didn’t see comming (much!)  "can we have a sleepover?"  So we shooed them away for another case conference……. and eventually it was all sorted.

Everything went remarkably well until 8:30 when Aprilia shuffled in to me and griped that NF was already asleep and she couldn’t settle without bedtime stories from me and a story CD.  This was dealt with.  She carried on rattling round intermittently and at some point in the night got in our bed (which is so NOT made for 3 people!) for a few hours, got out again, got in again…. they were both awake at just past 5 and giggled for an hour or so before getting up.  Sigh.  Yesterday was a long day!

As mentioned on FB, we were supposed to meet Marge et al at the Salt Museum at 10, but she had a change of plan so I offered to take NF and phoned her mum.  So the whole family ended up coming with us!  This week was a paper craft of Noah’s ark which was possibly not their best but still, they all enjoyed it.  We did contemplate yet another Jungle Jim trip but when we got there it was packed (always is when the weather is yuck) so we gave up and had a chilled out afternoon instead followed by a really very early night.

The other complication to yesterday was down to me seeing a pretty awful pic of Uncle Curly on FB.  He really did look ill and was leaning pretty heavily on a walking stick (although I did have to chuckle at the stick having a flame paint job….) which was a bit worrying.  Finally managed to get in contact with him and he’s okay but prolapsed disc is giving him "a bit of trouble"  No?  Really?  So we had a flurry of 3 way texts between me, Duke and him for a while and much hilarity amongst the boys about the fact that the vibrate alert on my phone is a bit ahem, vigourous, especially as I keep the phone in my front pocket!!!

been aimlessly wandering round the net and found a few bits and bobs.

http://www.touch-typing-tutor.com/  various typing games etc

http://tux4kids.alioth.debian.org/projects.php   Tux games for kids - work on Windows as well as their original Linux platform.  Some really fun games!

http://skillsforaction.com/   interesting site this, lots to think about here with Aprilia and actually makes a bit of sense for me too…. trying not to find excuses for weight problems and wobbly behaviour but actually knowing how often her ankles let her down (and how often mine used to, and my knees, not to mention hips….) it makes sense and "highly sensitive" would probably be a damned good description of the pair of us really (or highly strung, neurotic, pathetic and various other less complimentary versions depending on your point of view)  Not sure that those particular labels are "useful" generally but at least I know that she’s not a one off hyper wobbly monster!

It’s got to Wednesday all of a sudden.

Right, thinking back…. Saturday was Kung Fu then a leisurely drive down to The Beans followed by a very pleasant afternoon’s garden partying with remarkably few interuptions from child.  Said party has already been much blogged and I’m not sure I can add anything to what has already been said really!  I do enjoy parties at The Beans, their house just seems to be perfectly designed for teh purpose.  Aprilia briefly contemplated sleeping with "the big girls" in SB’s room but then decided that she needed to be with me and somehow contrived to get onto the bed (mummy, I need to be on the bed so you can lie next to me adn cuddle me, there isn’t room on the air mat for you to do that…) leaving me with the air mat!

Sunday, the party continued past second breakfast and into the afternoon with a slowly dwindling compilment of party-ers until suddenly, with atrocious timing, Aprilia and SB decided that we were staying an extra night.  This anouncement was timed for maximum effect, just as Big was declaring that she didn’t want to go yet. Sorry Jax!  Sigh.  I’m told tact and diplomacy do arrive in time.   Bedtime started out smoothly but, as I had suspected, she changed her mind about sleeping in SBs room again but at least did conceed to sleeping on the floor in with me.  Really wish I could work out what her problem is with bedtimes in strange places.

Monday we sloped off mid morning and wended our way home having sent a text ahead of us to apologise for not being at Jungle Jims for 10am as arranged the week before (woops, knew we were supposed to be somewhere Monday morning!)

Yesterday we had a few errands to run including buying a swimming cossie that covers everything it is supposed to (oh the shame….. I’m sure that one fitted her teh week before!) and then off to the pool to test it out.  There was a fun session on with a huge inflatable.  Alas, you had to leap onto said inflatable from the poolside, which was a leap too far for a small tired girl.  She had several valient attempts but only managed to sort of boing off the edge of it.  the lifeguard suggested taht I give her a leg up but then she slithered off the side and twanged her arm on one of teh ropes and really that was more than she could bear so we had copious sobbing.  On the up side, we’ve also been told that, as all the lifeguards are also qualified swimming instructors, when the pool gets quieter (once the schools are back) they can sign her off for her distance badges as and when she is able and will also put her trhough her paces for her Advanced Swimmer when we think she is ready.  She is *almost* ready for her 50m but her style is a little erratic still and they have to propel themselves with half decent style (on their fronts) to get the badge so we have something to aim for.

This morning we went mask making at the Salt Museum and made The Bride of Count Duckula (it’s pink and purple, has fangs and a duck-ish beak)  Then Marge had to head swiftly for home as Bart’s "sore tummy" that he has had "for a bit now" transpired to be the runs.  Hmph.  Aparently Homer (her husband…. well, what else am I going to call him?) had bad guts the other day, and the baby has been "a bit off" and now Bart has it but it didn’t occur to her that it would be a bad idea to bring a sick child out to play with other kids. Or give me the option to decide not to come.  Hmph.  Last time she did this it was me who caught it and these things always seem to hit me ridiculously hard (you know - everyone else is a bit "loose" for a few days and a bit off, I empty out everything from both ends on an hourly basis.) 

And now I have to stop and go and "do craft" with Aprilia before she brains me with the book she’s flapping about.

We’ve had a sleepover.  E  finally arrived at about 4pm, which is obviously "after lunch" as arranged but a little more "after" than we had anticipated!  It did seem a little convenient that as Aprilia phoned they were "just leaving".  I suppose that sounds better than "oh, we forgot" or "oh, we lost track of time" but either way she got to us eventually.  They had a DS fest pretty much the moment they had finished saying hello to each other which kept them out of mischief.  Not sure what they did with the evening as I cleared off to Kung Fu and Duke hid in his office but they were finally chased to bed at 10-ish.  This morning we introduced her to the delights of Jungle Jim, she didn’t seem terribly convinced until after Duke had mentioned that it was designed for Big Kids   They played very happily with the owner’s son for the entire morning.  It was very pleasant!  But I’m beginning to regret having 2 of their very lovely coffees, I’m Wide Awake!!!! This afternoon seemed to be taken up with a long drawn out water fight in the back garden before they both went off to E’s house for tea.

Now, I do like E, she’s great with Aprilia, but Oh My does she have Attitude!!!!!  and she’s a fully paid up member of the Tall Story Club!!!! (edited highlights including that she got a 2 man tent capable of fitting 4 people for £15, she’s single handedly organising and directing a High School Musical style production for her school, she’s a size 8… she’s So Not!…. and she got a Wii Fit for £35 including 2 games from Game, and no, it wasn’t second hand….)  Sigh.  and she came out with a classic yesterday…. someone Popular said something nice to her.  I think I was supposed to be impressed. 

I’ve baked a bit today too.  Dairy free stuff for the Beans party and "normal" flapjack for Duke.  Only I remembered just after I’d poured the squidy topping onto the choc cake that usually I take the ingredients with me and do the topping when I get to places rather than trying to transport something that squidgy!  So, if you would all like to send gentle driving vibes my way cos if I have to do an emergency stop I’m gonna have a chocolate flavoured car

Guider friend of mine with a 3 month old baby deciding to go down the "bedtime routine" way of thinking…. when babe started crying someone made a comment on her FB status saying

"ride it out !!!!! i promise its worth it . if you keep popping in and calming her down and then leaving she’ll get it ! DON’T GET HER OUT OF HER COT . then she’s in charge and thats a definate no no !"

 Dear me.  Friend didn’t, and had a happy little baby on her lap but felt like a failure.  I just had to comment that happy baby does NOT equate to failure!!!!!!! 

I’ve either got dust up my nose or the mildest cold in creation.  Either way I’m just a little bit sniffly.  Probably dust, I excavated Aprilia’s room yesterday with a broom and a roll of bin bags.  She sobbed quite a bit every time I informed her that she was to help but we got tehre (sort of) in the end.  I do have rather a lot of washing to deal with now though

In the morning we went to "castle building" at the Salt Museum.  Good fun.  We ahve a fairly respectable tall tower complete with damsel in distress and dragon scaling the wall to show for it.  It also has flowers growing up the tower but hey, no reason a tower can’t be decorative is there?

Today Emmie is arriving.  I may be hiding in the greenhosue by tea time.

we had a good swim this morning, was amazed to see how much stronger she is for the 2 weeks of lessons.  Then I assaulted the north face of the hallway.  Actually it wasn’t that bad although I did fill a few bin bags and a charity bag.  It’s nice to be able to open the front door and not have it snag on something.  Probably a good thing on a safety point of view too!

Lurched onto the kitchen after that, can’t see any benefit in there (hallway and downstairs loo are dramatically different) but I know it’s cleaner and that feels better.  Need to finish the kitchen tomorrow and do something with the living room, preferably before Aprilia’s cousin arrives on Thursday afternoon!!!!

Meanwhile Aprilia was supposed to be picking up in her room.  I popped in to check on her and found her fast asleep.  Ho hum.

Also today harvested loads of spuds.  Lots are really tiddly, hardly worth the effort but one particular strain did faboulously well, lots of really good sized spuds so we are looking forward to "new potatoes" with everything for some days to come.  Have slung a lot away though as they were sort of warty which we weren’t sure was okay!

This afternoon I have cleaned like a daemon.  My downstairs loo is now as pristine as it has ever been (ignoring the paint stains on the floor…. the Cillit Bang adverts lie you know…..) and Freecycle has benefited quite a lot in the process.  In the meantime Aprilia has got about as mucky as it’s possible for a small girl to get (the little girl from next door but one was stunned into unaccusomed silence by the magnitude of the muddiness of her clothing…)  She made a "volcano" out of a water bottle and a bucket load of very wet mud which we then filled with LOTS of bicarb and, over several "eruptions" a whole bottle of white vinegar mixed with red food colouring. Thus the universe remained in perfect balance and all was well with the world.

I’m taking the cleaning as a Good Sign.  I’m taking it as a sign that the not exactly ill but certainly not quite well phase I’ve been battling for months now is easing off, at least a little bit.  There has been a vicious circle thing going on for way too long with the house being messy which I was too tired to deal with and which made me feel even more down about my inability to cope with the basics of life which made me feel even more tired and less able to deal and so it went round and round and the house gets worse and worse.  But at least now I have a clean downstairs loo.  I weeded the 2 main veggie plots yesterday too, again, the more weed ridden they got the less able I was to deal and so the garden started to regress to the awful weed ridden hole that we had before all the hard work.  Assuming I still have energy, tomorrow I’m attacking the hallway.  Maybe Thursday the kitchen and maybe, just maybe, by the end of the month I’ll have a downstairs I’m willing to let visitors set foot in.  But a clean loo is definitely a damned good start and I don’t want to burn out and end up back where I started.

I’m also taking the playing independently in the back garden as a good sign.  the lovely pink flush on the cheeks was good to see too, she’s been a bit pale for a few weeks (something to do with way too many early mornings I fear)