Monday, August 25, 2008

gold medals.

The doctor has awarded a 'gold medal' for ear infections to my two children. They are both on antibiotics (which they love the taste of) and will both be checked again after 2 weeks. Thereafter we'll test them each on their hearing to ascertain if there is cause for greater concern. It's good to know. Mia's nose should calm down and the irritation should go away thereby stopping the blood... all in all we hope to have more cheerful children soon.

Their mother certainly feels more cheerful having tried on her pre-pregnancy favourite blue corduroys, and wearing them the whole day yesterday without that cutting-in-to-the-midriff feeling. Plus, although there were on-again-off-again rain showers today, it was warmer, and there are blossoms appearing throughout the neighbourhood... Now, hopefully my anti-histamine pills will work throughout the spring so that I don't feel like scratching my face/arm/leg right off. At least I know, if things get bad, I can have another injection (steroids!) which makes the world of difference. I know it's not the best thing for me, but honestly, it helps so, so, so, so, so much in all aspects of my life - life is good again. I had one of these injections just before going back to South Africa in January (knowing that I suffered badly on my previous visit) and things were infinitely easier - I didn't have to worry about people's pets or the flora in their gardens or the amount of dust in the corner, or the pollen floating in on a breeze... I could enjoy every moment without a nagging allergy (or asthma) thought.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

cunning plan.

Ok, so it's not raining. Hooray! Sadly my children are not feeling that hot - the tail end of this cold that everyone's had, combined with interrupted sleep, and so they are not the best playmates, or children to take on outings. I considered taking them to the local market that happens every Saturday morning so we could buy the usual 6 samosa's for $5, play in the nearby playground, perhaps buy some tomato plants for the veggie garden, maybe even bump into a familiar face... but Mia was sneezing heavy duty sneezes, which in itself is not too bad, except that today, she has loads of blood in her snot. She is fascinated by it, but I decided it was just easier to contain them both at home, bloody snot and all, and to perhaps just keep them warm and fed so they can recover faster. Mia is definitely not herself - she had a fever during the night for 4 nights in a row during the week, but by day seemed okay. She persisted with going to 'kindy' and swimming lessons and ballet lessons, but I know she's under the weather.

So after packing away the dried laundry, putting on a new load, tidying up my bedroom, unpacking the dishwasher, changing Joshka's nappy, I formulated my cunning plan: to bore them to sleep while I do the recycling! As I write this now I have 2 sleeping beauties having a midday snooze. Surprisingly Mia fell asleep in the car while I was sorting through the recycling, but Josh remained alert and awake until I got home. I hung up the washing (after plonking Mia in my bed - not so easy putting her in the top bunk!) with Joshka 'helping' and then we both climbed into the hammock for part 2 of my cunning plan. Swinging gently and humming 'twinkle twinkle little star' I tricked my boy into falling asleep all curled up on me. One of the best feelings in the world for me - to have a little warm body fall asleep listening to my heartbeat. I breathed in the smell of him and slowly, ungracefully, emerged from the hammock, dodged the washing under the canopy and carried my boy inside to his room where I lay him down on his bed and pulled up the blanket.

And walked down the passage to my office. Ta da!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Wet wet wet

Tomorrow it's Saturday, which means, it's going to rain. Just like the last 7 Saturdays. New Zealand is stuck in a weather pattern with cold fronts approaching every weekend (or sometimes for weeks on end!).

What to do, what to do. Ben's at work and it's just me at home with the kids...hmmm.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

not nothing

I heard tonight that we had 27 straight days of rain. So you see? The weather is a topic worthy of discussion! I'm currently patting myself on the back for not falling behind on the washing front. 27 days! That's not nothing, as my mother would say.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

um bor ee

Mia had loved books since, well, since forever. She was easy to please on the London buses with a packet of raisins and a little book to read over and over again. I have pictures and video footage of her reading aloud to herself over the last 4 years which is just fantastic.

Not so our little Josh. We put it down to a girl vs boy kind of thing - limited attention span...or second child syndrome - not interested in talking or reading because his sister does it for him, but lately...he's become absolutely OBSESSED with reading. Or to be more exact, having books read to him - over and over and over and over.

I think finally with his effort to talk more and to be understood, has come an interest in communication and stories. I am convinced too that last winter he had too many colds and ear infections along with glue ear, which must have affected his hearing and therefore his speech. I am thrilled to see some progress now with how he is forming his words and his vocabulary. I haven't had a real concern or 'bad feeling' about his late start with talking and am confidently trusting my intuition on this front. He is improving all the time, albeit without most consonants!

I had to smile today at the sneaky ambush: Ben had the lego on the floor and Josh proceeded to fill the empty lego box with the 10 library books we have at the moment. He sidled along the couch to put the box next to me (I was sitting next to Mia) and showed me his 'creation' - his box of books. I was suitably impressed (standard!) but had failed to comprehend up until that minute what a crafty approach he had taken as he passed me a book to "REE Mummy - pee?" He had successfully 'cornered' me! I think I read 4 books before I managed to escape the pleas of "um bor mummy!" (one more mummy).

We are all used to Joshka's favourite and well used phrase: "Um bor ee!" (One more thing to eat! Or, one more READ!). We announce dinner time as UMBO'EE time. A family "word" for the time being. It's great to know that he is communicating and being better understood now. The best thing is that he does seem to have a sense of humour - when imploring me to "dum mummy!" while pulling me somewhere (come mummy!) and I say "Don't call me dum! I'm not a dum mummy!" he laughs and laughs and gives me an extra pull: "DUM!"

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Hey! The sun's out!

The weather looked to be good for today so I did a load of washing last night and hung it up this morning before I'd even had breakfast. As I was eating my cornflakes it started (torrential) raining - sneaky clouds from the North. Dashed outside to save them and hung them up under the canopy on the deck. At that point I was a bit concerned about where I was going to put the 2nd load I'd already started. I had tried to be proactive and on the ball and was being punished! 10 minutes later the sun came out again with no sign of grey clouds, so I've now hung the 2nd load on the washing line and have put on a 3rd load - I only have one pink duvet cover and it really needs a wash (and needs to be dry to go back on Mia's bed tonight) - and I need to make hay while the sun shines, so to speak.

Of course I'm going to have a mountain of 'sorting' to do tomorrow. Ergh.

over it.

Ok, so it's all about your mindset - I get that now.

On Monday I was chatting to another mother about various things and the topic of the weather came up - doesn't it always!? We have had nearly a month of solid rain, with only a few hours of sunshine sprinkled in between. She lived in Europe for a while with her husband and 3 children before coming back to New Zealand this year. She was amazed at the "winter" and how mild and short it has been. She pointed out that the trees are already blossoming - it's actually SPRING. So yes, we've had a month of rain, and yup, it's been pretty nippy, but, she said: "is that it?". So she thinks that compared to eg. Belgium, our winter is easy. (I can't help thinking she most probably has more money and a warmer house than we do. She certainly lives in the 'posh' part of town.)

On Tuesday I was chatting to another mother, who has just moved to NZ from South Africa. She's from the Johannesburg area, so, unlike me (from Cape Town) is not used to 2 weeks of solid rain, let alone 4. She is so miserable with all the rain is so sick of winter. She looks totally depressed. She also has issues with immigration and red tape, so I attribute a lot of the misery to that, but it was quite interesting to see the difference in attitude.

The first woman is a New Zealander so she would be used to it. The second is a South African who would definitely not be used to it, I sympathise. I know that Jo'burg winters are nothing like Cape Town ones, or Durban ones and it will take some getting used to. She is also one of those well groomed women - her hair is always immaculate, finger nails painted...make-up skillfully applied. Not quite as suited to the NZ lifestyle as say, me.

I have lived in Europe through l0 winters, and summers. I have lived in South Africa through 26 glorious summers and winters. I guess I am somewhere in between these 2 women in that I know it could be more extreme, but i'm over it too, and would like some sun. In the meantime, I'm in my jeans, tie my hair back, moisturise (maybe), brush my teeth and get ready for the day.
Pretty much like I did everywhere else.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Let the games begin.

Does anyone else fight back the tears when they watch the Olympic opening ceremony? Surely it's not just me? Or maybe it's because I'm feeling under par...susceptible to mood swings and raw emotion. Maybe it's the fact that my sinus's are blocked and that any movement of the head sends a dull, but prominent, knocking pain through my head. As if, when I lean forward, my (heavy) brain is landing on the inside of my forehead. Never mind, it too will pass! In the grand scheme of things it's not major, but right now, it's a dampener. Can't get my grumpiness to go.

Grumpiness aided by two small children who won't eat their breakfast or lunch or dinner properly and who then moan and whine for 'treats' the minute after their plates are cleared. And who continue to perform for hours for same said treats. Which don't come.

That aside, wasn't that opening ceremony spectacular?! Wonderful.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

lefty's a righty.

I never realised how right-handed I am (even though I write with my left hand). Funny how an injury points out to you exactly how much you use that particular body part! Even if it's a little toe...would hate to be without one! I suspect that I have sprained my right wrist from a bit of a collision in the social volleyball last night. I am amazed at how hard it is to do simple things (turn the keys in the door, open up a new bottle of cough syrup- childproof lid, turn on the tap, open the fridge, fill up the kettle, open the milk - POUR the milk!).

I broke my left hand 5 years ago (also a social volleyball incident - in London) which saw me have plastic surgery to fix it (it was a butterfly fracture which left a bit of bone floating about; my fingers splayed at odd angles when I made a fist) - I almost felt posh having plastic surgery with the best of them in London's Chelsea Westminster Hospital...I remember being very amused to see the food menu come round - I had helped with the design of it not too long before with my work. Anyway, I had physiotherapy and everything, but it wasn't too bad considering it was my LEFT hand. OK, so I didn't write much, but hey, I use the computer now - mouse on RHS, no problem to clickety click! My right hand was absolutely fine to pick up the slack, so to speak.

Ben has been supportive - he bandaged my wrist last night and this morning. We concocted a Mickey Mouse splint last night to incorporate in the bandage (literally - Mia's Mickey Mouse ruler) which was discarded some time in the night. Too irritating.

Today, however, I am feeling pretty wimpish, considering I have a big fat cold too. I must have contracted a bit of the manflu going around, because, I tell you, it's hitting me HARD! It can't just be the regular flu (if there is such a thing) because I had a flu jab before Winter truly hit. I've had a revolting Lemsip thingy that you dissolve in hot water which had me covered in goosebumps the minute I drank some, and I suppose it IS doing a pretty good job of making me feel a bit better, but I could really do without all this toxic green stuff...the aches and pains, the blocked sinuses...the sneezes.

I'm trying to figure some code out for this website I'm working on and for the life of me I can't see what I've done wrong - it just won't work. I think I'll shelve it and get back to it another time.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

stop!

Again I'm listening to my little boy cough and cough and cough...I've tried all the fixes, even tried falling asleep next to him. Honey, Vicks, water, propped up mattress...fall asleep my boy! I am considering going to bed now, just to catch up on lost sleep over the last week with a sick boy and now, a sick girl too. Last night Mia had a temperature as well so I was up getting her some medication in the small hours of the night. It was a full bed this morning, but a crappy night's sleep for all. Ben came home at 7am after a hectic night at work and just wanted to fall asleep as fast as he could - I've seldom seen him so grumpy! Everyone UP and OUT!

I'm at a loss. I just don't know what to do about the children - both are coughing and awake and miserable. I even tried reiki, seemed to work for a bit, but I can't do both children at the same time!

There's a storm shaking the house and rain falling on the roof and all I want to do is climb into bed and fall asleep. I can't. Not listening to these two children coughing and whimpering. It must be so sore already... Please, just please fall asleep!

Friday, August 01, 2008

boyflu?

Josh has a cold - according to the doctor. Ben reckons it's a bit of a manflu thing. In any case, Joshka's mattress is propped up slightly, he has Vicks on his chest (and the soles of his feet - the instep part)(will try any and all remedies that claim to work!), has had a spoonful of honey, all his asthma pump medication, some water, and seems to have finally gone to sleep. I was wondering how long he'd be up tonight since he had TWO sleeps today...UNHEARD OF!

I am looking forward to playing some volleyball this weekend. It's been a long while since I played a match and I am eager to give it my all. I endeavour to stretch properly and have a good warm up so I don't do my back any more damage (than is absolutely neccessary). And I will wear my back brace too - it seemed to help at training. The hardest part will be to deflect all things bitchy (that come with the territory unfortunately). I seem to have a bit of a personality clash with one key player who can't help herself but to be crass, rude, obnoxious and "otherwise".