Pox Watch

So we're officially on Pox Watch. My niece, who is staying with my parents (and the rest of her immediate family; she hasn't been abandoned), has come out in a richly beautiful chicken pox rash. This isn't my niece but Mog when she was poxy. Niece Minnow and Little Fish spent the day together on Sunday, so we're now watching and waiting to see whether she caught it then or not. Would be nice if she got it out of the way before school proper, but less nice if it scuppers New Wine for us. Time will tell.

Meanwhile niece is feeling very sorry for herself, and Grannie was despatched here this morning for emergency supplies; medications and DVDs and anything else we could think of. Little Fish was very pleased to be trusted to show Grannie the way to the chemist to pick up some anti-itch remedy.

Later, Little Fish recounted the whole adventure to her friend in the mirror. I love her mirror friend; she is endlessly patient and loves listening to all LF's stories. Oddly enough, Mirror Fish seems to have similar stories to tell. The monoduologue is fascinating; full of the monotony of daily life with snippets of pure fantasy, sadness as she relates the story of how her cat died, and worry as she practices a rote apology for something she didn't do "so we be friends again". Each apology requires a cuddle and a kiss and must be carried out just so, including listing the offense as well as the apology; I think she has been affected by a certain other child's poor behaviour in the run up to the school holidays. Mirror Fish seems to be helping her work through it which is handy.


Fun times; a babysitter tonight but with no arrangement to do anything. Housegroup not meeting, other plans rained off. So I did something I haven't done spontaneously in the evening for seven years now, called in to give a message to a friend and stayed for a cup of coffee. Nothing major, nothing likely to shake the world, but big enough for us.

I snuck out of the house quietly, leaving two girls almost asleep and not having had the usual conversation with them about our sitter arriving. LF likes to know where I'm going and that I'm definitely coming back. She was just about asleep though so I didn't disturb her. And apparently once I'd left she called our sitter in, and instructed the sitter that she needed a bedtime story. She then read said story to our sitter before telling her she needed to sleep now, goodbye. Definite progress. And possibly worth keeping the sitter coming through the holidays in order to keep the routine (any excuse).

Coffee with a friend, and with babysitting hours still spare, I ran through Tescos, where I inexplicably managed to pick up not just the binliners I needed, but six packs of breaded scampi I definitely did not need, two packets of peas in their pods (one of which inevitably burst as I attempted to put it onto the checkout belt), and a packet of sliced tongue which needed to be eaten on the way home. These things happen.

Tia