Driving Lessons

Keeping one wheel on the white line.

Little Fish doubly tired this evening, having chosen to double up most activities and do them in both powered and manual chairs. Hurrah for wheelchai services volunteers, who have stretched and shrunk and adjusted her powerchair to make it fit her post surgical shape. They did mention something about trying to sort the castors on her manual too; I hope that comes off tomorrow.

Sitting in a noisy sports hall on hard wooden benches is not something I've done since avoiding PE lessons at school. It is surprisingly exhausting.

Tia

Good News, Bad News...

The good news is, Mog's CT scan was today.
The bad news is, the hospital forgot to tell us.

More bad news; the van failed its MOT yesterday.
More good news; only on brake pads and the garage will fix them tomorrow.

Little Fish is having driving lessons this week. There's a worrying concept. Whizz Kidz are running a three day course for wheelchair users, and she's getting to join in. Getting there with her various chairs and Mog is interesting without our van.

We called a taxi this morning; just as it arrived the phone rang. A neurologist wishing to discuss sedation for the CT scan we didn't know Mog was having. Frustrating. But, more good news, they can rearrange it for next week, and have found a day when our only other appointment is at 9.20. So now all I need to do is find a way of keeping Little Fish entertained whilst we photograph the inside of Mog's head.

One hugely tiring day. Lots of concentrating for Little Fish, lots of waiting around and cheering loudly for Mog and myself. New friends, always nice. And old acquaintances; bittersweet as I had to break the news of Goldie's death to one of her old classmates.Huge giggles for Mog who chose the most inappropriate time possible to create a noxious code brown cloud; not the time to discover I'd forgotten the wet wipes. And who on earth puts just one changing bench into a building designed for people with physical disabilities, and who then puts that changing bench into a giant room without a loo or sink?

Home via taxi again, making the decision to leave Little Fish's powerchair there overnight. Rethinking that decision when the taxi was forty minutes late; my arms may never recover from the wait.

One small child very tired, one medium child equally tired; two girls into bed and then a builder here to come and look at finishing the many many jobs our other various builders have not completed.

A Little Fish-ism - "Mummy, I wear my shrink wrap tonight?" Shrink wrap? Shrink wrap? Ah yes; chin strap!

Tia

Little Fish Chat

On being served with a plate of very yummy vegetable lasagne:
she -"I are not liking this"
me - "Lola likes this a lot. This is Lola's favourite and her best.*"
she - "I do not agree with Lola."


Our visitors have brought a selection of new (to LF) DVDs with them. Little Fish has fallen heavily for one in particular, and after watching it a few times has memorised the theme tune, most of the dialogue for most of the episodes, and, rather unfortunately, is adamant that she needs a new Toy Cupboard just like the one in one of the stories. She will not be put off by the fact that this is a cartoon and the cupboard in question does not actually exist.

I say she's memorised the dialogue and theme tune. It's not quite true. She's got Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig and brother George and best friend Suzi down pat. But the heroine herself, I'm not quite sure what she'd think about her new name. Introducing "Peppered Pork!" This has the unfortunate side effect of making me hungry every time she watches.

Tia

1Happy Easter!

Two years ago, we celebrated in style in Florida.

One year ago, we celebrated more gently in Switzerland.

This year taking life easier yet; friends visiting but very firmly home-based. Inspired by visiting friend, we spent much of yesterday digging out clearing the sunroom to make it a beautiful space to eat our Easter lunch in. It seemed a shame really, when, room having been cleaned and polished, floor gleaming, table shining and covered with cloth and flowers, girls imported, garden doors open to catch the splendour of spring, I then dragged out of the oven one somewhat overcooked veggie lasagne and realised I had forgotten to make any kind of side dishes whatsoever, and that pudding would not be the beautiful creation I'd envisaged, but rather a Waitrose bag full of differently sized Easter Eggs. Ah well. Flavoured with friendship and seasoned by the successful cleaning, it still tasted pretty good to most of us. Little Fish, oddly, decided crunchy green beans were the best bit and refused the pasta and cheese. And Mog had a droplet of tomato sauce which she very much enjoyed, and a crumb of chocolate which she did not enjoy, forcing the rest of us to save her from having to eat any more of her egg.

Little Fish and Little Friend snuggled down together in the cot most of the afternoon, watching Peppa Pig and Fifi. Mog disdained their choice of viewing and sat in the playroom watching The Little Mermaid and Songs of Praise. And friend and I pottered on through the house, somewhat destroying the playroom and sitting room, but creating order in the kitchen and discovering acres of flooring I hadn't seen for months. Our six year old visitor from Friday, who looked around from the security of her father's lap (wise child), before asking me why on earth things were so messy, would be impressed I think.

Two nights in a row where Mog has given me five hours straight without alarming. Two nights in a row where I've been sleeping in her room, ready to leap at the slighted sound of a struggle. Better nights for both of us, although longer time I'd quite like my bed back please. Perhaps I should move hers into my room instead?

Happy Easter. A Risen Lord and an Empty Tomb far more cause for celebration than a polished floor and a tidy room. But perhaps New Life and a new start aren't all that far apart?

Tia

Peace

We have visitors. This is nice; the return of an ex-fosling together with new(ish) Mummy. Company for the girls - someone else for Mog to try to kick, adult conversation for myself, an excuse for the house to be extra chaotic and additional motivation to actually contain the chaos. Nice.

Nothing major planned over the next few days, but a few nice child-friendly trips lined up. And then, as visitors were being ferried over here, I realised our car's MOT expired last month. Bank Holiday Friday before a Bank Holiday weekend not the best time to discover this. And with buses only taking one wheelchair, we're either walking or staying put.

Today we walked all the way to the bottom of the road, stuffed ourselves nicely with a giant meal, waddled all the way home again and settled down to watch Peppa Pig all afternoon satisfied we'd actually achieved something. Tomorrow I expect we will walk the vast distance (measured in yards) between here and church and back, and do more of the same. Nice.

The van's booked in for an emergency MOT on Tuesday morning. It needs to pass; we're supposed to be taking our visitors home again on Wednesday!

Tia

Invade the Airways

Blatantly lifted from Tina, but they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, don't they?

So, Tina sent me this and I'm passing it on. Let's give Delerious? the chance to be number one for Easter. Take a look at Invade the Airways and see what they have to say.

Tia

Whisper...

Don't tell anyone... but Mog actually slept for six whole hours last night without alarming. At least I assume she did; new monitor does very smart and clever things meaning it only alarms when there's really a problem instead of every time there's nearly a problem, but it doesn't appear to have the facility just to scroll back through the night's readings unless you can download the data. Which I can't. Still, she's still here, and I feel loads better for a decent five hours, even if I did then have to keep jumping back up again to check the monitor really was working.

Unfortunately, Mog managed this better night by lying on her side all squished up, and celebrated by being very uncomfortable with masses of spasm this morning. So I think I need to go ahead and roll her anyway tonight whether she's alarming or not. Still, it was a good run.

And because I had a decent night's sleep, and because therefore sleep is ot the only thing on my mind, I thought I had better make some Hot Cross Buns for tomorrow. Sadly, I appear to have made agnostic Hot Cross Buns - all the ingredients are there but nothing's risen. First batch unleavened. Second batch over baked. Batches three and four are proving now, an if they don't work either I'll be etching crosses onto slices of toast and those eating it will just have to like it.

Tia