Tuesday, 19 June 2012

Caravan open mike night

At work today, I had to shut the blinds, open windows and blink away the sunshine, all the while cursing the British weather which left me a week and a half ago in a wet caravan in Whitley Bay and now stripping off my cardigan and contemplating open toes  at work.  Why is it always sunny when the kids go back to school and is there a way to trick it?
I shouldn’t complain about the caravan and Whitley Bay is a great family holiday but can’t help feeling just the tinsiest bit miffed about the weather and of course the inevitable state the weather will return to in four weeks times when the kids break up for the summer.
My boys were so excited about staying in a caravan, so excited that the, ‘Are we there yet’s?’ started at Stretford... making it a long drive to the north east. The two year old finally falling asleep as we tunnelled under the Tyne leaving him grumpy as a goblin as we arrived.
On arrival, my partner pleasantly surprised at the flushing toilet his own childhood holidays having less mod cons, collapsed on the ‘L’ shaped fitted sofa (that disappointingly didn’t turn into a double bed with a winch of the dining table!).... leaving me to unpack.
I marvelled at the use of space! Opened tiny cupboard after tiny cupboard, narrow wardrobe after narrow wardrobe and handy little shelf after handy little shelf. I laid out the toothbrushes, the dirty washing bag, the noodles and tin of beans and revelled in the role of (holiday) home-maker.
‘Put that in the bin, honey’ I would say.
 ‘Do you mean the MINI bin Mummy?’ the five year old responds.
‘Time for bed, honey’ I would say.
‘Do you mean time for MINI bed Mummy?’ the five year old responds.
‘Fancy a shower?’ I would say.
‘Do you mean a MINI shower?’ the five year old responds.
You would think that would get boring wouldn’t you?
Not for me!
I am the woman who spends Halloween putting the word SPOOKY (with a quivering voice) before even the most mundane noun... ‘I’m going to eat my SPOOKY special K, and watch the SPOOKY Wright Stuff then clean my SPOOKY teeth’ do I need to go on?
I am the woman who spent the week before rainy Whitley Bay giving my work colleague a daily countdown to her holiday in South Wales.... ‘Oneby today, mate!’ ‘ Twoby today mate’, ‘Threeby today mate! ‘All the way to ‘Tenby tomorrow mate!’ she stopped even pretending it was ironically dad jokeish by Fourby but I just couldn’t stop myself ....
I am the woman who along with her deranged flat mates spent almost a week saying, ‘I cannae hear yea’ in a mock Scottish accent to anyone who refused to speak in a mock Scottish accent back.
Yes, I am a firm believer of the mirth accumulator!
Anyway, the holiday was fine. The two year old even ended up with sun burn (bad Mummy) during a rock pooling day we spent wellied and kagouled up! And cream scones can be eaten any weather can’t they?



Saturday, 16 June 2012

Hospital Again

Yesterday I rushed out of work after my partner called to say his symptoms had got worse and the G.P. said he needed to go to hospital immediately. I had mixed feelings as always, the same feelings that won when the five year was sent to hospital after a fall in the playground three weeks ago and I finished the school day before joining him only to realise later he had fractured his skull in three places and probably could have done with his Mummy earlier... We certainly get our money’s worth out of the NHS... I’m thinking of applying for a season ticket in the car park and expecting the woman on Reception to say, ‘Ooh new hair cut D! Still at number 40?’ as I offer assistance to new-comers showing them the way to x-ray, phlebotomy and the canteen... I am suitably shamed thinking about the people who are really at hospital daily and the unbelievable pain that must come from having a sick child. Anyway off I drove after organising with the Head Teacher who would take over my day and cancelling my after school ‘Street Dance’ Club – (as I’m sure you can imagine I don’t do a particularly good job of that one anyway! – over ambitious volunteering from this 41 year old who realised all the ‘cool’ music she had at home was older than the kids! For me dancing will always stay as it was in 2001! – You see Kylie I really ‘Can’t get you out of my head!’) All the journey I’m thinking, if he’s in hospital next week I can ask my Dad to..., drop early?, speak to in laws..., leave work at..., ask a parent at the school to.... wishing I could work from home and imagining my year 5’s rocking up to mine in a school bus on Monday afternoon to make Greek Pots in my kitchen ... It is only now when I write this I realise it’s the distraction my mind needs to stop the ‘what if’s... My partner lives with a chronic incurable condition which means the whole family does, lots of families do and when he feels depressed about it and moans about wanting to be ‘normal’ and how he would be able to do this or that if he could get to 100% instead of living his life at 60% on a good day I remind him of that and that of course there are a lot of people a lot worse off than we are. He doesn’t thank me for it! The doctor at the hospital disagreed with our G.P. and decided to send him home and see if symptoms got worse. They have. This morning he can’t walk and we wait to see what will happen next... We are well supported with lots of lovely friends and family. Last night some Thai sweet potato, coconut milk and chilli soup and freshly squeezed juice thanks to one lovely friend and I believe a fish pie may be on its way from another! Life can be tough but we are lucky...