an unexpected absence.

I took E to the doctors as he was complaining of stomach pain. Not long later we were at the Great North Children's Hospital 35 miles away. The doctor suggested that they'd probably keep him for observation for a few hours, so we went home to collect his dad, I grabbed him a bag with a teddy, book and pj's, told Miss K that hopefully we wouldn't be long, and off we went. 

and came home 4 days later.

E came home without his appendix.

I learnt a lot in this time. I learnt that if you say you are in pain then you get poked a lot which makes the pain worse. I have a new found respect for the kindness and patience of nurses. I learnt that you can cheer up a teenager quite a lot by taking ridiculous pictures of floppy playing with all the hospital equipment. This is the teenager that didn't fit in the bed on the children's ward, and the nurses extended the end and stuffed the gap with pillows so his feet didn't trail over the edge. I learnt  that if you have a room with an internal window it NEVER gets dark, so at 2.30am when you can't sleep you have enough light to read without turning on any lights.......I learnt which beeping machines you can ignore, and which you can't - morphine pump alarm when patient frantically tries to get more doses than he's allowed. I learnt that anti sickness drugs are essential after a general anaesthetic and morphine, and that the ward had a never ending supply of clean bedding, which we needed, several times.... Also that the combination of morphine and anti sickness drugs can cause hallucinations.

J came back and forth to the hospital in between going to work and looking after Miss K, and I slept on a fold out bed in the corner of the room. We watched a Lot of superhero films, and all of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, sometimes in the middle of the night with the sound turned down very very low. Also some truly dreadful daytime quiz shows. I may never turn the tv on in the day again. We watched people coming in and out of the lifts and if you looked down out of the window you could watch the people in the queue at the coffee shop. I spent a long time looking out at the people, the extremely frail old lady pushing her handbag in a wheelchair was the highlight I think.

I was extremely grateful for messages and support, and the kindness we were shown. E is recovering slowly and very happy to be back home. He is not at all sad that he missed going back to school after half term. He is also very happy that he still can't have a bath or shower and doesn't have to do games at school for weeks and weeks and weeks. Oh and he got bought lego as a treat. and sweets.

I am appreciating being and at home, drinking tea made in a teapot, and pondering why on earth when I realised that E would need overnight things did I never at any point think that I might need anything....

I hope you all have very quiet and uneventful weekends. That is definitely what I am hoping for.

lessons in romance

E: what are you doing mummy?
me: I'm helping daddy make this new flower bed.
E: More flower beds! Why do we need More flower beds?
me: because daddy doesn't buys me flowers, instead he's building me a flower bed I can grow some.
E: why don't you just buy your own flowers?

oh dear, the boy has a lot to learn about romance.......

suitable Saturday night family viewing?

It all started with an assistant in a bookshop. she recommended the series to Miss K who was wandering about clutching a birthday book voucher.

I should have known better than to say ok to a book called Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging. The snogging bit really should have warned me. Miss K was thrilled, "all my friends are reading them, they laugh out loud in lessons"

Miss K comes home, reads several of the books, pronounces them very funny.

Fast forward two weeks and Father Christmas in a fit of needing something a little extra for a stocking saw the DVD of Angus, Thongs and perfect snogging and thought Miss K will like that.

Fast forward again to last Saturday night, where DVD is selected as part of a special Saturday night, movie and tv dinner treat.

DVD is rated a 12. Miss K is now 12. E is 10. I read the box. moderate language. no signs of gratuitous violence. I ok it. (choosing suitable films might be a whole other post - it's a mine field....)

the verdict

me; I have a nearly teenager. I was quite worried about it. Now I am very worried about it.

J; he laughed a lot, especially at the bits where the parents embarrassed their daughter.

E; pronounces it gross, especially the snogging. "that film was disgusting"

Miss K; runs out into the hall a lot squirming. perhaps it's a movie to watch with your friends not your parents!



my fave quote - "if you haven't noticed I'm a woman now, I wear a bra"



next movie night I decline film choice responsibility....

flowers

flowers for Anna (garden girl), because she's just got out of hospital.
Get well soon sweetie.
Go visit her, and leave her a get well message.

fun with friends

we spent the weekend visiting with friends , and had a really lovely time. They drove to meet us here at Belton House near Grantham, which would be perfect for a grand blog friend meet up. It's very grand, it has lovely gardens,



we could all rush around like busy bees meeting each other, and oohing and aaahing over the flowers,



we would of course have to be properly dressed for the occasion, for once we could wear outfits and say "does my bum look big enough in this".....



the children would have to dress up too of course, which might make going on the fantastic adventure playground a bit hard but I'm sure they'll manage.



back to reality, we got caught in a huge rainstorm whilst going round the gardens, everyone else ran for the cover of a huge tree, but E and I were going round the maze, which was about shoulder height, so they could all see us frantically running here and there trying to get out, all the while getting wetter and wetter.....

the next morning at our friends house near Cambridge the sun came back and we had breakfast in their garden, a treat I don't think we've managed all summer in Yorkshire.



and then we went to visit a place I imagine to be perfect for dottycookie and her lovely girls,



where we did pond dipping in the lakes and caught tiny fish and beetles,



no this photo isn't upside down, these are reflections



and then we found a play area where the grown ups all behaved responsibly at all times.......



In the afternoon we went to Wicken Fen, where I'd last been on my first year field trip as a college student, many many years ago....



we found beautiful flowers amongst the sedges



and it would be a perfect place for Tracy to visit, apparently there are 24 species of dragonfly to be found here throughout the year.



and peaking through the boardwalks we spotted the tiniest lizard - you know your children have been watching too many natural history programs (Lost Land of the Jaguar was the recent favourite)



when your 7 year old says "do you think it's a new species?"

afternoon tea

when entertaining visitors from other countries it is imperative to allow them to experience true Englishness. so we've had howling winds, driving rain, hail, sleet, threats of snow - typical English spring, and to make up for the weather some nice afternoon tea.



a nice selection of sandwiches, (you can choose 4 types, white or granary bread, with crusts or without), scones with clotted cream and jam, and fruit cake with a nice slab of wensleydale cheese. and endless tea.



and for me a gluten free version, pre-ordered, there was a nervous moment while the waitress who didn't know about it went to check with the kitchen, but it was ok, there was gluten free bread, obviously home made, - you can tell from the door stop sandwiches, (gf bread is not known for it's lightness) which was yummy, and a bought in scone and fruit cake, both gf so I was very happy bunny.




and did I mention the tea...

flowers

flowers for Sheila because she's not been feeling well. please go and say "Hi" and cheer her up.



flowers for Stephanie because she made my day yesterday, by noticing my etsy shop logo!



flowers for all of you, because you are here



flowers for Beth, for meeting me for coffee on Friday, and giving me the confidence to finally open my etsy shop, and not be scared of paypal and for bringing me some gorgeous wool to play with. go and see her lovely monsters.........



I love flowers .........

how do you spell...?

E - the youngest one in the family has been suffering from



as well as a



and



which makes him



and a little bit



but on a positive note we have learnt a new game this weekend .........

now I'm just hoping that no-one else gets ill.

mother's day

breakfast in bed of strawberry and banana smoothie and a gluten free croissant,
lots of cards drawn by the lovely E and Miss K and some lovely bulbs...



followed by
Roast sunday lunch
followed by
lemon meringue - so can anyone tell me why the lemon bit didn't set and oozed out of the pie - still tasted good though.



followed by a trip to the park
followed by a visit to a new store that's opened where there were going to be cooking demonstrations by James Martin
well we were too late for the demo's, but James was doing a book signing, so it seemed churlish not to buy one, (J said I could have it for mother's day)





I know I know, I already have too many cook books, but this one's signed....

2 treats

two lovely things have happened in the last 2 days, I got a wonderful surprise parcel in the post from Linaloo, and my first blogger award from Isobel at Cosy Corner. thank you Isobel!!!

the blogger award came with a request for 7 wierd facts.

I feel I've done something very similar already, so I'll try to keep it short.

1. I have 112 cookbooks - I just counted, oh my god, I knew I had a lot but....
   


2. of those 112, 17 of them are gluten free cook books, which means 95 have recipes in I can't eat unless I mess about with the ingredients, which sometimes works, and sometimes is a disaster....


3. I had planned this year to try and cook something out of one of these books once a week, but now I've calculated it will take 2 years and 1 1/2 months maybe I'll eat tinned soup all year instead, less daunting.


4. one of the great culinary achievements over Christmas was introducing curry to Miss K and E. friday night curry tradition we here come!


5. when Miss K was little she was the fussiest eater in the entire world, she drove me to tears with it. now she eats huge amounts of almost everything, especially roast potatoes.


6. considering all of the above it's amazing I don't look more like this;


7. which would be unfortunate as my J's sister has asked Miss K and I to be bridesmaids in the summer.......
   

now the fun part I choose to pass on this award to (not sure how many I'm allowed to choose)

Alice

Linaloo

Vanessa

Gina

Val

Ali

my parcel from Lina was a real treat, I'd sent her something as part of a pay it forward, and as a thankyou she sent me these, which I love, she'd posted about them here and it was such a delight when they sailed through my letter box - thankyou Lina, you are so generous!!

aren't they lovely!

floppy's adventures

meet floppy



floppy is E's favourite cuddly thing, he goes everywhere, and is the first call of comfort after a bump or a tumble.

on Sunday floppy was found on our bedroom floor, even E seemed bemused but I guessed he'd left there after playing in our bed.

on Monday floppy was found on the bathroom floor, I figured he'd been abandoned when cleaning teeth before school.

on Tuesday he was halfway down the stairs, by this time I'm about to have words with E about leaving his stuff all over the house, and maybe floppy could stay in bed..

this morning when I went out floppy was tucked up snug in bed,
when we got home from school floppy is on the floor by the front door.


hhhmmmmmmm, either floppy is getting upto lots of mischief or there are other culprits involved.

the evidence so far;




the chief suspects have been seen in the vicinity of the crime scene.....

mad dogs and englishmen?

we had a lovely new year with friends, with some amazing culinary experiences;

I know some of you from the other side of the world may be used to picnicing on the beach in January, but it's not something we'd expect in Yorkshire!
A long walk up a steep hill, followed by a very muddy slither down again, a very competitive game of beach football, some beach combing, and some fossiling was followed by sandwiches, christmas cake and coffee on the beach, and then hot baths and a dvd in front of the fire for tired and dirty children.

when all were clean and warm we wished in the new year with



hibiscus flowers in champagne! (or lemonade if you are too small for champagne..)

and some very delicious fruit,



some very pretty marshmallows,



a christmas present of our hosts,



and more dirty children again!



can it still count as part of your five a day if it's smothered in chocolate?

this morning, we've all been out to participate in my Christmas present from J, a family photo session at a studio, we haven't had a decent family photo with all of us in it for about 3 years, I usally hold the camera to avoid being photographed!

and soon we're going out to try and find a hill to sledge down because there's snow! not much by Lina's standards, but enough to excite the little ones, (well me too actually!)
photos tomorrow, hopefully not of us sitting in A&E in plaster casts....


thanks for all the Christmas and New Year wishes, hope 2008 is great for everyone!

happy new year!

we're going to spend New Year with friends - here.

4 adults, 4 children (9,7,7,5) Miss K is the oldest and the only girl so she gets to boss everyone around, or at least I think that's the plan!

lots of good food, good fun, good friends, and fireworks on the beach to celebrate the coming of the new year.

when we get back reality might start to kick in, and it will be time to starts lists, and resolutions like reddy made. I like the idea of a list of books to read, and maybe I should also resolve to make one thing from each of my craft books, and my recipe books ( of which I got several new ones for Christmas - yippee!)

hope you all have a lovely New Years Eve, whereever and however you celebrate.

Happy New Year. xx

happy thanksgiving

two reasons to be thankful.

family

and

friends (that includes you).

hope you have a lovely day.

weekend away

one glimpse of the sun



roaring fire



fabulous food







no lights (we blew the fuses - whoops!)
very steep stairs
lots of wine
great friends
a stormy sea

= wonderful weekend