Enforced Stopping

It's been a while...

We've been really fortunate with the absence of illness recently.  I'm hoping it's a benefit of having had every known bug known to man in the first few years of my parenthood.  Maybe, now we're not so sleep deprived, we don't have to incubate every illness we come across.  That's an encouraging thought.

It couldn't last forever though.  The night before last, I awoke to a vague whimpering sound.  As I came to - it was apparent that Nathan had also recently woken up.  Poor chap had woken up lying in his own vomit.  His main concern was being so cold.

So - saving you any more unpleasant details - the rest of the night was no fun.  Suffice to say - little sleep was had, and much laundry was created.

Nathan's school has a policy that following this sort of bug, you can't go back until you've been vomit free for 48 hours.  All fair enough.  Yesterday Nathan was not too bad, but today he's pretty much back to normal.  He's downstairs playing with some toys as I type.

And actually I'm grateful.  Here I am - having to be at home - doing enforced stopping.  (I'm also grateful that my children are now old enough to at least attempt aiming their vomit into an appropriate receptacle - although I did promise no more unpleasant details...)

Don't get me wrong, I've spent a lot of time doing housework, and other jobs.  However, I've also been building marble runs, playing dominoes, driving cars, being read stories (Nathan very rarely lets anyone read to him at the moment, but he does like an audience for his reading...) and sitting with him on the sofa.  Nathan is a very companionable chap.

So I'm not rushing off to do x, y and z today.  I'm off to chill out with the boy xx

The Questions people ask...

When you enter the 'both children at school' phase of life, people ask you some marvellous questions... 

"What do you do all day?" (Probably the most common - I'm not going to rant - but it's safe to say; I'm not just sat on my rear watching Daytime TV...)

"When are you going back to work?"  Because combining shift work with the school run is just so much fun...

But my personal favourite:

"Are you going to have another baby?"

Seriously?

I have to get over my initial urge to just laugh maniacally.  No, I'm not.  If I was going to do that - I would have done it already; not waited until I had a bit of spare time - and then filled it with morning sickness, more stretch marks and additional sleep deprivation... 

Any of you who have ever read my blog know that I love my children a lot; after all - I talk about them enough.  They are marvellous, brilliant, funny, bright, insightful, *insert additional superlatives here* But I still don't want another one.

One of my good friends is pregnant at the moment with her second baby, and she's really struggling with her pelvis.  I had some pelvic problems; particularly in my second pregnancy; so empathy is not a problem.  Watching her struggle to move around, I can almost feel that pain again.  I know that, even amidst her pain, she is not regretting being pregnant.  I'm glad that I'm a bit more available to help; having kids at school does release you a bit to do other things - even if that is to help others with their babies...

So, dear reader - I am quitting whilst I'm ahead.
And if I ever feel the need to cuddle a baby - I'm sure I'll be able to find one...

Whirly-gig Wonders

Today I faced the age-old dilemma faced by Mums (Dads / Grans etc... other carers are available...) everywhere.  Do I hang the washing out or not?

I know.  Earth shattering stuff.

The sky was part blue, part white and part grey...  It wasn't warm, but it wasn't freezing either.  I wasn't convinced that it would stay rain-free, but it was so windy outside, I had to give it a try.  It was what they call Up North, 'a good drying day'...

However, once I got the washing, pegs and rotary washing line (aka Whirly-gig) out, I realised - this was going to be no easy task...

The wind was so strong.  Unbelieveably strong.  More 'top-of-mountain' strong than 'random-suberb' strong...  As soon as I got one thing on the line, the thing spun round and round again...  I must have looked like a crazy woman; trying to hold onto the line, the pegs, and bending down to find the next sock - all at the same time.

I know that in Matthew Jesus commanded the wind and it calmed down - but I can tell you - it didn't work for me today.  Apparently God was more concerned with saving people's lives in the New Testament than He was in helping me hang out my washing...  Fair enough I guess.  I did feel like I'd done a few rounds with Mike Tyson though by the time I'd finished.  Not my most glamorous day.

I did benefit from the wind though.  After a couple of hours, the sky looked threatening - so I thought I'd take the washing in - and it was already dry.  Marvellous.  I am in fact the Queen of Laundry...

Do I get a crown with that?