this week....
....the weather has been very changeable. It was mostly of the cold, wet and windy variety, with some spells of sunshine. Any venture outside was strictly dictated by necessity rather than a wish to be outdoors. Luckily, Jack is not allowed long walks until he has his wound healing check-up on Monday. He has been neutered last Wednesday and has several stitches in his nether regions. Difficult to keep clean in this weather, Jack's legs are barely longer than those of a guinea pig. To add insult to injury, he has to wear a lampshade, which he finds totally undignified.
....has been hectic and not all that great. I am glad it is coming to an end.
.... Annie was away with school. She went skiing in Italy. She had a lovely time, judging by the Twitter feed (teachers only) and her own lively account. She is double grumpy now and mostly barks. But I am looking forward to seeing the photos, once the film is developed. The children were only allowed disposable cameras. A four day ski trip to Italy is not great value for money but she has been looking forward to this since her first year at school. The ski trip is a long standing tradition during the last year of primary school. We are already saving up for the little ones.
... the rest of us, we have been fighting germs and exhaustion. Sam and Alistair were both of school for 2 and 3 days respectively.
....poor old Sam had to see a doctor again for his knee pains. There is no consistent diagnosis, apparently knee pains are common in adolescent males. It seems a shame though that at the age of 14 he depends on prescription pain medication to be able to walk to school.
.... Richard and I were extremely busy at work. Richard started a new course on Monday and I have been fighting demon instruments. We also had to take turns looking after sick children. We took Alistair into work on both days he was ill. Just for a couple of hours. He sat in a corner with his Nintendo. That's how busy work was. I don't like it when it is like that.
.... the local playground was open after extensive renovations. We are still waiting for the flying fox and the trim trail to be finished when it is less wet. A great big thank you to the fab community council that has made it all possible.
....we took the kids for dinner on Friday, to celebrate Annie's return and because both Richard and I didn't feel like cooking. We went to Mario's Plaice on Byres Road. We still call it Jack McPhee even though it has not been that for many years. It is a small and unassuming place with booths and a simple menu and a smell of deep fried battered fish and vinegar tickling the noses.We are regulars (if eating there twice a year counts as regular) and we are always greeted like old friends. It is nice to feel welcome. Unusual, too. Four children are not always a winning formula in Glasgow's culinary establishments. Sam didn't feel like eating much but humoured us. Alistair was hungry but didn't eat. He did drink his milk shake, which he promptly returned on the way home. To his credit, he has impeccable manners and he warned me with time to spare ('excuse me mummy, I think I am going to be sick').
....I went jogging for the first time in three months. I didn't collapse and I didn't feel too bad after. It appears that my foot is most sore when I am resting, or sitting on the sofa. I wonder if it is trying to tell me to get off my backside more often? Did I mention that my foot has been sore for weeks? Every muscle in my thighs is aching now!
....I went to Knit Night with my lovely German friends. I missed the last two Knit Nights and I missed the German chatter with old comfortable friends. My German is terribly rusty and more than a few Swiss expressions littered my chatter. My friends think that is funny. I guess it is. I am not even going to try to explain but it is usually because we use different idioms in Switzerland.
.... I have seen many weird and wonderful shoots and plantlets appearing all around us. Some I don't know what they are. It is the same every year.
....I answered more cold calls than I care for. No, I don't want a conservatory, I don't need new windows, or a new kitchen, I am not owed any money (sadly) and my computer is not in danger.
.... we ended with a lovely dinner at our friends house. We had oxtail stew, mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli and self saucing chocolate pudding. What better way to end a busy week?
I wonder what next week brings? How did your week go? With March surely comes the nice spring weather. How exiting! I might have to visit the garden centre, or sew some flower seeds in my planting trays. I collected seeds from my own garden and can't wait to see if I haven't muddled them up.
Have a lovely week. Cx
Great news for the week Christina. I went to Switzerland on my own when I was 15 to do work experience. My parents thought it would be character building!!!! Too right, catching a plane on my own, listening to train times on the tanoy at Zurich in german then in French to get to Lausanne with no mobile phone... how did they let me do it? Jo x
ReplyDeletePhew, that's a busy week. Poor little Jack, the lampshade is adding insult to injury. I'm amazed at the skiing trip for primary school children, wow. Although my friend who lives in France recently had a five day skiing trip for her five year old! When I was at school it was Ogmore-by-Sea for one day once you were in sixth form. Oh my god, I'm not old am I? I'm very envious of your Knit nights, I really need something like that here. I hope this week is a little less busy at work for you both. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteIt certainly sounds like a busy week! I hope everyone is feeling better soon, including poor Jack. I really struggle with Swiss German, they always end up taking pity on me and reverting to a more Hoch Deutsch style! Well done with thhe jogging, that's something I need to do more often... I hope the foot gets less sore :)
ReplyDeleteGosh you have been busy people at your house! I hope that Jack is all OK very soon and can get rid of his lampshade, I hope the children are all alright too! xx
ReplyDeleteI feel exhausted just reading that! Are you sure it was all last week and not last month ?!
ReplyDeleteJillxo
You certainly had a very busy week. Mine was busy too - though thankfully not as busy as yours! Our weather is changeable too. We've had snow today though the sun is shining now.
ReplyDeleteFrom an outsider's point of view, that sounds like a great week. You survived the lurgy. Your dog hasn't destroyed the house with his Collar of Shame (my girls insist on calling it that after watching the film "Up"!) as our dog tried to do as he couldn't judge where anything was when he wore his. Your son has impeccable manners, even when about the throw up. The skiing trip lived up to all the expectations. I'd count that as a victory - but hope this next week is quieter for you! xx
ReplyDeletePS We have friends who live in Switzerland - he's Austrian and she's English and she actually speaks better Swiss-German than he does because she's never learned anything else and although he's a native German speaker, he didn't know the local idioms at first. Funny how languages can be the same but different, isn't it? :-) xx
DeleteSounds a very busy week. Hope the bugs are on their way out now and that jack is bearing his 'lampshade' bravely. As for Spring it's been snowing here!! Hope you have a fab week Christina. xx
ReplyDeleteSorry your kids have been sick, that's so hard on them and their working parents. Sounds like you daughter is suffering from post trip hangover.
ReplyDeleteStill cold and rainy here, but they're promising 80º weather by Wednesday, I'd love to spend some time in the garden.
You have a lot going on, Christina! I feel like I ned to make a cup of tea and have a rest just having read about all of it. Sick children and a recuperating puppy added into an already busy life must have been exhausting. I hope you are finding time to take a few moments for yourself every day!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about the illness. I think that what Sam has is called Osgood-Schlatter's? If so, my husband had it when he was growing up. Apparently it's especially common in boys who will be tall when they are grown; my husband is over six feet. He outgrew it and does not have lasting effects that he knows of. He had to wear knee braces as a teenager, though. I hope Sam has a similar positive outcome.
ReplyDeleteSounds hectic! We too keep being floored by a series of viral infections: coughs, sore chests, colds, ear problems. Will it ever go away???
ReplyDeleteI laughed at the thought of mixing up seeds. We planted lots of spring bulbs last year and have absolutely no idea what all these green shoots are now. I'll either label things or make notes in future. Keeps it exciting, I suppose - we'll just have to wait until the buds appear.
Hope your little doggy recovers from that op soon (how undignified) and that you're all feeling better soon.
S x
Sounds like a hectic week in your house Christina. Those late winter bugs and viruses are horrible to shift. Sorry to hear about Sam's knees. We had a similar situation with our youngest a few years agol he was virtually immobilised by pain. He eventually had physio and hydro therapy at Yorkhill, plus a hefty regime of home exercises which saw it off, but it took a long time for him to fully regain his confidence and fitness. X
ReplyDeleteOur little Jack Russel had the same op a few weeks ago. The first time he washed himself after the lampshade was removed we could almost see his thought process - done my legs, now to investigate my man bits, What the Heck Has Happened Here!
ReplyDeleteHey Christina,
ReplyDeletePoor Jack and his cone of shame ;) Your week was very busy. I'm not sure I could handle the pace, although I'd love to be able to take all of mine out for dinner. I'm afraid that it would be hand bags at dawn, with all the hormones flying around at the moment. Sam has suffered with back pains since he was about twelve. The Doctor called them growing pains, but he quite often needs pain relief. Like you I think it's rather poor that he needs to, but apparently there is nothing else that can be done. I adore your daffodil picture. Lovely translucent yellow. I haven't treated myself to any so far. Perhaps I will tomorrow.
Here's hoping for a less frenetic week, my friend.
Leanne xx
That's quite a week, I hope this one is less hectic although just as exciting! The pains in Sam's legs sound the same as those experienced by a friend's sons. They have the same as Jennifer's husband. She had no help from the medical profession to ease their pain, so she turned to the Google doctor and found some great massage techniques that really helped them
ReplyDeleteYou've had a very busy, tiring week. I'm glad that it ended on a much better note with that fantastic dinner. I hope this week is easier and less busy for you all. X
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, your week sounds so busy and hectic. So glad your daughter had a wonderful time on her trip. I bet you missed her heaps. Hope you are all feeling better and that work calms down some. I think you need a few days to regroup. Hugs to you,
ReplyDeleteMeredith
I love these little catch ups with your family. I hope everyone is feeling better now x
ReplyDeletesuch a busy week, I hope this one has been calmer for you. hope you can get an answer about Sam's knees, it's so frustrating when doctors dismiss things as common, as if it depreciates the pain. I would keep insisting on a proper diagnosis...... and perhaps some treatment x
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your son's sore knees. My son also started suffering the same thing around that age. He still has some problems, especially in cold and damp weather, with no specific diagnosis. He had to give up rowing at university, having been captain at school. However he took up cross country running instead, which apparently was better for his knees. And he has no problems currently in Australia, where it's nice and hot. Not sure this is very comforting to you, although the prospect of emigration can often be attractive to mothers of teenagers!
ReplyDelete