Tuesday 26 March 2013

It's The School Holidays

The girls are home with me all day and initially killing each other but today following a visit from a dear friend not seen in some time the baby is conked out on the sofa and the Little One is with her Spirograph.

I offered to glitter and jewel her nails up with the glamor kit won at the amusement arcade at Camber Sands last weekend but she says that is for when she is older.

Here is an iphone dump from the last two weeks that gets me up to date.









A few things from the Auction that I quite fancy.
My mum might get those chairs for me and the table for the garden as she likes the mirror for her bathroom.
I love the big upright wall thing but is actually too small for the space that I need a piece of furniture and too big for everywhere else.




P started drawing actual pictures this is Ariel the Mermaid, loving the orange hair.
She is also playing with the pirate kit that LH & DrMonkeybot bought her for Christmas.




She is really piling on the pounds lately with at least 6 meals requested a day and she comes running to the table at dinner.
I know she is on a growth spurt her speech is going from early preschooler to proper little conversationalist.

We went along the coast and stopped for a snack before taking the girls to the cinema on Sunday.




G had cake I had a veg pasty and the girls ate ice cream.
This place has been going longer than me and so has the Venice freeze which stays put despite renovations to the establishment.




I have been in here before when I was much younger but it had a reputation on being over priced which is never comfortable when you've got no money.
But we will be going back the menu looks easy and it's really warm when it is so cold outside and it's full of old dears on a Sunday and you can't beat that.




Then is was off to the cinema to see a film with Turtles thankfully it was short.





Again very warm on a windy day.
AND the best pop corn in the world AND the floor in the small cinema is wooden and not sticky like those big national screens where there is no care for cleanliness under foot.




When P starts preschool after Easter I am going to start a coffee morning to raise so money for our local church. I have been getting myself educated, this is my second go with all the equipment this week.
I am learning a lot but there has been a lot of coffee made and not so much drunk.




Home is an absolute mess. Partly, switching rooms, clearing out and waiting for car boot weather and just the logistics of picking up after all of us.




The girls have bunk beds but choose to sleep top to toe in the bottom one or now in the new spare room in the small double.
G and I think that maybe we should have just ought them one bed to share?




I feel like I could sleep for a week. If the girls are not waking up at 5am then I am waking up an hour later.

When will this weather break?


I saw this in one of the national news papers online, yes that one that I try to avoid.
It's got to be the best I've ever seen.

But I am really ready for the warm weather.

Off to experiment with quorn mince.
So excited.

CM

Thursday 21 March 2013

Camber Sands Caravan

Nana's birthday, one of those big birthday's that means we all go away for the weekend.
A Caravan in Camber Sands.

I've never been in a caravan/mobile home before apart from that one a couple of years ago in France, does that count?
I'd been told pack extra blankets as it was likely to be freezing.

From the left the lounge area looked like this.



all the way round and then if you sit in the right angle seat and table you look back to this and the kitchen.



This is T on the first night, she wanted to come back to our van, the family hired three caravans, I thought to go to bed but actually to do some colouring then watch a movie before falling asleep.
She hadn't been well in the week and she wasn't right till Sunday lunch.




Wasn't cold at all in fact the heating was better than in any home I've ever been in.
Boy did it blow and I couldn't work out why the van wasn't rocking.
The noise of the wind didn't bother me but I still woke up early with a stuffy nose as we had left the heating on.
This is the view around 6am.




I can't work out what I think of caravans. I think if you like looking at lots of other caravans and not a view then this could be the place for you.
Talking to the family it sounds like camping, one site is different to the next, great view, freezing caravan or amazing public facilities versus temperamental hot water.
This was the first weekend of the season so everything was spotless and I was amazed at how well our abode was presented I am not sure it looks the same in late August when the endless families and stags have passed through.

Had a great time but not my first choice of places to stay would like to go back and see what Camber Sands looks like when it is not blowing a bloody gale.







G and I had a bit of a date managed about 50 meters before turning back.
I'd lucked out by buying a sensible windproof waterproof knee length mac (sale) the week before so lived in this with wellibobs. I've never looked so organised in my life and from November I am only shopping in those Mountain Rescue shops where they sell things fur lined, there is nothing on the high street for weather like this.



Gareth likes the blue on on the right because of the the sealed units, but I just know FMH and I would prefer the left with the original wood work and glazing.

What was strange was driving back West, we were about 3 miles outside of Hastings town and we stopped for petrol. Residential area but a thoroughfare road, the light was amazing having just rained and it must have been about 5pm. Only about three cars drove past. It seemed like we were in a town that observed a precious Sunday.
Lots of people in their front rooms and not down the shopping center. It reminded me of being 10 again and out walking the dog in a quiet town.

Managed to do some sewing too and even finished turning cashmere socks into something sweet.
G is in London and I am desperate for the girls to be in bed.
Last day of term tomorrow and I just can't tell how I feel about it.
If T doesn't stop being a bossy boots and singing the first line of Gangnam Style I might just have to squish her like a fly and who showed her the dance?

CM

Wednesday 20 March 2013

New Coat New Breasts

The blog has been a little slow as I have been slightly distracted since February.
I grew what can only be described as a bacon medallion under the skin of the left breasticle.
Wasn't too worried at first as something smaller had happened last year and a mammogram said it was probably hormonal and sure enough it disappeared within a cycle.

Didn't panic but happened to be in the Gp's following week and she thought it might be dermal and not to worry.
OK!
Then a Sunday later the thickness had gone and the redness was there like a bruise.
It's dermal isn't it so I am not worried
I'll get some hydrocortisone cream from the chemist.
I will just look up breast discoloration on the internet.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
No this isn't what I want I want cream.......keep searching........
Oh!
This looks exactly like what I've got.

And that was it, I lost it.

The following day at the GP she said mmmmmmmm never heard of that I think it is probably a low grade infection like Mastitis but I will refer you up to the Breast Care Center anyway and take the internet information that you have.
I did take an antibiotic which actually cleared up my sinus problem in a jiffy

Fine not worried.

Met the Nurse for tea at mine who said why don't you have private appt. and find out whats what and then you will know for sure.
I'm fine I will wait for the referral
Well within in 10 minutes I'd booked an appt. for the same afternoon.
£235 for 15 minutes with the one of the best in the world and I'd seen him last year following that last mammogram.
Gareth agreed to pay because he was struggling with ideas for a birthday present although this was a bit over budget.

The Mr took a good look, nope nothing to worry about, has seen Inflammatory Breast Cancer and this wasn't it. He didn't even dither or question it 1%.
Probably a low grade infection.
Brilliant left happy.

Not happy by the time I got home, Mastitis and Inflammatory Breast Cancer present the same so the seed of doubt was growing uncontrollably in to a Triffid and I felt so ashamed to think this after having seen the Mr with the big qualification.
BUT
The Consultant Radiologist I saw the following day, who looked like she knew Stella McCartney and wore a ring with a rock that you could see from the moon agreed that I was right to be worried as the symptoms were very similar.
She said that Inflammatory Breast Cancer is really rare and inflammation is not.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer is really ugly and aggressive and my breast didn't look like that.
There was nothing she could see and nothing was going to happen between now and the Breast Centrer appt so I should wait and see if there was any change and push for a biopsy at that appt.

She was right and three days of Beta Blockers and some exhaustion I finally calmed down and managed to put it to the back of my mind.

IN THE MEAN TIME

This arrived




G bought me a beautiful duffel coat for Christmas but it is really for the very cold weather and I needed something for Autumn and Spring when a cardigan just isn't enough. Auntie Pol has the perfect coat in biscuit and no matter how many times I go into Zara I just can't replicate it.
And it needed to be timeless and without fashion fuss because it is going to see the school gate for some years to come.
I bought this in the sale with a whopping £240 off.
Never had so many compliments in my life.
Only problem is, it doesn't have that light weight coverage I was after.
It's like wearing a cashmere blanket.
As these teeny tiny pictures show.





I love it, it's not what I was after but it is never going back.
You could ski in this it is so warm.


So the boob appt came back and as they are busy they held a clinic on a Saturday.
Three hours of history, THOROUGH examination, mammogram, ultra sound and a chat. I got my punch biopsy that wouldn't stop bleeding through the dressing and that's when I felt light headed and really cried.
But stopped when someone came in and said that I wasn't going to die.

The Consultant Nurse Specialist was so lovely and confident that it was my hormones said she didn't need to see me and that I would recieve a letter in about three weeks.

I was exhausted and really sad.
I am about to head into my forties and I have spent my thirties worrying about my health and it is worse now that I have the girls. I had made a decision to spend this year getting fit for forty and ditching these anxieties because it is so tiring for everyone Dr. included.
I was looking forward to 39 and turning a new page but this was just hanging over me and no matter how many said it's your hormones until that result crawled out of the lab I wasn't going to be satisfied.

Today in the fifth week the letter finally arrived.

I am pleased to say that the biopsy results only showed normal skin and underlying muscle with no sinister features.
Everybody present at the Multidisciplinary Meeting was happy with this outcome and hence, apart from you being breast aware there is no need for us to do anything else.

Well how lovely is that. Thank you.

This weekend I got a thick cold in the nose, couldn't breath in or out.
By Tuesday my eyes had changed shape I thought my thyroid had blown.
Turns out just a bit of viral conjunctivitis that has now gone.
What can you do!
Moorfields can stand down.

Now I am ready to be happy at 39.
CM



Monday 18 March 2013

Where have we been for so long?

I think it has just been busy but I couldn't tell you what we have been up to and the photos are shockingly dreadful and here are lots of them in no proper order.




I cleared out some magazines. A long time I would have kept tear sheets now I think it is easier to take a pic and store it on the computer. Don't you just love this magazine rack? Beautiful.



P has a trial at preschool she was knackered afterward but spent the afternoon colouring on the sofa, I was really impressed that she didn't nap which will be my fear.
She has also started colouring inside the line and drawing recognisable pictures since so lets see what next term brings.




World Book Day. I had this one planned for a while. T chose the character or so she thinks.




Daddy made the wig we love felt.




We are hoping that if she needs specs she choose these frames.




Soup is made and eaten mid week and then frozen for the end of the week when I am at part time job. Cauliflower if a lost vegetable in this house. No more! Cook a whole one chopped up in a veg stock cube blend a hand full of of cheese and this is amazing.
If you are brave you can leave chunks of cauli in.




Easter Fair at school, you bet I can bake something for the cake stall.



I made four bags and only two were purchased but I think it was a slow day.
There is a bonnet competition but with the preschool trial, Book Day and the baking there wasn't the opportunity for crafting a spectacle.




Next year we are winning this one.
I have secretly been looking at the 5th Ave NYC Easter Bonnet Parade for inspiration but of course T will do all the work. She will be practicing her paper mache between now and then.

Then the snow came and it took us over an hour to drive a 15 minute drive.



And it wasn't even that deep.




We got a snow day somewhere in the middle of it all.
Do you remember a time before mobile phones and text alerts?
When I was at school you'd be in your uniform waiting by the radio listening to the local station waiting for them read out the list of schools that were staying shut, our school was always on the last announcement, oh the joy to hear it's name called.

My girls will never have that excitement damn technology.

I bought a new coat I will post that later.
We went away for the weekend will show pics of that later too.
I have ANOTHER bloody cold but luckily just in the nose although it is occasionally making me feel dizzy.
My broken ankle is playing up. I thought I was getting a lump above the metal plate but it seems to be settling again although there are pain niggles and it's a bit stiff.
 The F1 kicked off again this weekend oh what joy to watch the highlights whilst sorting piles of washing.
There is supposed to be a baby born today I've heard no news.

Off to bed with a decongestant.

CM


Friday 1 March 2013

Two more done!

Went to the supermarket with P on Thursday and came back with this lot.




The problem is that the fridge looks like this.




No word of a lie, there is veg in there from Christmas.
I couldn't cope with putting another load of shopping on top.

Some people look inside their wardrobes and say 'so many clothes and nothing to wear', an over weight mother of two says 'shit! I can't stand this anymore I don't know what to feed them, it's gone on too long'

So I put a familiar movie (Morning Glory/Rachel McAdams/watch when unhinged) for background noise and gave myself an hour.

All out on to the table that needs to be painted black




I knew there was ice but I didn't realise it had got this big.
It will have to wait until we are nearly out of food because I need to turn the whole machine off for a weekend and I am not standing there for an hour with a hairdryer, life is too short.
Anyone know how to fix it? It's a Samsung.




Washing the trays looks like this.




After and hour and 20 it was done.
But not the freezer section.





Hurrah! I can see everything and I vow to keep it looking like this for ever and ever because it makes life easier and far more simple.................

No joke, I started in that kitchen at 11am and with meals and popping out for the school run I think I came out at 7. It was not a fun day.


The following day our Art cupboard got it too.



The weather was bad and the corridor is dark so these photos are not good.

I think that the card making stuff needs to be easily accessible in order for the girls to be inspired.

So it is nearly empty.



The paint and play dough get to stay as they are still off limits without parent supervision.
The lollipop sticks etc are now in here.




P and I then spent the morning sorting our pipe cleaners from our pom poms.
Crayons stickers and colouring books in one basket and anything that needs glue on it in the other.

Those large tubs come with 1000 items but 800 of those items are match sticks or sequins and it can get a little messy.

This is not a clear out and make over, it is a clear out and streamline.
These cupboards of mine are not all of a sudden going to look lovely, I want them to look bare.
I want it to look like we are about to move house
Then I can come in and manage the situation in minutes. If later in the year I can make it all look lovely then bonus but in the mean time it is beyond me.
Forgive me FMH for saying that but I am just too tired.

Goodbye February you went so quick.
Hello much spring is coming but you wouldn't know it!

Early to bed this eve as there is a road trip for me tomorrow

CM