Interesting Weekend

Luckily all four of us have a sense of humour. SoH came in very handy this weekend. The general decline started on Friday, when I tried to conduct a conversation with our landscaper. I was trying to complain to him about our lawn dying. I emphasise trying because its impossible to even have an iota of concentration when 2 kids are about. MLP (my little princess) was screetching due to tiredness and general irritability at not having eaten in two hours. She demanded to be held and did not take kindly to being put on the grass as I tried to conduct conversation. Cajoling her with random pieces of fruit did not work, in actual fact it made her more angry. The boy kept disappearing into the garage, then reappeared waving random objects he had managed to get his hands on. When he appeared with saw in hand, I had to take action and lock him out of the garage. Cue hissy fit. Holding two “protesting” kids at once is quite challenging.

I had approximately 25 mins left, after landscaper made his excuses, to cook and feed two kids, then race over to Dr for injections for MLP. Whilst I am holding MLP still for her inevitable screaming following the insertion of an incredibly big needle in her arm, the boy is busy ripping the couch roll from the doctors examination bed. Muttering apologies, we rush out of the surgery.

Within a few hours MLP has developed a fever. She does not want to sleep, or eat just lie on me clutching her cashmere jumper. Cooking with child draped seems normal these days. We had cashmere flavoured steak and veggies, as everytime I tried to brush the offending jumper out of the way when cutting or cooking, MLP flicked it back. Needless to say, due to her lack of appetite she did not feel the need to partake of cashmere flavoured feast.

Cue high fever and high pitched crying instead of screaming for the next 24 hours. Poor kiddie.

Fast forward to me getting Sunday lunch ready. As I am chopping the veggies I smell burning. Upon closer investigation I notice that the chopping boards placed next to the hob are melting. I only own (sorry, owned) 3 chopping boards, all plastic. As I whip the chopping boards away from the heat, melted strands of plastic cover the kitchen. In my haste I find that I have placed the melting chopping boards on the freshly chopped veg. Veg and chopping boards have amalgamated. My new creation looked really pretty, a partially melted, bejewled chopping board with organic jewels! Threw out my new creation into the bin and thought no more about it. Until the bin started smoking. I resolved this by throwing a cup of water in there and carried on with peeling a new batch of veggies.

Had a great time with our friends, although I could not fully relax as I was worried about MLP as she had developed spots on her torso. The boy adds to my worried state as he falls over scratching his face on a fence. There is a large mark above and below his eye.

After guests left, MLP got REALLY tetchy, madly scratching the side of her head, yelping in pain. I decided to call NHS Direct. Having described her symptoms they thought I should call my GP as it was “….highly worrying that she has these symptoms, especially after a vaccination, for meningitis”….Duly call GP’s out of hours service. They say that we should take her to A&E as there is an emergency Dr surgery there.

Needless to say, we were a little bit worried at that stage. Arriving at A&E, my nerves are further stretched, when upon stating who we are we, they say we have been expecting you. MLP just hugs her cashmere jumper and smiles weakly at me. I try to calm myself by deciding what my fav ABBA song is. Decide as elation is called for it should be Super Trouper “smiling, laughing having fun, feeling like a number one”

The Dr examines her, (all the while he is doing this, my son keeps loudly repeating “roll, want my roll”, as in the mad rush to leave the house, I put the remnants of his roast dinner into a roll, which, we explain over and over has been left in the car!) states that she does not have meningitis, but she does have a viral infection. We leave from the consultation prescription in hand, very thankful. We have to take her for a checkup with our normal GP in a few days.

Today we were back at the hospital, planned visit this time, as the boy had an appointment with the eye dr. Today, it was MLP’s turn to try and get some attention as she cried all the way through his appointment.