Archives: chickenpox

Well – we all helped a little with Jack’s homework yesterday because he had some extra… well – not extra because he’d failed to note it in his jotter so he hadn’t completed it by yesterday & therefore had to complete it for today – that as well as the other homework that had banked up a bit meant 4 lots of homework in for today & therefore quite a bit to get done… So we had to lend a hand. My task was typing up some of his written work & Louise’s job was helping him with the written trying to keep an over tired boy focussed. (he was up late the night before reading). Managed it all – but he was to bed late – which is not so good when he’s already tired.

So this Friday we’re off to one of the ‘school events’ which they’ve organised. This is about homework. Should be interesting.

Esme is definitely better – been better for a couple of days, but that doesn’t stop her being clingy & more vocally complaining. I have to carry her more… Getting home yesterday I picked up Jude from school (he’d been doing Computer Club) & took him home. We would have gone to the park to join the others, but Jude wanted ‘something’ from 72 (cafe). Because he had a bar of chocolate we couldn’t go to the park (because eating it in front of the others would create ‘ruptions). Met Jack outside 72 & we all walked up home, Jack telling us of his ill fortune buying something on the way home because he was starving getting a bottle of water that he dropped leaving him but a dribble after the pavement had the lions share & a mistakenly purchased sandwich that had tuna salad (the ‘tuna’ on the packaging having been covered with the price sticker . He admitted to the one funny bite, but no more – presumably he threw it away.

We got home & I used the cheap brown sealant that I bought at the ‘pound store’ to go round the top of the rabbit hutch after making Jack a sandwich & a cup of tea & deterring Jude from setting off down to the park with his bike because I was under the impression that Louise & the others would be back at any moment. Pump gun & sealant didn’t hold Jude’s interest long – he want off to play on his bike. I got the top of the hutch done & then just did a little around the porch window not letting Jack help with that as it seemed a little foolishly dangerous to risk him messing about too much what he’s got his clean white school shirt on. Job done Louise returns with Eve & Esme whereupon Esme starts screeching & demanding to be picked up as she’d obviously incapable of using her legs any more after running around the playground merrily & then stomping up the hill home. Hey ho – y’gotta love her…

Chat with Louise (one of Eve’s school friends being abominable to her mum (who seems to be depressed) at the playground… wonder what it’s possible to do?) & then get organised to take Eve to her swimming lesson. Esme protests that she doesn’t want to go… She’s going – we set off. Not late for swimming (makes a change). Eve changed & ready to start Esme & I get a milkshake each from the cafe there but then the seats by the pool are too crowded again to sit down, so I sit us down behind them & we play with the lids from the milkshake bottles. The game develops into something where were throwing, flicking or pushing them to each other & Esme is jolly entertained. We’re only marginally annoying & embarrassing to other parents (this never really bothers me) & we even get another little girl joining in at one stage. I miss all of Eve’s lesson. Eve out of the pool she gets a bun from the cafe & Esme gets Smarties from the machine. Home through the park Eve refuses to come in because she gets stuck playing with Leah, Hanna & Rosie at the bottom of the road. Esme’s tea is Shreddies & Eve refuses the offer of tea (has an apple later when she comes in). Bath & bed routines & then helping Jack… Full evening (as usual).

Well, Esme did a lot better last night – she’s slept quite soundly. On Friday to Saturday she was quite disturbed with the Chicken Pox making her uncomfortable & the fever making her too warm, and on the Saturday to Sunday she was initially being driven nutty by the itching. We gave her some Piriton in the end (should have thought of it earlier) & she was still very frustrated until the small hours & the medicine started kicking in & it all calmed down. Gave her Piriton before settling to sleep last night & she was much better for it. She came up when I was drifting off just after 11 & as she was warm she had some ibuprofen & she seems to have slept soundly most of the night. I slipped out & had some sudofed then so that I could breathe without a gaping mouth & I feel rested this morning as well. Spent yesterday with a headache & things crawling in the corner of periphery of my vision – mainly lack of sleep, with some head cold thrown in for good measure. Not half as bad as Esme’s been having; she’s been doing well really. Clingy & weepy, but she has been playing for the most part. Late afternoon yesterday she tried playing with Lilly when she came round, but had to give up & be held again. I think she was a bit annoyed that she didn’t get to go out with me that day. I’d taken Jude out to his party at Jitterbugs in Littleborough (James & Daniels’ birthday) & Eve had tagged along. Amber had gone out, so Eve had no direction & she wanted to come & was upset that I initially refused on the grounds that she wouldn’t be allowed to the party. This provoked quite a reaction (weeping & gnashing, “You don’t understand!”) so as long as she understood that there was no way she could stay at the party it was fine – I let her tag along. As it turned out we only had tome to go to the supermarket &then a café before we had to scoot back to pick up Jude. Still – it was pleasant to have her along (probably good for Louise to have her out of the way if she was going to be bored & whinging at home). & good for Eve to just be out instead of bored & frustrated. Jack was very sweet with Esme while we were out & made her a colouring book from internet printouts, but Esme was tuckered out when we got back (public transport back from Littleborough was not so good & quite expensive).

Saturday?

We had a jaunt out to Bradford, It had been previously arranged that we were going to Louise’s mum’s & meeting up with Elaine & Kyle (Louise’s sister). For…. various reasons we’ve not seen them for quite a while & I guess it all went well. Eve was chatty & friendly with Elaine & the kids behaved quite well.. We went out to the park. Jack took Jude & Eve on the boating lake (I didn’t have to do it) And they had a good little go to the playground. I was relieved to see (or rather had my underlying guilt assuaged) by the presence of another little girl who quite obviously had chicken pox. Esme’s pox are not so easily noticeable as they are mainly on her trunk, back of the neck & head – her hair covers the latter 2. You still feel a bit bad about her being about so much though; doesn’t feel wholly responsible. We were obliged though – it had been arranged – Louise’s mum expected us to be going. We were expecting to be off sooner, but before lunch (we apparently arrived late when we arrived just about exactly when we said we would) it was announced that we would have some eggs for tea? (For tea? – Oh.. OK, then).

The kids enjoyed it all – I think (probably) Eve especially as she loves the socialising & she also managed to pick up a few nicknacks. Jack & Eve even got to play around the fountains at Lister Hall for a bit (Jude got bored & wanted to go back so Jude & Esme went back to the flat with Grandma). Louise & I got to watch fascinating people who had a wedding at the Hall & a photo opportunity in the gardens – we do love people watching.

Construct thoughts. Adhere ideas to page.

As usual I’m over tired & therefore a vacuum exists where coherence is supposed to exist. I just skitter at the periphery of my thinking teasing out something that appears to be here.

Jack suffered a little last night. He’s a stoic sort, but the travel & all the homework got to him a little yesterday. He’s under the weather & he had quite a bit of homework to do yesterday. He so wants to do it well. Still – he did pull it together & he did finish all there was to finish & he did fall asleep jolly quickly. Sleep, for him, has not been so good this week – it may be contributory.

We managed to get Jude a bike – it’s green & blue, it has gears & it has a suspension! Crikey! He’s jolly pleased with it, but he wants a stand. OK – I need to get a stand…. Louise is going to book him into the dentists with his teeth – he’s starting to get teeth growing through – but his milk teeth are still hanging in there – so that can’t be comfortable. Jude has also been good, & reasonable & less apt to lash out this week – which has been noted & appreciated. He’s making an effort again.

Esme has chicken pox – this is not a surprise because Lilly over the road had them. Just got some first spots appearing yesterday. It was doubtful in the morning, but was mote obvious by the afternoon.

I must try to remember to leave work a little early to pop into town & pick up the 9th ‘Series of Unfortunate Events’ books for Eve. She is starting to read these herself a bit, which is encouraging. Reading to herself is not something she especially wants to have time for though – she’d rather be playing. The man game they play at the moment is ‘schools’ – where they are teachers behind desks & so forth. It involves a lot of books in bags & moving things about – but – they did actually tidy up after themselves yesterday – which is nearly a first as tidying up rarely is allowed to impinge on the time that they consider to be time that they play.