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.
