Tuesday "distract me please" thread.

[Beka-just-Beka]

Rodders, I salute you- fabulous distraction.

Well, I tootled all the way up there- dragging my mother and Violet with me for my 11.40 appt to be told my dentist was not in today- they called my house at 8.50, got no answer and so decided it was ok to leave it at that and wait for me to turn up to tell me... honestly, they didn't try and phone again when they know I have 5 kids to get to school? They acted like it was perfectly normal not to call even a second time and then told me it was because I don't have an answer machine... ARRGGGHH

I now have 2 weeks of anxiety until my 2nd appt becomes my first one and then two weeks after that to complete the work... honestly, if I wasn't a free patient I'd take my business elsewhere (making mental note to move when I do have to pay purely because I am knarked at the way I was made to feel it's my fault I turned up when their dentist is ill )

I swear to god this day has been a complete p*sser thus far (kids argued all the way to school too, Vi put her foot through the rain covers- list is endless.)

I went and had lunch at my parents so Vi could spend a couple of hours harassing my dad whilst he got all nostalgic about camping.

Rodders, I'm printing that out and they can pin it on the ceiling above the chair when they do my work in a fortnight!

Elaine I hope you feel better soon, at least I now have time to research calming things and arnica doses.
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Really is, Just Beka.

[Don Sundancer]

Well I just about managed to chuck some fruit and cheese in my mOuth and was thinking of nap time when the school phoned! I need to collect Frazer who has a headache (which I believe, it's been brewing on and off for days and waking him at night) and "a bit of a temperature" (which I don't believe so much - basically means he looks red and his head felt slightly hot to touch)

Unfortunately, living a distance away, not driving, having Robin and bein pregnant with PGP means I'm not all that fast! Am about ten minutes away now, so only 30 minutes before school finishes. Not sure whether I'm expected to hang around (I've brought medicine for F) or collect them all now. Suspect I will do the latter and get to the shops for medicine before the school crush, if Frazer is up to it.

He is prone to bad headaches, poor boy I think he is, or will be a migrane sufferer like his dad.
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Proud owner of: Edward Cullen, Friends, Lost, Ben and Jerrys
...as Joey would say, "Put your hands together..."

[Don Rodders]

[littlelibrarylass]

Well that was worth the wait Rodders it was blocked at work

Caz
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I went to a library and asked the librarian, "Where's the self-help section?"
She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

[Belle]

Beka, OMG that is shocking, all that psyching up and arranging for nothing. How annoying
Rodders, Oh yeah baby!
Elaine, hope Frazer is OK and your rush didn't hurt you too much
Sarah Sebbie, how did it go? I'm a cringing complainant too..
Sarah squirrel, good luck tonight!
Andrea, not been to Go outdoors for ages, I'll bear it in mind after your good experience.

My day started off a bit strangely as Poppy cried when I dropped her off, she hasn't done that since the Jan intake. I wonder if she's picked up on the increased references to full time school following offer day? I went to meet a lovely friend for a skinny latte after though and that truly was the highlight of my day. Dh looked after Harriet, so lovely to chat without having to catch things/child/retrieve a breast!

Also got two T-shirts and a jumper for Pops who is growing at an alarming rate, a sleepsuit and bib for my nephew in the discontinued pile in Sainsburys.

I had a letter from the college where I did my nail course telling me they'd got lots of stuff of mine, I was a bit concerned it might be something that would invalidate my insurance if I left it, so hotfooted it with kids in tow to find it was a folder full of signatures no different to my certificate..wasted afternoon!

Then, Poppy's dance class. It turns out her dancing show that had been put to me as a quaint bit of dressing up fun has sold 90 tickets!!
I'm a bit concerned how she'll deal with that pressure, she's quite reserved until she's really sure of someone. I have butterflies about putting a 4 year old through that. I don't do treating little ones like teenagers IYSWIM.
I chose that class for her because it's very local and I thought it would be fun for an hour. I don't really enjoy it because mum's don't watch..we all sit in a group having tea in adjoining room & I chat away as I should, but I know we've not much in common but I'm torn between thinking I don't want P to be excluded so I have to join in & feeling a bit knackered by the effort.
...lots of references to having done with having kids and getting my life back, who's booked for Egypt..I don't feel that way about getting life back. I think it's changed and I don't want it to change back as long as I can have an hour off here and there, and I booked Haven. (and I don't want to book Egypt, honestly!)

Sleep routines?! What do I have to add to that convo? I don't think that sticking my 23 mth old on a boob and her climbing on to my duvet is what they're looking for!

Meh. The evening is mine, telly..book. Nice
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Cameron ~ 11/98
Poppy Charlotte ~ 04/08
Harriet Iris ~ 06/10

[Don Sundancer]

It's been a fun day for me, but those of you who have me on FB will know about that I guess. Normally here would be my first port of call in a crisis, but this one involved lack of wifi!

Anyway. Got to school, Frazer is indeed looking peaky. They'd taken his temperature with a head strip thing and he was 38 Honestly I don't mind picking him up for the bad headache, but the boy is normally 37.5 anyway, so 38 on an unreliable thermometer strip is hardly worth phoning home about.
What gave me a bigger sigh though, was being told they also think Frazer has head lice. Wonderful.

So we went shopping for pain relief and to make an appointment for an eye test. Told the children they were all to have a bath when they get in, and afterwards I'd comb their hair. Normally I'd do it while they were in the bath, but I can't do that position now.
Frazer went up and started running the bath, I hoped that it might also help him feel a bit better (I'd have run it for him so he could rest but am avoiding stairs as much as possible), shortly after I hear him scream and some thumping from upstairs - he comes down and tell me that the tap is broke and gushing water.
I got to check and sure enough it is. Now we have *very* high water pressure here, and this water was scalding hot. Frazer was very lucky not to get burned. I managed to pull the plug and slam the door shut before Robin could get scalded as he was right behind me.

The water was so powerful it was running out of the bathroom window - which is at the opposite room to the taps. The landing and boy's room got flooded, water ran through our passage light fitting so much that it came on, despite being switched off. The smoke alarm was beeping like crazy with a fountain coming out of it. Me and the children became trapped in our living room because the water was gushing loads right in the doorway and was still roasting hot. Eventually it went cold and we could get out, which is surprising really, as we are on a communal hot water system, so if working properly (ha!) should continue gushing out hot.

Here I shall cut things short by saying I got hysterical but turned the electric mains off. Phoned the housing association who once more couldn't seem to comprehend that we have no stopcock and that this is actually an emergency.
I did manage to get the water off via another valve in the end. DH came home early, we've had an electrician round to say that mains are ok but lights are not and we've still not heard from the 'emergency' plumber, who most likely will get here, see that we're not gushing stupid amounts of water and tell us it's too noisy to fix now, he'll be back tomorrow.

I'm not feeling right now. I'm ok, but not right IYKWIM? Dreading cleaning up, fed up with hearing drip drip dripping and don't want to think of how much it will cost. Technically I think Peabody are supposed to compensate, but I'm feeling pessimistic about that.

I really need some cheering up.
Rodders?


ETA - good lord! A *plumber* has just arrived!!!
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Proud owner of: Edward Cullen, Friends, Lost, Ben and Jerrys
...as Joey would say, "Put your hands together..."

[sebbie]

Rodders

Oh Beka what a disappointment.

I hope Frazer is ok Elaine, migrane are horrid.

Claire, i wouldn't want a little one doing a show like that either

Well, the decorator. I spoke to him, decided I would give him some of the money and hold back the rest till tomorrow. We went out and I've come back and he's gone but isnt finished I hope he comes back tomorrow Oh bugger

Sarah
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In spite of the six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything. You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage.

[JaKyCaReBa]

I'm not surprised you're not feeling right Elaine. It's probably shock, anyone would be in shock after having that happening. I'm so glad Frazer was ok, and none of you were burned.

I'm horrified it's taken them so long to get out to you. And yes, I really hope the HA compensate you, your plumbing sounds horrendous there, the amount of trouble you've had with it.



Here's a video. It's weird, but it made me laugh! Or maybe I have a strange sense of humour!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrDPPaDbrsE
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Vicky, mum to 5 lovely boys!

[sebbie]

Oh goodness Elaine you posted while I was eating (been for a run and could eat a scabby horse ) and slowly typing. I hope you get sorted very quickly

Sarah
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In spite of the six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything. You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage.

[Don Sundancer]

OK Vicky, that is the weirdest most random thing, and it did make me giggle - who thinks of these things?!
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Proud owner of: Edward Cullen, Friends, Lost, Ben and Jerrys
...as Joey would say, "Put your hands together..."

[Beka-just-Beka]

Elaine I hope they compensate you- if they are paying for clear up (which they should) then make sure they bring in dehumidifiers to make sure the floorboards/plaster etc is all properly dried out and you don't end up with damp or mould (One of my dads factories had been built at the bottom of a soak away and the entire 400 car parking lot drained into it when it rained heavy- on weekends like the one we've just had we'd turn in on a Monday morning to 6-18 inches of water in some areas of the factory and would be left to bail out but we always had to have dehumidifiers in to the offices to make sure nothing went mouldy) Is any of the stuff you mentioned on FB salvagable? I hope you can dry out the pram and everything.

I know you probably don't much feel like it down but if you can then do photograph the damaged stuff as insurance claims will usually want photos or proof (hang onto your lush receipt too- that sort of thing)

They really need to sort that out for you now and fit you somewhere that you can turn off the water & power yourself, surely they must be breaking all sorts of housing laws by not?

Really do feel for you- bloody awful timing (or maybe not? Trying to make my mind up if it'd be worse to deal with pg or with a tiny newborn in arms)

Well, my day didn't get worse, didn't get better- Violet managed to boot Jude's bestmate in the face so forcefully he fell on his a**e (really ) they all crowd around her push chair, to the point I can't push it without running in to one of them and they wind her up keep calling her and asking her to say different things (baby siblings are a rarity around here, we're one of the few families with more than 2 so most my kids friends are fascinated with Vi) and she gets very overstimulated, he was trying to get her to bark and woomph, she booted him on his backside picked him up, dusted him down and made Violet give him a kiss & hug sorry but she has been the monster toddler today- 13 more days until she turns 2 and I'm already "done" with the terrible twos from this child!
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Really is, Just Beka.

[Belle]

Oh Elaine, the length of time you've had to wait for a plumber is terrible. There should be at least compensation for the clear up? Although you really don't want this lot when pg
Beka, over stimulated 2 yr olds do daft things. At least you pointed out a remedy and hey, no-one bled
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Cameron ~ 11/98
Poppy Charlotte ~ 04/08
Harriet Iris ~ 06/10