I feel like sulking

I hate this weather. I really do. Not only have I had to trade in my flip flops for Winter boots (which I incidentally discovered, following a rather wet sock yesterday morning, have a hole in), but I also feel totally unmotivated to do anything other than sit in front of a computer googling hot countries and last minute getaways.

Oh yes, and eat chocolate biscuits.

And my husband is away so I can even eat chocolate biscuits for supper if I want to.

So that's what I'm doing.

I'm eating chocolate biscuits and feeling crap cos I'm eating chocolate biscuits.

And I think I have manflu coming on too, judging by the amount of Strepsils I have consumed in a single day and the very inconvenient moments at which my nose has chosen to run (whilst Tesco delivery man was asking if I was happy with the substitutions made and at a children's birthday party this afternoon whilst speaking to other mothers). In neither situation did I have a tissue at the ready.

So there you go. I'm ill and tired and can't think of one funny thing to write.

And to add insult to injury my husband has been sending me photos of what he's currently 'working' on.

Maybe I wouldn't be feeling so bad if he hadn't reminded me what my life used to be like before I became a Mother.

Hmph. I'm off to sulk.

And just in case you were concerned, no animals were harmed during the taking of this photo. He's a cameraman. And we used to work together.

Swine Flu or not? I have no idea

Ok, so I think I may have worked out why I've been such a procrastinating underachiever this week.

Swine Flu.

Seriously.

First there was the birthday party we missed because we were all just so bleeeuuurrghh...

Then there was Renée's Sport's Day which I can not even bring myself to write about because it's just too sad. She'd been up all night coughing and wasn't in a fit state to wipe her bottom, let alone run and jump and dribble balls as she did. I was hoping that pure guts and determination would win through just as it had done for Home Mum of 2's little M - do have a read - it actually made me cry. But alas, it was not to be. She finished last. And now we're not speaking about it.

But the very next day we were sent a letter from the school saying that there had been a case of Swine Flu and that we were to be extra vigilant of any symptoms.

Hmmmmmm.

I looked at Renée with her pale, drawn face, at her coughing and spluttering and I decided that she was just under the weather. So off to school she went. And before you call me a bad Mother - she had actually asked to go (and it was my free morning after all)...

So feeling achy and pretty bad myself I thought I'd take the opportunity to Google Swine Flu symptoms. You know, just to be sure. And this is what I found.

Sudden Fever
Sudden Cough
Headache
Tiredness
Chills
Aching muscles
Limb or joint pain
Diarrhea or stomach upset
Sore throat
Runny nose
Sneezing
Loss of appetite

So it was a yes to pretty much all of those. But no stomach upset yet. So I sat back and twiddled with my hair instead. And that's when the phone went. It was Renée's school.

'We have little Renée here. She's not feeling very well. She has an upset tummy. Can you come and pick her up please?'

Oh Lordy. That's it. Swine Flu. Or is it?? I have absolutely no idea. But, as I search around the blogosphere, it seems that I'm not the only one. Jo at Reasons To Be Cheerful has been affected, Jo Beaufoix, indirectly Rosie Scribble. There's been talk on Twitter and as I passed a newsagents this morning, it's on the front cover of the papers agan. Is it just me, or is it spreading like wildfire?

Well, I'm off for now. But if you don't hear from me for a few days, assume the worst. Toodle-pig...

Morning scuppered

I am so annoyed. My whole morning has been scuppered by a series of unfortunate incidents. Now what you have to understand is that Monday and Thursday mornings are sacred to me. Those are the days when Renée is at school and Edie is at nursery. In other words, those are my only two mornings during the entire week where I'm child free, and as much as I love my children, I relish these times. So imagine my horror when I woke up this morning to discover that not one, but both of my children were ill. All my plans of a quiet morning catch-up with my friend Isabel were thrown into disarray. Although it was just a coffee and a natter we'd had this morning ear-marked for at least a month and I was, how shall I put this?, somewhat reluctant to cancel. So, call me selfish and irresposnsible, but I sent them to school and nursery anyway.

Now before you all take a collective intake of breath, I just need to clarify that when I say they were ill, they weren't that ill (I mean there were no red spots or suspicious welts). I was going to say that there were no limbs hanging off but I hate to tempt fate, so I deleted it. But seriously, anyone with small children can testify that a runny nose and a little cough are commonplace and if something like that was to keep them off school then they'd never attend. And besides, Renée actually told me herself that she wanted to go to school. Obviously I jumped on that, and it did help ease the feelings of guilt when I waved goodbye at the school gates. 'Darling if you are reluctant in any way to go to school then that's one thing, but if you yourself want to go, then how can I deny you?' Between the coughs and the sniffs we parted. As for Edie, well she was a bit teary, but I put it down to her having not been at nursery for over a week because of half term and was sure she'd settle down after I left.

So that was that. Or so I thought. No sooner had I made it over to Isabel's when I received a phone call from nursery. Edie had taken longer than normal to settle down. In fact, her nose was streaming, she had a temperature and well, it was probably a good idea for her to go home. So I climbed back into the car and said my quick goodbyes to Isabel. But what was this at the bottom of her road? A helicopter, a fire engine, a couple of ambulances, half a dozen police cars and almost the entire collection of the Brighton and Hove police force. It soon became clear that poor Edie would have a fairly long wait for her Mummy due to the fact that a slightly unhinged gentleman wielding a machete was threatening to throw himself off the rooftop of a nearby building...and as a consequence all the roads within a half-mile radius were closed. As far as I was concerened, this was pay back time for not putting my children's health at the forefront of my priorities.

In the end, I made it to Edie's nursery within an hour. And guess what? She was fine. Ok, so her nose was slightly runny and her cheeks were a bit pink, but she'd still managed to give the nursery staff the run-around all morning. Now if she had been truly ill, and maybe this is wishful thinking for Edie, but I'm sure she wouldn't have had the energy to be naughty. Possibly. Anyway, I'm back home now. Edie's having a sleep. All I've eaten is a bloomin' grapefruit and I'm half expecting a phone call from Renée's school to tell me that she's ill too. You see when you're a full-time Mother you can never truly relax. And that is the most exhausting part of all.