Apologies

I have been a very bad blogger, and have not posted in nearly 3 weeks.  This may bite me on the arse. I will try and keep this short and entertaining......

 It was Paul's birthday on the 18th.  This was his present pile.  It mainly consisted of clothes, beer and English food.  Thanks to all who sent gifts, cards and well wishes.

Sebastian is loving school.  By Wednesday he is running down the corridor to get to his classroom.  I am so pleased about this.  His talking is getting kinda better.  He is trying to tell us more stuff, more expressive, but still in vowel sounds.  Oliver had a ENT check up last week, he is fine, but I got the doctor to check Sebs ears.  I explained that he wasn't talking, just like Oliver wasn't at this stage, and as Oliver's  cholesteatoma was congenital, what are the chances?  He had a look, and referred him for a hearing test.  There is no chloresteotoma, but at one point he thought one of his ear drums wasn't reacting as well as it should have been.  The hearing test is the beginning of May

I also took Seb for a haircut.  After out last disaster at Great Clips, where he refused to get in the chair. I thought it was time to go down the kids hair salon route again.  We ended up at Snip It's, using a voucher to get a first hair cut for $10

Well worth it.  There normal prices of $17.99 are not unreasonably steep, they have straps on the chairs, always a nice when you have a child who tries to wriggle.  Seb was really good, and the hair dresser was awesome, very patient and knew exactly how to deal with him.

We made it to the zoo last Friday, as it was a beautiful afternoon. Unfortunately, so did half of Greenville... We had to queue 15 minutes to get in.  Once in, it wasn't too bad though.  Isaac and Seb seemed to have a good time.

Now, I am no helicopter parent.  In fact I try to keep my distance when the kids are on the park (having at least 2 at a time, I often have no choice).  I got pretty miffed though with the kids in the zoo park and Cleveland Park who insisted on trying to push Seb off everything, despite the fact he was there first.  Be it bouncy things, the fire truck, there were kids there trying to push him off.  Give Seb his due, he stood his ground firm, and would not move.  Guess having 2 older brothers does pay off, even when you can't express yourself properly.

Baseball season has begun with a vengeance!  Isaac had his first game Monday night, which we all went to watch.  A 7pm game for 5 year old, seriously?!?  The worst thing is he only has 2 games at 6pm, the rest are at 7.... Something wrong with the scheduling, particularly when Oliver has at least 4 games at 6pm, often on the nights Isaac's are at 7.... I digress.....  I was so pleased for him, he hit the ball first time (he often misses in practice, and has to hit off the tee).  He got a bit upset in the field, as the ball was coming near him, and one of his team mates ran to get it first.  Next time round, another team mate got it, and gave to Isaac to throw to first base.  So cute.  Luckily it is pee wee baseball, so no one gets out, and everyone wins.

Tomorrow is Oliver's first game.  Think Paul will be taking him on his own.....  The season actually starts properly on Saturday, with a big thing at Heritage Park, and team photos being taken.  Typically, we are away this weekend, so both boys will miss it.....

Any whooo sorry it has taken me so long to blog.  If you know me, you will know that I have been up to loads.  I regularly think about things I could blog about, but then life happens, and I have to deal with things, and I forget, or think better.  I have been venting a lot recently.  Things annoy me.  And it's just little things.  I am incredibly grateful for my family, and to be living this life.  Still does stop the annoyance creeping in, the what ifs, the irritations.

The kids are hard at the moment.  Oliver has strops, and cries over the littlest things.  Isaac is a winge bucket, and overly sensitive.  half the time you can't hear him properly cos he is wingeing too much.  Sebastian needs to find his voice, and stop throwing himself at things (us and his brothers) head first.  I love them though.  They are my babies, even if they are getting old and smelly.....

I reckon I only talk about a third, if that, of what actually goes on in our lives in this blog.  None of us are perfect, that would be too boring.  There are so many more things I could write about, but you probably wouldn't want to hear them, they would bore you, and they are the more mediocre day to day shit that we all go through.....   As the kids get older, and time seems to be moving faster by the day, you come to appreciate the little things you are grateful for, and the things and people you miss.  You learn over time how to make life easier, so you can spend more time doing things you want to do, the things you enjoy doing and the things that make yourself and those around you happier....

And on that note, we are off to the beach......

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Thursday is the new Monday (for me, anyway)

I don't moan on here usually, but I feel the need to vent today.  This is a completely selfish post, and although most things are going well I have had a few things that irk me this week....

For my recent OU course, I have to come up with a project on a current environmental issue, and design some web pages regarding the issue.  My great title was 'Will America run out of water?'.  I had begun my research and it was looking promising.  My tutor requested we sent her ideas so she could vet them, and make sure they are appropriate.  She responded to my proposal, after being in touch with the markers.  Turns out my topic is too closely related to the course content (I only recently looked at all the blocks and realized the last one is on water, and the USA features quite prominently in it).  So now I have to come up with a new one.... I want to do something related to America.  I have come up with: bear habitat versus human habitat, and waste in the marine environment, but not sure where to go with either of them.  Dams is another topic that interests me, possibly in china?  Suggestions welcome!

Thursdays are beginning to be the new Mondays for me.  I had a diabetic appointment this morning, and my HbA1c has gone up slightly.  My diabetic nurse is not too worried, she still says it is better than it was, and it is fairly consistent.  She then did the usual feet inspection, and feeling of my glands in my neck.  Then she went and got the doctor.  He also had a feel of my neck.  Turns out I have an enlarged thyroid gland.  My last thyroid level was low, almost worryingly low.  So she sent me for a blood test, I am now awaiting her phone call.  I have stupidly done a little self diagnosing (thanks google), and I reckon I will probably end up on yet more medication for the rest of my life....

I was driving to get Oliver this afternoon, about three o'clock.  Nice bright sunny day, busy road.  I glimpse a deer out of the corner of my eye.  Then I hear a great big Whack.  Look round behind me to see the head of  a deer against the far back window.  I pulled over 100 meters down the road at a driving range and get out to survey the damage.  Fur and a dent.  I am shaking like a leaf, about to call Paul, thinking the worst, when another car pulls in.  A lady behind me had seen it happen and pulled over to check I was ok.  I thank this lady.  She was very reassuring, and even recommended a good dent guy.  I thanked her and got back in the car, then called Paul.  

These are photos I took when I got home.  See the fur?

That's the dent.  It is not too bad, just in a difficult place to repair.  I feel exceptionally lucky to have got off with a dent.

The lady told me the deer had run off in to the grass area.....

Baseball season begins....

Howdy

Isaac's conference went well, his teacher is impressed with him, and thinks he is more than ready for kindergarten.  They are going to try and change one of his lunch and learn afternoons into an afternoon on the kindergarten classroom.  They feel it is the right thing for him.  I have open with him about it, as I didn't think he wanted to be a kindergartener, turns out he does.  I think he is a little bored in lunch and learn now.......

Seb is doing good in school.  He only cries for a minute, and the teachers are very happy with how he has settled.  They send at least one picture of him a day, they are so cool.  It would appear he likes the puzzle boards, cars and the painting they do.  He is trying to tell me every day what he is doing, he just doesn't quite have the words yet.  Below is him packing his bag with snacks......

Isaac had a donk with another lad on Friday morning,  he has a beautiful shiner.  We are watching it change colour by the hour......I took Isaac to the doctor on Friday for his cough, which he has had for over a month.  The doc gave him an inhaler and nebuliser for when he coughs a lot, or is doing physical activity.  We have not had to use it very much.

Baseball season has begun in earnest.  Isaac had a practice on Tuesday night, it was very cold.  Oliver had one on Wednesday, which he did very well in.  Both of their coaches seem nice.  Oliver's Friday practice was cancelled due to sodden fields, but Isaac had his on Saturday afternoon.  The practices are certainly tiring Isaac out, don't know about Oliver yet...  We have 4 practices a week between the boys, at least season is only till July, and all the fields are relatively close to the house.

Oliver has had spring break this week.  So he has had 2 1/2 weeks off.  We managed to get in to see his ENT doc last Friday.  His ear is healing well.  He has antibiotic cream for the scar, and drops to dissolve the wadding in the ear canal.  The scar is impressive, it runs from the top of his ear, all the way down behind it.  It is about 2 inches long.....  He is going back to school tomorrow.  I am so looking forward to it..... Time to myself again, and I can clean the house and do my Uni work in peace!

The weather this weekend has been glorious.  We have spent most of the weekend out side, with the boys playing in their new sand box (will do a separate post about this shortly).  It is awesome 

This week the boys are all back to school, which means I get 3 mornings to myself.  Baseball practice on Wednesday, Thursday and 2 on Saturday.  I have to finish my first assignment for my course, and get the house ready for the land lords visit at the weekend.  The weather is going to be warm for the first few days, hurrah

I am so ready for summer.....