This week’s hello hails from Sweden, their formal hello in Swedish is God dag. I wanted to mention Sweden, as we are crossing all of our fingers and toes, that very soon the kids and I will be able to cross the border into ACT and go shopping at my all-time favourite shopping store IKEA! Not only do I love IKEA products, but they also deliver to our town area; although, unfortunately we have to go in store to order and purchase the items, so it can then be delivered – for a fee of course. We miss going to our favourite store and having a yummy Swedish meatball & creamy mash lunch too (so good!). I also have followers (readers) from Sweden; thankyou and keep on reading- we love all things Swedish!
Now well into week three of our local ‘lockdown’ (along with the whole NSW state); as a family, we are all trying to settle in to our new normal (perhaps abnormal) routine. How are you all coping with in your particular situation, work and juggling children and pets? We hope you have found a hobby or something that brings you joy and a little happiness during this turbulent time. A friend of mine makes pottery and is really enjoying this hobby; my dear sister has been baking up a storm and making some great mud cakes at present; we have been baking some yum cookies and Flossy made delicious choc brownies yesterday-way to go Floss! Other friends and family are enjoying playing games and sharing puzzles together, which we also find fun and relaxing to do. Doing something that sparks ‘joy’ not only passes the time away, but also gives us all a sense of purpose right now; keep on going- we have got this!
With what spare time we have at present (not much), as a family we love playing games, our favourite at present is ‘Bingo’ (not unlike my dear residents at work) and good old ‘Uno’. I have always been a gardener with a big green thumb and always rope Husband and the kids into my gardening adventures. With Spring now approaching (in one day- as Flossy called out earlier today), we will have some warmer weather to plant some new vegies in the garden patch. I expect you would not be surprised that like most eight-year-old boys, Mister C aims to help with gardening, but usually ends up just whacking trees with sticks for about two minutes into his ‘helping’ (poor trees). Thankfully, last year we were able to purchase another (cheaper) laptop and all five of us can use a device at the same time, after also upgrading our internet access, speed and capacity to allow five or more devices on the plan. Without this upgrade, life would have proven very difficult trying to juggle the kids home school work, Husband’s working from home (he has his work laptop on loan for remote working), and my illustrating, writing and blog work.
We were concerned about Husband not being able to attend his booked Covid clinic appointment in ACT, that had already been postponed for a month due to his recent knee surgery. Due to both borders being closed, Husband’s application for an exemption to cross back to ACT, had unfortunately not been approved. We understood why, and with the growing cases in ACT at present, it was best that Husband did stay home; particularly with him not having had the vaccine yet either. Husband was disappointed and a bit grumpy about not being able to go (for half a day or so); he wanted to see his parents and had also been helping to do a few odd jobs around their house as well. After several phone calls and emails, we managed to get both Husband and Widy an appointment together, at the pop up Covid Clinic here in town (thanks heaps!) last Sunday. It was a relief to finally have Husband re-booked; with all the chat about ‘Covid passports’ at present, I was worried it might affect Husband working across the border in ACT (goodness know we can’t have him working from home downstairs forever!) and hinder our wish to travel next year, to use up our credit for flights from Virgin airlines. Widy was naturally a bit nervous about getting her jab (so was Husband too), after a lengthy wait (about two and half hours- couldn’t be helped really), we were most grateful for the care given, not to mention it was a bit of an outing too sit with other people, which was quite nice…
Okay, let’s go back to 2019 (nearly there- I promise!) … Now mid-October, Widy had been working hard playing sport with both hockey and karate throughout the year; she was very fit and had nearly completed the season and had attended the semi-finals for the hockey team; but had unfortunately been struck with a hockey ball to her right hand one training session and ended up having pain and bruising to three fingers, with a suspected fracture to the index finger. The injury put her out of action for a few weeks and after having a GP review, we were advised to splint her hand (time off school too, as she was right-handed) for two weeks and see how the fingers healed. Widy decided not to return to the game, missing out on the grand final (was her decision to leave), of which the team ended up winning anyway! A few weeks later, Widy was able to resume her karate sessions and was working hard to attend the big friendship tournament that was booked in ACT early November. I had requested the weekend off and was looking forward to spending time together and to get to know the karate family group too. We planned to stay overnight in a local hotel in ACT for the Saturday night; Widy was due to have her sparring competition and tournament on the Sunday afternoon.
It was a great weekend and the team were very friendly and kind. By default, Widy was going to finish in first place, as the other competitors decided not to compete; then one girl changed her mind and ended up sparring. Widy did so well and came third in her kata competition and sparring (so proud); however after the event was over, Widy quietly showed me her right wrist in the car on the way home and to my disbelief her whole wrist and hand had blown up like a black balloon. I took one look and said, we are going straight home and to the hospital for this injury! My heart sank for her, as she had patiently waited so long for her turn and then to sustain another injury, was heart breaking. I rang Husband who agreed to take her straight to hospital for an x-ray and immediate treatment. After over an hour drive home and another hour wait in the emergency department (thanks for the help!), Widy finally had an x-ray which showed a fracture in the wrist bone and a half- cast was put on for support and protection. Poor girl was in pain and couldn’t go to school or even write, let alone shower or wash her hair; thank goodness Mum was a (good) nurse to help- it was a tough time!
Approximately three weeks later, we attended a review at the fracture clinic in ACT at the local hospital (sadly-there was no adequate follow-up in town for this sort of fracture). Widy in pain and still had swelling (poor girl); the specialist arranged a CT scan of Widy’s wrist and it did prove to have been a nasty fracture, Widy had to then wear a fibre-glass cast for a further four weeks (oh no!). We were grateful for the reviews in ACT and months later, Widy did come through well to the other side (eventually). Husband commented, “I looked after Flossy who was sick and on abs and also Mister C most of Friday, all day Saturday and most of the afternoon on Sunday, when Wife and Widy came home from the karate tournament. Well, they were going to come home, but on the way home Widy showed Wife her injured hand, so they went straight to the hospital. Widy came home with arm and wrist in cast! So, all at once, we have Mister C with more behaviours at school and after school care, Flossy off school sick and now poor Widy off school with her injury” (what were we going to do?)…
Husband was doing a lot better with his own head space and was coping well with most things that were thrown his way. We managed to work through our house of sickness once more, working together as a team to get through another rough time (like most families who have ups and downs). Husband was looking forward to his younger Bro visiting from QLD early November (in time for their Ma’s birthday too!); of course, spending time with his Bro always made him feel a lot happier (like me and my sister). Husband commented, “A few hours before his flight Bro gets notified the Sydney-ACT leg has been cancelled and has been put on one hours later, which has upset our plans. I am now getting Bro from the airport at 5pm rather than 2pm and overnight in ACT; it’s Ma’s birthday and she is already going out. It may work out for the best, because Bro gets to spend a bit more time at our place and the kids”…
Most of the house renos had finally been completed; just the finishing touches with painting and rearranging furniture, along with putting some pictures up on the walls and final decorating in the kid’s rooms and downstairs (phew- we could live again!). After all the work at the house had been complete, my fingers were itching again (of course) to begin another project to continue my inner creativity and never-ending imagination (a bit like Mister C?). My desire to continue to create and write was realised in a late-night idea a week or so later, of setting up and commencing my own personal blog and website to write and illustrate; while also publish a children’s book (my long-term dream goal) …
A Word from Mister C…
Earlier in the year, (before lockdown) Mister C had been asking to go to his friend’s house after school one day. I mentioned to Mister C that he needed to be invited first, before he could go over. Mister C sighed and said, “Oh, I wish your phone could just invite me, Mummy!” Later the next day, I received a text message from Mister C’s friends Mum, asking if he would like to go over for a play. Mister C had been a bit grumpy about not seeing his friend; I popped my head into his room and said, “Guess what, my son? All your Christmases have all come at once!” Mister C looked up and sighed, “What, Mummy?” … “You’re going to your friend’s place tomorrow, to have a play and a swim in their new pool!” … “Really!” Mister C cried; jumping up and began dancing around his room. “I am one excited person, Mummy!” He laughed, a big grin on his face and then we danced together…😊
Stay tuned…
For the last story of 2019, Mister C turns the big seven mid-November, and we celebrate in style at the happy ‘Tabatinga’ party place at our local club with good friends. We look forward to another Christmas and a happy trip away over the New Year at our happy place; only to have devastating bush fires burning all around us and we were stranded! Stay strong and keep on going; self-care for our rash-ridden faces from all the mask wearing lately. Mister C is sending out big squeezy hugs to all; night from Mister C and Me… 🧁❣
I learned so much about this dear family from this informative and entertaining post!