well, *ahem* …

I haven’t posted since before Christmas.  Shock horror.  Rest assured dear reader that the Cheetahs are well, those who turned 1 celebrated their birthdays in style and a few more popped in for Christmas and don’t seem to have left.  The rest of the imaginary menagerie have been mooching round, generally objecting to decisions being made that seem to go against the wishes of their Keeper and well, sleeping.  Can’t say I blame them.

Each year I seem to find the phraseology that accompanies Christmas more and more grating.  “Are you ready for Christmas?” “Did you survive Christmas?”  Completely normal questions to most people and yet I find myself  thinking that well, maybe I am ready and maybe I’m not, but it’ll happen and we’ll manage – and as for surviving it – yes, we’ve made it through to the ‘other side’ as we’re having this conversation.  I think it’s the element of me that finds the adverts for “now with 100% real meat” deeply annoying – as what the * was it made with beforehand – 100% fake meat?

I digress.

Christmas 2012 has happened – the children woke at 7.10am on Christmas morning and by Christmas evening our house was a fragrant reminder of why you shouldn’t eat too many parsnips, even if they are home grown and roasted in butter and maple syrup.  The children are still marvelling at the speed that Father Christmas travels and yet he was able to down a full can of John Smith’s on his visit to us and were genuinely delighted that their stockings contained, amongst other goodies, “woofy cushions”.  I can also now tell you what happens when said woofy cushion explodes…

This year only 1 gift to the children required mains electricity (a disco ball for the Sealion Keeper’s bedroom – her genius father has wired it up into the main lighting circuit in the ceiling much to  her delight) and only 1 required batteries – (for the light in the much coveted microscope).  It’s been Christmas of playing games, drawing, creating and Lego.

I’ve conceded somewhat on the screen time ban (at times paying the price) but have subsequently enjoyed some really lovely snuggled up on the sofa mornings which I wouldn’t swap for the world and hopefully let the children recharge their depleted batteries.

Back to the title of the post – I guess the most apt ending for this would be ‘snot’ (not fire from the after effects of the parsnips), or maybe ‘pus’.  Gross really.  2 infected nail beds (that Sealion Keeper is what happens when you chew your fingers and bite your nails) led to 2 bottles of antibiotics in the fridge and much excitement when the kindly GP suggested you could look at the pus under the Christmas microscope.  Thankfully, the antibiotics worked before we could create a slide.

Having had 2 (yes, woohoo two) well days after the dual pronged antibiotic attack on my sinusitis the snot returned and I am still trying to believe that it is possible for one woman to cough up so much, well, gunk over such an extended period (like since before the Paralympics started).  Strep throat returned for New Year necessitating a double strength dose of penicillin – I genuinely have no idea if there were fireworks at midnight at New Year…

So 2013 is upon us.  In my bloody mindedness I can’t bring myself to say that 2012 brought us x, y and z – it’s just what happened during those 12 months.  I relished the atmosphere created by the Jubilee and the Olympics, was inspired by the Paralympics, sobbed with those who lost loved ones and internally screamed with frustration as the battles to get the best possible care and support for all of our health conditions took their own course.  I met some absolutely amazing bloggers ‘for real’ and somehow ended up involved with publishing a book (click on the Bake it For Babies button in my side bar – now!).

OK, have you ordered one? NO???  Go back and do so – it’s for a brilliant cause and the cakes are all delish.

As I type this it’s coming to the end of the 3rd of January.  I’m back at work – grateful that I am well enough to work and have a job flexible enough to work around the requirements of children, the NHS and everything else.  In 6 days time the Sealion Keeper is having her tonsils out – she can’t wait to get rid of the annoying lumps in her throat that cause her so much pain.  Her brother is suffering from severe separation anxiety as he knows all too well about hospital stays and having your tonsils out.  My operation is less than a month away with the possibility of a steroid injection in my wrist in a couple of weeks time.

Resolutions: the Sealion Keeper has decided to work even harder at school and do more piano practise.  The Cheetah Keeper thinks resolutions are ‘stupid’ (this was followed by “I doesn’t know what it means”)

Me – to be well enough to teach our school choir “Accentuate the Positive” this summer – hopefully with all my fingers working well enough to play the piano for them.  To keep fighting to get the children the support they need in school, not to be fobbed off and to get them the healthiest they can be – I guess that last line should apply to me as well.  Oh – and keep blogging, keep taking pictures, remember that I am lucky enough to be part of a pretty bloody awesome blogging community and when all else fails, drinking gin tea, making cake, hugging those close to you and keeping those who aren’t in your thoughts is a pretty good basis to work from.