Weekly update

Well, Colin is better! He went to school from Wednesday, went to soccer practice and badminton on Friday night and played soccer today. Not a full game as he was really tired. His colour is back but his strength isn't. We're all so pleased as we are sick of the sickness!

Both boys brought home reports on Thursday and we are really very pleased with their effort and the work they're doing. Colin's Oral Skills are great and Ross' Mathematics is too ... in fact most areas are more than average. There are some areas to work on (Maths for Colin and Written Language for Ross) but we'll work on those - and they are by no means bad!

Only one week until the school holidays and we all need it badly!

My boys today

Well, today saw us back at the hospital with Colin - we have been to the doctor or the hospital five times in the last 16 days. Colin woke this morning and that barking cough was quite a lot worse. Diagnosis - viral tonsillitis which is also causing asthma! He probably picked up the virus from someone at school and this asthma story in new. So now we have prednisone, and two inhalers and panadol....... and still he's barking terribly. There'll be no school now until possibly Wednesday or Thursday. Colin also went to play badminton last night and I wondered if that could have exacerbated this virus but he had such fun which I think he needed. He's desperate to get back to soccer and swimming and now badminton too.

Ross played soccer again this morning and so far this season their team has been on the losing end of all the games. Ross started playing left wing and has really found himself in that position except that he has been getting stage fright in front of the goals so I offered him an incentive - $10 per goal! Last week they lost 11 - 1 ...Ross scored the goal! He said time stood still for him and he saw the ball at his feet and the open goal in front of him. When time started again, he said he just kicked the ball and it went in! He was so pleased! Today they played a game, and at half time their team was 5 -0 up. They've never been in that position before! Ross finished the match having scored three goals himself and the final score was 10 - 2 to them. I was so proud of him (never mind that I'm now $40 poorer!) But what made me even prouder was that at half time, Ross and his mate (centre forward who got four goals) went to the coach and asked if they should stop scoring goals now. The coach told them they could carry on scoring goals. So he can be really arrogant at times, but he knows how to be a good sportsman who can now score goals!

Oh and I did go scrapping but was so not "in the zone" that I managed to do most of one l/o! Need to finish the journalling and I'll post it here

Colin update

So the pneumonia was getting better until Sunday when he complaind of a sore chest. Off to the hospital we went and spent four hours there! Anyway, the side effect of the antibiotic is inflamation of the stomach lining so more medicine for that. Back to our GP on Monday to check whether he still needed the antibiotics - no. So he's at school half-days but still has rather a hacking cough. Anyway, I've been giving him Demazyn to help him so hopefully by next week he'll be better.

Adrian got tickets from The Breeze (radio station) this morning so we're off to see Bridge to Terabithia (or whatever) on Sunday morning - should be fun.

Tonight Adrian took Ross to the College open day - oh my goodness - my boy will be 13 in two months time and off to College next year! Both came home impressed.

And one more

This one is also from our SI tour - there is a bit of glue in the top left hand corner from where I moved one of the Speight's labels. I'm hoping it will rub off when it dries.

I have enjoyed this enforced inactivity this weekend as I have managed to get a lot of scrapping done. Colin is still not well as he has no energy at all. Even talking too loudly sets him off coughing - I can't see him going to school tomorrow.

Probably the last one for the weekend

And here's another one for Queen's Birthday weekend challenges: Oreti Beach I had no more "e" left in my rubons so compromised with a "c" and an "f" (for the extra rounded bit and the straight bit). The c/s and paper is all from the May Kit I won at SBO

I've been scrapping

Here's the Dancing with the Stars l/o that I don't like. I love the Bazzill Bling (black, green and blue), I love the ghost letters outlined with black kindy glitz ...I just don't like the l/o. Maybe there are too many photos on it, but there'd be too few for a double l/o. Anyway, it's done - time to move on!

This is the l/o for the first Queen's Birthday w/e challenge across at SBO. We had to follow this sketch and use some of what was sent to us by fast post. I used two of the journalling blocks I got. This is Colin on his first day at Intermediate this year.

Here's the l/o for challenge #3 which was to use silly photos. The photo are of Ross in the B&B in New Plymouth in 2003 where for the first time ever he had a TV in the bedroom. Why silly? Well, under the duvet cover is the controller for his PlayStation! Used some c/s from the May SBO kit and another of the journalling blocks I got in the post.

Challenge #2 was to make a card using something from a past kit - some of the patterned paper from May's kit that I used on the previous l/o. The card is to send to Jo and Mike in a few weeks time.

This is one I've uploaded to the NZDares site a l/o with at least six photos on it - 82 kilomeres 3 hours - well that's how long it took us to go that distance!
I've really enjoyed scrapping this weekend - it's the most I've done by myself at home for months if not years! I have another one to upload but will take a photo in the morning when the light is better

Colin is sick

On Thursday when I got home from school, Colin was coughing and sneezing and told me he was getting a cold. At about 4.30pm he had a shower and put himself to bed. When I dished up the dinner, he ate nothing. By 9pm he was burning up with fever - he wanted a hot-water-bottle filled with ice! I cooled him down a bit and Adrian and I decided it was time for the doctor so I took him across to the hospital. Diagnosis - atypical pneumonia!! He asked the doctor if he would be able to play soccer on Saturday - "This Saturday, the day after tomorrow", she said, "uh no!" Straight onto a strong antibiotic with a prescription for more on Friday.

He slept in the bed with me and neither of us had a good night as he couldn't settle, couldn't breathe and generally felt sick. Friday we both stayed home and he had a good sleep in the middle of the day. He slept much better last night and is feeling a lot better today. I still won't let him do anything though as I don't want him to have a relapse.

I could not believe how quickly he deteriorated on Thursday, and while I'm not that keen on antibiotics, I really do believe that they have their place. People died in the past from this.



Great challenges over at SBO for Queen's Birthday weekend. I did the first challenge in an hour, but haven't even given a thought to the other two. Maybe I'll make a card for Jo & Mike (see below)

My prize arrived on Friday from SBO but I only had time to look. Lara has challenged me to use the big flower!



Now I need to print the journalling for my DWTS l/o and then post it. I'm not really happy with it, but it's done