Respite from the real world

Friday afternoon saw us packing into the bus and heading off to Newbury to visit friends and family. The morning had been taken up by a hospital appointment. Joshua to the eye clinic! Oddly he was not seen by the Orthoptist just the Ophthalmologist who declared a change in his vision in one eye and wrote a prescription for new glasses! The he asked me if I objected to him putting Joshua on the register of severely visually impaired persons?
No we had no objections and no Joshua would not be adversely emotionally affected by registration.
He explained that the registration form would be sent to the LEA and to SS and should ensure that any assistance he needed would be in place!

Since Social Services OT had two years ago written "Mother claims Joshua has sever myopia and is very shortsighted but the Doctor does not confirm this" I was rather wishing I could be a fly on the wall when this registration form arrives!

Anyway by 2 pm we were collecting the last children from their schools and heading in the direction of the M25! The progress was good to start with and our first our and a half on the road was very promising! Then we hit a traffic Jam....the traffic slowed to a crawl and a stop. What should have been a 3 hour journey extended to over 41/2 and by the time we arrived at our Weekend accomodation we were tired hungry and bursting for the loo!
We will in future avoid the M25 on a Friday afternoon!

Deciding to eat before we unpacked we headed across the service station car park and were grateful to discover the eating area almost deserted! Plates of food consumed and reading matter purchased for me and Christina we headed back to the travelodge! Christina and I set to with bathing and changing Eve and Rosie whilst the menfolk emptied the bus. Our weekend packing consists of many bags, boxes, cylinders and various else! So we had completed our task in time to make coffee and organise the rooms into some semblence of order. We had two rooms, across the corridor from each other which was really handy as we managed to prop the doors open and bob back and forth as necessary until we were ready to settle! Unfortunately we choose to have a girls room and a boys room...this means Christina and I get Rosie and Eve who need attention all night whilst David Joshua and Jonathan get to sleep through the night!
So eventually life settles to a steady hum, Christina manages to sleep and I mange to chat using my terribly slow dongle....and then all is quiet and I switch off and SLEEEP.

The morning starts far too early around 3.45 I think Rosie was trying to conviunce me to wake...with an eye to what was a danger to her I managed to keep half my consciousness dozing until 5 and then I ran a bath which was stone cold! ARGHHHH how can a travelodge have no hot water at 5 in the morning? Rosie was by this time trying to strip off and climb in and so slowly I warmed an inch of cold water in the tub by boiling the kettle several times and eventually she was happy to play in the warm water whilst I woke up with a coffee and a biscuit. By 7.30 am all the girls were up washed and dressed, the room was tidy and we were ready to roll! Crossing the corridor and tapping on the boys room door we were greeted by a bleary eyed Joshua and a room in darkness! They were still in bed! MEN!

We did eventually hit the road and headed off towards Swindon and a visit to Nanny. Hoping to stop at a Supermarket for breakfast we told the children to look out for one as we drove across from the motorway exit to the area Nanny lives...we didn t see any! Knowing there was a Morrisons reasonably nearby we headed off there, managed to aprk, get everyoine out and the into the store to discover it must be the only Morrisons Superstore that does not have a restaurant! So we bought sandwhiches to eat at nannys and a bunch of flowers and some gluten free Gravy to take to Tia's the next day and a large potatoe to cook for Rosie's lunch...and we were once again loading everyone into the bus for the 5 minute journey to Nannys!

It was lovely to See David's Mum looking so well...she has been very unwell in the last 12 months and has also been dioagnosied with Age related Macular Degeneration that has taken a lot of her sight. She still lives alone all be it supported by agency carers and David's Sister who lives very near. Her loss of vision has also led to a huge loss of confidence, but since we last saw her in August this seems to be improving. She is now going out to Church again, and is visiting with friends. All in all she seems more like our Nanny again!

David's Sister Jacqui and her daughter Faye came to join us juts around 12 midday and we enjoyed a fish and chip lunch together and some wonderful family time together. Jacqui and I took Rosie out for a drive and to call in at a couple of shops to give Rosie a break from being hemmed in, and also to give the kids.....and yes I include David in that....time to play some games together and enjoy Nanny's company.
All too soon it was time to head back to Newbury and our digs! Loaded up with Christmas presents that had given the children some fun...rather more so than intended as Nanny always manages to cause hillarity in her choice oif gifts for the children. Clothes too big too small or just inaapropriate, books for Joshua that assumed he was still 3 years old...but the chidren accept them with good grace and give heart felt thanks and swap and change and give away as appropriate once we get home. The gifts were given and recieved with good grace. Nothing else matters.

Having pigged out on fish and chips we ate an odd evening meal, grapes, biscuits, cheese and an avocado, cup a soup and dry bread rolls, crisps and sweets! everyone was happy and the boys headed off to their room whilst Chrisitna and I tackled the girls...a bath for Rosie and bed time for an exhausted Eve. Rosie was giggly! VERY GIGGLY! By 10pm Rosie had woken us all up big time and Eve was also giggling and singing, Christina was muttering incoherently and getting cross, Rosie was totally manic and I was trying to have a conversation on MSN with Tia! Becuase everyone had congreagted in our room earlier I made the awful discoverey that I had no Coffee. The boys room was in darkness and it was too far to risk leaving the girls unattended to go back to the reception to request more. What can a girl do? I then discovered that I had no cold drink either and I was desperate for the caffein I did not have! Do I risk the wrath of the men and knock on their door or do I accept I can live without coffee and suffer a drink of Hot Chocolate as I had discovered Joshua had left that behind! Hot Chocolate and Jammie dodgers won the night and I lived to tell the tale!
Soon after 11 pm all was quiet, I said goodnight to Tia and slept! Again the morning started too early but I had managed to ensure the room was fairly Rosie safe and so I let her wander for a while and rested quietly until Christina woke and then we slowly got ourselves ready. The men knocked the door with a cup of coffee for me before we had finished dressing the girls and then we packed the bus ready to head for home....calling first for Lunch with Tia and the girls! A welcome haven a home where we dont have to worry what Rosie is up to much more than we do at home, and a place where we can be ourselves.
Chrisitina and little Fish played together happily, Mog and Eve chilled out and sang and chatted together, David watched TV and Tia and I finished the dinner and chatted and just had quiet companionable fellowship together.
Men do have their uses! Joshua stirred the gravy David carved the meat and once the meal was over Jonathan dried the dishes and tidied away! Thankfully a creature of habit, as later that eveningonce we were home Tia texted to ask if I knew what happened to the blades of her blender! Ours live in the draw beneath the cuttlery and true to form Jonathan had put Tia's exactly there!

Imi and Eve slept a while, the children played we chatted some more and then once again too soon we were waving goodbye!

It was a wonderful weekend, a break from the stresses and worries and frustrations of the real world.....a much needed respite from cares......

And then we are back home, amidst the turmoil...back to appointments and frustrations and worries...the real world was back here waiting to pounce!

What a blessing God gave us in friends....Thanks Tia! Always there to listen and support and offer sensible advice. And often ready with a wonderful meal and a respite from the trauma too!

I need to sort some pictures...we didnt even take the camera out the bus this weekend, Tia has some pics on her blog if you'd like to see.....the link is beside here "Behind the child"

I have not yet learnt to put links in my text sorry! http://www.behindthechild.blogspot.com/

unless that works?????
I need some sleep!
Goodnight!