Seeking something like normality

Tired doesn't quite paint the full picture. The night was filled with beeps and blips. The stairs are not my friend at the best of times but the lift is not really an option in the wee small hours. So up and down the stairs I went on at least 4 occasions. Eve was not really in need of me apart from once. He foot kept kicking the monitor and she flipped the probe out twice, once she had wriggled out of the oxygen and I did need to put that back and once I actually dont remember what the problem was. However there was much prayer needed around my friends and family and so I had some extra prayer time, I managed to get to answer a post on Special Kids I had meant to answer earlier but not had the energy and I caught up on a couple of other blogs I had missed a while.

Soon it ws really time to get up and I could happily have turned over and gone back to sleep. Not an option though and I crawled out of bed to go sort Rosie's breakfast and organise the troups for school. A phone call from Mum interupted the flow...not that I minded Mum at all please dont think that. I was desperate to know how things had gone for my Dad yesterday, but it is hard to talk properly when the chidren are all still around. The news was not good, I could hear Mum was distressed and I felt guilty that I was not able to give her my full attention let alone that I could not get there to be there for them. I had to end the call before I felt she was ready and I am sorry for that too but the morning before school is rushed at best. So Sorry Mum.

Once the breakfast hour was over and the children on the way to school I allowed myself the privelidge of a shower in peace and unhurried. A luxury of allowing my body and mind to relax for a moment or two. The hot water washing away the last week of bustle and worry and anxiety and fear.....well in part at least, I washed the hospital right out of my hair!

Of course Jonathan and Eve were still downstairs so I was not truly alone and could not really switch the world off I still had monitors to alarm me if needed, thankfully they didnt and I managed a whole shower and time to get dressed before heading downstairs to see what I should be doing.

Normality...what is that? Well the normal things needed doing, dishwasher to empty and refill...Joanthan had time to make a start on that and it is his job. I helped him do that task before his bus came at 9am. Then the washing machine had finished and so I pulled that out and went to peg it out. Loading it back up with more dirty washing. I think I must have the most fertile breeding washing in the UK! No sooner have i empotied the washing basket than it fills itself again.
Jonathan's Taxi arrived and I saw him off, finished the washing pegging out and went indoors to see what else wanted doing...hmmm the computer caled to me as did the kettle so I chose to sit and recover something of my energy over a coffee and a read of emails. A time to commit friends and family to prayer once more, a text between myself and another couple of friends, a mother and daughter heading away for 24 hours together, precious Mum and Daughter time before daughter heads off to university. A response and a phone call and a need for further prayer, something threatening the precious time planned, I do my best to give advice, to try and make sense of a situation that seemingly intruded on that time. More prayer and I do hope they are enjoying each others company, you know who you are and you are both so precious to us, and the situation that has arisen is really as nothing in the scheme of God's tapestry. A dark thread to make the gold and silver shine more brightly.
Oh dear time is ticking on and much more normality to get through. Tidying the kitchen, wiping the tops washing the dirty frying pans from last nights meal. David arriving home and Eve to dress. Eve is quiet but happy, ready to sit in he chair and catch up on Playhouse Disney, she has missed Handy Manny and Winnie the Pooh not to mention those Animal Mechanicals. Smiles and giggles and snorts. A sleepy look and a little doze.
David's morning had been frustrating with the stores he visited not having the bits he neeed to achieve his planned work Rota, a change of plan and much drilling and screws put in and a wall prepared for a new Kitchen unit. LUnch time arrived and we say together to eat our Sandwhiches. Eve was snoring gently and noisily by turn, and after our lunch David switched his work plan to the outdoors and I continued to try and do something normal like housework....I am not much of a houswife it has to be said, it was easy to find things to do instead, like sit on MSN for a while and have a chat....whilst talking to Tia Bethan came on line and it was good to catch up with her search for accomodation and have specifics to pray for. IF you have a moment please continue to pray that she is guided to the accomodation God has planned for her. Also that she can know His peace whislt she looks and follows up viewings etc. So far she has found good temporary places to sleep but it is not the same as knowing you have a bedroom available to you as long as needed.
And so before long it was time for the family to start returning home. Rosie first and on good form. Happy to sit and eat some tea which is a first in a while. I think we are back to mushy foods being preferenced over anything that is ahrder to swallow. Thankfully we have a GI appointment next week.
Joshua and Christina arrived home with Dad having been shopping for birthday cards for a friend, Christina reporting she had had a lunch time detention for not handing in home work...she had done it too and worked hard on it, just forgot to take it in. She has to learn to take responsability for these things and so I had no sympathy outwardly although my heart ached because I know how worried she has been about Eve and how hard she finds it when we are split between home and hospital.
So an evening of making sure homework is done. Christina does put in more efffort in these things than Joshua. I had to sit with Joshua and talk him through his Newspaper report, whilst Christina took herself to her bedroom and produced 4 pages in her excersise book of well thought out if not particularly well presented work.

Now all is quiet, I believe everyone else bar me and David are asleep. If still with an occasional twitch of her arms, I have been afraid to start her new medication for the Myoclonus as it sates breathing difficulties are a common side effect. Tomorrow I will ring the epilepsy nurse to get more advice. Rosie has settled since her medication and change of bedding....a misplaced Nappy meant a very wet bed! Joshua and Christina both went to bed with little objection tonight, hopefully they will be up and raring to help in the morning, And Jonathan has fallen asleep talking about tomorrows Horseriding with College.
It is as normal as it gets!
Tomorrow is another day!