washing powder....

We have had a bit of a sick house for the past week. Last week Annabel kept complaining that she had sore tummy and felt sick, but otherwise she seemed normal, she stilled played and ran around, but would just stop occasionally and grab her tummy. This went on for a few days so I kept an eye on her.

Then one night I was tucking her into bed I asked her how she was feeling and she said:
"A bit sick, but I'm okay Mum. I think it was just the washing powder I ate the other day."
Me: "What??!!" What did you eat????!!!"
Of course I panicked. Every cleaning product or household good has strong warning label "Keep out of reach of children" and a poisons information line to call in case it has been ingested.

Annabel just about fell out of bed with my sudden surge of panic. She thought she was in really big trouble so she was to scared to tell me anything. I managed to calm down though and I took her out to the laundry so she could show me what she had eaten and how much.
She told me that the other day she had tasted some that had fallen on the ground, thinking it was some sort of lollie. It was the day that Amelia had tried to do the washing for me and pulled a chair over to the bench top and started scooping out the powder. She is always wanting to help me! So then of course I felt terrible because I had not put the powder back in the cupboard away from little hands.

So then I called the poisons line and they were great. They basically said that she should be fine if she only ate a little bit and that if she hasn't been complaining of a burning mouth or throat she should be okay. Relief!

So we tucked her back into bed, and everything was fine, until 10 minutes later Annabel came running out and vomited all over the floor (hard floors though, thank goodness!). So it was then that I realised that she probably had a bit of a stomach bug as well, and that was probably more what was making her feel sick.

So all night and the next day I was up with her. She is quite a messy sick patient! I don't know how many times I had to mop the floors (even though she had a bucket next to her), and how many loads of washing I had to do that night but it was a lot! I was so scared that the rest of us were going to get it I over cleaned everything.

So that was an interesting week! Amelia managed to just get a bit of diarrhea, but not as bad as Annabel. So now we are all nearly back to good health, except now the girls both have runny noses and a cough, but I can handle that!

Today we are off to a birthday party for one of Annabel's little friends so the girls are very excited. I'll have pictures to post later today!

Annabel with my Grandparents

It seems that every time I go to write a blog something comes (usually something to do with the kids), and I never get arouund to writing anything. I hate falling behind with anything, and I feel like I have fallen way behind in my blogging. So now I have to try and wrap up a whole month in a few paragraphs (thats probably all the time I'll get!).

So I have been doing Creative Memories and I LOVE it! I have been having fun srapbooking and organizing parties and the like. Two Weeks ago I flew back to my Dad's with the girls to spend a week with the family, and while we were there I did 3 successful parties which was great! The girls had fun seeing all the family and being spoilt as usual.

We were down for Mother's Day which was also really nice seeing as though it was our first Mother's Day without Mum. We all went down the beach first thing in the morning on Mother's Day to look over the water and remember Mum. I was always like to just picture her realxing in the water as she always loved to do. We went down to the waters edge and Annabel threw a flower into the water. The wet sand was so pretty and it sparkled in the sun. Annabel looked at the sand and said "I think thats Margie making it sparkle Mum!". It was a nice morning, sad, but beautiful.

We then went back to Dad's and had a bbq lunch, a "sausage sizzle" as us Aussie's call it. Mum told us to always have a sausage sizzle for her, so it is a regualr occurance. It was a perfect Day.

The girls woke me up early in the morning that day. I could hear Annabel in the hall way talking to my Dad telling him "Grumpy, we have to let all the Mothers sleep in today, because its Mother's Day. Mummy is not allowed to get out of bed, she has to sleep in. And we have to make all the Mother's a card today!" She was very excited, so my sleep in only lasted 30 seconds. They both came bounding in and jumped into bed with me. Annabel said "Happy Mother's Day Mummy!" and she handed me my present which was some easter eggs she had gotten off my sister the day before. It was so cute! She was so excited and wanted me to eat them right then and there. Amelia just wanted to eat them herself! Which they both ended up doing about an hour later.

So Mother's Day was a nice day. Adam wasn't there though, but he made the most of the peace and quiet and did all the things that he cant always do when we're all around. He doesn't mind when I fly back home with the girls. He always makes the most of it.

Its been a while, once again, since I've updated. The last couple of weeks have been very busy. A few weeks ago I decided to take the plunge and get myself involved in some activities outside the home. So the first thing I did was join an orchestra! It is wonderful to be playing amongst other musicians again who enjoy what they do and are there simply for their love of music! It is called the Brisbane Concert Orchestra and we rehearse every Tuesday night for 2 hours. We have our first concert this weekend, and I'm really looking forward to it! I'm just hoping that the girls will be well behaved and that Adam doesn't have to take them out because they are noisy.

The 2nd thing I did was I became a Creative Memories Consultant! I just love scrapbooking and anything to do with photos. Lately, I have been wanting to do 'some kind' of work but I dont want to be away from the kids much and I want to be able to work when I want, so this fits perfectly! So I have been busy learning and srapbooking and getting myself all geared up for my launch party, which is also this weekend. Its all very exciting and refreshing for me! I went to a workshop on the weekend and it was so much fun. Its great to get back into life again!

So all these new things has also shown me how slack I have become with my time management. It is pretty poor! So it has been another thing for me to work on as well!

So theres lots of new things going on and its all very exciting! I just need to stay motivated and get myself organised!

Amelia's favourite show at the moment is Playschool, she just loves it. Its on twice a day, and she will just sit there glued to the screen. Every time it starts she run and gets her favourite book and sits on the lounge waiting for the story time part of the show. She'll sit there turning her pages and mimicking the people on tv. It is so cute to watch! Then she'll be jumping up down singing all the songs. She seems to be learning so many different songs - none of which I've told taught her either!

She also loves to pray before dinner. She will sit there with her hands folded repeating everything Adam or I say. Annabel always pipes in with different prayer requests during prayer time. She always wants to pray for my Mum. She says "Mummy, we have to pray for Margie, and thank God for her". It is very sweet and brings tears to my eyes every time.

Annabel has had a lot of questions about heaven. Ever since Mum died she always asks me about heaven. Its usually at bed time that she thinks of these things. She wants to know why Mum didn't take certain things with her to heaven. She was very worried when she saw that I was wearing my Mum's ring, she just couldn't understand why Margie didn't want to take it with her. I told her that only Margie's spirit went to heaven, but then she asks me "well where is Margie's body, and eyes, and arms and legs?". That is a question I haven't quite answered yet. I just dont know how to, she's seems to little to me just yet to explain it all. And I dont really want to think about it much myself either. Kids are so innocent and honest. She still seems to think that heaven is a place you can just go to. She has already told me what she wants to take with her - her beloved stuffed puppy, her bed and pillow. But the first thing I tell her is that she doesn't have to worry about it, because she's not going to heaven until she is a really old lady!

It must be so hard for her to comprehend. It still is for me! But thankfully God gives you peace when you need it. That's the one thing I can honestly say that has gotten me through all this. God. When you lose someone so close to you so many things run through your mind, why, being the biggest. But God just kept telling me "Trust Me. That's all you have to do." And so I do. Its all in His hands.

On Friday I took Annabel to get her 4 year needles. I actually nearly forgot about it! For some reason I was thinking that it was 5 years and not 4. But thankfully my friends reminded and we also got a letter in the mail reminding me. So Friday morning we walked down to the doctors to have a "check up". I didn't tell Annabel exactly what she was going to have, but I did take an Easter egg along with us and told her that if she was really good during her "check up" she could eat the Easter egg.

So after arriving she became suspicious, she told me " I don't want to get a noodle like Margy, Mummy!", she always calls them noodles for some reason. She also remembers my Mum having to have a lot of them. I didn't tell her either way, I just reminded her of the reward afterwards.

So in the doctors surgery she was good. She sat on my lap very still. The doctor gave her her needle and she screamed! She cried out how much it hurt and how terrible it was. And then it was time for needle number 2 in the other arm. Boy did she carry on. But she didn't wriggle to much which I was thankful for, she just screamed and cried. Even when it was all over she was so upset she refused to take a jelly bean off the doctor. Amelia found it all very entertaining. She just sat there in her stroller staring, and was very pleased that she got a jelly bean without having to go through any trauma.

Annabel sulked for a little while after but was happy once she got her chocolate egg. I then told her she didn't have to have a needle for a long time. But then later that day I realised that a lot of people were getting the swine flu vaccine for their kids. So maybe it wont be the last.....

This past week the girls and I went down to my Dad's for 5 days to catch up with the family and so I could go to my friends wedding. Adam wasn't able to get any time off so it was just the girls and I. We flew down and it was so nice because this time Amelia had her own seat. I didn't really like the idea of paying for another seat but fortunately I found cheap tickets, and boy was it worth it! The girls were great! I didn't realise that it had been that long since I flew down last time. It has been like 8 months because the past 2 times we all drove down. So the flights went well and fast. A one hour flight sure is nice!

So once at my Dad's house we caught up with everyone. It was such a great trip down, I was busy everyday but I was still able to keep the girls in their normal routine. So everyday Amelia had her nap and they were both in bed at their usual bed time without much fussing. It was awesome! I just love routine and that feeling of being in control of my children (as most mothers do I am sure!).

So the first night my sister Jo and partner Steve came over and we ordered Indian. I just love Indian food! The girls were excited to see them, they had a play and ate, but it wasn't too long before they were bathed and in bed asleep. The following days everybody came over or I went to see them. I caught up with different friends which was lovely as I haven't seen many of my friends down there for ages. The wedding was an awesome time! I got to see all my friends from uni and it was great to catch up. It was a shame that Adam wasn't able to be there, but needless to say I still had a great time. My sister Jo baby sat the girls for me at my Dad's, so I had a night to myself which was lovely.

We had a bbq on the Sunday and on Monday I went shopping with my 2 other sisters, Kathy and Peta, and sister-in-law Richelle and niece Sarah. And of course little Hamish who is 9 months old and ever so cute! I was able to see all my friends from my mothers group on Tuesday and let the girls play with all their little friends that they hadn't seen in ages!

It was a great trip, I really enjoyed myself. It has been so long since I've had time to go and do things when I'm down there. And not only that, I was able to keep the girls in their normal routine. we had a few dramas, but nothing to bad. Amelia woke up vomiting one night but it must have been something she ate because she was fine after. But the strange thing was that she did the same thing 2 days later but in the morning. I don't know what it was, but I do know that sometimes when she coughs she seems to make herself sick. I'm not sure, but she seemed fine afterwards. It was gross, but she was fine.

So anyways, it was a great trip, much needed and refreshing! So now we are home and Annabel is at preschool and Amelia is taking a nap. So I think I will finish the housework an enjoy the lovely peace and quiet.

I think Amelia has been watching Finding Nemo way to much! Last night at 4am she was yelling out "my watch Nemo Mummy! Watch Nemo on the lounge Mummy!". She was yelling and crying out in desperation. She really wanted to get up and watch Nemo. What must have started out as a dream and talking in her sleep, turned into her waking herself and really wanting to get up and watch her favourite movie. Even though I didn't appreciate being woken up at 4am I had to laugh. I knew she loved Nemo, but I didn't realize that she wanted to get up through the night and watch it!

So I had to get up and go to her, and then of course she wanted milk as well, but I managed to coax back into going sleep. But what was the first thing she asked for this morning when she came toddling into our room, besides milk? To watch Nemo of course!