You say Honk, we say Hoot!

7am and I was awoken by arguing. Small, Smallest and Huffle. Small was watching his TV Programme, Smallest wanted his TV programme and Huffle just wanted them to stop arguing. So I got up and tried to sort it by telling Small to have a shower before breakfast, enabling him more time after breakfast to go on the computer! Then Smallest could have his programme before breakfast and watch Small after breakfast. Huffle could go to work and I could go back to bed for thirty minutes! But no. Small thought that was unfair. We had a big chat and then he was okay eventually! Smallest decided he didn't want Tv anyway! Huffle did go to work. I did go to bed but not for as long as I wanted.

Smallest started to lose it but then when I pleaded with him to not have a tantrum, he ran to me and hugged me and said "don't cry!" (I wasn't but he obviously thought I might!). They both watched/played on the computer and then I called Small down to get his bag and get on the bus. At which point he told me it hurt when he wee'd. Instantly I thought he was putting it on in order to get some attention! I am very aware that Smallest has been getting attention a lot recently (for good or bad!!). However when he went to the toilet he said it really hurt. I couldn't ignore it so I rang the school and said he was going to the docs.

I had already said Smallest was okay to play on the computer so he wasn't best pleased when I told him we had to get ready and take Small to the doctors. I promised him more computer later today and he agreed and got ready really quickly.

We drove about 30 mins away to a walk in clinic we have been using. The number of the surgery we were given yesterday for a doctor taking new patients turned out to be full! There were only about five other people there so I thought we would be able to get in quickly. WRONG. It took ages. I think there was only one doctor there again. The boys were very good. They had a puzzle book and a colouring book and pens so that kept them occupied for a while. I taught them how to stop people staring at them!

After a reasonable wait in the waiting room, we got called though to a cubicle and then waited for an eternity. Small had to wee in a container. Eventually we got to see Big Doctor Nigerian who was very funny. "You say Paracetamol and we say Tylenol, you say Iboprofen and we say Advil HO HO HO HO!". Anyway, Small did indeed have a urinary infection and got prescribed some antibiotics for ten days (they certainly give medication for longer periods here).

They wanted me to take a photo of them looking grumpy sitting on the examination table.

While I was there I thought I would get some more of my contraception pills. I came here with a six month supply and they are just running out. I told him what I had and he said they didn't have that here. He checked his phone and said he would find me an alternative. He asked me lots of family history questions. About my bleeding. Small said "yes you do bleed a lot when you cut yourself with a knife don't you Mummy?". Yes Small, thank you! Small also asked "what do you need pills for Mummy?". nothing Small, Shushhhhh! He took my blood pressure which was fine and he handed me a prescription. We walked to the store next door where there was a pharmacy I have used before. Small's prescription - no problem - just had to pay $2. Mine? - no the prescription was for something they don't have in Canada, so I had to go back to the docs and ask for another prescription. Not a problem, got it quite quickly. Went back to the pharmacy, settled the boys at a table in the in-store Starbucks with an Apple Juice and a cake (it was 11:30 by now and they hadn't had anything since breakfast). Actually I hadn't had breakfast or even any coffee. Arrgggghhh. Went back to the pharmacist who was lovely. I have to pay for mine (unlike the UK) but the insurance covers it luckily. However they did waiver the normal $2, wish I could tell you why but I couldn't understand his accent and he couldn't understand mine! Eventually we left and took Small back to school just in time for lunch.

Had a quick chat with his teacher who gave me her doctors number to see if she had spaces. Smallest and I then drove on to the library. Smallest wanted to colour in and he wanted me to help him. I had been colouring most of the morning trying to keep the boys out of trouble and interested. I really wasn't in the mood for colouring. I just wanted to drink my coffee and read a magazine. Smallest sat there getting more and more angry. I knew I could have stopped it but I just felt so weary and fed-up so I walked away from him and told him to please not make a scene and try to contain his anger.

He calmed himself down, came and hugged me and we chose some books together. We left and walked to the cafe to get a sandwich and drink. We had a nice lunch and laughed a lot while talking to a nice lady in there. Oh yes, I asked for a western no ham. An eggy omelettey thing in between rye toast. She knows I am a veggie and she knows I don't like ham! I was on the phone to Huffle when my sandwich came and I noticed a small bit of ham hanging off my sandwich so I said "Urm there's ham on here!". she took it away, chattered to the woman in the kitchen and then brought it back and said, "it was just on the cutting board". I thought 'surely they should have different boards for meat, veg etc?' and I must have been scowling because she said "do you want me to make another one?". I looked at it and it seemed ham free so I said "no as long as there wasn't any in it!".

On the way back we took this photo so Grandad can see how long the grass is getting on the piece of land we looked at when we walked past there a month or so ago.

Smallest wanted a photo with the fire engine

We walked back to the library to get the car and drove home (we were going to the park but it was soooo hot we decided to come home). Smallest played on the computer and I skyped my lovely friend Yahoo. We had such a good chat. She has a girl who is the same age as Smallest (in fact they used to be best friends and oh so cute together!) well she is going through exactly the same emotions/tantrums. Oh my, that made me feel better although I wouldn't wish that behaviour on any of my friends, it does feel good to know he is in fact normal and so am I! We swapped horror stories. We always laugh lots when we speak so it was good therapy. I MISS HER!! Hoping she is coming for a visit this year.

We spoke for ages and then I Skyped Moo. Can't believe she is here in less than a week. I told her about all the walks we are going to do. She is going to take Smallest swimming. She always took the boys swimming in England and it kind of became her special thing to do with them.

I think we have decided (though we change our minds daily) that she will sleep in one of the boys' rooms and they will share a room. At the moment they want to do this and are excited about it. I find it hard to believe when they fight so much but they say that's what they want. It also means we don't have to move beds, furniture (too much) etc.

By the time I finished talking to Moo, it was nearly time for Small to come home so Smallest and I walked to the bus and then we all went to the Royals to pick up their bricks and a wasp catcher. (bricks for the water butt and wasp catcher to catch the flies in the basement).

The boys went off to look at the creek with Drew and then played baseball with Mr Royal. I got to sit and chat with Drew and Mrs Royal. I love it in their garden. So relaxing, lovely, beautifully English looking.

The boys had a fab time and climbed the big tree.

Not fake smiles at all!!

We outstayed our welcome and left with our borrowings. They boys played outside for a bit and then they came in and made pizza which we all ate outside on the picnic rugs when Huffle came home. We played with the whistling boomerang frisby until I got it stuck in a tree - whoops. MUMMY!!!!!

It is PA day tomorrow so both boys off. hurrahhhh. Weather is good so we will be out most of it I hope. I am hoping I can get some gardening done and that they can play nicely together. I did say their friend could come and play if they were good. They were mainly good today.

At one point this evening Smallest started to get angry, then he looked at me and said "oh sorry sorry". So that's good. He knows he's getting angry and is trying to deal with it. I'm not saying it's solved or we have found a great solution, but at least we got through today without any tantrums. I had lots of cuddles from him today which was nice.

Huffle and I put them to bed, read to them and the we went and planted a couple of plants, watered, had a 'Yes' run! Attempted to put the ladder up at the drainpipe, climbed three rungs, got scared, climbed down, put the ladder away and came inside and set the wasp trap.

I am attempting to creat a small wildflower garden. Basically we don't mow it. The only thing we planted here was a comfrey plant but there are now wild daisies (one of my favourites) flowering. Lovely lovely.