Let them hang loose!

I woke in the night because I could hear the sump pump. It always works harder when it rains heavily and also the water softener works at that time and that makes the sump work more. Anyway, it was annoying and it kept me awake for ages. Then Smallest had a nightmare and ended up in bed with us. After about twenty minutes of him cuddling me and putting his feet on me (funny, I do that to Huffle!), he tapped me on the shoulder and said "I'm ready to go back to my bed now", roughly translated into 'please escort me back to bed, tuck me up with a kiss and leave me to a lovely sleep'.

Huffle woke me up early. Far too early for my liking but I knew I had to get a move on. Small got up. Smallest slept on. In fact I had to wake him at 7:15 because Mr Royal was here to look after him while Small and I went to the hospital. We all ran around wildly getting our things together. Smallest was a star and got himself dressed and cleaned (he always does to be fair but I felt he was especially good as he was trying to do things to show Mr R how much of a big boy he was). Small was also a star, didn't moan about being rushed, just got on with things.

We left Mr R and Smallest (apparently Mr R tried to show him how to make paper aeroplanes, unbeknownst to him that Grandma had already given him expert tuition in the art of plane folding), with Smallest showing him all the games he liked to play on the IPad. He got on the bus on time. THANK YOU MR ROYAL, you are very special.

Small and I drove to the hospital with too-hard bagels for our breakfast which we tried to eat in the car and a drink for later.

This contraption was being delivered to the hospital. From here it looks like a toilet roll holder but was, in fact, bigger than a car. We don't know what it was but it had a Police escort.

We got there in plenty of time, collected our car park ticket and went inside to find the plastics department. We found it easily. We were early. A lady took some details from us and sent small for an X-ray. We only waited for a few minutes and his X-ray was done. Then we moved to see the Doctor. We only waited for about 1 minute and we were moved to a cubicle. Another minute and the doctor arrived. Very nice. Said he had looked at the X-ray and confirmed it was broken at the growth plate but that it was nothing to worry about. It would heal and he would have no problems whilst it was growing. He said Small was to have a cast put on it for three weeks and then we were to come back, have it taken off and another X-ray. We waited in the waiting room for about five minutes and the cast was put on. I had to go and pay $45 before they would finish it. Small got to choose the colour (Blue) and the cast man finished it.

We got our next appointment for three weeks time and at the suggestion of the cast man and the nurse, went and had breakfast in a lovely little cafe the other side of the hospital. Small had a pain au Chocolat and a hot chocolate (spoilt) and I had a coffee.

He looks tired because he had to get up early. Believe me, after the chocolate had kicked in, he was plenty lively! His hair is a mess - it needs cutting!

We rang school and said he would be in shortly. Tried to pay for our ticket and the machine said you had to pay for it before you went in. Whoops. I thought, oh well, too late now. Luckily I didn't have a ticket on my windscreen fining me. I tried to get out of the car park but all the barriers were down. Then we saw another pay station where you could pay. It cost $12 which apparently is normal! Small and I worked out that so far (petrol not included) his thumb had cost us $86. Another trip in three weeks resulting in another $12 and hopefully not another cast at $45!!!!! Broken things cost a bomb here. Luckily we have health insurance and will claim most of it back.

We got to school and the secretary asked where Smallest was. I panicked slightly and said "is he not here?" She rang his teacher and asked for him to come to the office. He was shocked to see us there but had a look at Small's cast and then toddled back to his class. Small went off to his with his late slip in hand. He told me that today he caught two boys fighting in the library and told the secretary. He was summoned to the head's office later and was told he was a good boy and he had done the right thing and was given a Dr Seuss pencil. The head apparantly loves Dr Seuss and says that no-one is ever too old to have a dr Seuss pencil.

I popped to the Royals to thank them for this morning and then came home briefly, picked up a message about the cooker. Sorted out some times for the installer to come and inspect (the gas needs moving from the basement to the kitchen). I Skyped Grandma and updated her on Small and his thumb and then went off to my knitting group.

I had a lot of fun. There was lots of silly chatter. I managed to knit quite a lot and have doubled it in size - progress. I was even invited out for lunch next Tuesday with them which will be nice if I am not working.

I came home. Had lunch. Skyped Aunt Pear. Emailed. Blogged. Tidied, swept and mopped all downstairs. Then I got the paint out and started painting the kitchen cupboards. My new project. Something to keep me busy and hopefully to make the kitchen brighter. I am fed up with coming home and it being all dark and having to put the light on. I am painting them white.

The boys came home. They had both had a good day. Smallest got ready for swimming. I took them to swimming and asked at reception about Small not being able to do his lessons. They are going to credit me for the rest of his lessons which is good. Hopefully he can join the next lot. Smallest did really well. Small was a pain in there, wanting to play on my phone, not wanting to watch Smallest, wanting to mess about. Chattering in my ear the whole time. Much better when they are both swimming and I just get to watch.

Bit blurry (not supposed to take photos but didn't read about that till afterwards) smallest is jumping in.

We came away and Huffle was home before us, putting away the bins and the recycling boxes. Just as I got through the door Mrs R and Drew rang to see if I wanted to go walking right then. I left the dinner on for the boys, left Huffle in charge and went out walking. We picked up Garfunkel on the way and the four of us walked and chatted and took photos of the clouds (well I did).

When I got back, the kids had almost finished their dinner. I started on dinner for us. The boys played with the table football. Huffle is still feeling a bit tired and under the weather.

We bought presents on the Internet, chatted, ate dinner and had a Beer (well I did!). I had a Steam Whistle beer and Huffle gave me a piece of trivia about the Beer. On every bottle and can there are three symbols. 3FG. This represents 3 Fired Guys. These three 'guys' were fired from another brewery and started up the Steam Whistle Factory. Cool. It tastes good I know that!

We put the boys to bed. Cleared up the kitchen and sat and watched Phil Spencer, Secret Agent. We watched The Voice last night. It was so good. They are so talented. There is a man on there that looks like a homeless Jesus and sounds like Barry White and Bill Withers and other soul singers. We love Ceelo, we have new respect for Adam Levine, Blake is adorable and Christina, well last night she had covered up her ampleness, but normally I think she should just let them hang loose because her tops and dresses do little to hold her in.

IT IS THE WEEKEND.

 

There has been an 'incident' in the Hamlet recently which has made us all a little more vigilant and wary. Which we personally don't think is a bad thing (the wariness, not the incident). When we first lived in the small village in Leicestershire, everyone left their doors open all the time, by the time we left ten years after, everyone kept their doors locked. Here, they all keep their doors and cars open, a bit too trusting really. You never know.

Please don't use my photos without asking first. Posted with Blogsy