Back in the world of the living...

I'm back & don't know where the last week has gone. I definately don't feel as if I've just had nearly a week off work. I went back today & was exhausted by the time I got the office. What is it about having a shower & washing your hair that is so tiring if you've been ill? I resorted to a can of a famous energy drink with wings by mid day as I desperately needed to put my head on the desk & have a quick snooze but that wouldn't have gone down well.

Hardly any knitting happened last week as my head was a bowl of sludgy porridge. I did however manage a couple of little things (albeit very slowly) & will posts pics in the next day or two.

Vince has settled into her mamouth cage & is very happy to be handled. I know DD would have prefered a playful kitten but both DH & I put our foot down at any more 'big pets' as we don't want more 'long living' responsibility. I also think that the cats (particulary Tia who will be 19 years old in May) are too old to accept a kitten & would be extremely put out. DD seems to get upset that the hamster is constantly trying to escape from her cage & won't just sit on her knee for a cuddle. However she has at least she's given up on the idea of her hamster learning to adapt to human ways & staying awake during the day so that a certain devoted girl can play with her.

The last week has also taught us that it's really hard if you're both sick with a child in the house. We'd been luckly previously & have never done a flu double act before. It's bloody hard work surviving 'Black Eyed Flu' (as DH has taken to calling it) when neither of you has the energy or will to do anything and there's a (constantly demanding) child in the house who needs transporting to & from school, feeding, entertaining, providing with clean clothes/dishes/read *whatever* constantly. At one point she shouted at us that we were BORING as all we did was lie in bed/sofa/*anywhere comfortable & horizontal*. The one good thing was that we aren't both ill this week as she's now off school for a week. At least we had a few hours peace whilst she was at school & were thereby able to rest in an attempt to get better.

She definately isn't nurse material and has no concept of lowering her volume (be it voice, feet on uncarperted stairs, audio books on her stereo, TV etc etc) in consideration for others. In addition, my so far half hearted attempts at teaching her to cook have been unsuccessful, as she point blank refused to take us up on the offer of providing a meal for the family. It's hard to cook (even cooking the now totally depleted store of freshly prepared & home cooked freezer meals) when you really don't want to eat & can barely stand.

I was lucky that until Thursday another parent was able to do the school run for us. Her child has however left the school now, as they're moving to Scotland shortly, so on Friday I had to do it. Again that awful combination - a shower & leaving the house, left me totally knackered. Add to the mix driving to collect the much coverted hamster (read total melt down if I postphoned the collection of said hamster) & a trip to the Supermarket as the cupboards were nearly bare - all of which resulted in my going back to bed for an hour before the return journey to school.

As an added bonus said child was climbing the walls as she hadn't been swimming (she normally trains 8 hours a week) so had loads of energy, as had two very large dogs who didn't go further than the garden Fred suggested harnessing them to a Go-Kart in order to keep my New Years Resolutions (see side bar) but I declined that one.

Can you imagine it - two hyper, bouncing Airedales dragging a black eyed, wild haired, weak & feable woman down the street & half way up a tree as they chase our neighbours kitten who insists on taunting them from the top of our garden wall! - NO THANKS......