Tuesday, June 05, 2007

It never rains but it pours...

Poor DD her world is falling apart at the moment. She's had a repeated bout of ear infections recently & hasn't been able to swim for three weeks and was due to return to the pool next week. However today in a particularly energetic game of football she's managed to crack the metatarsal bones in her right foot & so we spent the afternoon at A&E (The Emergency Room for any o/s readers). She's hopping around on one foot tonight or scootering on her backside & tomorrow we're going back to the Fracture Clinic & she'll be fitted with a proper cast & hopefully crutches or a wheelchair.

No more swimming or football for at least 6 weeks & I really felt for her when the Doctor told her this as she just burst into tears. She's got some good swimming galas coming up in the next couple of months plus football practice, a sponsored fun run to raise money for the football club plus an athletics tournament for school & she's been chosen on the basis of her throwing (she beat all the boys by miles)and all are now not possible for her.

If this weren't enough Vince is dying. I think she's had a stroke & is swaying from side to side or lying flat on the floor of the cage. If I hadn't been occupied with DD this evening I would have taken her to the vets to be put down as I can't stand seeing her suffering so if she's still alive tomorrow will have do it after we've been to the hospital. DD is absolutely distraught & has been pulling herself apart saying that she wasn't a good owner (she often had to be 'reminded' to clean the cage, change water etc) but for an 11 year old with her first pet she's done pretty well.

So apart from killing her brain cells in front of the TV & knitting growing mountain of butterflies (read this to explain the insect reference) has anybody got any ideas to occupy an normally VERY active 11 year old? She'll read for a bit but gets bored after an hour or so, similarly the Xbox, doesn't have much homework as it's near the end of the school year & can't move very well. Arts & crafts activities (apart from knitting but I'm trying not to encourage too many more butterflies as we can't cope with any more) are a bit babyish for her now but I might be able to get her doing something if she gets really bored. Depending on how mobile she is I'm planning to take her to the WWKIP in the city centre on Saturday afternoon. For those who know where I live we're meeting in Starbucks from 1 til 4. See some of you there!

ETA: DD has requested that I knit her a cinnamon coloured hamster to remind her of Vince. Can anybody point me in the direction of a pattern?

5 comments:

Lyndsey-Jane said...

So sorry to hear about Vince. Here in my house we LOVE hamsters. We only have 4 at moment but its been known for us to have 8. It seems your daughter was a good owner - even at 30 I have to remind myself to clean ours out. We recently had a hamster who was paralysed from the back half down. Hamsters are really prone to tumours so it could be that. Vince can off to 'hamster heaven' to play with our little ones. Send hugs to Vince and your daughter.

Joy said...

We love hamsters here to. Our first lovely lady, Harriet, had a glaucoma of all things. And we all have to be reminded about the cleaning of cages, even my DD at 21, so just to let your DD know that we're all the same!

Now, as for keeping her occupied - and I am SO sorry this has come at such a bad time for her - she obviously enjoys "crafty" things, would she enjoy something like card making? Or cross stitch. I know a great little company that supplies starter cross stitch kits for £1:50, great for children, and something there might take her fancy. I will pm you a link

dreamcatcher said...

Very sorry to hear about DD's mishaps, and poor Vince.

Princessdeia said...

Sorry to hear about DD & Vince

Daisy said...

Oh no! Poor DD and Vince.
I was trying to remember what I enjoyed doing as an 11 year old, but I was a bit of a book worm. Might be worth seeing if a local museum/art gallery type thing has anything on at weekends? I had a whale of a time doing various arty things at the art gallery in Lincoln (think I did painting one time, and bobbin lace another time).