The West Wing

When D was diagnosed in 2007 some people at school had a whip around & bought him the box set of West Wing episodes.

2010 & I am working my way through them again. I am into Season 2 at the moment & totally addicted.

There's not a lot of housework being done at the moment, but lots of smiles watching through this show.

Having said that, I'm just trying to keep everything ticking along smoothly here at home. Keep the kids happy & help them organise their bags each day, lunches packed the night before & things reasonably tidy to keep it a stress free zone for D. Life's hard for him at the moment as the emotional enormity of the last few years is hitting him...life is such a surreal thing isn't it? Praying for continued recovery - big picture. Little picture day to day things can be hard too. Most people wouldn't know. So proud of him. So in love with him.

My little Superboy & Drama Queen are going well too. Drama Queen gets a merit award tomorrow. Superboy fills us with lots of joy & give lots of cuddles at the moment. Especially with his Dad! D had to go to the Dr recently & Superboy asked was the cancer back? Where did THAT come from? Perhaps it is hitting us all at the moment...

I couldn't do this...

...but I like it visually!

Just watched 'Motherhood'

Just watched this - not a brilliant movie, but there were many nods & smiles to be had throughout this...

Superboy had to go visit the GP for a checkup yesterday for a bad cough. After driving for nearly an hour through super slow traffic in the rain in a manual car (talk about giving my legs a workout) we had to wait for a while because we were late. Then we had to go downstairs to pathology & wait for nearly an hour there because he had to get a nasal swab to test for whooping cough "just in case". So Superboy is quarantined until Thurs if tests negative & Sunday if they're positive. Then, if he is positive we all need to get meds too...sigh. I don't think that's what he has. He is much better today & we are squirting those meds into him really diligently!

I went to bed early with a migraine yesterday so wonderful hubby - though exhausted after work & pilates - brought home pizza for tea, got the kids sorted, Drama Queen's bag packed, everyone into bed & the kitchen cleaned up. Then he had to go through his own routine of new meds & trying to get himself off to sleep, combating certain drugs that are stimulating his system?

It's those nights when you are ill & have to crawl into bed that the deep love grows when hubby takes over & you don't have to stress out that you are married to Mr Hopeless & make yourself ill trying to do it all while ill. My heart goes out to single parents - they are totally amazing creatures.

I have to get some lunch now & hang out some laundry...I do love being a mum, but it is hard work!

There were days when I cried & longed for children, not knowing if I would ever have any. My heart breaks for those who have lost children & those who cannot have them...mine have taught me so very very much about life...

Quote at Gitz

I love Fridays

I love the end of the week - no ironing uniforms or packing lunches for a few days.

I love Friday night fish & chips!

I love crashing at the end of a busy week.

I love D who is off having his last massage for a while...due to lack of $$$. It's a shame that people recovering from cancer don't get all these things at much cheaper rates. Pilates, passage, good food - it all adds up. It's all drained our account so that we are going backwards instead of forwards. The $$$$ I saved up for the new bathroom is having to go towards paying off debt instead of something new & exciting. We live in a house that is falling down around our ears & we are unable to fix things...sigh. But we have D alive, & we have each other & we are plodding along despite both our health issues & lack of $$, trusting that we having a loving God who cares for us...

We're JUST had holidays & I feel like I want some more!

But I am grateful D is here with us. I am happy we have a home to live in. I am happy we have some money - a little, but we can buy food each week. I love my children. I love my church community. I am learning more about life each week. I like to work. I like going to my little womens group & reading the Bible & praying for them & having them pray for me...so many people don't understand what we are going through, but many do, & many try to. I hope that this time next month we will all be in a better place...

In the holidays we...

 played keyboard...

 tidied Nan's games cupboard...

 went on a train ride...

 played with some cousins...

 and celebrated Nanny's birthday!

Term 4

Back into it - my classes went really well. African music was off to a great start, as was my new classical music course...

On the other hand poor D is not well at all. Totally exhausted & unable to do anything much...it's like his cold is turning into chronic fatigue or something? He has no extra weight & no resources to recover from this cold. I am very worried. Angry at the school for putting him in this position where he has been overworked this year...but I don't know who to blame really. It's just been messy I guess with people coming & going & resigning etc. Hard to reshuffle staff...but the priority is helping D get better. Work doesn't come & scrape you off the floor when you crash, they just employ someone else. Family & friends do the scraping...I feel weary myself, just having helped him through the hols with his dreadful cough, now he has nothing left...poor sweetheart. This Thursday is an appointment at Westmead. I wonder if they will discover anything to help him?

These flowers are so cheery...just had to put some on the Blog today. I'm off to get a lovely big cuppa & read some Bible to get my head in a better spot for the day...

The Case for Music Education

I am psyching up for Term 4 ... can you tell? Just home from putting up lots of new posters all around the Primary music room & about to plan some lessons...

Music really is great for kids. I think this clip might be a bit corny at times, but I have seen it make a wonderful difference!

D is out having lunch with "the executive" from work. He is pretty unwell - dragging himself there I think. Post-transplant the immune system takes time to recover from...well, anything really. I feel exhausted listening to him cough cough cough & let's admit it: there's not much FAT on the man, so there's no padding & if he loses weight it's pretty bad. His tummy muscles are getting a work out. Poor sweetheart. Next week will be very busy...I hope we can all have a quiet weekend!?