(Nearly) Teenagers and (nearly) toddlers

When 'Salina was a baby, I met a woman who has been an extra-special friend to me ever since. At the time, she gave me a line I often quote.

THE DEFINITION OF HELL IS TEENAGERS AND TODDLERS IN THE SAME HOUSE

Obviously, I forgot this principle when going for the second-time-around motherhood lark, and while we aren't there yet, the threat is looming.

Right now, however, I still advise everyone I meet that the ideal age gap for siblings is 10 years.

When 'Salina first met V, she asked "are you going to marry my mum and give me a baby sister? I think her name should be Ella."

Fairly confronting to a new boyfriend, hey?

Anyhow, after a few years, a wedding and a settling in where V and she developed a great relationship, her question lay idle.

When we finally did get the wheels in motion for such a possibility, 'Salina was very non-plussed. She had grown used to having two adults orbiting her star, and the potentiate of a new baby sister (or brother) was not to be contemplated. "Stop talking about it" she requested during gestation.



Her holdout lasted about 0 seconds once she laid eyes on Paris.



Every time Paris lays eyes on her big sister, she yells out in delight and waves hands and blows kisses. School mornings are not complete without a traditional front door vigil while 'Salina waits for the bus, the afternoons are a great reunion of long lost friends.



And while 'Salina lives in this limbo of not-quite child, not-yet adolescent, she is delighting in her little sister and her development. She is the first to hold her hand out to help her walk. They talk and play and laugh together - and we don't take enough photos of the joy.

We occasionally see clouds of impending teenagehood - and while we know it is unavoidable, we also know how truly terrible we were as teenagers - and hope to goodness 'Salina is not that bad.

We also get glimpses of the dawning of terrible toddlerdom - and I have memories of where 'Salina frayed during her first coming of age.

But right now - right now, we are nowhere near the hell that could be imagined, and we are very, very glad.

The Ides of February

Unfortunately this is another post with no pictures.

Or rather, fortunately, this is another post with no pictures.

You see, it all began like this...

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Two weeks ago, Paris did not go to Childcare because - well, I have attempted several times to say it nicely, but there aren't many ways to say "she was a snotty nosed kid".

She only (theoretically) goes two days a week, which is V's two days to get some more study under his belt.

I say theoretically, because by being well enough to go to Childcare last week, she was set to bring her attendance rate up to about 50% for the year.

We (especially V) did a little jig last week when she was well enough to attend. Especially V, because he is at crunch time for his study.

Last Wednesday, I went to collect Paris after work. I don't often get this privelege - it is a task that V and 'Salina tend to bags, mainly because I get home late and they are fretting.

However, due to homework and assignments and me getting an early(ish) card, I got the guernsey.

When I got into her room, she was resting and didn't notice me. Her clothes had been changed, and when I grabbed her bag I saw her old clothes were covered in something yellow. She then noticed me and burst into tears, pleading "bap! bap!" (my sole purpose in her life on occasion, I think) so she and I made a fast getaway.

That evening, we noticed that she looked a little sunburned.

The next day we were sure she had been burned a little by the sun, as it only appeared on her arms from where a t-shirt would have covered down, plus a little at the neckline.

The next evening, we changed our home diagnosis to perhaps being wiped down with something she reacted to, as the "sunburn" was getting a little splotchy.

By Friday, I was worried enough to make a doctor's appointment and call the centre for some background on what may have set off an allergic reaction. I was advised that yellow jelly had been the substance on her clothes, and she had been wiped down with wipes. They also mentioned another child had come down with a rash and was going to the doctor as it looked viral.

The doctor advised that the rash wasn't acting like any viral rash (only on arms, top of one leg and the front of the neck) and it was most likely an allergy.

When I told her I was going to my sister's on the weekend, she told me to have fun, don't worry, and the rash should go away.

Saturday, the rash hadn't gone away but it wasn't bothering her and my sister had a Jeanie-shaped hole in her book-keeping.

My sister reminded me that she was allergic to Dettol and had reacted so badly she ended up blistered - and 'lo, it was true that Paris' spots were starting to blister.

By Sunday evening when we arrived back home, the spots were all turning to blisters, and the clear skin on her legs and lower back were turning to spots, and I thought it might be prudent for another visit to the good doctor and a call to the childcare centre for more indepth information about the wipes.

It appears the wipes were a new brand they didn't regularly use - and as we only use fragrance-free ones or chux it was a possibility.

The doctor mentioned words like "mystery" and called in her colleague, who agreed he had never seen anything quite like it.

On our way to get blood tests and swabs, I rang the childcare centre again to tell them there may be a mystery virus and enquire what the other child was diagnosed with - to be told that TWO children had diagnosed rashes in that room - one with Chickenpox, one with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. Nice.

So another phone call to my sister to tell her I have potentially exposed her and her family to highly contagious viruses. Yay.

Have I mentioned how loud and piercing Paris' yell can be? Try that in an echo chamber of a pathology room with two women, a large needle and some vials.

Yesterday, the blisters all turned to scabs, the spots all turned to blisters - and other than the discomfort of trying to crawl on blistered knees, she was fairly fine.

Today we went back to the doctor for diagnosis.

We didn't get one.

We DO know she doesn't have Chickenpox OR Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease.

We DO know that she has had an allergic reaction at some point recently.

However - there could still be a virus as this rash isn't a typical allergy rash - but it isn't a typical viral rash either, so we are where we were...

The good news is that Paris is still fairly fine.

An inmate is in charge of the asylum at Ten (yes, another Outrageous Fortune rant)

I think the head of programming at Network Ten is a psychopath (either that, or the minion in charge of placement of my favourite program is!).

After 4 series of stuffing us around (See here for the backstory), (Series 1 was stuffed around by another Network), we are in the home stretch of the final series.

We thought the Network couldn't stuff us around any more.

We were wrong.

They lulled us into a false sense of complacency by putting it on regularly on a Monday evening for several weeks in a row. Then they took it off the air - rumours were that they were keeping it for the ratings period, and so we wouldn't see it during the December/Janury holidays.

Then they put a double episode on Christmas night.

The week between Christmas and New Year, they scheduled it every single night - and showed it.

The week after New Year, they scheduled it every single night - and didn't show it.

The next week they didn't schedule it. Last week they scheduled it for two nights - and showed it once.

There are people who look forward to this bit of sunshine in their viewing calendar, and who valiantly stay up until the 10.30 timeslot they believe it warrants only to find they were just jerking us around - again.

And last Friday, after again believing it might be possible they again kyboshed our wishes - and I realised.

There is someone in Ten who is messing with our minds.

Allegedly it is on again on Friday - but that is no guarantee.

My life is work and volunteering and being a mum and more work and occasional online relaxtion options - obviously not much blogging in front of the computers these days - and I really like my fix of Outrageous when I am promised such treats.

I think it cruel that they keep toying with me.

I even rang them and spoke to Jess about the situation. Before she hung up on me, she told me the reason they put it on so late was due to the content (it is up there - but then, they have kid killing on all the cop shows at 8.30 and I find that far more revolting) and the few who watch are staunch supporters (we have to be) but too few to be any influence (possibly because of the way they are treated).

I am nearing the end of my tether with them - if they don't show it this Friday, I am going to bite the bullet and do something that I have never yet done.

I am going to buy the series before it is finished showing on the local station from overseas. I am going to make their asterix * that little bit smaller and I am going to increase the NZ GDP.

So there.

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(* - international symbol of negligible ratings)

High and dry

It appears that the weather gods (or even the big G himself) has shaken a fair bit of our Sunshine state hard. (Its okay - I talk to God pretty regular these days, and I think s/he chuckles at my little jokes).

Each day, you think "oh no" and feel for those bearing the latest - and then find that the latest is not yet the worst. I hope to goodness it now is...

All of this water has not affected us directly - indirectly, yes, but we are safe, we have shelter, we have food.

The main impact on our lives really is that currently I am seriously over-employed. Normally, I work 20 hours a week at one of my workplaces. I agreed to work the first week back (last week) as skeleton crew so that the other two administration ladies could take pre-booked family holidays.

We-ell - their holidays have extended to waiting for floodwaters to recede and roads to be driveable - and I have discovered what they do all day!!

Therefore, V has had to be not only househusband, but househusband tethered to the home all day every day, kid-wrangling and keeping the washing at bay.

'Salina has gone back to Granite Glen for a few days - her posterior was requested atop a saddle, although reports are that her horse's posterior got a little too close to the waterline today!

There is no bread on any of the supermarket shelves - nor is there milk, hardly any meat and sparse produce. Facebook is doing a roaring trade in photos and swapping bakery tips.

My thoughts and prayers are going out the those to the South, to the North and to the West of us - some are still surrounded by water very slowly receding, some are in shock at their lives being turned upside-down - and some are watching the wall of water coming closer to their record books.

Our receptionist is discovering just how hospitable a small inland town called Goomeri is. She (and her husband, teenage daughters and excess teenagers they were carting) has gotten to know it very well over the last 5 days.

Can you believe parts of WA is suffering bushfires and drought? If only we could pipe some over... NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania are meant to be inheriting some of this rain system over the next week - I hope to goodness that it becomes far more civilised as it moves South.

Right now, I am signing off. I am switching off the 24 hour news we are getting on the television and putting on the Outrageous Fortune episode we taped last night - futile plea to Network Ten to consider the fans of great television and not give us feast/famine of such programming so late at night.

It is my hubby's birthday (mmmmmwwwwwwwaaaaahhhhh), and while I could not get buns for his requested birthday dinner he did get ice-cream - so I am going to share some.

2011 - bring. it. on!!!

Counting down the hours until we can tip-i-toe out of 2010 here - don't tell 2010, but we never exactly hit it off.

Don't get me wrong - there have been moments of joy and moments of mirth (mostly black humour) but it has been hard work finding the gems. Thank goodness I have children!!!

Just to remind me not to get above myself in this 2010 world, I overruled V in the "is it more auspicious to mow before the year is through" debate, but the mower (okay, and the soggy lawn) sided with him.

Instead, I shall take my frustration out on the weeds (of which there are many, and make such a satisfactory sound as they escape the sucky soil), clutter (we are filling a car to take to the donation centre for the flood victims) and kicking any negative 2010 type thoughts to the back corner of my mind in case they should try and blight these last 12.75 hours.

2011 - now that is another matter.

2011 I have plans for. I know. Never been attempted properly before, but 2011 is going to be littered with goals and dreams.

I hope everyone has a joyous and safe New Year.

And 2011 - be seeing you soon.

xx