November December

Here's what's been going on with the little man:
The govt has decided he(and other little kids) can't have the second half of the swine flu vaccine but they can't guarantee that half a dose is sufficient
Husband has left job with best health insurance policy in the world so we've got the clock ticking on getting the cardio consultation etc in the diary and I have to work out how we do all we have to do without sneaking out to the private sector every now and then to help move things along.
He's still intermittently blue and we've got renal tests in the pipeline, but on the whole he's fabulous, talking, learning, running around and being gorgeous
Here's what's been going on with the big little one:
he's loved his first term at Reception and is trying to work out who he is and how naughty feels every now and then.
He and his classmates are testing the wonderful Moss Hall Infant School with their presence, simply by having been forced on them. But the school are amazing, the relief of the parents in our class is palpable and as a result I've named us "the gratefuls", because we really are!
He's also pretty obsessed with death and dying and questions about that. D wondered if I talked too openly about my late Daddy and the great aunt who popped off last year. I think he's just a sensitive inquisitive perfectly normal little 5 year old.
Here's what's been going on with the big man:
He's finally left the safe job. The job that helped us begin to dig ourselves out of the hole that the most expensive year of our lives, followed by the life changing diagnosis of our magic man, helped us fall into.
He is, I believe, about to finally achieve his potential, something that I have always known is out there for him to take.
He asked me why I was alright about this, obviously thinking back a few years to other job and house and money related conversations around the kitchen table. I don't know why, but everything feels back on the right path. Like we've been down and fighting for so long that I'm no longer scared of whether and how we'll cope. And secretly, I feel a bit optimistic that we might be on our way into a nice new phase for our family.
Here's what's been going on with me:
I had an amazing trip to New York, booked to my complete surprise by hubby. I shared my time between the lives of my darling friends C and N and was spoiled rotten. Most importantly, I lived according what I wanted to do for a whole 4 days, not what was needed of me. I floated through the time change and the space and it was just what I needed, without even knowing I needed it.
I'm mulling subconsciously on the new kids stories for our Marble Books and beginning to flex my literary muscles again.
And I'm at home coming to the end of the first of my two weeks off for Crimble.

I am loving being with my kids, loving seeing my D, loving not being ruled by obligation, loving cooking, hanging out in the mornings not in a rush, recharging, cuddling, playing, drawing...and I'm very very thankful for this time indeed.