Some festive pics :-)

All I Want For Christmas is You (Black and White)

I have been singing along to this A LOT!! It's one of my favourites. Join me ! :-)

I can't believe how quickly 2008 has gone. I expect because we are so busy. But boy have I enjoyed it. My mission today is to write an xmas letter for some cards I still have to send. I have my annual party on Monday so we are getting ready for that but still have a shift at the Lowry on Saturday and A singing in her Christmas concert on Sunday. Our rest really begins on Tuesday 23rd and will continue til about Jan 6th. I might try and fit in some hall painting then.
A week ago A, D and I went to Blackpool. A and I went to see the Kooks - who were awesome!! It was a bit scary as we started off at the front but I was being crushed alive - and I mean really crushed so I headed further back where there was room to dance as well. D stayed at my friend L's house who lives in Blackpool. The kid's Dad had M and J for the night but I relented and let him stay here with them as they were both really sad about it. Our home is so homely they don't like going to his!
After the Kooks when A and I returned back to L's we had such a laugh and a water fight ensued between L's husband and the older girls. We were up til 2 laughing. It is always so good to see them as the kids are all lovely and all get on so well together. They are planning on moving to Bulgaria in May so I am hoping to fit in some more trips before then!

Last weekend A and D travelled with my parents to visit my sister and their cousins. The car journey was stressful but they had a great time. Though I think D sometimes gets really Mum-sick (not home-sick, it's different!) as she phoned me several times each day. The day after they got back, A spent the night being sick - I think from exhaustion. This was tricky as we had our annual home-ed Christmas partythe next day and she was in the drama play there but she managed it and had picked up as the day wore on.
The party was fun but tiring. I suppose it is different when you help organise something. We ran a raffle to raise money for a memorial bench for our friend. There were about 30 families there but it all went smoothly and we were home for 5pm.
A then went off with my Mum to find us a Christmas tree - pics to follow! I love having a real tree - the smell is gorgeous! The girls' friend stayed over that night and we rounded off the eve by all playing who wants to be a millionaire. We allowed ourselves the use of books and rang many people - it was a real laugh. We even won the million! AND we now know Van Gogh's only painting to be sold during his lifetime was "The red vineyard"!!!!!

Yesterday a big group of home-educators went to see a fantastic puppet play called "The Man Who Planted Trees". The best show I have ever seen and I highly recommend it. We were even chatting with a guy on the tram on the way home as he was asking us about it. I'd like it on dvd so I am looking to source that.

So we have also had lots of carol singing and I have done very little shopping - I will probably finish it on Tuesday. We really have a small christmas here but we are all still happy. Best way to be really :-)

I feel I should start a Christmas ticker but it will be here before I blink and I am not regular enough at blogging so it may still be on here in summer so I won't bother.
Back-tracking in no order ....
J has shingles! I saw a bad rash that was blistering on his right hip on Saturday. By Sunday it was spreading fast, he had a temperature and was very pale and in pain so I took him to a+e. It was really quiet and we were in and out in 2 hours. The doctor cam in and looked familiar. Turns put he is our GP! He wasn't sure what it was and gave us anti-biotics after discussing it with the paed registrar.He asked us to come and see him in the surgery on Monday. So J and I went back there yesterday. The rash was still getting worse so the ab's are not much good as it is obviously not bacterial. He was still unsure so sent us back to a+e to see the registrar. Well what a mess followed next!
After waiting at a+e which was very busy, the reg came and absent mindedly took us to find a curtained area. "I think this one is clean" she said. Gulp! I bloomin hope it is clean. I couldn't understand her English and frankly she was vague and eccentric. She confirmed shingles and I think implied she was going off to get a prescription - after asking IMO irrelevant questions eg. was his birth normal (he's 6 1/2 and has shingles .... relevance????) ages o my other kids ..... What happened next really upset me. We were int he end curtained off area in a 3 curtain room. They start wheeling someone in and shouting for resuss. We can hear someone suffocating/choking and see their feet shaking as they are rushed in to the curtained bed next to us. J was really uspet and hid his face in my belly and kept saying "Mum can we go now". I was so upset I took his hand and we upped and left. I don't know if the reg was coming back, she has my phone number if she needs me.
Now I know it is shingles I am dosing him up with homeopathy, vit C and echinacea. It is so sore and painful for him though but we just have to wait it out. I didn't realise kids get shingles but now I know a bit more about it.

Because the older girls had their lie 1 hour radio show yesterday they took M with them on the bus and minded her. They are great in a crisis at helping look after siblings. I had to get the bus to the hospital and back and so spent about £7 on bus fares yesterday. I am going to see my doc tomorrow and ask as the paed reg was there on Sunday why did they not look at J then to save us the trauma and waste of money yesterday!!

A has just finished another term at the Garrick. J and I watched her do her monologue, which was very entertaining. She still has a few more weeks at the Royal Exchange and the girls choir.
Lots of activities finish next week till after Christmas so our schedule will quieten down a little. I am looking forward to that.

My energy is a bit low as I got very ill last week with a violent stomach bug. I slept for about 36 hours and completely ignored the pots lol. I feel I am just coming out of it a week later. I rarely get ill other than migraines so I was not very impressed. Oh well if it doesn't break you it makes you stronger.

I was going to apply for a housing association house that is being built around the corner from here but they have closed the lists because the wait is over 10 years lol. I don't want to move from here but the rent is £600 a month so I hope when I go self employed they still help with it.
Yes I have some vague plans ......

To finish off for today here is a photo my niece took of J!