Health Update

Yeah, i'm still battling with my headaches.
In fact, the last few weeks have been the worst for a very long time. I did something to my neck on the 1st Feb which has flared up my headaches.
I've been to physio and accupuncture weekly, sometimes more than once and had no relief. Even feel like i've gotten worse!
So off to the Chiropractor on Tuesday and they did xrays of my entire back, muscle and balance tests...i haven't had such a comprehensive body test done ever!

The result: i have a twisted and tilted pelvis - by as much as 11mm (which apparently is huge!) which is twisting and impacting on most of the plates in my spine, particularly lower back, mid back and, you guessed it neck! There is almost no natural curve to my neck, it's pretty straight and immovable. I have a pretty bad sway back and when standing straight my spine is tilted to the left, resulting in one leg longer than the other.
So i've had two adjustments already and i can feel my body twingeing as it adjusts to the changes, maybe even trying to go back to what it's used to. Do you think after all the adjustments it could make me taller?!!!

As a result i've been pretty sore the last few days, even bordered on passing out during Esmee's ballet class yesterday. Alan came home though and picked Xander up from school, took them to guitar and then took me to my chiro appointment.
It's times like these i really wish we were closer to family. I feel like i've dropped so many balls and am really struggling to keep them going. With my diploma having started back last week it's making it even trickier fitting in all the readings and contributions around headaches and just the basic day to day stuff.

Alan is amazing though, picking up most of the slack with the kids and activities and dinner... Just don't look at the house! (not that it's ever been that great but i had been trying until the head flared up)

Esmee had a bit of a throat infection. She's been on antibiotics for the last 8 days and even though the bottle is nearly empty she is still complaining that it is sore. I think it'll be back to the doctor tomorrow for her.
Thankfully Xander and Alan are both well (at least i think they are, neither has said anything to make me believe otherwise!).

Sorry to vent and sound really down. I'm really sick of complaining to Alan because i know my stupid illness is impacting on more than just me, it affects my mood and my actions so therefore the family too :(

Anybody else out there, just struggling to do just the basics each day?

(Cheeky: Anyone available to come live with us for a few weeks and help?!! Only half-joking)

Ballerina!

Esmee had her first Ballet class last week.
All the little four year olds (there are 16 of them!) lined up and were oh so cute in their Farmers leotards and tutus! Everyone must have gone shopping as pretty much all of them had the same outfit.

First lesson had Esmee running across the floor on tiptoes and learning how to say 'hello' with her feet - learning first position. And having her toes kiss her knees whilst skipping.
Set aside 20-24 November for her first ballet show!

As a bonus, i've got tickets for a mummy - daughter outing to the Angelina Ballerina show on 31 March. I bet Esmee will love it!

Renovations round 3!

Yep, we have started more renovations.

We've bought the paint for the lounge, dining, office and hall and Alan started by removing the toilet door, painting the ceiling, trims and walls.
A new bright toilet room. I think the cream is still a bit white, but seeing as we have bought all the paint i'll just have to live with it!

Alan has put 4 new lights in the kitchen. He was very considerate of making a mess and devised a plastic bag around the drill to minimise clean up! No more shadows over the oven, and i no longer have to shift to let light shine onto the pots!
The light in the dining has been replaced with a halogen too.

We upgraded Esmee's curtains to some beautiful pink ones from Bunnings. What a transformation to her room! They really make the pink pop. I've since added her ballerina wall stickers.

All that's left in her room are to paint the windows, trims and doors! Oh, and build some shelves in the wardrobe like the boys did in Xander's.

Milestones...

Our little man lost his first tooth yesterday! He swallowed it during class time at school. He was so worried about the toothfairy not coming that he wrote a letter....

Esmee has been practicing and practicing whistling - and now there is a shrill piercing coming from between her pursed lips - and it's not her screech!

Oh, it's a bit teary when they grow up even more!

A Special Dinner

Our new friends Jenna and Andrew invited us around for dinner on Thursday, for an Italian meal. I took along good ol' spag bol, and Jenna had prepared a delicious pizza, salad, garlic bread and tiramisu. Yum!

The kids had an extra special treat of having a turn of playing Jenna's violin. Maybe one day Esmee will play?

Batter up!

We have finally managed to get Xander into the school T-Ball team. Though it was a bit hairy seeing as we didn't know what team he was in until Friday and they had their first game on Saturday! Not very well organised, but that seems to be because of the school camps etc, but it was even a bit of a shambles at the game too. Needs more organisation... Alan, do you want to step in?

Even more concerning was the fact they had TWO games! Xander had a practice at school on Thursday lunch time and a little session with Alan in the driveway on Friday afternoon.
The first game was interesting - learning the rules, learning how to hit the ball and where to throw it when fielding. Xander hit his stride in the second game, while most of the kids seemed to be flagging - we were there for 3.5 hours!

I think i've committed myself to helping with practice at lunchtime on Thursday at school. Oh and i was nominated to pick players of the day! I really wanted to pick Xander - yep very biased!! - as he did so well, was on the ball and chasing it when it was hit, throwing his little heart out and having the best attitude all game.... yeah, i think this one is going to be hard, I can't pick Xander every week!
The school organiser is getting a trophy so the fun will begin next week.

LEGO

We are lego mad! Xander got a few pieces for Christmas and this seems to have propelled him into the world of Lego, and he's finally taken an interest in all the sets we've stock piled! His favourites are the dump truck and rubbish truck and he tends to pay more attention to the City range and the hero range in the little catalogue.
He spends hours building and re-building his creations and even Esmee has caught the bug. She bought her very own girls set - complete with pink and purple pieces and flowers!

Fun times ahead with all the little pieces. But they are good and build at the table or in their rooms with the door closed, that way our little woofer can't get the bits.

Child Not Abducted in Wal-Mart

So on the news i saw a video of a 7 year old girl kick and scream when a man tried to abduct her. He quickly let go when she screamed and kicked!
Good on that little girl for doing the right thing!

That poor mother. I'm sure she is chastising herself for letting her daughter wander the aisles. She shouldn't. Her daughter was doing what anyone had a right to do, browse. And she had the nous to do what needed to be done, and i'm pretty sure Britteny (the child) will stick a bit closer to her mother in the shops, at least for a little while - but if not, at least all know she is quite capable of discerning right from wrong and being vocal about it.

Sure hope that makes abductees pause in future. Kids are loud!
Have a read of what Free Range Kids author, Lenore has to say