Huge Update

So it has been 2 weeks since my last post. Lots has happened, life has kept going and I have just been trying my best to keep up.
I feel like I am in confession here "forgive me father, it has been 2 weeks since my last confession/post....!"

Anyway, here are some pictures and info about what we have been doing, decided to do a large post rather than sit and write many posts.

 At the beginning of June, Alex turned 6. Sometimes I am amazed that he even makes it to his birthday each year!
We had a great time and as usual I made a cake, as requested. I am at present, eternally grateful that neither of my boys have ever asked for a specific type of cake with a theme. They always want a chocolate cake, which is easy to do but they have never asked for a particular shape.
So for his birthday this year, he had a round simple chocolate cake, with frosting and sprinkles. That was it, nice and simple. No staying up half the night building trains and shunting yards with liquorice straps here.
Last year he wanted Ben 10 and again I happily helped by making a round cake with blue/green icing on top with a Ben 10 figurine. It was greatly accepted and loved. What more do they want or need?

 His request for his party this year was to go rock climbing.
Every year, for the first 5, we have done a party and it usually consists of family and some dear family friends. Never have they invited actually friends because up until then they have not really had any that were not family friends.
So I always said that their 6th birthday could be big as it was going to be the first one that they would have school friends. Ben happily agreed and had a big party for his, Alex however wanted 2 friends from school and his 2 cousins, total.
No matter how much we told him he could invite who ever, he stuck with those 4 and that was that. But then that is Alex for you, decision made end of story, no moving an inch yet alone a mile!
He had a great time so that was all that mattered.

 The first Judo fun day of the year came around in June and the boys were all excited about that. However Alex came out in a huge rash and did not feel great so he didn't compete but Ben did and he worked hard all day.
Which, if you do, then you get rewarded for your hard work and that for Ben was rewarded by winning the Gold medal in his class. He fought hard in all his fights, had some great fights (I wish I knew how to upload video because there is one I would love to show you all) he won everything and deserved that Gold medal.

However, as previously posted, a week later he broke his foot.
He got put in a backslab for several days which he managed with very well, however on day 4 it needed to be replaced and they placed him in a 3/4 cast (back and 2 sides, front left open) however this did not stop him in anyway. He took over the settee and played Wii all day.
2 days later the doctor decided that he actually was doing great and needed to not have a cast just a splint shoe for 3 weeks. So he is now walking on it (and running and jumping!! however much we try to calm him and get him to be gentle) and it is doing well. The swelling has reduced and so has the lovely blue/black/green colour from around his toes etc.
He doesn't complain of any pain so hopefully all is healing well. Soccer and Judo will be started again sometime in the new term but it will be a good 6 weeks after the accident to ensure all is healed and well ready.
However, with the fact we are in the middle of school holidays, then soccer and judo are not being missed as they are not happening, so all worked out well.

We are also doing some changes around the house, pulling a chimney down, flattening the back garden etc. I do have pictures but that is one thing I will definitely leave to do in a post by itself!

Crutches

Ben has had the joy of learning how to use crutches this week.

Luckily for him, he is at Grandma's house at present, so not many steps to climb. We on the other hand have a flight of 18 to get upstairs, so guess we will be carrying him to bed each night.

Apparently he has been doing well on his crutches and his learning to keep his balance better.
After 4 weeks of this he will probably be very fast on them.

Just Perfect! The Joys of Parenting

This time last week I was ranting and raging about having time off work due to a sick child. He by the way is now fine and we really don't think he was ever that contagious, but we will not argue that point now!
So yesterday life finally got back to normal.
Everyone went to school and I got to go back to work.

However that only lasted until 5pm last night.
Ben jumped down of the stage at after school care last night (like he has everyday practically for the last 2 years) and then complained his foot hurt. Apparently he walked across the hall and then mentioned it hurt.
He could walk on it and move his toes and said it didn't hurt too much when touched. We decided that a pulled muscle was probably the best and left it at that. He had shoes on at the time so we felt his foot was supported so expected nothing sinister at all.
This morning his foot was swollen and sore, so Steve took a couple of hours off and took him for an x-ray at 9am.
I on the other hand called in the cavalry (aka Grandma)
They diagnosed a sprain and sent us home telling us to keep him home for the rest of the week. So Grandma came and did a snatch and grab and whisked him home to her house till Saturday.

Don't you just love Grandma's?

Unfortunately I wish it was all just that simple.
Turns out someone else reviewed his x-ray later in the day and they called us at 5pm to say he needed to be seen again due to actually having a broken foot.
Slight problem, he is now 1hr drive away.
So Grandma took him to local clinic and they called our clinic who advised of the diagnosis.

Now we have a back slab, non weight bearing with crutches for 3 days, then a visit to fracture clinic and then 6 weeks in a cast.
So soccer season, which he is loving has just disappeared along with Judo.
Not sure if he realises this but then seeing as he is not at home at present, still at Grandma's, then we will discuss this with him when he returns!

So here we are, 10pm and I still am not exactly sure what is happening. I never saw the doctor, we haven't really spoken to anyone proper about the phone call because no one has spoken to us yet! Grandma knows more than we do due to being told directly at her clinic what the Hamilton clinic told them, but even then because she is not in town, then they don't know who, when or where.

My day off tomorrow is obviously going to be spent getting to grips with everything and when we have to be places and what for.

The joys of Parenting.

Challenge #3

I have finally finished another challenge. Really should get more of these done as I do only have 4 1/2 months left and I have well over, well almost, most of them to complete!

Anyway, a few weeks ago I managed to finish #3 - Buy some wool and knit a friend a scarf.

Started the scarf not really knowing who was going to be the lucky person to have it, but then decided that the perfect person was my mum for Mother's Day.

As I have already mentioned, I have lots of challenges left to achieve. Now I am not about to set myself a challenge to achieve my challenges, as otherwise I may be going in circles, but seeing as my study does not start again for another 2 weeks then I will try and use my Wednesdays to plan and achieve the challenges I have to complete.

My 3 Guys

The beautiful guys in my life....