Summary of Wednesday last week

I think I last posted a week ago. Six days ago, Linnea split her lip on the wall after crashing into it with her scooter; she also did something to her hand (we thought it was broken but no) and damaged at least three milk teeth. I phoned NHS Direct and Rob and got a taxi and when it arrived it didn't have the carseats we were promised so I got one for Emer from upstairs and Linnea had to do without. We went to A&E at the Royal Berks and she was triaged, xrayed etc. Lucy met us there so I didn't need to bring everything in - carseats and bags and all three children, etc. She and Emer sat in the waiting room.

The xray showed nothing, though they weren't certain of her wrist, and a doctor came to look at her mouth. And that was when we learned we had to go to Oxford, because the maxillo-facial surgeons at the RBH all go off at five pm and by the time the xray was done and we'd waited again for the doctor, it was past five.

Luckily I was able to phone a friend for travel advice - our options were taxi or train, and she thought train would be faster or at worst just as fast. I was pleased, because Linnea gets carsick, which would be incredibly dreadful with a split lip in a taxi. At the John Radcliffe, we were seen reasonably quickly after they'd worked out that we'd been referred to max-fax and weren't strictly speaking fresh intake, and the doctor who saw her initially thought she'd need a general to do the stitching, but wasn't totally thrilled by the prospect; Rob phoned Lucy to warn her that we might be in overnight and she made plans to stay in our house where Emer was, and we waited for the consultant to come out of theatre to give a second opinion. He said that if it was general or no stitches it wasn't worth stitching, because of the risks, but in the meantime I'd talked Linnea into being less terrified of the local, and she had three stitches put in under local. It was horrible and she was incredibly, mindbogglingly brave, and we were home before 1am but I cannot for the life of me remember when.

We missed a groceries delivery because of being in A&E. Yay.

The next day we were all absolutely wiped out and fit for nothing. Linnea's face distressed her so much she couldn't cope with mirrors, and Emer refused to sit where she could see Linnea at meals. Also, we were packing for a Centerparcs holiday with Rob's family, starting the day after that, so things were a little fraught.

Friday last week

Thursday was manic packing and laundry. On Friday morning I put my clothes on damp, to dry them with body heat, and we set off in the rain for the train station. Travel was fine, we arrived in Centerparcs ok, Linnea threw a complete tantrum and refused to be where anyone could see her face, which we complied with because she's more important than they are really, and we had chips for dinner. And other stuff. It was nice. We spent the evening going next door in shifts to visit Rob's parents, sister and brother-out-law, so that Linnea could stay behind.

Saturday, Sunday and Monday last week

After a bath and swimming, Linnea's lip looked a lot better as all the dried blood washed away. So she was willing to see people, and we all socialised much more as a group.

We did a lot of swimming and had only two big group meals, but that was fine. The children enjoyed the place and the pool and spent serious quality time with their aunt and uncle for possibly the first time, really - a rushed few hours here and there isn't the same.

On the last afternoon the girls and I painted some ceramics which should arrive in the post soonish. We got home ok on Monday, nice and early, and Maria met us with our keys - I'd lost mine in the post-hospital panic and Rob had given her his set instead of spares, because we were so frantic. She fed the cats brilliantly.

Rob had caught a cold while we were away so he felt awful. Lucy came to visit on Monday evening and was useful in making encouraging noises when he said he might not go to work. He slept in the spare room and Emer was in with me and Astrid. And he didn't go to work, he stayed in bed or pottered gently around with tissues and tea.

Done today

Cleared, swept, washed and dried dining room floor
Tidied the piles of things in the art table
Cleared dining table so the kids could do Lego
Made bed
Tidied my room
Cleared up in the kitchen - I think three dishwasher loads?
Washed laundry, about four loads
Put away clean dry nappies and some other clean dry laundry
Got myself and Emer dressed and out to the library for Storytime, followed by the charity shop, followed by a café with friends, evil Tesco shopping, and home again.
Heated up dinner - boiled spaghetti and reheated meat sauce, and pesto from a jar.
Tidied the floor of the girls' room.
Helped Rob get them into bed.
Fed Astrid to sleep.
Failed to drink the tea that is cooling near my wrist.