They're everywhere, wherever you live in the world there are always Old wives tales for one thing or another.
In India there were so many superstitions about the weather, one was that you shouldn't get wet in the first rainfall after the dry season or you'll get sick. Imagine the looks we got when it finally rained and me and the kids danced in it and got soaked while all the locals sheltered and watched us, some with amusement but most with fear written all over their faces.
In England, the weather Full Stop is just one big Old Wives Tale and so are the weather forecasters!
One of North Carolina's weather tales is that if there is a winter rain storm with thunder and lightening it will snow in 10 days time.
It happened sometime in December and so many people told me there would be a snow on the way - only it didn't happen. Then, a few weeks ago there wasn't even a thunder storm but snow was forecast - it didn't happen either.
12 days ago there was a thunderstorm and according to every tv and radio station there is definately a significant snowstorm heading our way. We are all so excited! It should move in here later this evening, we will be waiting with baited breath.
Just before Christmas Toys R Us had a load of sledges and I suggested to Ian that we buy one - just in case. He practically laughed at me, so sure was he that it hardly ever ever snows in North Carolina, and it hasn't yet this winter but it sure as sure looks very likely at this moment in time. So do you think I can find a sledge anywhere? Of course I can't...I've tried everywhere I could think of and I wasn't the only one searching in vain. Pat on the back for me though as I think that I may just have solved this little problem, I called our landlord, all three of his children are at college and !Yes! he has one in the attic we can borrow - whoopee! Now we just need to find a hill, with not many trees - that could prove difficult.
One more thing....when did a sledge translate to or become a 'Sled'? I've never heard of a sled but I've had lots of fun on a sledge!
Friday, 29 January 2010
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Allergy Aware
When Ellie was one, as per UK health guidelines she tried honey for the first time. It can't have interested her much because when I turned my back for a few seconds she swiped a piece of my peanut butter on toast, took a bite, swallowed it and when I turned back to her she had a neat row of hives from her cheek to her chest.
I immediately called the doctor who ran through all the checks with me, how big are the hives? how fast did they appear? Is her throat swelling? Is she breathing normally? Do you have any Piriton? Can you give her a spoonful right now? I did. I watched and he waited on the other end of the phone. Thankfully there were no other danger signs and his advice was to avoid peanut butter until she was at least 4 before re-introducing it to her because it wasn't standard NHS practice to allergy test a baby (!I know!).
Over the next few years we diligently avoided her having peanuts and peanut butter and she became acutely aware that peanuts were something she had to avoid - just in case. One day an accident happened, a knife that had been used to spread some peanut butter was washed, wiped and used to cut a piece of cheese. As soon as that piece of cheese touched her lips, they swelled and began to itch. I grabbed the cheese, grabbed the bottle of Piriton and we played the waiting game....phew, panic over as the symptoms subsided. We decided we would have to get her allergy tested.
We arrived in the US and the kids pediatrician agreed with us that an allergy test was necessary and then we waited and waited for our medical insurance details and information to come through. What constituted a 6 month delay I'll never know but finally a couple of weeks ago everything arrived and it was straight to the Allergist's office for both Ellie and Luke.
Day 1 and Ellie was tested first with skin scratch tests on her back for a reaction to peanuts, pecans, walnuts and one other, I forget which. Within seconds her back was a maze of hives around the peanut area and she was itching terribly and she had to wait like that for 15 minutes while I fanned her back and tried to distract her from all the discomfort. Affirmative: Ellie is allergic to peanuts but not to any other nuts. The doctor then ran through the allergy drill with me and wrote a prescription for two Epi-pens and trained me on how to use them. He doesn't feel her allergy is severe enough to be life threatening but better to be safe than sorry.
Day 2, Luke's turn. After the previous day I was dreading going through the same with a toddler but he was as good as gold and thankfully is not allergic to peanuts.
Having discussed the family history of allergies, asthma, eczema the doctor has advised that Ellie now be tested for bee/insect stings. Luke only if Ellie's is positive. It's a good time of year to get it out of the way but this test involves *blood* and *needles* and after having gone through a 10 week immunisation programme to go to India you can imagine Ellie's reaction level to needles now - it verges on hysterical. I have decided to mentally prepare myself before we go but cannot decide whether to mentally prepare her or just go with the element of surprise.
I immediately called the doctor who ran through all the checks with me, how big are the hives? how fast did they appear? Is her throat swelling? Is she breathing normally? Do you have any Piriton? Can you give her a spoonful right now? I did. I watched and he waited on the other end of the phone. Thankfully there were no other danger signs and his advice was to avoid peanut butter until she was at least 4 before re-introducing it to her because it wasn't standard NHS practice to allergy test a baby (!I know!).
Over the next few years we diligently avoided her having peanuts and peanut butter and she became acutely aware that peanuts were something she had to avoid - just in case. One day an accident happened, a knife that had been used to spread some peanut butter was washed, wiped and used to cut a piece of cheese. As soon as that piece of cheese touched her lips, they swelled and began to itch. I grabbed the cheese, grabbed the bottle of Piriton and we played the waiting game....phew, panic over as the symptoms subsided. We decided we would have to get her allergy tested.
We arrived in the US and the kids pediatrician agreed with us that an allergy test was necessary and then we waited and waited for our medical insurance details and information to come through. What constituted a 6 month delay I'll never know but finally a couple of weeks ago everything arrived and it was straight to the Allergist's office for both Ellie and Luke.
Day 1 and Ellie was tested first with skin scratch tests on her back for a reaction to peanuts, pecans, walnuts and one other, I forget which. Within seconds her back was a maze of hives around the peanut area and she was itching terribly and she had to wait like that for 15 minutes while I fanned her back and tried to distract her from all the discomfort. Affirmative: Ellie is allergic to peanuts but not to any other nuts. The doctor then ran through the allergy drill with me and wrote a prescription for two Epi-pens and trained me on how to use them. He doesn't feel her allergy is severe enough to be life threatening but better to be safe than sorry.
Day 2, Luke's turn. After the previous day I was dreading going through the same with a toddler but he was as good as gold and thankfully is not allergic to peanuts.
Having discussed the family history of allergies, asthma, eczema the doctor has advised that Ellie now be tested for bee/insect stings. Luke only if Ellie's is positive. It's a good time of year to get it out of the way but this test involves *blood* and *needles* and after having gone through a 10 week immunisation programme to go to India you can imagine Ellie's reaction level to needles now - it verges on hysterical. I have decided to mentally prepare myself before we go but cannot decide whether to mentally prepare her or just go with the element of surprise.
Monday, 25 January 2010
We Are Not Alone
When we moved into our house last September we moved into a new 'sub-division'. Three houses had been completed and were on the market. Three were almost finished and one was half finished. There are also several plots on which building work is yet to start but the developer of the whole site has gone to the wall and so three of the almost completed houses had been taken over by 'The Bank'.
For four months we were here alone with the deer, squirrels and many strange comings and goings during the darker hours. Alot of them were more than likely local high schoolers looking for somewhere to 'hang out'. We had the case of the 'Big Black Pick-Up' that would regularly cruise slowly past our house before dashing off to the other end of the sub-division and then cruise back again - obviously up to no good. We also had the strange case of 'Is There or Isn't There a Body in the Woods?' which came about because we spotted another pick-up in the driveway of the semi-finished house next door and it looked like the driver was unloading something into the woods at 1am in the morning. More than likely stealing materials but when I told a friend about what had happened she immediately jumped to the aforementioned conclusion which set my pulse racing and imagination working overtime. We can laugh about it now!
One of the houses had alot of pipes stolen and another had all the appliances removed one night although I'm not sure whether that was before or when we were here. So you can see that for a couple of months I was on tenterhooks. Then I decided that it really wasn't my problem and if the bank/developer/whoever wasn't prepared to be security conscious then I wasn't going to give myself anxiety or high blood pressure and I relocated my bum to a different sofa so as not to be distracted by any headlights coming and going.
In time, either I just got used to not noticing things or the suspicious traffic declined as 'the bank' completed the three almost finished houses and lights got switched on.
Then one week before Christmas a removals van pulled up and a family moved into one of the first houses in the sub-division. One week later and another removals van and another family move into another house and I can honestly say that I have never been so thankful to have neighbours!
I still haven't met the first family properly but the second family have a son the same age as Ellie and twins of 18 months. Me and the kids all enjoyed a great play date and getting to know you afternoon with them. It seems that some other strange comings and goings will now cease....especially as the mother of the new family, while checking her mailbox esrly last week happened last week to 'catch' a couple enjoying each other in a car on their lunch break. 'It was 3oF that day', she laughed (below freezing in new money) 'And I don't think they'll be coming back this way any day soon'. You tell em! This is a family neighbourhood now you know.
For four months we were here alone with the deer, squirrels and many strange comings and goings during the darker hours. Alot of them were more than likely local high schoolers looking for somewhere to 'hang out'. We had the case of the 'Big Black Pick-Up' that would regularly cruise slowly past our house before dashing off to the other end of the sub-division and then cruise back again - obviously up to no good. We also had the strange case of 'Is There or Isn't There a Body in the Woods?' which came about because we spotted another pick-up in the driveway of the semi-finished house next door and it looked like the driver was unloading something into the woods at 1am in the morning. More than likely stealing materials but when I told a friend about what had happened she immediately jumped to the aforementioned conclusion which set my pulse racing and imagination working overtime. We can laugh about it now!
One of the houses had alot of pipes stolen and another had all the appliances removed one night although I'm not sure whether that was before or when we were here. So you can see that for a couple of months I was on tenterhooks. Then I decided that it really wasn't my problem and if the bank/developer/whoever wasn't prepared to be security conscious then I wasn't going to give myself anxiety or high blood pressure and I relocated my bum to a different sofa so as not to be distracted by any headlights coming and going.
In time, either I just got used to not noticing things or the suspicious traffic declined as 'the bank' completed the three almost finished houses and lights got switched on.
Then one week before Christmas a removals van pulled up and a family moved into one of the first houses in the sub-division. One week later and another removals van and another family move into another house and I can honestly say that I have never been so thankful to have neighbours!
I still haven't met the first family properly but the second family have a son the same age as Ellie and twins of 18 months. Me and the kids all enjoyed a great play date and getting to know you afternoon with them. It seems that some other strange comings and goings will now cease....especially as the mother of the new family, while checking her mailbox esrly last week happened last week to 'catch' a couple enjoying each other in a car on their lunch break. 'It was 3oF that day', she laughed (below freezing in new money) 'And I don't think they'll be coming back this way any day soon'. You tell em! This is a family neighbourhood now you know.
So Far Behind
I am behind on blog posts.
Behind on emails.
Behind on phonecalls.
Behind, behind, behind and trying to catch up!
So if you haven't heard from me in a while, that's why and I promise that eventually you will.
Behind on emails.
Behind on phonecalls.
Behind, behind, behind and trying to catch up!
So if you haven't heard from me in a while, that's why and I promise that eventually you will.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Natural Talents...?
According to Ellie, everyone has a 'Natural Talent'. I probed further....
Her talent is for sport, exercising and reading...apparently.
Mine is listening (not much choice) and cooking (not much choice there either, but thanks for the vote of appreciation)
Daddy's is working and fixing things (he also doesn't get much choice)
Luke's natural talent is to laugh, make noise and mess (*None* of us would disagree on that score!)
Her talent is for sport, exercising and reading...apparently.
Mine is listening (not much choice) and cooking (not much choice there either, but thanks for the vote of appreciation)
Daddy's is working and fixing things (he also doesn't get much choice)
Luke's natural talent is to laugh, make noise and mess (*None* of us would disagree on that score!)
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Friday, 15 January 2010
Back to Life? Back to Reality?
Thank you for the prompts, sorry for the lack of postings.
Oh dearie dearie me.
Where have the last 15 days gone? What on earth have I been doing? The short answer is.... I really don't have a clue.
Christmas and the New Year already seem like light years away although there are still a good many people STILL with Christmas Trees and giant holly wreaths twinkling in their windows and on their porches. C'mon North Carolina people - get them down or else it'll be Thanksgiving and decorating time again before you can say 'Bless your/mine/his/her/whoever's heart,' and you know it.
January 4th came and (shhhh! I'm going to say this quietly) thankfully the kids returned to school and Ian went back to work. We had a great 'holiday' time but I had almost nearly chewed every fingernail and ripped out every hair with the lack of routine, the mess and all the washing that was constantly being created. Yes, I'll admit, on January 4th I woke up in a lighter mood and breathed a deep sigh of relief and had a spring in my accelerator foot on the way to school, during which the following conversation took place with Ellie....
Me: Isn't it good to be going back to school...did you have a good Christmas holiday?
Ellie: It was great, I had the best time but it was too short.
Me: Really? Was it?
Ellie: It was only 2 weeks Mum!
Me: Was it? Really? It felt like 4.
...And honestly it really, really did!
But I'm over all that now. Now that a sense of normality and routine has returned and settled over us all, but would just like to say how much I missed family and friends this year.
Happy Belated New Year!
Oh dearie dearie me.
Where have the last 15 days gone? What on earth have I been doing? The short answer is.... I really don't have a clue.
Christmas and the New Year already seem like light years away although there are still a good many people STILL with Christmas Trees and giant holly wreaths twinkling in their windows and on their porches. C'mon North Carolina people - get them down or else it'll be Thanksgiving and decorating time again before you can say 'Bless your/mine/his/her/whoever's heart,' and you know it.
January 4th came and (shhhh! I'm going to say this quietly) thankfully the kids returned to school and Ian went back to work. We had a great 'holiday' time but I had almost nearly chewed every fingernail and ripped out every hair with the lack of routine, the mess and all the washing that was constantly being created. Yes, I'll admit, on January 4th I woke up in a lighter mood and breathed a deep sigh of relief and had a spring in my accelerator foot on the way to school, during which the following conversation took place with Ellie....
Me: Isn't it good to be going back to school...did you have a good Christmas holiday?
Ellie: It was great, I had the best time but it was too short.
Me: Really? Was it?
Ellie: It was only 2 weeks Mum!
Me: Was it? Really? It felt like 4.
...And honestly it really, really did!
But I'm over all that now. Now that a sense of normality and routine has returned and settled over us all, but would just like to say how much I missed family and friends this year.
Happy Belated New Year!
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