Thinly Spread

“I couldn’t do it without you” – it’s so trite, banded around so often.  But really guys, I couldn’t do it without you.

I am completetely overwhemed with gratitude to all the people who are helping get through my herculean to-do list & stay sane.  And I know there are more offers of help out there that I haven’t reached out to yet.  Don’t worry!  I will be doing!

My ‘to-do’ list (in no particular order):

• Take Care of Fergus
  • Making the most of the 8 or so hours a day he is awake & doing something nice together
  • Ensuring physio exercises are done, inlcuding spending time brushing his foot with a toothbrush (yes, really)
  • Taking to & from hospital appointments (2-3 per week)
  • Trying to stop him pushing himself too hard (mission impossible)

• Take Care of Children
  • Emotional support (general & specific to their father being so ill)
  • Paying for an endless list of things
  • Remembering all school & activity related appointments/events and making the necessary arrangements e.g. buying food tech ingredients, fancy dress, dress down day, take £1 etc
  • Driving to an allarmingly long list of places & back
  • Picking up things off the floor (this seems to be the main thing I am needed for some days)

• Running the household
  • Laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping…the usual
  • Moutains of life admin…like everyone these days

• Rennovating our house
  • Into the final stages, but still so many snags to fix & they all take time/energy/phone calls/money to sort out

• Moving house
  • In 8 days’ time.  Not started packing yet.  Not contacted utilities.  Not sorted out broadband.  Not got any boxes.  Not really ready.

• Taking Jemima to hospital for major knee surgery
  • Now happening tomorrow (as long as there are not too many emergency cases)
  • Surgery to wire together her patella bone
  • Staying in hospital overnight with her
  • Trying to be a good mum.  She is really anxious about the operation.  I need to be the calmest and most postive version of myself I can possibly be.
  • Reality:  she won’t be allowed to walk for 3 months
  • Reality:  she won’t be allowed to do any sport for 6 months
  • Reality:  she is upset about all of the above – who can blame her?

• Music Exams
  • Supporting Evie by playing piano accompaniment in her Grade 1 Flute next Saturday (again, being the calmest & most positive version of myself I can possibly be.  Yikes.)
  • Taking Scarlett to & from her Grade 3 Piano on Friday – in a calm & positive frame of mind…I’m seeing a theme here

• Getting back to work
  • My more-than-generous employer will be needing me back soon.  At least I might get time for a cup of tea at work.
  • (For the record, I would give my right arm for everything to go back to a normal week where we both go to work every day).
  • Planning for the impact this will have e.g. getting Jemima to school & back every day; how will Fergus cope without me at home all day?  A lot to think about.

• Party preparations
  • There has to be a housewarming.  I mean, come on, this is a priority.

• Ferg’s MRI scan on 17th March
  • Well, at least there are some distractions from the scanxiety.  Let’s look on the bright side.

• Buy a lottery ticket – with this many bizzare things happening, why not?