Me

My, I have been away for a while haven't I. Well I have had a little excuse really as I have been a bit poorly :(
A while back I was officially diagnosed with ME/CFS and I kind of got used to living with good ordinary days and days where I could hardly open my eyes and function at all. I really make the most of my good days and get out in the fresh air, walking, exploring and just living and breathing our wonderful world.
Well unfortunately my good days were getting fewer and far between so I have been back to see my GP and have also had an MRI scan. Thank goodness the scan showed no evidence of any tumour but it did show scar tissue that could be related to ME, MS, severe migraines. My symptoms are getting worse really and I get pins and needles in my right leg and sometimes my arm, blurred vision and horrible excruciating headaches and dizziness, to be honest whilst out walking the other day I found I had to hold on to Warren as I was very unsteady.
I am going to see a neurologist and may have a CT scan, although I am very reluctant as they use very strong radiation and a brain CT scan is not the best place for being zapped with!
Anyway, I need to chat with the specialist and see if it means a definite diagnosis or not.
Ok, enough of the not so nice stuff and I want to concentrate on my lovely family who not only keep me on my toes but remind me that I am indeed very loved.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that I got my hair cut. It was very dry and unhealthy at the ends due to years of colouring it so...off the ends came :)

Being free..

 We took part in WW F's Earth Hour, Charlie suggested we had earth hour every day...I think he has the right idea :)

 I've been reading about 'nature deficit disorder' and how children are losing contact with nature at a dramatic rate. Traffic, the lure of video screens and parental anxieties are conspiring to keep children indoors. The natural world doesn't come with an instruction manual, so it teaches you to use your creative imagination. Charlie and his are friends are lucky, they are free to be children of nature.

 In their den.

 Den building.

Free to be...

Our Spring Days

 We found our Spring books and have been enjoying reading them together.

 Charlie is really interested in photography and loves to take photo's, watching daddy and learning.

 Fun at the park.

 Whenever we go out on our walks in nature Charlie has to take a little bag and fill it with his 'nature treasures'

 Over the stepping stones to our favourite picnic spot.

Hardcastle Craggs.....beautiful.

A catch up.

Bit of a catch up with Charlie and kindi....he is back at kindergarten for 3 sessions a week and LOVING it..me not loving the journey and the fact I can't throw myself 100% into home edding, just a kind of mish mash really, but then I suppose we are learning at home all the time and as long as charlie gets to play with his friends he is a happy boy. He is going to go until the end of the summer term and then we will say goodbye to that part of our lives and move on to another exciting beginning..our journey of learning together.
I'm not going to deny that I am a little worried about HE, as I am a very unorganised person who sets of with lots of good intentions and loads of plans and most of the time not actually doing any of my wonderfully laid out plans. But hey, I've cooked, washed, made dens, read lots and lots of stories, maybe that's ok for now.

My children come of age...celebration time!

Well 'hello' ....yikes, I have been away a long time but to be honest it's been good to have a wee break from blogging/Internet as so much has been going on here in real life.
Jake turned 21, Lucy was 18, I had my birthday..ok I'll admit it was 44 times round the sun :)
So as you can probably imagine there has been lots of celebrating and many wonderful memories to look back on as my 4 older children are now all adults.

 Charlie looking a little overwhelmed by it all.

 Jake and his best friend John, who have been friends since they were very little

 The birthday boy :)

 A proud mama and her daughters x

 The very glamorous Lucy, just turned 18.

 Me and my littlest boy

 A mama and beautiful daughter (feeling slightly old!)

So here are a few photo's of our fun...

More of our days...

 We made snow rabbits.

 Our smiley boy, before the accident.

 Green booth reservoir, near to where we live.

 Charlies 'friends' enjoy a walk too.

 Building and playing.

My two littlest ones :)

The accident :(

Oh my, what a time we have been having. Our beautiful boy had an accident at kindergarten that ended up with him having surgery the following day :(
I think I need to write all this down as right now I am so very mixed up, I'm so upset, angry, shocked and heartbroken, I need to clear my head so I'm hoping doing this will put things in perspective.
Around lunch time I received a call from the kindi teacher saying Charlie had 'cut' his lip playing in the garden and could I go and pick him up as he was very upset. Well the drive to kindi is around 17 miles and it certainly seemed twice that distance driving there, my heart and head full of worry. I had no idea just what had happened or how bad things were.
I arrived at kindergarten and the children were playing in the garden and as the teacher greeted me quite concerned but not overly worried I went in the classroom to pick charlie up feeling not to worried. My heart skipped a beat and total panic set in when I saw my boy....his mouth was covered in blood and there was an enormous gaping rip through his top lip and into his face!! I ran and picked him up manically asking him how this has happened, he managed to tell me through sobs that a boy had thrown a stick at him...'a stick' my god I thought how big was this stick??
No one seemed to think that his injury was that bad and suggested I popped to the local doctors surgery and ask if they might stitch it! I had other plans..I quickly strapped charlie in the car seat and drove back home to our nearest hospital where we were seen really quickly, to be told by the doctors that our boy need facial surgery to repair his injury and we were transferred to Manchester general. Charlie was wonderful throughout all this, so brave, letting doctors examine him and just every now and then his big blue eyes would fill up with tears and fear. Well to cut a very long wait and story short Charlie was admitted to hospital and operated on by a specialist facial team. They have done a wonderful job and we are hoping he wont be left with too much of a scar.
I have probably missed lots out of my thoughts and we are still dealing with the shock of it all, so I suppose things will get clearer.
We are back home and Charlie is recovering well and to be honest is more upset about taking essential medication and his very sore leg where he had an injection.
I'm really mixed up with regards kindergarten, oh the staff have been lovely and said they have spoken to the little boy who threw the stick and his parents are very upset about it all but this very protective mama is so uncertain of letting my boy go back where, no one noticed what had happened and yes I know little children do thing on impulse and throw but Charlie is such a very sensitive and gentle child (oh and wants to go back to play with his friends) and this isn't the first time he has had things thrown at him, but OK, I know I cant wrap him up in cotton wool and yes I want him to play freely in the garden with his friends..but..arghhh!!!

Anyway, I just needed to write/type something but I'm going to turn inward now and shut the world out for a while, whilst I snuggle and nurse my boy back to his usual smiley self.