Tabitha has been unwell now for the last week. We have been housebound since Monday. We are hoping she will improve soon now, the lack of sleep is beginning to bite……

Yesterday, I got home with the girls, unloaded them from the car, handed Tabitha over to Chris, went off in to the kitchen, cooked dinner, got it on the table, and called everyone in to the dining room. The first thing Ellie said on walking in to the room was “The oxygen machine isn’t on”. Tabs had been without her oxygen for about 30 mins at this point, and Chris and I hadn’t noticed all that time that the machine was off. It’s a good job we have Ellie to point out the essentials of Tabitha’s care to us.

My friend and I booked appointments at our local blood donating session yesterday. I then forgot my appointment and ended up turning up late. As I arrived, she was just walking out, after they had failed to get her blood due to messing up the puncture. Anyway, she said she’d come back in with me, just to keep me company while I waited. I wasn’t waiting long, then went off for the preliminary tests that they do, only to find that my Hb was too low for them to take a donation that day! I’ve never been turned away before. We did have a bit of a giggle about it though. I mean, what are the chances of both of us normally healthy people being turned away from a donating session!

My goodness we have had a busy week. Ellie has started school, Tabitha has started Playgroup, my car is in the garage being fixed after the idiot hit it, and I have just been to-ing and fro-ing running around after the girls all week. Ellie is only going to school mornings for the first half-term, so I have to collect her at lunchtime every day. Then I have Tabitha in two different play groups, one next to the school and one 40 mins away, for 3 after noons a week, so its pick Ellie up, drop Tabitha off (or stay with her if she’s at her new one, they haven’t been trained to care for her yet). Then collect Tabs at 3ish, and come home again. I don’t know how working mothers juggle all this stuff!

 Now that the guy who hit my car has been traced, I have been able to get it fixed. There was a question mark about if I could get a replacement car because he was denying liability, but after checking my story with the witnesses, it was agreed I could have one. I picked it up on Monday, an 07 plate mondeo estate with 2.5k on the clock. The newest car I have ever driven. It’s ok, but I wouldn’t buy one, it feels as long as a bus, although it has proved useful dropping stuff off at Mum’s house!

Ellie has had a wonderful first week at school. Every day her class lines up in the playground ready to go in to class, and this week, every day, Ellie has been first in line. I keep trying to get her to let someone else go first, but she seems to have made it her responsibility to lead everyone in. I must say I feel rather surplus to requirements, because she doesn’t even look my way to wave goodbye when she goes in. I know it’s the best way for her to be, but I can’t help feeling a little jealous of those parents whose kids do actually acknowledge they are there.

 Even Tabitha has surprised us this week. I took her to her special needs play group on Wednesday and expected to have to stay with her and settle her in after 6 weeks away. Not a bit of it. She saw her worker, and was happy and off straight away. Ellie and I stayed with her for 30 mins, filling her worker in on progress over the summer, and then we left. It was nice to just have some time with Ellie, we went for a walk and had some lunch before heading back to the play group.

Things are feeling very different now. I guess everyone is growing up and gaining independence. Maybe even including me…….