Numb Bum Day - The Follow Up

We'll we had Numb Bum day a couple of days ago and I'm pleased to report we are home and the Wee Man is at school. 

It was a long, hard, anxiety filled day, to put it nicely.  I've learned how much of a performance nurses and doctors go through on a daily basis.  The words "putting on a brave face" seem irrelevant when you realise what they have to do to placate parents and young patients. I think the Wee Man's medical team deserve an Oscar for their acting performance. 

It wasn't until we were finally discharged that the nurses and doctors let on how dangerous Numb Bum day really was.  We knew it was dangerous, otherwise why do it in a hospital.  But there was that bit in my brain that thought it would be ok since we were in a hospital filled with nurses and doctors.  His Consultant was on the ward all day who is an allergy speicailst, his allergy nurse was within ten feet of us all day.  So all was well in my uneducated mind.  But throughout the day we had little indications that what was happening to the Wee Man was pretty much as life threatening as you can get, short of sticking your finger in a socket whilst sitting in a bath of water.

So what made me think all was not as rosy as I had thought?  Well...

1/ The Consultant's instruction to give the Wee Man a good dose of his anti-histamine before anything was done to him was the first indication.  Seemed a sensible idea to me though.

2/ Then we were advised that a cannula was to be put in...just in case.  That was the first real warning that the day wasn't to be as "easy" as I had first thought.

3/ The Wee Man was given the bed directly facing the nursing station, despite there being lots of other available beds, again innocent enough until I realised that all the nurses were keeping a very vigilant eye on us.

4/ The extra, careful scrutiny the nurses and doctors had on what each other were doing whilst they were with the Wee Man.  I'm pretty sure it's not "normal" for nurses to ask, and ask and ask doctors if their gloves are latex free or for them to order doctors to "wash your hands!".

5/ At the end of the day, Nurse K the allergy nurse, revealed to us that she had been carrying Epipens with her all day.  This is a Nurse who on a daily basis performs food challenges on allergic children.  Literally feeding allergic foods to children with proven allergies to the food and who are at a very high risk of anaphylaxis from any contact with the food.  Carrying Epipens on her person is not "normal" for her even in those life threatening situations, so for her to do so on Numb Bum Day made me realise just how much danger the Wee Man had been in. 

And finally the biggest indication that Numb Bum Day was indeed a Big day was when we were finally given the all clear and the whole medical team physically relaxed into themselves.  It was so strange to watch and experience.  I could see the tension ebb away from Nurse K.  She slumped into her chair and her whole body just ..relaxed.  The tension on her face melted away and she was our Nurse K again.  The smile on her face was nothing like the forced grin she was displaying all day.  She was herself again. 

I had a chat with Dr. H., the Wee Man's Consultant, and even she showed physical signs of relief.  This woman is a first class Consultant who's seen and dealt with just about anything you could imagine an allergy Consultant would have to deal with.

I thought maybe I was projecting my own sense of relief onto everyone but thinking back to what was being said, how it was being said and their physical demeanour, I'm pretty sure the relief the medical team felt far outweighed the relief I felt.  They must have been pretty stressed. 

Despite all of that the Wee Man took everything in his stride as usual.  The cannula was dismissed as a nuisance.  Just before Nurse K assisted the doctor in putting the cannula in she looked at the Wee Man and made him promise he'd "still like me after I've done this?".  The Wee Man gave her his "Are you crazy?!" look.  The Play Nurse anxiously advised me to hold a book between his face and his hand so he wouldn't see what was happening.  I told her there was no need and she thought I was insane and looked on anxiously.  The cannula was in and his hand bandaged without so much as a wince or a whimper from him.

He completely ignored the actual injections of the vaccine.  The adventure story I was reading to him was much more exciting.  In fact his only complaint from the day was that the cannula inhibited his ability to play with the toys in the toy room.

The medical staff were full of praise for his "braveness" and they were in awe of his maturity.  I must admit I do think the medical staff were being overly anxious about the procedures being done to the Wee Man.  I do believe that anxiety breeds anxiety.  There were many a time I had to sugar coat whatever the medical team were saying and dismiss them as "crazy".

In all it was an experience I would not wish to go through again.  Unfortunately we're back into the hospital next month for a soya challenge.  I hope, hope, hope the Wee Man passes.  Introducing soya into his diet would open up so much more variety for him.  Not just the yoghurts, cheese and ice cream but all the things with hidden soya in them.

Maybe, just maybe the Wee Man will soon be able to eat some chocolate! 

The Perfect Railway Holiday (aka as the "Best Train Holiday EVER") - Part 1

Where do you go on holiday if your child is mad about trains?

The answer is simple, Wales.  Berwyn to be precise where for a reasonable amount of money you can hire the Station Master's house at Berwyn station.  It's situated right on the railway platform where regular steam and vintage diesel trains run.

Here's the link if you want to have a nose. Berwyn Station Masters House

I can't remember how I found the house but find it I did and I booked it there and then.

I can hand on heart say it is the BEST holiday home I have ever stayed in.  The view from the living room is stunning with sweeping views of the platform and the River Dee.

 
Berwyn station is a vintage lovers dream with lovely vintage touches here and there.

The house is beautifully furnished with everything you would ever need on holiday, including an iron.  Several of our past holiday homes were without one so I was especially thrilled to find an iron in a cupboard.  Simple things!  To welcome us on our arrival at the house there was a lovely bottle of wine and beautiful fresh flowers.  And of course the obligatory carton of fresh milk in the fridge for a cuppa. 

The Wee Man spent many happy hours playing on the platform.  The station is rather quiet with not many people getting on and off at Berwyn so he had the run of the platform and for one whole week he was the Station Master of Berwyn railway station, complete with train cap, whistle, flag and official badge.

As part of the holiday home hire we were given complementary tickets for the railway which allowed us to ride the trains as many times as we wanted during our stay.  This made the holiday very worthwhile as at £12 for an adult ticket and there being four adults we saved a lot of money.  The tickets were used almost on a daily basis.

The majority of the railway staff are volunteers and were exceptionally lovely which really made the Wee Man's holiday.  He was given a tour of the signal box at Llangollen station, allowed into the driver's cab of a steam train, helped with the coupling up of several trains and the highlight for him was a ride in the driver's cab of a vintage diesel train.

I think you need to be a parent to a train mad child to fully appreciate why all of the little extra treats were really special.  I have to add though that the little extras are not part of the holiday package, but merely the staff recognising how especially train obsessed the Wee Man is and indulging him in his obsession.  He really is obsessed!

More holiday posts to follow where the Wee Man's train obsession will become very apparent.

Do I need to check my Home Insurance?

play date (noun) The occasion of a child having a friend come over to play at their house.

The play date is a fairly new concept and one that I associate with a particular episode of "Friends" where Ross takes his son on a play date with a stripper and her son, much to Rachel's annoyance.

In my day we were shoved out the house to roam the streets in a pack with our runny noses and scraped knees.  Our social lives weren't managed by our parents.  We made our "dates" in the school playground with questions of "Yoo goan oot t'play the night?".  Plans were made to meet at a street corner where many happy hours of skipping, bouncing balls and hula hooping were to be had.  Those were the days.

Now it takes at least an email and three texts before children can play with their friends outside of school.  Parents have to check their child's diaries to find a suitable slot between gymnastics club, tennis club and spanish lessons.

The Wee Man has been on a few play dates with class mates.  I always tag along of course, under the pretence of the Wee Man's allergies when in fact I just want to have a nose at other people's houses.  :0)  Not really. I'm sure  the parents expect and indeed demand that I tag along with the Wee Man for all his social engagements.  I'm pretty sure they don't relish the thought of having to deal with an allergic reaction and I for one wouldn't trust them.

It seems I have been rather selfish in the play date department though and have not invited any of the Wee Man's classmates to our house to play.  The Wee Man has asked several times and in fact one child practically followed us all the way home, all the while his mother trying in vain to reason with him. Only a well timed Milky Way bribe distracted him enough not to follow us onto our street.

So, this term I am going to invite at least one child over to play.  In preparation I have moved all the Wee Man's toys into his room to try and contain any ensuing mayhem. I told the Big Man my plan and a brief look of panic skipped across his face and he said two words to me and walked out the room.  "Home insurance".

Really?  Do I really need to go the the extreme of checking my home insurance?  What are the chances of a major disaster happening that needs me to hunt out our policy documents?

Note to Self:  Hide the Chalk Paint

A Week in Pictures

We've been struck down with lurgy, well the Wee Man and I have.  The Big Man is decidedly smug in his healthiness. 

My brain is still not functioning right so instead of words here's some pictures to show you the week that was.

The Audience

The Actors

The Game

The View

The Mothers' Day Treat

The Cookies

The Mother's Day Flowers

Normal service will resume soon...I hope!

Floating in a cloud of gingerbread

For the past couple of days I've been a gingerbread man making machine.  The Wee Man's school teacher asked if I could make gingerbread men with her class.  Without hesitation I agreed and also agreed to make them with the other Reception class too.  That's sixty kids in total. 

It was hectic, frantic and a whole lot of fun.  For two days the entire school smelled yummy with gingerbread and even after I left the school I could still smell it.  It must have been clinging to my clothes and hair and yummy scrummy they smelled too.

I couldn't take any pics of the kids making the gingerbread men obviously so I took some pics of the men (and ladies) themselves.  All the kids and the teachers gave them a big thumbs up.  Not bad for their first taste of wheat free, dairy free, egg free and soya free gingerbread men.

I think in all honesty the teachers were amazed how good they tasted.  I think like many adults they hear of the Wee Man's allergies and suspect he "misses out" on a lot of treats that other children get.  When in actual fact he gets way better treats than "normal" kids.  How many other kids get a regular supply of homemade goodies?  

Happy Pancake Day - Gluten, wheat, dairy and egg free recipe

Happy Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday everyone.

To celebrate Pancake Day, the Wee Man and I will be making and consuming copious amounts of pancakes.  Not that we need an excuse to do so, but with it being officially Pancake Day, there is a little less guilt associated with my soon to be bloated tum.

The Wee Man is determined to see me toss a pancake.  I'm not really sure if I can do so as I use a very heavy iron skillet to fry pancakes with.  I could end up with a broken wrist, so I'm hoping I can talk the Wee Man down.

We'll be using my yummy allergy free pancake recipe that is free from gluten, wheat, dairy and egg.  The recipe can be found here.  I wonder what shapes we'll come up with today?

The Wee Man's Millions

I've been having yet another clearout.  No matter how often I do it, it seems to just keep piling up.  Toys, toys and more toys.  Where does it all come from and why after five years am I still tripping over that stupid plastic quacking duck?!  I blame myself.  The Wee Man has inherited my hoarding collecting instinct and it's well and truly biting me on my bum.  Look at all the money boxes he has for his savings?  And these are the ones that have survived the many culls.

He likes counting his pennies

All of them are filled to the brim with pennies he's literally picked up here and there.  The Big Man has an annoying habit of emptying his pockets and leaving little piles of coins everywhere.  It use to really annoy me until I had a brainwave and told the Wee Man he could keep any coins he found around the house.  So now my house is free of little piles of coins, instead I have six  money boxes to contend with.

So I've decided to open a savings account for him.  He already has a few to his name.  There's his Child Trust Fund account, his university account and his gifted money account.  He tells me regularly not to worry about paying for the house as he has money saved up(!)  I'm not really sure his pennies will cover our extortionate mortgage but it's the thought that counts.

But another savings account is required and we shall call it his "I've-got-too-many-money-boxes-so-I'm-keeping-my-money-in-the-bank-before-Mum-has-another-strop!" account.

A Handbook for Christmas

Come December, the shops are choc full of guides and handbooks on how to have the best Christmas ever.  How to dress your tree, how to serve a Michelin starred dinner and how to make exceptional presents that will become heirlooms.

Not one to deviate from the bandwagon I found the best Christmas handbook ever published.  Bought for a meagre £1 from a charity shop last week, the book has given me a lot of  lightbulb moments and a few chuckles.

It covers everything you need to have a very merry Christmas for all the family with recipes, decorating ideas, craft ideas and even instructs you on how to take down and store your decorations for next year. 

By far my favourite section in the book is the "Choosing of Presents".  With a handy illustrated guide on which presents to give and not give each member of your family.  For example,  who knew giving Gran a corset for Christmas would elicit this response from her?  

And it is really not a good idea to give Mum toilet paper and a scrubbing brush?

The kids would take exception to receiving a school uniform or writing paper.  And poor baby should definitely not be reminded of his incontinence.

There's also a chapter on how to decorate your tree to a theme with great crafting ideas for ornaments.  There's the Children's tree.

With wool and stick stars.  I remember making these at school.

Sweetie garlands which will no doubt rapidly become an empty sweetie wrapper garland.

And fluffy woolen pom poms.  Did these at school too and hated it.  They are so monotonous to do.

There's also the Victorian tree with gravity defying doves at the top of the tree.

A Soft and Safe Tree for baby with cotton wool garlands and paper chains.

And my favourite tree is the Wildlife tree for your garden.

Who needs gawdy Blackpool lights in your garden when you could have this lovely creation?  It's so simple to make and the little birdies will be kept happy through the Christmas season.

The book also gives some handy tips on how to build with snow.  Who'd have thunk you could use a cardboard box to make snow squares or a wasing up liquid bottle to make towers?  Genius!

All I need now are four trees, two feet of snow and definitely not toilet paper or scrubbing brushes.  

The Wee Man Pulls a Sicky

The Wee Man spent Sunday night with a raging temperature, 38.8C, and being sick.  So he had a day off school and instead of the obligatory sofa, duvet and telly watching, what did he want to do?  Well there was.....

...shortbread making straight after breakfast...

...followed by the making of disastrous cinder toffee or crunchie guts to you and me...

...making and decorating salt dough gingerbread men Christmas tree ornaments...

...making roast chicken and bacon wraps for lunch and...

...puffy paint snowmen pictures.  (These need some features added once the paint has dried.)

Today he demanded to go to school, "I WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL!".  Looks like I didn't keep him entertained enough yesterday(!)  Note to self: Must try harder.