Party Prep

First off, this is the crystal tree after three days.  It is looking great!  Levi checks it every morning first thing.  The Dolomite/Vinegar experiment is a complete failure and the rock looks exactly the same.  I think it is supposed to grow crystals on it from the vinegar but, so not happening at the moment.  At least the crystal tree is working and that keeps him going at the moment.

Tonight was soccer night and it was cold and raining on and off but it doesn't stop the kids happily running around for two hours.  After the practice, the coach came back shaking his head and laughing.  He said that last week, they were all so tired, he had to keep waking them up and doing very active things so they stayed on task.  Tonight he was checking for a full moon!!  The kids were all scatty and if there had been walls to bounce off out there, they would have been bouncing repeatedly!

 sThen we got home and Jo had finished the party bags!  Because it is a caveman theme, we wanted to have bags to take home that reflected that.  Jo volunteered to make the bags out of 'tiger skin'.  The tiger skin was a velour rug that I had bought from Kmart for $20.  Jo cut it into big pieces and folded them in half and sewed the edges.  Levi has been bugging me since the weekend to fill the bags even though they hadn't even been made yet.  Tonight I could finally let him at it.  The tiles on the floor were perfect for making little piles for each bag.  Levi had a blast sorting out all the contents and then he put it all into bags.  We put the bags into a laundry basket to wait, but I have to add a few chocolates first before we tie up the top with string (Assuming string was made in caveman times).  Given that I have morphed dinosaurs in there as well, I guess there is a large number of epochs represented in this party, all named 'caveman'! 

Tonight Levi was a bit tired but I guess he had enough of an excuse with two hours of soccer!

Value

Doesn't Levi look old in this photo?  Today was complicated enough that I had to write out a schedule.  Tomorrow is looking a little the same.  This morning I had a mammogram while Levi started his soccer.  Jane took him while I went to do my thing!  The best part of this morning; other than when it was over, was that it took hardly any time at all!  I was in and out in about 15 minutes.  I got back in time to watch Levi score one of his three goals today at his game.  He is really loving soccer again and loves playing any position.  His team is really starting to get the team theory and are actually calling for the ball and passing it to each other!  I know, it is a complete miracle, but some of it is just growing older and understanding more and the rest of it is that they have played together as a team now for three years. 

This afternoon I had a cleaning fest.  I am getting tired of Levi's asthma and he is getting more tired of it.  I decided to clean and vacuum and wash everything down.  Living in the tropics through summer means that no matter how vigilant you are, there is always mold somewhere.  Not any more. 

'This house is clean'

I am hoping that it will make a difference to his sleep.  I am hoping that it will take away at least a few of the triggers esp going into winter here. 

Tonight was my sister-in-law's 50th birthday.  We scrubbed up and I took a photo of the mancub and then we left.  Levi and I didn't actually know that many people and he was tired from last night so it was an early one, but was quite fun!  There were a few interesting conversations.  In one, a lady asked me (in Levi's earshot) if he was my only child.  I told her 'Yes' and Levi added helpfully;

"And one dead one."

OK, strictly accurate but it always interesting to see the reaction to that kind of bald statement.  He is still young enough to not really be able to tell when to say it and when not.  I love that he sees Frankie as a part of the family still.  He sees that he is with us and that is a beautiful thing.  The lady then said;

"Levi must be that much more precious then"

I agreed with her but not really because I truly do.  I don't see Levi's life as more important than her children because a life was paid in the past.  Children are always precious regardless of if there is one or a dozen.  One life doesn't pay for another or increase the value of another.  I love Levi.  I love Frankie.  Both of them.  Always.  Living or dead; they are my children and I see them both as the most precious things to me

Party Time

Today was my official first day of vacation.  Actually it wasn't even that yet!  I was supposed to work but took it off.  It meant that I got to go to Levi's friend Alex's birthday party (and take the photos).  It was great fun.  Because I wasn't really expecting to be there, I didn't even really know what time that we were supposed to be there but we muddled our way there on time.  The party had a big jumping castle and many kids.  Levi had a blast!  He was sweaty and hot and exhausted by the end but he was really happy even though he didn't know many of the kids.  In fact lying on the couch this afternoon Levi said;

"I can't move because I'm all sticky"

OK that's gross but still, he was right!  I told him to wash everything tonight, hair, teeth and body.  He laughed and went and did just that.  Then when we 'huggled' tonight he smelled great.  He was asking to cuddle with me tonight and was tired so he gave me huggled because he got caught between hug and cuddle.

The other thing that happened today was I got all the yard work done.  It means that I can now have fun with Levi for the whole week without stressing about stuff that needs to be done around the house!

Christmas Parties

Today was Levi's last day of Grade1.  They had a Christmas program, where they had a little story to talk about Christmas and then they sang a song ... a bastardized Jingle Bells.  The kids had a blast.  I noticed something with the orientation of the kids when I was watching Levi.  None of the kids sing for the group.  I mean they are all standing in a group and I am sure that in practice they were all able to stand in a straight line looking out, but not in reality.  In reality, the kids all face their parents and sing for them alone.  They turn their whole bodies and face the people that they love and sing their little hearts out.  Levi did that too.  So what was once, momentarily, a straight line becomes jagged, but sweet.  Levi's teacher said that he stressed out until I arrived but relaxed as soon as he saw me. 

I coped about three minutes into the whole scene and then started crying.  You know, I didn't even mark this as an occasion that I had to be careful at.  I hadn't thought that suddenly I would miss Frankie with an affect like a knife in my chest.  It comes on so suddenly!  I never know when it will rear it's ugly head and bite my backside again.  I was watching that beautiful boy singing and I lost my thoughts in the other child.  I was so proud of Levi.  I never forgot him in that but there is that edge that I just never know is there and you never know when it will drop out from under you.  Eight years it has been and yet there are days that it was still yesterday.  I feel at times that Levi will always wonder why at his happiest moments, his mother was always sad.  Actually I was proud and sad and happy and every other emotion.  Maybe that was the problem, too many emotions all at once!

I was very proud of Levi too.  They had a Secret Santa where all the kids brought in a present labeled 'Girl' or 'Boy" and then they sat in a circle to get a gift.  When all the gifts had been given out, one little girl was missing one.  Before she really even had time to get too sad, Levi got up from his space and very quietly offered his present to her.  I was so proud of him.  No prompting.  No one asked him to.  He has a beautiful heart that boy.  His teacher saw it all and actually split one of the 'Girl' presents to solve it, but I was so proud that I nearly split.  And then, of course, I cried!

Party

Today we went to Ruby's birthday party.  She was having a surprise bowling party.  Not Ten Pin but Lawn bowls.  Levi was grumpy and out of sorts.  He has been all day.  Actually to be honest, he has been all weekend.  I think it is because I am about to fly away for another week on Outreach.  I don't doubt that it is really important for the kids we see and for my work but I will have to say, it does take it's toll.  This is hopefully the last one for the year and at least this one is sweetened by the thought of a weeks vacation afterwards.

Levi had face paint on all weekend.  He put it on for his last soccer game of the year.  Because it is cheap stuff, you can either take off the first few layers of his skin getting it off, or you can just wait and it will gradually come off in progressive washes.  Consequently, he is sleeping tonight with further traces of it on his face.

Eventually we left the party early.  Levi had fallen and had a minor hurt but because of his disposition at the time, he deteriorated to needing me to rock him.  Yes, it was time to go home!  I am now packing for both the hard trip and the fun trip.  Tomorrow in the dark, I will get up and kiss the little man and miss him for five days.  At least this time he will come to me!

Walking with Dinosaurs

Walking with Velociraptors rather!  There are dinosaur skeletons in our newspaper.  They are to be put together as a big jigsaw puzzle and we just picked ours up.  The paper is delivered here at the bottom of the hill on the other side of the causeway.  I talked to the guy who delivers them and every day he is saving our dinosaurs, because we rarely get to the Newsagent.  Today we got 9 dinosaurs.  We put together the Velociraptor.  A little too hard for Levi by himself but not for both of us. 

Tonight I also bought Levi's birthday present.  I know that I am nearly 8 months early, but it was the best option.  The big dinos are coming on tour and we are going to see them.  I got tickets for Sunday 12th June, so I imagine it will be a very busy weekend as likely his birthday party will be that Saturday. 

Waiting for the Party

We are getting into the swing of the party mode. I am frantically making plaster trains for the kids to paint. I am also organizing games and food. Levi was invited to a birthday party today after school. Yes one nutter of a parent thought that a Monday afternoon after school in the last few weeks of term when everyone is tired was a good idea! Levi's Mum however did NOT think it was a good idea, so I have been entertaining him a little more tonight just to keep him mind off it all.

We played the game Life. we read books about dinosaurs and we had a longer chat time than usual tonight before bedtime. I am very happy because I have also organized three weeks off in the school holidays. Whats that you say? School holidays are only two weeks! You would be correct but I have a huge amount of time banked up and I am going to take an extra week. For Levi,

A) He is in Prep, which really is irrelevant

B) He is getting really tired and will recharge much more in three than two

C) I am also tired and I think that I need a real break, to recharge and care about things like paperwork again.

D) OK I'll never care about paperwork, but at least recharging will help me pretend that I care!