Tuesday 11 March 2008

Me and My BIG MOUTH

I think it was last Tuesday when I carelessly remarked on my great luck at not having had a cold this season. How's that for tempting fate?! And while I'm being superstitious, let's throw another adage in for good measure - "It never rains but it pours".
I thought I was coming down with something on Thursday night. By the time I picked little one up at 11.45am on Friday we both looked none too good and lay on the sofa for the rest of the day. I seemed to have rallied on Saturday, which is just as well since 12 year old had delivered the usual last-minute request the night before:

12 - Er, mom. We're doing a play on Monday.
Me - Yes.
12 - I'm a medieval messenger.
Me - Yes.
12 - So can you do one?
Me - Do you mean you need a medieval messenger costume for Monday morning?
12 - Kind of.

After spending 20 minutes on the web trying to decide between a military or courtier type messenger, (him caring only about whether he has to wear tights and pointy boots), I suggested he confirm the time period with one of his classmates. I mean once you start on a medieval costume, you're somewhat locked in. Sure enough, TJ, CJ or someone-J insisted it was Egypt "one or two thousand years ago". More Internet research resulting in an on-line pattern. Yippee. Before anyone is too impressed, it was a long cap-sleeved tunic, with a belt and a round collar, on which I drew some Egyptiany-looking squiggles with a marker. It was nicely hemmed though.

Such was my apparent recovery that I even managed to go out to dinner on Saturday night to celebrate hubby's up-coming birthday. I should have suspected something when I turned down an after dinner drink.

Sunday morning - dead. Or very nearly. Downstairs for five minutes, I thought "Bugger this" and "I should really go back to bed as I don't want to infect anyone else" and did. (Trying to leave a large hint to other family members who usually loll around infecting everyone within a five mile range.) Hubby was great; took little one everywhere, cooked dinner, bathed him. Made the older two practise their violins - and never once looked in on me. I could have died at lunchtime and they wouldn't have found my body till about 10.27pm.

Don't remember much about Monday as I went straight back to bed as soon as my nanny came and didn't get up till she was half way home. Managed to find pizza and leftovers to give the kids, to which one responded, "I love dinners when you're not feeling well". I think she was referring to the lack of vegetables.

This morning I am back in the land of the barely-living, although I sound like Darth Vader. I know I'm better because I eyed a pile of laundry as I came downstairs. Not well enough to actually do anything (but boy can I split those infinitives!) Just as well really as little one woke up with eye lashes matted, complaining of a sore throat. Off to the doc's. Poor thing has a bad strep infection which is now in his eyes, ears and throat. I am gamely ignoring the ringing in my ears and growing lump in my throat. After all, mothers don't get ear infections for god's sake!

It's hubby's birthday on Thursday so I have to drag my carcass (and 4 year old) out to buy something to give him that morning. He wouldn't mind if I postponed it till the weekend, but the kids would be devastated.
And the play with the messenger turned out to be ancient Arabia, so the collar stayed in the bag. Still, next time anyone has a themed event to go to - they're going as an Egyptian messenger.

24 comments:

  1. Hope you're feeling better.

    I'm very impressed at your sewing skills. Fancy dress for me tends to be go-to-the-charity-shop-and-see-what-I-can-find kind of sewing (ie not).

    One day I might be grown up enough to have my very own sewing machine :D

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  2. At least not wanting a drink didn't result in finding out you were pregnant ... I so believe in looking on the sunny side! Good luck with the present buying. And don't get me started on school costumes which are ALWAYS, but always, for TOMORROW!

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  3. Some day I will tell the story of how I discovered my last pregnancy and why, medically, it should never have happened!!!

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  4. Oh my god. If that were either of my boys they would have been going in a sheet with a hole in the middle. You are the consummate super mummy, definitely.

    Hope the sore throat comes to nothing. It's so sweet of our children to share their illnesses with us, don't you think?

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  5. Wow, I'm impressed that you managed to get some bed time. I'm rubbish at making sure that happen, but I'm sure it helps you get better quicker. Especially if you have loads of crisps and celeb magazines to hand.

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  6. The costume drama continues - here's me thinking, "well at least we might be able to use this all again". He was performing the play at an outside venue (geriatric home, to be exact) and has LEFT IT THERE. We will never see it again, and even though it looked like a table cloth - IT WAS HEMMED DAMMIT!

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  7. Oh that is so funny!
    Hope you feel better & back to normal very soon.

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  8. Poor you hope you're feeling better - HE LEFT IT THERE!1 ARE YOU JOKING - THAT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE. I WOULD BE DEVASTATED. I have never made a costume for my children because they all look like one of the three kings regardless of theme - dish cloth on head look. Luckily for me, both my mother and brother love that sort of thing. x

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  9. Same here - I've got to come up with two Roald Dahl outfits for Friday.

    Actually, two days is a lot more notice than I usually get.

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  10. Mother - I did the Big Friendly Giant a few years ago (is there no end to my talent?) and it was relatively easy. The actual outfit is pretty simple, and the head and big ears? I took an old t-shirt, copied the shape of a balaclava style hat (two halves), sewed it snug on his head, then attached two big ears, reinforced with cardboard inside. Before sewing the whole thing together, I soaked it in tea to make it skin-coloured! Looked great.

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  11. Hope you;re feeling better. It's Thursday morning here in Australia - so wish your husband for me.

    And tell the messenger I'm sure the costume looked great!

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  12. Ah thanks David. I was just about to belt my little one who is hanging upside down from the back of my chair, (well not belt), and your greeting distracted me!

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  13. expatmum, so that's what medieval messengers are wearing these days. If he was an english medieval messeger then presumably he didn't deliver the message untill everyone else in the play had left, and then it was to the wrong theatre...

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  14. Thanks for this, expatmum. I'm sure we've got shirts that already look like they've been soaked in tea.

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  15. Rilly - too funny. My money would have been on him ending up behind a tractor on the A69 heading west!

    Mother - I don't know whether to laugh or say "Eeww"!

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  16. I hope you've got that ailment nipped in the bud! When you figure out why all your family is in bed with the flu and you're having your bout with it at the kitchen sink, how bout pop over to my place and explain it to me! Oh, by the by, David sent me...that man is uncanny in his choices!
    Sandi

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  17. Girl - does your family know what a saint you are??!!

    The little boy sounds terribly sick - how horrible for him and for you!!

    Have seen your name all over the place and have never visited (forgive me - hanging my head in shame). But - seeing that David selected you for post of the day - well - here I am - and am glad I came over!!

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  18. I laughed out loud at this one expatmum. I had the same thoughts about my family last time I was ill. They left me upstairs alone for hours on end, starving to death. Now the bedside phone has an intercom button, so they can just ignore me beeping at them!

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  19. I am so glad I am not the only one who can go to bed ill and not be looked in on at all! I thought it was just me! That is why I install myself downstairs (when not infectious) so I can bark instructions like "Need drink" and "Feed children".

    Great post. Over from David's although I don't know why - should have linked you ages ago and doing so now if that's ok. Hope you feel better soon and birthday goes ok for hubby.

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  20. I have had this same crud since last Thursday evening ... keep drinking LOTS of tea .. water .. and feel better... its the cough that'll kill ya.

    David sent me!

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  21. Very funny - and inspiring - off your sickbed to make costumes! Very impressive. Mine liked to remember just as they are leaving for school. Love 'em. Just trailing around and I found you - I'll be back

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  23. Cough still here but I am off to friend's St. Patrick's party tonight so I WILL feel better. I have done two loads of laundry so as far as my family are concerned "Mom's all better".
    Thanks for all the good thoughts.

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  24. 12 - Er, mom. We're doing a play on Monday.
    Me - Yes.
    12 - I'm a medieval messenger.
    Me - Yes.
    12 - So can you do one?
    Me - Do you mean you need a medieval messenger costume for Monday morning?
    12 - Kind of.

    I WOULD HAVE SCREAMED!!!!!!!!!!!!

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