Saturday ended up being different to expected as we ended up temporarily childless!!!
AJ was on the Isle of Wight and Laura had been invited the night before to a sleepover on saturday night. Then suddenly Woody was invited to a sleepover and in 10 minutes he was packed and off!!!
Woody took part in the Great South Junior Run in Portsmouth. He really enjoyed it but it was a bit further than he'd run before so found it harder and his time was quite long. He met up with his friend before they started to run but his friend could run faster so left him behind!!
Laura and I went shopping for 3 hours!! We did some shopping for Halloween as they love trick and treating and then we did some girly shopping. Laura is so tall now, we just buy adult clothing. She looked stunning in her new outfit with her long legs in leggings and skirt and top and so grown up. I bought her some boots which reminded me of my black suede boots with tassles down the back that I had in the 1980s.
That meant by 5pm, the house was devoid of children so we went off for a wonderful meal in a pub. We both over ate and I felt quite ill when I got home that I fell asleep on the settee for about an hour from 830pm. I thought I would just go to sleep but once in bed I seemed to go into my trancelike state. I seemed to be awake for a few minutes and then asleep and was jsut so full and uncomfortable. I used my hot wheat bag and my heated pillow to help with the pains but I just didn't settle to sleep until about 5am. The problem was I was trying to do a tescos order and I'd booked a slot but as kept falling asleep and waking up again , it took me more than 2 hours to complete my order and so it wouldn't let me check out to complete the order. Eventually, I got through the system and hopefully will have some food delivered on friday.
Sunday morning, we got a text from AJ's friend mum to say they were coming home today rather than monday as AJ wanted to go home and her son wasn't that happy with the caravan site either. In some ways, it was good as it gave me more time to pack etc and we could leave earlier on monday but not so good as gave hubby less time to clear boys bedroom so that Woody has somewhere to do his homework in peace and quiet.
By noon all 3 children were home and so it was back to a hectic life again.
For some reason this cycle, I've had a very red face from friday to sunday andthe redness extended all over my body. I don't know if it was the combination of the blood and the chemo or just one of those things. It has been pretty annoying anyway.
We went out to Pizza Hut to celebrate the beginning of half term. It turned out to be a disaster. Why do we always attract such bad service and food at chains? The wait to order wasn't bad but then hubby and I got our starters and then our main pizza arrived apart from hubby's. They told us kitchen had got it muddled and a medium pizza was on its way rather than an individual. 20 minutes later, when the children had finished their pizzas and hubby was still waiting. We should have complained about the starters - the nachos was burnt and cold and the garlic bread was cold as well but we thought we'd give it a chance and din't bother. Eventually, his pizza had arrived by which time AJ was bored. We then had a long wait to order puddings and an even longer wait for the bowls to arrive for the icecream factory. At this point, we did complain and so got all our starters and our drinks free but has put me off going back there again. It feels like you definately get what you pay for as the meal and service at the pub was superb.
I then spent sunday night packing and slept well for once.
Monday - we were aiming for the 11am train and after a very slow taxi drive to the station we just about got there on time only to find that the train was only 5 coaches long and people were standing!!! We took one look at the train as it came in and abandoned all ideas of getting on it so left the platform and bought cakes and drinks and waited for the 1130am train.
This was a much better decision as the 1130am train was 10 coaches long and about a quarter full and only stopped at one extra station so it was far more pleasant. We then swapped onto another train in London and am now at Heather's house in South London having a lovely time and being looked after superbly.
We spent this afternoon with me reminiscing about my childhood. We passed the old Town Hall in Catford where when I was about 4 I got into the lift and my Nan and mum didn't make it before the doors shut and I was left on my own!!! Ever since I've been scared of lifts and the only reason we had gone there was to join the Tufty Club so that I could learn to cross the road properly!!!
We then went onto the Hornimans Museum in Forset Hall. It was still free to go in and although a lot of it has changed beyond recognition, the German Clock with the Apostles that come out and bow to Jesus apart from Judas who turns away. We'd been told that it was now very tempermental and that it didn't always work. We were in luck. It chimed at 4pm and at 406pm, the apostles came out and bowed. it was wonderful. I can remember when I was little dashing off the bus and running up the stairs to see the clock chime. I'm sure when I was little, it chimed every hour or maybe it was always 2pm. It bought back lovely memories. The rest of the museum looked like it hadn't changed since the 60s with quite a few stuffed animals but also some wonderful fossils and it looked as if the art and craft session had been good fun. They have now opened a new aquarium at the bottom. That was quite an eyeopener. The way the jellyfish were displayed and swimming around was stunning and there was a huge seahorse and lots of lovely coral and tropical fish and a huge blue lobster. It seemd to be a place that mums took small children too to explore as there were a lot of interactive things to do at certain times and the museum is in the middle of some wonderful gardens. We only had just over an hour there so hope to go back this week to see the rest of it. AJ loved the Mummy display plus there was a large African and Indian display which we either just rushed through or didn't see. On the way back through the park to where we'd parked the car, Laura was amazed by the squirrels raiding the bins and eating apple cores. I don't think she'd seen squirrels that tame before.
We came home in the rush hour and I think the traffic flowed better in Greater London than it does where we live!!!
Just had a wonderful fajita meal which was wonderful and now supping red wine after finishing a McFlurry.
I feel so well at present and apparently look so well that it is hard to believe that I'm reaching the end of my life. My wig is looking good and looks like real hair and my skin is OK and I've got my eyelashes and eyebrows so it is only when I'm struggling up hills that you notice I'm short of breath and that sometimes I limp that it might occur to you I'm slightly ill. The insides of me would tell a different story if you could peer inside and my back is really painful today as I've been carrying a few things. (I hardly carried anything as hubby and the children carried all the heavy stuff). Life seems so unfair.