Spring

I've very ambivalent about Spring. One the one hand, it's a sign that summer is on its way. On the other hand, it's a time of hay fever eyes and wind gusts strong enough to blow your duvet cover into the neighbour's bank yard.

We have a lovely bunch of daffodil on our dinner table. Bought when they were a bunch of buds, I was happily surprised when they all bloomed. They do smell a bit like homeless people though, which puts me off my food.

TLM is pretty much completely over her chicken pox. There are still a few marks where spots used to be, and I got a little worried when a co-worker show me a chicken pox scar from when she was 7 (she's now 30-something) - but there's no point worrying really. If it's a problem when TLM's older she can also slather herself in expensive scar-removal creams or something (which she will pay for herself, by crikey!).

She has this weird habit of removing her leggings as soon as she gets home, and thereafter (until bedtime) gadding about in a t-shirt, undies and a blanket. Like she's expecting to get invited to a toga party soon or something.

I'm knitting something in pre-shrunk Rowan Denim yarn. It's going to be slow going because I'm developing OOS from too much knitting. What will happen if I have to give up knitting for the sake of being able to grasp? 

We are going away for the weekend soon. Hurrah! Flying off to Nelson and staying somewhere off the beaten track, in the middle of the off-season. TLM will be delighted, as she does have a thing for all mod cons - something we don't quite have at home.

Thoughts on the pox

TLM is still spotty, but she hasn't had any new clusters of spots since about Tuesday - so I'll take that as a good sign.

My mum assured me that I had chicken pox as a child - I myself had always thought that I'd had measles, from my memory it could have been anything spotty and itchy (like scabies!) - while the boy definitely has had it. There is always the chance of getting shingles though...

And for the last two days I've been hearing ads on the radio for a $200 vaccination against shingles.

Coincidence or what?

TLM turns seven

She had a more exclusive do this year, inviting only four friends from outside of school. They met us at McDonalds for an early tea of fries and lemonade (none for me thanks, only the threat of a hypoglycemic blackout would induce me to make a meal of McDs - but the staff were lovely!!).

Then the boy and I herded our gang of excitable girls and tweens to the local planetarium by way of  cable car ride. The other passengers were impressively tolerant.

We watched Dawn of the space age, which is quite good even after the third viewing. The low point for me was the bit about the first dog to go into space, who was marooned in orbit with the car window permanently closed and the hot sun forever baking. The high point was at the end when the "camera" pulls back and back and back, showing us how nano-sized we really are compared to the universe.

And then the girls rampaged around the exhibition area with their balloons and high pitched squeals, quietening only for long enough to look at lovely Saturn through the really big telescope.

Her girlfriends gave gifts of books, Star Wars lego, craft kits and role-playing games.

There was one present, however, which she did not appreciate at all.

For on the next day, the universe gave her chicken pox.