hospital and gah! and home again

The following is completely unrelated to the post title, I just wanted to show you what we did before the world went mad:This is Elf. He belongs to Mb. I swear that boy would have me tied to the sewing machine creating his own private soft toy army given the opportunity.

Festive, isn't it?

Then the universe gave me a jolt.

There was I, spending a day fretting about unfinished projects, looming Christmas, whether there would be a wrapping paper shortage...and on.

Then, Eb takes himself to bed uncharacteristically early. I go to check him and find he has a temperature of 40.2 so I dig out some medicine (we don't do much in the way of drugs here so you know this was bad.)

I won't get into the nitty gritty too much, but he ended up violently shaking and being admitted into hospital. As I sat next to him, seeing him all wired up and all frail looking, I wanted to give myself a huge kick up the bottom because my earlier fretting seemed so insignificant in comparison to this.

There were some lighter moments, like when Eb asked the Doctor if he would need brain surgery, and the moment his figured out that by waving his finger around he could make the attached monitor go crazy, not to mention the fit of giggles when the nurse asked him to wee into a bottle, because Eb's aim is notorious round these parts. There was also the hallucinations on his part, which were only funny in hind sight as at the time when your seven year old is telling you that he shouldn't be skateboarding in the supermarket but he really wants fizzy cola bottles, you start to worry whether this state of crazy is going to permanent.

A few tests and hours later, it is revealed that Eb has a bladder infection. We are given the medication and sent home, and given strict instructions that the minute his temperature spikes again we are to come straight back and not to dither.

I think I've had about five hours sleep in two nights.

This makes for a slightly hazy me. I get over emotional and silly when I'm tired. Apart from over hugging, I think Eb is most certainly on the mend (he was well enough to play The Shopping Game - and win)

It prompted the importance of Here and Now, and how precious these very moments are. It left me wanting to gorge on the present and to soak up every little moment, some thing that I am not so very good at, and some thing that I've not always appreciated, because planning for the future as always played a key part in my life. I like to know where I am going....and will freak out if I don't see the path.

Then when you are whisked into hospital in the blink of an eye with a sick child, you realise that actually all the planning in the world cannot prepare you, and that by loosening your grip on your plans, you can take change and the unknown far better in your stride.

Also, apologies Mamacrow and Mel, because I doubt your parcels will make it to the post office until Friday, but I am quite sure the both of you will be fine with that.

And now I'm off to brew coffee, hug children and just Be.