Sickness back again

On Thursday we were due to visit a friend in Milton Keynes for a few hours of gaming and chatting, but Betsy was ill first thing.  

The kids have had an on again/off again sickness something (illness? bug?) since November.  Once or twice a week one or two of them has had vomiting, diarrhoea or both.  Each time it's been very short-lived, usually they have felt better after a couple of hours.

It stopped at christmas for two weeks, and I was hoping it was over.  We've missed a few things that I had booked, and been frequent last-minute cancellers of plans with friends.  It's been rubbish.  I took them to the GP just before christmas but what could he say?  They have no other symptoms, and symptoms they do have a relatively mild.

My bet is someone will be ill on my birthday (Wednesday), and I'm worried about our trip to Center Parcs at the end of the month.

Apart from that it's been a nice few days.

Amanda, Caden and Miles came over on Friday.  It was lovely to see them.  Caden and Betsy spent quite a while discussing and playing Minecraft.  Fred, Amanda and I played Plop Trumps.  It's a great game, and has lots of interesting facts about animals on the cards (as well as photos of poo!).  Meg and Miles played with the castle together.

At the weekend we saw lots of the local kids.  Ours went to a neighbours, then they all came here, then to another neighbours.  Lots of playing outside, Minecraft, film watching (with popcorn), setting up worlds with toys.  Busy, happy kids.

Today we went to the library.  The quickest way is along the canal.  We are so lucky.

There is a low wall on the way.  Today I remembered the times when we'd first moved here, when Freddie was just turned 3 and Betsy was 8 months old.  I held his hand as he walked on the wall, and pushed Betsy in the pushchair (it's harder than it sounds!).

Then Betsy's was the hand I held, as Fred could do it by himself.

Soon I was carrying Meg in a wrap, still holding Betsy's hand while Fred ran ahead.

Then I held Meg's hand.  And now she can do it herself too.

This wall - our three children - the flow of time.  We no longer have any babies or toddlers.  I'm still adjusting, I think.  Fred will be 10 in June.  I'm not sure how that's possible.

At the library Fred chose The Sims 3 (playstation game), Betsy chose lots of books from the early readers section, and Meg chose lots of picture books.

I'm so glad we went to the library before the post office, as it meant they something to do in the biggest queue *ever*.  Betsy read the longest book she's read before and really enjoyed it.  

I read some books to Meg in the queue.  Hopefully it passed the time for the other people there too!  Fred sat with Betsy and read one of her books.

At home everyone played the Sims - Fred on the PS3, Betsy and Meg on their ipad and hudl.