Something special for someone so very special

Small figure in the dark corner
Of your shared hospital room,
Huddled in the chair by your bed,
Behind your tray of unwanted food.

Your little face so pale
And your smile so frail,
Glimmering near are your tears
And welling up, your worst fears.

I've come to see my sweetest Angel
But nothing I do, nothing I tell
Can undo the cruel blow
Or sweep away your sorrow.

We'll joke and we'll talk
We'll laugh and we'll tease
A cute funny teddy I'll leave
Small thing to hold and have...

Already I have to go, I wish it wasn't so.
Tomorrow...you say, no, please stay away
Please understand and do it my way
It is so hard, alone I'd rather stay.

I go home, my heart shaken,
Half of the night, I'll toss and turn
Half of the night, I'll think of her,
My sweetest angel, my little sister.

In the end, morning came and went,
My mind in turmoil, my body tense.
At last we heard, your ordeal was over
Peacefully asleep and resting, better.

My sweetest Angel, my Baby Sister,
Here's my wish for you, now and forever :

Whispering fairies and stars and angels
Looking over you, smoothing your pain,
Fading the bad memories into good spells,
Mending your broken heart, easing the rain.

A quickie, in passing

I apologise to all of my readers who can't understand English but I felt like writing in English tonight just to say that I do not forget the ongoing tragedy in Asia. It is very disturbing and we can't really shake it off and pretend it doesn't concern us because it does. When Nature decides to strike, there is very little us human can do despite all of our so-called technology. Since we don't, as a whole, respect Nature much anyway, it is only natural Nature should lash out from time to time. And because the human race is far too selfish and each nation preoccupied with their interests first, we shall never reach the compromise we should to preserve our planet. Then the question is : how long do we still have to enjoy our current comforts? How long do we have left to live? Which generations will pay the worst price of all, the end of the planet....
So powerful and yet so powerless, that's us.
I really feel for all the lost souls and bodies over there, not that far from us, but not as fortunate, in all the senses of the word. Life is not fair but death isn't either.

Seasonal virus

We're celebrating the arrival of autumn with a mega sinusitus, been a long time ! In fact, it's Laura's cold from the start of the month which mutated into a tonsilitis and then this week into a sinusitus ! Doctor for her again yesterday morning and this time, despite being a homeopath, he prescribed her antibiotics, and an inhalator to hire for a week ! In spite of all the positive energy to fend off Laura's germs I'm afraid they eventually invaded my body Wednesday evening and so, sinusitus for me too ! I'm using Laura's inhalator too, why not? Whith all the sinusitus I get in a year, I was never prescribed the inhalator , definite favoristism here I'd say lol.

There are problems with Peter and Chris again, already summoned to meet the school teacher and the "principal" teacher to talk about their work, big sigh... Chris got himself a 4/20 in French, in very suspicious circumstances I'd say so I'm going to meet his French teacher too to get to the bottom of this, why can't they just leave my kids in peace, please? They are both always top of the class but the number of times I have to intervene, it doesn't go together that's for sure !

I spent my day off yesterday cleaning and tidying the house because there were visitors coming with the landlady... I was very surprised by how nice the landlady was to us, praising us on the children and the fact that everyone's always agreed to say that our children are no trouble and how they don't even hear them etc... It did cheer me up that's for sure. Thank you Mrs T.

This afternoon I'm only going back to work at 4pm so I'm trying to rest and relax a bit. Tonight we sign the contract for the new house.

My Dad is indeed coming back from Corsica tonight but not my Mum... Not cool, I am missing her too.

Human nature

Something unbeatable with the English is their way of queueing ! I have to say that their "savoir-vivre" and good manners are seriously lacking in French people.

I'm just back from the horses' fair where in the end I took Laura, Kévin and Amandine. It was good but what a chaos for the poney and carriage riding. That's when all of a sudden you feel ashamed of being amongst the crowd of bad-mannered-bad-mouthed-people-who-think-they-have-all-the-rights ! People are such liars too it makes you want to hit them really ! I managed to get a little boy to have his turn (his Mum was so shy and young he had no chance to ever have a go !) but the following round when it was Amandine's turn at last and I wasn't going to let anyone jump the queue again, I was the one attacked because apparently Amandine had gone in front of everybody else?! People can be so mean it's incredible !

Poor Laura patiently waited for ages to have a ride in the horse carriage but she never got a turn. Even on crutches... compassion just doesn't exist anymore !

Apart from that we saw a really nice voltige show, Amandine was fascinated and she doesn't get impressed very easily lol.

I don't think Laura can really be expected to go to school on crutches. She was exhausted from her outing, she has blisters on her hands and she didn't have an 8 kilos school bag on her back ! I'm going to see if through the health insurance we couldn't get her a private tutor for a while.

?

Very irritable and on edge today, désolée. I don't know why, no particular reason, just a feeling of urgency that I have lots to do and everybody getting in the way, never mind.

Yesterday Laura got operated on her left foot for her ingrown toenail. She suffered a lot poor thing especially with the anesthetic injections. I was with her and it was tough to see her suffer like that. There are fears and pains you just can't reason. Each of her scream was waking up inside me all the dentists injections (believe me I have lots of experience there !), the episiotomies surgical needles and so on... My poor darling is only starting on the road of pain. We should have a switch for the nerves, it's unfair that we can't turn them off at our convenience. I know, all the anesthesists would be out of work but eh they can recycle and train as something else, no?

Anyway, back to Laura, she has beautiful blue crutches to show off at school although since she has tonsilitus that might have to wait. She's not lucky, my daughter at the moment, that's for sure.

I have finished registering the children for all their activities and I made a special timetable for the fridge or we'll never get it right !

Sorry if you need a magnifying glass to read it, I don't have that problem lol ! The colours show where the activity takes place, we don't want to get it all mixed up. For example it just wouldn't do to go to the Music school for the drawing lessons, you never know, sometimes things get so mad, everything's possible ! And if one day, Daddy does the running around... better make sure !

This afternoon, it's Horses Day at the "Haras" of Villeneuve so we're going to have a walk around with the children. I found a really goodleisure riding club and they've invited us to go and join them there.

Other than that, Christopher is keeping busy making the mascott he designed for his Spanish class. it's a small friendly creature, a mix of Pokémon and Teletubby, red and yellow. He named it "Romarrillo" (mix of "rojo" and "amarrillo", red and yellow !) I showed him how to create a pattern from a drawing then how to cut the fabric (old t-shirts !) accordingly. It looks like I might be sewing up a Spanish mascott tomorrow on my day off lolol !

New home???

I got the rent receipts at last ! I had the Agency on the phone, they want to know when we agree to move in taking into account that the landlord would like 01/11. I managed to reach our current landlord on the phone and he says the notice to give him is 3 months but if he finds new tenants by 01/11 then no worries. The letter will be posted by special delivery tomorrow and we have 6 weeks to get ready to move, real cool ! The children are ecstatic hihi. We are going to have space at last and it will be more practical for the kids too. They'll be able to walk to their activities on their own and Laura and Chris can cycle to school.

In the end, even Amandine will have an activity, she'll do ballet dancing, it's Monday 5:15pm and since I never work on a Monday, it's perfect ! Kévin started his lessons at the school of "Beaux-Arts" this afternoon and he came out really pleased ! Laura his having her first dance lesson at the moment, I have to go and fetch her soon. Poor Laura will have her toe operated on this Saturday, very bad timing for her, I do wish the surgeon had agreed on operating her this summer...

Maybe I can sleep at last this coming night, more than fed up with early hours insomnia!!!

Mosquitoes and computers!!!

Yes, feeling very frustrated tonight, still no IT at work and big attack of mosquitos all afternoon ! I got my legs all bitten whilst being bored to death and I was cold too ! First time I didn't enjoy being at work lol. Let's hope the computers come back tomorrow, please ! And Mrs Landlord didn't bring the rent receipts we need...

Leisure and sports

Racing again ! Today the race is about the children's extra-curricular activities, just in time too lol. Laura wants to take dancing, singing and violin lessons. Peter would like to do theater and trampoline or gymnastics. For Christopher, it's art and drawing activities. Kévin would like that too but he would much rather go horse-riding. Chris should do some sports too for his back and maybe I have the solution with a circus activity that fits in very well timewise with the art activities, let's ask him about it tonight ! Amandine is still a bit young since I can't stay with her and I have limited time frames to take and fetch people to places. Laura, Chris and Kévin can manage either walking or cycling. Peter should probably go Saturdays since he never got to the Post Office from my work lol ! I got most of the information I need this morning but I'm meeting the lady from "l'école des beaux-Arts" this afternnon and I have to return to the music school at 6pm (with Laura then!). And that's why they haven't done any activities so far, not possible when working full-time... It is great to work only three days a week I have to admit.

I'm trying to control my enthusiasm but I got some good news this morning. I got a phone call from an agency we know concerning a certain house decorated in orange and turquoise blue (rings any bells? see 03/09 entry, 11:09am) and... it's available for rent again, from 01/11 ! Life is crazy sometimes, we had just about resigned ourselves... I must get the latest rent receipts for the agency and then we'll see. I rang Mrs landlord, should have the receipts tomorrow. About giving notice (normally 3 months...), I have to see with Mr Landlord, maybe we can work something out? Anyway, better not say anything to the children before we're sure of moving this time, they were too disappointed last time.

Yesterday we went to "Dédal' Prune" (Pedal Prune as the children say). For those, numerous, who don't know what it's about, it's a corn field shaped into a maze with a sort of treasure hunt to complete Mr Prune Quizz. It was fun, we walked around in circles for about two hours, we split into 3 teams and in the end, Laura and Kévin were the best clue finders ! The most remarkable was Christopher. For the first time I saw a practical application to having a brain shaped and tuned to video-games ! Chris found the exit in two ticks with no hesitation whatsoever and got back in to get Laura and Kévin. He found them and got them out in less than 10 minutes when they were lost, amazing. So, Christopher, King of the Maze ! Maybe I'm going to forgive him for having already lost his school bus pass then. First thing I had to do this morning : get his photo back from the swimming-pool (don't ask, complicated story lol) then go back to the school bus office to get him another card, grrr.

What happens next...

Quick summary of the crazy life I've been leading for the past few days :

Saturday, at work all day : bay window smashed in the night, thankfully nothing was stolen apart from a plant pot (trophy?). The bad luck continues with the whole computer system breaking down ! We try several things all day (even my husband comes and tries before surgically removing the harddrive, bringing it home and writing on CDs all the vital stuff we need to transplant onto another machine...), nothing works, defeated we give up, the thing will have to go back to the suppliers, somewhere in Brittany ! After work I go to my parents to do the translating between them and the new English tenants at their neighbours. My parents are going to Corsica for three weeks and what a surprise, they leave me their house keys, first time that happens, I hope they are coming back...

Sunday, not at work : We survive the heat wave at home. Once more, not a breeze and 31°C inside ! 3 or 4 hours spent again on covering school books (no more "Magic Cover" in the shops !), fill in papers (more !), help with and check homework, teach my new secondary schooler how to get his school bag ready etc etc... They had a contest for the heaviest bag, each taking turns on the scales ! Peter's 6kg (13lb 4), Christopher's 7kg (15lb 8), Laura's 8kg(18lb) ! Kévin and Amandine didn't enter, they knew they would lose, haha ! Then, towards 7pm, the round of baths... Not very restfull that Sunday, never mind, I'm not working Monday.

Monday, peace at last : First day entirely to myself for weeks, well once the morning school runs over, but not a lot of time to take it easy. Morning: pick up the bus passes for my two "collégiens" (not done yet since we were supposed to move weren't we...), go to Auchan get some locks for their school lockers plus other forgotten bits, update the accounts and check the monthly budget (phew, still on track there !), cook nice little lunch for hubby and myself (even got really yummy freshly baked coffee "religieuses", yum yum). Afternoon: a little trip to Agen to get registered with "l'office des locataires" (sort of tenants office where you have access to advertised properties to rent) since they would apparently have 5 bedrooms houses to rent ! Got registered then (180 euros !) and made appointment to visit 5beds house in Monbalen for Tuesday night, 15mn away from current home and only 5mn from Steven's work. 565 euros per month and 2000m² garden , it sounds alright and it would bring me 15mn closer to my dear sis, good plan that lol. Anyway, better not get carried away, we'll see. I did a bit of shopping too, I did have to escape the oven outside (heavenly air-conditionning in the shops...) and it always perks me up. I found a really chic and sexy top hihi and a pair of jeans with embroidered flowers (very keen on hippy chic jeans me !) so my mood rose right up all of a sudden. I finished the day with the school runs, the homework, the school bags, the routine I'm afraid...

And then we get to today. At work all the computer equipment is being sent back to Brittany, even the printer-photocopier, a bit crazy but it is true that the network had never worked properly even once so they might as well set everything up properly over there so we can have some decent-working material ! We should get it back Monday or Tuesday, fingers crossed really tight ! In the meantime we're back to old-fashioned methods, fun to write all the listings by hand, I was so scared to make mistakes, I wrote everything in pencil, no option to print it again if I get it wrong!!! New bay window fitted this afternoon, I was getting used to working al fresco ! Luck is changing, we sold a second property hooray ! Contracts are being signed tomorrow and it looks like it's me who's going to have to represent the Agency at the signing because the boss will be busy with the Irish buyer who's buying the first property we sold but she's signing on Thursday ! Big week and big pressure but we should see some champagne Thursday night I think !

Anyway, the house in the country, I don't know. There are 7 bedrooms but it really is the house of Snow-White and the 7 dwarfs. The kitchen is more or less non-existant and tiny, the dining-room is attached to it, on the other side of an enormous chimney eating up the whole middle of the room, no sitting-room, only one bathroom with the only toilet in it (a bidet too as a comfort prize !), 5 bedrooms under the roof including one with no window, not much use to fit furniture in it and probably even smaller than the ones we have here. The two other bedrooms downstairs are of reasonable size but nothing to shout about. There is a garage as big as a barn attached to the house, absolutely huge, and that stays for the landlord's own use ! No sharing ! The garden needs a bit of care but it is very big with three different areas to eat outdoors, a potager, grass etc... and an area between two trees round the back for the landlord's spare bricks and tiles and builder's mess... On each side of the property and at the back we find cultivated fields and opposite the house, on the other side of the road is my favourite thing, an enormous plum orchard well cared for and full of charm. We are the 4th couple to visit the place and we should have the landlord's decision tomorrow but frankly I don't know what to wish for anymore, Steven neither. Having said that, Steven did pull all the stops during the visit ! More enthusiastic, not possible ! I could hardly talk between the two eccentric characters there lol.

It is a bit cooler and so much the better, back tomorrow maybe...

Not good news!

The Estate Agent has just rung: the landlord doesn't wish to rent his house in the immediate future because he has someone intersted in buying it. But why have advertised it for renting then???? We have to wait 3 weeks and see then what happens. I am too gutted and the children will be so disappointed, especialy Laura....

It's already time to the schools run again :

4pm : Laura and Chris

4:30pm : Kévin

4:35pm : Amandine

5pm : Peter

It's stifling hot, more like a 30th June than a 3rd September ! Haven't really had a chance to rest and my insides are all twisted, not in great shape I'm afraid.