But the flu has got my eldest in it's nasty grip and so it's been bed, bowl and Bear Grylls for him. He had a friend come up from Sydney to play and couldn't leave his room. My god daughter and her brother came for two nights and saw him twice. He has been inhabiting that awful no man's land between delirium and rest, pain and exhaustion, bile and breathing. I started to wonder if he had manifested the flu so he could catch up on 'screen time' (there has been a new 'experiment' in reducing screen hours to 2 per day). If so, this is an unpleasant way to do it, and this morning he looked up at me with red rimmed eyes and murmured " I am so looking forward to being well".
Often we take feeling well for granted, but every day we arise from our beds healthy is a gift. Maybe he needed reminding.
Anyway, I have been doing my motherly duties of tending lovingly to my sick boy. All day and most of the night it seems, but every sip of water and each quivering smile feels like a triumph.
And it has given me an opportunity to put in some serious hours researching the upcoming trip. I have found out where we can go fossiking for gems and gold, where the cheapest camel rides are and am making contact with some other families who have done the trip. Recommendations are flying thick and fast! I will not become overwhelmed by choices, I will not become overwhelmed by choices, I will not.....
I am exhilerated by the choices!
Flex being out of action has also allowed for Lucky to have some serious quality one on one time with ...everyone! He played with all the kids that were here, did a drama workshop down at the local hall and we have done lots of reading and some fun science experiments. We finished 'Little Brother' which is a fabulous story about a young boys mission to escape Cambodia during the time of Khmer Rouge oppression and find his big brother. Sparing the kids all the truly gory details we were able to talk about what happened in Cambodia during that time and the concept of a totally agrarian society created by fear and murder. We spoke of the reason they killed all the academics and creative artists and the boys realised that both their parents would have been on the hitlist as we play music, make art and have an education....scary thoughts, but once again an opportunity to be grateful for our free lives.
The experiments were on the theme of 'absorbtion' and as Lucky said "are both science-y and beautiful!"
Uh- oh, gotta go - the spew bowl needs emptying again....