Maw, Paw & the 3 Weans :) PART 4

[Pumba]

Hi again

Wooo hooo – our countdown is less than a week! Eeeeekkkkk! 5 days and some unmentionable hours to be exact! Lol. So, that must mean time for another (and probably last ) pre-trippy . Hope you are sitting comfortably, it is a monster! Lol

I cannot believe how successful the sweetie jars have been. The sweeties are disappearing appropriately and have the correct amount in them! Of course it is much easier now to see if anyone is cheating! Lol.

DD finished her Highers and has now been working at her summer job for almost 2 weeks. She got a phone call last Friday inviting her for an interview for the Civil Engineering Apprenticeship she applied for at the beginning of May. She is delighted and we are so pleased for her. The interview was scheduled for 09 July but we are still in Florida then, so they have rescheduled for the week after we get home. Fingers crossed the interview goes well.

The interview is in Surrey, approx 440 miles from us. While she was out on Friday night I said to DH I don’t know how she will manage getting there, she doesn’t even know her way around a train station! Lol. Well the very next night she sat at the dinner table and said to us “You know for my interview, will we need to travel down the day before?” In unison, DH and I said “We? We are both working, you need to go yourself!” What a laugh. Think we will need to give her some tips for getting round an airport.

DD is still enjoying keeping the secret about the real destination from her brothers. What a laugh we have been having. DS1 has “taught” DS2 to tell people where we are going on holiday. So now when folk ask about the holiday DS2 says we are going on a big plane in the sky, on holidays, to... the wrong destination! Lol. Looking forward more than ever to the reveal and can’t believe I have managed to keep it a secret this long from the boys.

Mickey Mouse cries occasionally but to be honest it is hardly ever and tends to be when DS2 is totally absorbed in playing. (if you don’t understand this, you will need to read previous pre trippies).

The eldest 2 kiddies got some spending money for their holidays from their Granny last week, so I still need to exchange it for them. DH told her to take the money back from DD as she is now earning a wage but Granny wouldn’t hear of it! Lol. DS2 was given 4 new t-shirts instead of money, which was very thoughtful.

Put some coloured card in DS2’s trip folder ready for writing up his journal each day while we are on holiday. Also designed and printed a cover page for it detailing the dates and the fact that it is his first trip to see The Mouse. Then it has been hidden in my secret hiding place along with the autograph books I made, the reveal t-shirt and all the travel documents.

Completed on line check-in for our car with Alamo last week. Another thing ticked off the list.

Had to buy a hard shelled suitcase to pack all DS2’s medications in. Luckily I managed to get a cabin sized case out of Debenhams for a bargain price. It’s original price was £100, then it was reduced to £45, but because they had an overstock of the yellow one in our store, they were selling that colour only for £29. Well it is all packed now with DS’s medications and there isn’t even any wiggle room left in it. Virgin need to know the weight of it ahead of flying so popped it on the bathroom scales... nothing! Not a single number came up! Battery flat! Out tonight to buy a new one which cost me £4! Anyhow, battery replaced and the case weighs 17.5kg! Thank goodness they don’t take that out of our luggage allowance.

Also bought a new buggy for DS2. We have an umbrella fold buggy already but everytime I push it I am waiting for the wheels to fall off! So DD and I were looking and came across the Maxi Cosi Noa in our local pram shop. It is great as it folds down really small and once folded has a trolley handle like a suitcase. Even better it is in my favourite colour – red! DS seems very comfortable in it and it has quite a large hood to protect him from the sun. Very pleased with my purchase.

Have been waiting, secretly excited, for our call from Virgin Concierge but it hasn’t transpired as yet. I did get an email from them yesterday and am wondering if they are not going to call now as they have sent the email. Not sure why I was excited at the prospect of them calling as I know it is really a sales pitch but I think I had decided that when that call came it would make everything seem more real. The excitement seems to get lost in an email.

DS2 passed his milk challenge a few weeks ago which we got really excited about. It was going to take 5 weeks from him passing the challenge to gradually introducing all kinds of dairy and him being to eat dairy fully! All in time for our trip to the happy place. Dreams of ordering food from a menu for him were looking very rosy. But like all good plans it failed in the first 24 hours! He rashed later that night and we had to slow down the introduction of milk only. Then we were going great guns again 50ml of milk each day for the first week, progressing to 100ml per day the second week. It all fell apart again after 3 days of the second week. His tolerance level just couldn’t take the 100ml per day. Back to 50 ml per day and still a glimmer of hope that at least when he got his egg challenge on the 13 June, if he passed, then he would at least be able to eat ice cream on holiday. Oh no, nothing could be that easy! Last Monday he started to run a temperature and over the next few days started to rash. Docs think he had Slapped Cheek. Doesn’t really matter what he had, the high temperature alone meant that his egg challenge for the Thursday had to be postponed until after our holidays! There is a glimmer of light however, his allergy nurse told us to check ingredients when out there as not all ice creams have egg in them. Apparently the dearer ones are the ones most likely to have it. She has given us the green light to allow him ice cream in addition to his 50ml of milk per day as long as no egg content. You can bet your bottom dollar I will be checking every ice cream we come across as I am determined my boy will be able to enjoy one if he wishes. Look out for that picture when I post it For us, it will be one to treasure forever.

Still need to pack (I know Groovee!) Had planned on doing it today then things got in the way. Had to take DS to Yorkhill for a review which took up about 4 hours between travelling, waiting for the appointment (they took us about 40 minutes late) for the Paediatrician to inform me they couldn’t find his records file! Hence the late appointment whist they had been looking for it! Apparently they had been searching all day but it is being elusive. So we didn’t get anything out of today’s visit. The Paediatrician was really angry that the file was missing so there was no point in me being upset about it too. She said she is raising a complaint about it and couldn’t apologise enough for our wasted journey. Think I am just glad she was honest rather than trying to bumble her way through the review.

So the next few days will be spent packing, cleaning, making sure the rabbit is cleaned and has plenty of provisions for the time we are away (a neighbour is going to feed and water her every day), fitting in a couple of days work and trying to keep the reveal until the airport!

DS1 who is 13 has a 5 rounds in one day golf challenge (each round is approx 3 to 3.5 hours) to complete on Monday! His first tee off time is 5:30am! Yes he is crazy! But it is all in aid of Yorkhill which is very close to our hearts, for the support and healthcare they have given to each of our children over the years, but especially to the boys in the last 2 years. Think DS1 will be glad when we are on the road to Manchester on Tuesday so he can have a catch up snooze! Lol.

Hope you have enjoyed my pre-trippies as much as I have enjoyed putting them together. This is the first time I have ever done them and I really think I like it. I think it will be good to look back on them in years to come as there are things in here about the kiddies that we will forget if it isn’t written down. You never know, I might even get round to a full trip report on our return.

Happy Holidays folks

[Groovee]

So Close now. Can't wait to read about the reveal. Lol at DD, she sounds like my DD.

Hope you can get packed.

[Pumba]

Originally Posted by Groovee

So Close now. Can't wait to read about the reveal. Lol at DD, she sounds like my DD.

Hope you can get packed.

See more...

Yes I think the girls may have come from similar pods! . Really tired this morning but determined to get packed tonight. Today and Monday left at work and then I can really concentrate totally on our holiday. Still doesn't feel real yet.

[Groovee]

I know, I feel like I am dreaming...

[fd1972uk]

Yep, it's been a long time coming.

Good to see your all but done... apart from the packing!

Good thing for us all (I think) is that we have a weekend that is 2 free days and not stuck at work so that's 2 free gimmee days!

The reveal should be good. Tbh I'm not sure if mine's would have worked too well anyway, think she may have been slightly underwhelmed, possibly. Still think if I asked her if she wants to buy 10 toys at Poundland or goto Florida, she'd pick Poundy's.


FD

[Pumba]

Originally Posted by fd1972uk

Yep, it's been a long time coming.

Good to see your all but done... apart from the packing!

Good thing for us all (I think) is that we have a weekend that is 2 free days and not stuck at work so that's 2 free gimmee days!

The reveal should be good. Tbh I'm not sure if mine's would have worked too well anyway, think she may have been slightly underwhelmed, possibly. Still think if I asked her if she wants to buy 10 toys at Poundland or goto Florida, she'd pick Poundy's.


FD

See more...

Mmmm The packing! Lol. It WILL be done tonight! lol. Lol at poundys! Looking forward to the weekend.

[Groovee]

Originally Posted by Pumba

Mmmm The packing! Lol. It WILL be done tonight! lol. Lol at poundys! Looking forward to the weekend.

See more...

See if you've not done it by tomorrow, I'm coming to you to sort it out. 3 silverheads as well

[Pumba]

Originally Posted by Groovee

See if you've not done it by tomorrow, I'm coming to you to sort it out. 3 silverheads as well

See more...

Oh please do! Lol. And stop boasting about those silver heads!

[Ariel's Mum]

Sounds fab. Hope DS2 gets to enjoy his ice cream and good luck to your DD for her interview.

Have a magical holiday

[Pumba]

Originally Posted by Ariel's Mum

Sounds fab. Hope DS2 gets to enjoy his ice cream and good luck to your DD for her interview.

Have a magical holiday

See more...

Thank you. Fingers crossed for Ice creams and jobs! How diverse my life is! lol