Thursday photo #231
Can somebody please remind me how long the sniffle season lasts? I expected it when the girls went back to school although maybe not quite as quickly as the colds appeared. I anticipated it continuing for a week or two but seriously, it’s been over a month. Enough already.
Sniffle season
My husband and I succumbed to colds this week and mercifully, the girls have had nothing more than a tickly cough. In fact, it wiped me out so much that I had to turn down a swim in the river on Monday. Thankfully though, I’d recovered enough by Tuesday to add an extra 3,800 metres to my Aspire channel swim total.
Whilst we are lucky that the girls seem to have had the cold very mildly, a cough can end up being a nightmare for Libby. She tends to suffer badly from it at night, and often coughs all through the night. Strangely, she has learnt to sleep through it but it can’t make for a great night’s sleep for her – and it means virtually no sleep for me!
The dilemma I have with Libby these days is an odd one. Because I’ve worked out how to stop her coughing. But it’s a four step procedure and I have no idea which one works! I raise her pillow up by putting another one underneath or under the mattress. She has hot honey and lemon to drink, blows her nose and I rub Vicks on her chest or put Klear-vol near her pillow. It’s a bit time consuming, but always stops her from coughing. I’d love to know which particular thing works, but for now I’ll keep doing them all so she can get a proper night’s sleep.
The surprise marathon
Like many people, I get swept up in the excitement of the London Marathon each year. I love watching and hearing success stories from people I know who ran it. I remember the incredible atmosphere – and probably forget most of the pain – from when I ran it back in 2003.
This year though, I got a bit carried away. I decided to apply for a ballot place. The assumption was that I wouldn’t get a place, so I’d put some serious consideration into it when I got my rejection. If I was committed enough to raise large amounts of money for charity in return for my place, then I’d find the time to train.
Imagine my surprise then, when a magazine fell on my doormat a few days ago. Not the expected rejection, but in fact an acceptance magazine. I’d decided to donate my entry fee if I wasn’t successful. As a result, I was entered into a second ballot and through that, I’d been awarded a place. This has totally shifted my focus for the Winter. Running training here we come!
Thursday photo #231
This week’s Thursday photo was grabbed yesterday between tantrums after ballet. Both girls were a bit grumpy while they waited for each other in their ballet lessons. By the time we got home, they’d started to argue. Then, there was a moment’s lull when they got out of the car before all hell broke loose. Yesterday definitely qualified as one of those days.
You would never guess the girls were grumpy from that lovely photo! And how grown up does Lia look all of a sudden? That’s so exciting about your London marathon place! Good luck with the training.
Hahaha they do quite a good job of pretending not to be grumpy in their moments between tantrums! And thanks, I’ll need lots of luck for the training!
Nat.x
Hi Nat, well done for adding to you channel distance even when you weren’t feeling that special and a big congratulations for getting a place in the London Marathon, now the hard work starts. We applied four times in the over seas ballot and never managed to get a place!… When Gregs gets a cold it always goes to his chest and when he was younger we followed a similar routine, with proping him higher in bed, plenty of Vicks and hot honey, lemon & ginger. I think it’s the combination of things that work rather than just the one… It looks like butter wouldn’t melt in your girls mouths in that photo. Not a tantrum in sight!
xx
Ahh interesting to hear that the same routine worked for you with the cough! You should definitely keep trying with the marathon ballot. It is an incredible atmosphere and I am looking forward to it – sort of!
Nat.x
Glad you managed to capture that moment’s lull! I would never have guessed that it had been one of those days had you not said. A huge well done on getting a place in the London Marathon – so pleased for you and wishing you all the best of luck with the training. Hope you feel better with the colds soon and glad you have found something to help with Libby’s cough. Raising the pillow and Vicks both used to work fairly well with Jessica x
Thanks Louise. It’s funny how you can’t tell from a photo when kids are being a bit of a nightmare! Really interesting about the Vicks and raising the pillow working for Jessica, maybe one day I’ll dare to just try those two things, they’re definitely the quickest!
Nat.x
It was lovely to see your marathon news on twitter this week, I bet you can’t wait? Sorry I did laugh a bit when you said you have to do all 4 because you don’t know which one actually works!! The things we do for sleep and our children x
Thanks Laura! And yep, I think I’m destined to do all those things until she’s old enough to do them herself!
Nat.x
Well done on your marathon place! That’s exciting news!
Great that you can get Libby to sleep through the cough, although it must be difficult to do all 4 each time!!
Love the photo, they look like butter wouldn’t melt! X
Thank you, yes appearances can be deceptive!!
Nat.x