School holiday chaos

We have had some good days during these holidays, but others have been a bit of a struggle. Yesterday, we needed to be in the city for a late afternoon meeting. Since we needed to get a baby sitter for that anyway, we thought we may as well stay out and see Harry Potter. The only session we could get by the time we got to the cinema was 8:30pm, so it was destined to be a late night.

When your phone rings in a movie theatre, it is never a good thing. (It was on silent.) It is even less of a good thing when it is the babysitter, and the first thing you hear through the phone is a crying child. So I climbed over the 8 or 10 people between me and the aisle and went out to take the call. Elissa had croup, and it was bad enough to terrify her and Ginny. I talked Ginny through the medication and figured we'd make it to the end (we were in the cave with Harry and Dumbledore - there couldn't be much left). She rang again to tell me she couldn't find he medication, which fortunately for me and the other 8 or 10 people, took place in a noisy bit and I was able to sort it without leaving my seat.

And this point I would like to make a full & unreserved apology to all those people sitting in row F at the George St cinemas last night who got trompled on by a stressed out mother in one of the big action scenes. If I had had a choice in seating, I would not have chosen the dead centre of the row.

We decided a cab home was a better choice than a train, and got home to find Ginny bleary eyed sitting beside a calm toddler with an uncanny resemblance to Darth Vadar. We upped the medication ante to dexamethosone, and Crash stayed up with her for an hour and then put her down. It lasted about 30 minutes before she started up the stridor again. I stayed in her room to keep track of her, and by 2:20am she was really bad. I decided I really was going to have to take her to hospital, so I loaded her up and within about 3 mins she was quiet again. By the time I got to the hospital I decided they would stick the large "Loony Mum" sticker on her file if I took her in, so I took her home again. Apparently driving her around alleviates her croup quite well. As soon as she laid down again, it started again, but not as bad as it had been. She was finally sleeping quietly at 6:20am, at which time I went to bed. Ben got up about 5 minutes later...

Today has been an utter right-off. Elissa obviously couldn't go to daycare, I didn't drag my bones out of bed until midday (apart from a few tantrum diffusings) and Ben did not get to go the Powerhouse as promised. He has been the picture of misery all day.

She had better sleep tonight, Sydney Park has been promised for tomorrow....