Luna

Thanks must go to Archie for his help yesterday in explaining to the plumber what the problem was before I had the chance. "WE PUT THINGS IN OUR TOILET" he explained before the plumber could even set foot inside the house. "Things you PUT in a toilet" he elaborated delicately, hinting at the whole raison d'etre someone might invite a plumber over. He then followed the plumber around the backyard to see if he might be of any help. I hope he is not thinking of becoming a plumber because as Ruby said plumbing is the "fifth worst job" she can think of. I do think though Archie has some kind of bent for how things work (and I use the word 'things' here in a more general way). For example yesterday while I was hiding in the bathroom he unpicked the lock from the outside with a paddle pop stick. In other household matters, crunch time has arrived. I have asked Ruby to decide whether the thick navy tracksuit pants are pajamas or school uniform. They ...

Only two more sleeps until Col gets his new bike - such a flashy upgrade for someone who has been riding the same old racer for twenty years. It will set us back $850 but I like to pretend it's more like $1300 as a way of coping with the recent discovery our server has been charging us around $200 a month for all our internet downloads. Otherwise I just feel ill at the waste. Am sure someone has been hacking into our computer and using up our bytes. No more buddy, party is OVER.

Sometimes on a weekend when the kids ask what we will be doing that day I say, "Sadly, nothing" in order to prepare them for the brutality of a day that will be spent around the house doing odds and ends and chores. Normally Archie will throw himself down crying "Why nothing? Why? Why?" in amongst his tears but today a new maturity showed itself as he wondered about repeating "Sadly . Nothing " in various intonations to get as much humour out of it at my expense as he could. Wish I had it on video.

Flu worse than ever - hate to think then what would be involved with swine flu! Had both kids home with it all last week too. Luckily Col (still in cast and collar bone not yet healed) was able to do all the cooking and walking to the shop. As I am the only one able to drive I got us all up the shops on Saturday to Beyond Q - the local second hand book shop which also has a cafe with great coffee. I exchanged some unwanted books for $35 worth of credit and we were all able to choose something then have coffee and cake. I got an old copy of Mia Freedman's The New Black which is the perfect book to read when you are sick - short little article sized chapters on light topics. Ruby got the first in the Lemony Snickett series for $8 too.

Monday night while bathing kids and getting dinner a stranger rang to tell me Col had had an accident while riding home and needed me to come pick him up. I knew immediately it must be baddish because Col has had accidents before and still managed to drag himself and bike home. "Is it bad?" I asked. "Uh, yes" said stranger in clipped tones (a mental image of Alain De Botton, only in cycling gear, made itself available to me). Slipping effortlessly into the role of Panicky Wife I took down some confused coordinates for a bike path in Aranda, thanked the man and went to get the kids rugged up so we could go and find daddy all bruised and broken somewhere on a bikepath in the dark. Fortunately Col managed to collect himself and call me on his mobile before I had left the house and I convinced him to call an ambulance. Then worried he would fall unconscious again before calling I decided to call them myself. Yes, they assured me without any patronising or making me feel...

I couldn't believe it the other day when I found Archie in the studio drawing his new friend Chickie. He never draws! And chickie was sitting there in a quiet composure until the drawing was completed! Madness! Have wondered lately if Archie's reluctance to draw has anything to do with all the coddling from Perthes ' disease he gets. The inactivity, the lack of opportunity to build hand strength out on the monkey bars like other kids. With the latest x ray results we've relaxed that a bit so is he feeling freer to try out other stuff too? More confident with his motor skills? Or is it just the inspiration gained from our trip last week to Canberra's new National Portrait Gallery?

Celebrating today! Archies's latest x rays show excellent bone growth over the last six months. The little femoral head has nearly re- ossified (grown back) and done so in a pretty good shape. What this means is no more worries about major hip operations and that in a years time the disease process will be nearing its end. The Growth plate continues to look a bit dodgy but even that wont have huge ramifications. A happy, lucky and grateful day.