D' ya ever wonder if we'll get through in one piece?

[Minisoksmakehardwork]

Morning girls. I've found us a new home

So as we were so nearly finished the thread I did my best to fill it up to completion. I hope you don't mind. I'm hoping you all find your way here too from then links I have sent.

This morning is dull and breezy in minisoks area. We're supposed to be meeting friends (though with no fixed arrangements) and dh is currently snoring his head off in bed. I might be slightly annoyed as my lie in yesterday got cut short with James waking me up to get his kindle and then my parents texting me to come over. I can't really grumble about that as they were bringing Emily her birthday presents but still. I think he's now had enough so I'm not discouraging the noise and thumping up and down stairs. 8 years old! So I now have an 8 year old, a 6 year old and the twins are 4! I can't believe how much they are all changing and growing. Jen does gymnastics, Joshy does toddler football. James is on an under 6's team (I've no idea how that works either) and has been invested in beavers. Emily is loving brownies and hockey, although hockey has finished until September . We're just trying to get some practise in for her so she doesn't completely forget what she's learnt.

Oh, and not forgetting Merlin the magnificent. He's a gorgeous puss, even if the children do love him to torturous degrees - poor kitten hides when he's had enough 'love'.

Enough of me, how the devil are you all?

Hi Rubester!! I am doing ok, in fact got my last chemo tomorrow! Had to have 6 sessions 3 weeks apart. Have coped well just feel extremely tired for about a week afterwards, but no sickness or hair loss. I have a ct booked for the 6th Feb which is my lovely Mums birthday so taken that as a good omen, then get the results on the 27th Feb. Fingers x`d all will be well, though there will be a 20% chance of a recurrence........but 80% there wont!How are you doing? xx

Morning girls. So proud of you Trips....good luck love. xxxxx

Does this place ever get cleaned??
Evening ladies..........here I am, a bit battered and bruised, literally. Another painful attempt to get a cannula in me tonight, I am such a coward for needles, and tonights really hurt as they have such trouble finding a vein esp after mine have had such a bashing with the chemo. Well chemo finished 2 weeks ago, ct scan done tonight and now an agonising three week wait to see the oncologist for the result. I feel such a coward, have been so scared all the way through, its been 9 months now........dh has been my rock, always telling me I am going to be fine, telling me to keep positive. I need to follow his example, he went through hell as some of you will remember and here he is in his 6th year of remission. So I had half a bottle of Pinot tonight with some M&S ravioli and salad and enjoyed it............it was much needed! So how is everyone? xx

I'm shattered tbh trips.

Glad your chemo is over and hopefully not too long now for results. I've a friend who has just started on her chemo journey. She made us laugh when her husband started recounting one of the many appointments where she had refused to be examined again, saying she was fed up and didn't want to be poked around again. Dr turned round and said most people said they didn't want the cancer so which would she prefer.

It's chaos and confusion here as usual. James is hard work (hence the exhaustion) and the others are massively suffering as a result.

Hi Soks, remind me how old your mini soks are............time flies since we all started on here, I miss the old days. We had quite a gang of us, see some of them on FB but don't keep in touch..........shame. Wish mine were small again, two left home and number 3 spends 90% of the day in his room, dh down his allotment, can feel quite lonely. Wish someone would come along with tea and cakes.............. Trips xx

Twins are 4, 5 in April. James will be 7 and Emily 9 in May. 9 going on 19! That girl has some sass at times.

We're celebrating Jen having 2 dry nights in a row today. If she gets to the end of the week dry at night we are going to try no pull ups.

I can't believe yours are leaving home Trips. It seems like an age off for mine. Mind, my eldest niece is 17 today. Youngest is 14 weeks .

We are still stuck in our teeny house, but I'm going through childminding Registration at the moment. What's an extra child or 3 .

James is still problematic, and they're still looking at attachment disorder. Especially as he either clings to or rejects me. Either way I don't know. We will just be grateful when we get some answers.

Hiya everybody. ((Plonks herself on the sofa and opens a cheap, nasty bottle of cider))

Welcome back shabs.

Happy birthday Trips 🎂 do we need the extinguisher? I've a feeling it might have expired since we were all last here.

School are going to think I'm batshit, complaining that they're using pink ink to print for girls and blue for boys. Thoughts??

Who, hell Honbys? Lol.

It was spam Shabbs.

Evening ladies. We're on Easter holidays today. It's a joyous time of stroppiness and mess!!

ROLL CALL ROLL CALL ROLL CALL ROLL CALL ROLL CALL ROLL CALL

Long time no see me..............really sorry girls, life has been abit stress. Not sure if you know but I got an all clear at the end of March, scan showed no evidence of disease. I took it strangely quiet, didn't want to shout from the roof tops. Then in March I developed fluid in my left foot and leg, went on Tues to a special clinic to be told its lymphoedema and non reversible. When I had the hysterectomy last Aug they also removed lymph nodes from my left groin for testing, they were all clear, but it has caused this problem. Will have to wear support stockings for ever.........me a flip flop girl who cant bear anything on her feet as they get so hot. I really depressed me on Tues, but I gave myself a quick talking too as dh is looking very frail with his Parkinsons, he has so much more to put up with. He is now in his 6th year of remission for his bowel cancer, he has been amazing. Just had a sad time, my very lovely friend lost her son three weeks ago to cancer, he was only 35.........she came to my sons funeral.....its so unbelievable and so very sad :( My trio are now 19!! Thomas still in the Army, two years already, Rebecca has just come home from her first year at uni, and James has little job in Dover at the cruise ship terminal, zero contract. He applied do you remember to the Navy to join the Royal Marines Band Service, been his dream for years. Well they failed him on his medical because of what happened to Matthew, we appealed but they have finally decided he is "permanently medically unfit to join any branch of the RN". I was so angry and upset. They have been screened and never found to have anything wrong, it certainly wasn't an issue with the Army. It hurt me a lot as it all brought back painful memories. So he needs to close that door and move on, but he hasn't a clue where to! Hope you are all ok.......have quite missed you all, do think about you often. Love Trips xx

. Admittedly I took this photo yesterday. Today's cookies were made with maltesers which I had accidentally left in a very hot car!

Sorry you have to wear the fetching support stockings @triplets. And that your dh is looking frail, and for your dear friend's loss. And for poor James. I was hoping you were going to say he'd successfully joined the navy.

We're muddling through here. My James is still a challenge, but we've been back to paeds. He's getting his first pair of glasses tomorrow, our optician (also called James) said as he's still getting the headaches then it's worth trying them for close work, like reading books and playing on his kindle.

Jennifer is now under audiology and paediatric urology as well as orthoptics. I think school might have to look at some extra support too. She's bright as a button but will not sit still for more than 3 seconds. Interestingly though I was at a parent support group with a visiting SALT and they suggested some children do take more in when there is background music. Jennifer has been so much more focussed at gymnastics since they started playing music throughout the session rather than just at warm up! SALT also suggested we consider hearing aids rather than grommets if the borderline flat hearing continues. That could be interesting! And she advised us to pursue salt for james. Not that he needs it for his speech but for the communication side of things. Salt said they don't just deal with the actual words and their formation but the understanding and expressive language.

Ha ha...........someones turned up for roll call.....
Good to catch up with you Soks, forgive me for asking but what is salt? I am so out of touch now. Had my first three month check up with the surgeon two weeks ago, all was going well until I told him about the lymphoedema in my leg. He then scared me by saying it could be caused by returning disease.......panic button! So he has done some more blood tests and an mri........nervously awaiting the results. x

Have you had the results yet @triplets? Salt is speech and language.

@shabbs @rubyrubyruby @bubby64 @Chopstheduck - are you there???

Hi Soks sorry yes.........no sign of disease, only got the letter two weeks ago. Huge relief. Struggling though with the lymphedema, the stocking is so thick and awful in the hot weather, also had a reaction to the silicone band around the top, very itchy! So fingers x`d I now keep well, next appointment is the 7th Aug with the onco for my review. It was Matthews birthday last Sun, he was 38...........breaks my heart, all those lost years. How are you and the mini soks? I see your fb posts and often laugh! About time the rest of the gang made an appearance on here! xx

Belated birthday wishes for Matthew 🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂 and 💐 for you.

Do you ever wonder what Matthew would be up to now? Aside from laughing his head off at you baking away in support stockings? My dad has to wear them too. I don't envy either of you in this heat - hopefully you will have had some of the lovely, cooling rain we have enjoyed today - no, really, have it! I don't mind!

The minis are proving a beautiful handful, and I'm glad they are amusing . I'm mastering French plaits which are taming Jennifer's wild hair. Poor child has inherited my own unruly mop. It's an early humidity detector. Slightest sense of moisture in the air and 'poof!' I had my hair cut etc at my hairdressers today and it just didn't survive, which is a first.

Jen is also, finally, giving the appearance of having mastered night time toileting. We ran out of pull ups 3 nights ago and she's had 3 dry nights! Seems the little toad was just being lazy (whilst asleep) and completely wetting her night time pants. Although she is now begging to have them back.

Joshua is his usual stoic self with a generous wail of self pity thrown in. He's definitely ready for the end of term. A pupil in his class apparently threatened to stab him yesterday 😱 but school seem to be managing it quite well. I have no doubt it was mostly an empty threat - the children are only 4-5 years old. But still... the teacher was quite apologetic and reassuring so we will see what happens. Josh wasn't overly bothered until this morning!

Hi all, hi trips, hope it all goes well today.
I'm on hols atm, in Murcia region of Spain. We went to Cartagena today and my bad ankle has blown up like a football. I am fed up with being a drag on my family. I know they say they don't mind, but me struggling to walk any great distance at my age must be so galling to them, especially the boys, who get fed up with me having to sit down and rest regularly. At least I have now got blue badges to help a bit, but I'm only 52 ffs!

Hi all. Good luck today Trips.🍀🍀🍀🍀

Also, a bit fed up with James' attitude. Thought that he was growing out of the stroppy teen stage now the GCSEs are over and they have both secured college places, Mike has certainly become more mature, which is why James walking about with his bottom lip hanging down is so blooming noticeable and galling!

Bubby at least you can see how utterly different they are!

We had a classic twin moment this week. One of the twins' classmates turned 6 and wanted to invite Jen to her party, but not Josh (limited numbers, closer to Jen and doesn't really play with josh anyway). They are one of two sets in their class and party girl also wanted to invite one of the other twins as well. Mum messaged us to explain the situation and ask if it would cause problems for me. My response was no, the twins don't have to do everything together and if party girl only wanted to invite Jen then it was fine by me, we'd manage Josh if the situation arose. Josh's response on learning his sister was invited and he didn't have one was "but we're twins mummy!" (Said in an incredulous voice). However, he was happy with the answer that he does football and Jen goes to rainbows so they don't do everything together.

Other mum didn't reply at all and didn't send invited twin. Sadly this mum thinks hers should do everything together, and it causes real problems at school. She's also the preschool leader and I had to point out to them that mine were individuals so things like sharing a tray, when other siblings didn't, wasn't on. We work hard on giving them both their twin and their individual identity. This is the first time though that josh has independently drawn the conclusion though.

Hi soks. We had this fairly soon into school life, and yes, I agree with you, and did the same at the time. But they still got a little upset if one, not the other got invited. It was a little tricky ss mine were both boys. Mind you, we were lucky that their school class of 16 kids included not just 1 but 4 sets of twins! This meant that half the class were siblings and we mums all agreed with the school that it was to treat them as individuals. Our problems really started at High School where such a close knit group sudden other split up, all of them were put in different class's and even in different halves of the year group. This did cause all sorts of issues with James, and he reacted badly. It was only then he got diagnosed as being mildly on the autistic spectrum.=Apergers, like dh. Because of the close knit class at primary it had never really showed before.