We're Moving House Soon, and I Don't Talk About That In This Post......

My toe, as everyone is wondering, is fine. Apparently not broken, as the pain faded after a few days. The bruising spread to the entire top of my foot, but is finally fading also. This week has been an exciting one for my poor toe... not only was it almost broken, but then the same toe was run over by a speeding tricyclist. I was at work, and managed not to scream. I still don't know how. I don't think that was why the bruising spread, but who actually can tell?

I had a sick adventure this week, too. The wonders of working in Early Childhood is that until your immune system catches up with you, you catch EVERYTHING that the children bring into the classroom. This includes icky-vomitous nasty stomach bugs. Which I caught. Tristan called me on Wednesday night, as I had gone to bed early, and after talking to him I realised that I really felt nauseous. Spent an hour or so in the bathroom, threw up 4 times. Went to bed. Woke up a few hours later. Repeat and rinse. By this time the acid from my stomach was no longer in my stomach and had spread throughout my throat and mouth. It was bad enough that I was not going to be able to sleep through it burning a hole in my esophagus. I dug through the medicine box and found, to my delight, a present left by Kelley when she was here. A liquid antacid. Anise flavoured. Bought at Boots (the 'chemist' - i.e. pharmacy.) Grimacing in advance, then telling myself that beggars cannot be choosers, I took a swig. Ew. So gross that tasting it almost made me sick again, but boy-howdy does the antacid from England work so much better than any I've ever had in the States. 5 minutes later, the burning was gone. Then back to bed me. I had to be up early for work the next morning.

7 am, and I was up calling work to find out if they still wanted me to go in. No answer. Off to work I went, hi-ho, hi-ho. I worked 8 - 9:30, and was told that I look awful, and was asked if I have a history of being 'sickly'. I calmly (I think) explained that it had been a year since working with children, and I was in a new country with new bugs. My immune system is a desert rats'. Not some water-logged river-rats'. They did not understand, but did send me home.

I popped into the store on the way, and made sure we had stuff for the BRAT diet. (We only had rice.) Bananas and wholewheat bread for toast made it into my basket. There was no applesauce, so I add apples to make my own. Then, sparkling water. Now, I have to add a side note about sparkling water. It used to be that I didn't like it. But now I do. It is nice and fizzy and sugar free and yummy goodness. And I was hoping it would settle my stomach. 4 liters in my basket. Luckily I had my backpack. It gives one a new perspective when one has to carry all one's groceries home on one's back. When sick.

Home. Didn't even manage to put all the groceries away. Threw the water into the fridge, fell into bed. Slept. Until 3 in the afternoon. Threw up again. And again. Drank water. Ate banana. Had warm, freshly made applesauce and toast for dinner.

Woke up the next morning feeling so much better. Back to the Work grind.

On an extended note, I really don't like my job very much. I am working in an early childhood center, or at least they claim to be an early childhood center. I actually think it is more like a day care. I work in the preschool classroom, ages 3 - 4, and I can think of so many things I would do differently. The staff in the room are quite content to sit back and do as little as possible, and I work extra hard to cover their slack. The room is filthy, and I have been in the process of going through it during the day and cleaning it, center by center. The other staff have asked me why, and told me that it just isn't worth it. But the children must be affected. I don't want to go into the centers, so what makes me think that the children would want to? They don't teach the children how to take care of the toys or the books. It frustrates me. Christi, I have to say that every day at work I wish fervently that you were here and we were opening an early childhood center together. It is what I day-dream about. We would be cutting edge, and the UK would tremble in awe.

On yet another note, I have 2 huge projects for University next year. One is a literature review, and while I don't know exactly what I am doing (they want something to be VERY narrow scoped, and I haven't gotten it narrow enough, I think) what I have so far is implementing critical literacy in the early childhood classroom. I could use advice, any research, commentary, or even help on narrowing my topic. I am already doing a lot of reading on it. I will also have a large research project in the spring of 2009. I want to do a comparison study between a reception classroom here and a kindergarten classroom there. That will, of course, depend on if I have the money to fly to the US to DO the research, but I would be open to being pointed towards some kindergarten teachers there that might be interested in participating in something like that. There might even be a tie in between classrooms, if the someone is that interested.

Last thing. Ashley made it fine to the States and is now with her Daddy. She almost missed her flight from Houston to El Paso, but the airline was nice and held the plane. I arrive late on the evening of the 17th, for my three weeks of Boo-goodness. I'll update you on all of the Ashley-flight fun next post.

Lookie What I Did!

I think I might have broken my toe today. Stephen and I were rough-housing, and I ran into the living room. I, being brilliantly talented and not a bit clumsy, hit my toe on NOTHING AT ALL (or the floor, I'm not really sure which) and cracked my baby toe on the left very well. The pain was excruciating. I cried, it was that bad. Stephen reached to touch it, and I screamed when he did. I told him I thought he was broken. He said that it was not, I had just jammed it really well. After hobbling my way into the bedroom and moaning for a bit on the bed, I managed to touch it. Dear god. Moving it was impossible. It just hurt too much.

I looked up the symptoms of a broken toe. Mentioned excruciating pain (which I had,) inability to put weight on it (which I could do, though it hurt really badly,) severe bruising (none.) So I just dealt. We got ready to go for a walk. I put on 2 pairs of tight socks (hurt to put them on, but felt good after) and took some ibuprophen. We hobbled out of the door.

This is what we discovered when we got home and I took of my sock.






It is also really really swollen. And still painful. So, I think I either broke it, or really seriously bruised it. Looks awfully purty, doesn't it? I am so proud of me. Still clumsy. I was worried that I was growing out of it.

07:09 pm - The TeaCup Goodness - livejournal post

Hey Wifeypoo

I went to Whittard's today and took pictures of all of the teacups that we have the possibility of getting. I am sharing the pics with you so we can discuss and choose which we want to get for our shared teacups. Anyone else who wants to make comments can, too... but we don't have to listen. ;)



This is the rose teacup that we spotted online. It is prolly the most delicate and girly of the teacups. The lid is flat (it is the only one that is) and could potentially be used as a teabag holder. ('m stretching here.) It is, however, very pink. This might be a good or a bad thing, depending on perspective.

These next 2 are the same theme, (Nursery Rhymes) but different cups.



The 3 Little Kittens. The Other side has a picture of the mittens in a pile.



Polly Put the Kettle on. The other side has her getting biscuits ready for tea. These don't have flat tops. (I don't actually think it matters much.) They are all white, so will match no matter what our kitchen colour. These have matching bowls and teapots for both 1 and 2 servings of tea. There may actually be a whole line of matching stuff.

The next 4 are also a similar theme, called 'The Great British Brew'. They are bright and colourful, but all of them represent things that are distinctly British, which also may be a good or bad thing, depending on your perspective. All the other sides match the front, and say something about 'The Great British Brew'.



London Bridge. This cup is blue.



The Underground. This cup is also blue. Brighter than the London Bridge ones.



The Queen, Red cup. As though you couldn't tell that from the picture. ;)



Shopping. Yellow cup. As in bright yellow.

There you have them. It doesn't matter price-wise which we choose. They are all exactly the same price, as they are all on offer right now. So shall we discuss which ones we like? I have an idea (more a guess, really) which we might choose.

Hope your trip back from Albq was safe. Talk to you soon!

Deja vu.

Happy Midsummer!

Today's Sunrise: 4:36:58 BST
Today's Sunset: 21:18:12 BST

(BST = British Summer Time. Subtract 7 hours to equal Mountain Daylight Savings Time.)

I think it is a good thing that I have people like Dan around to keep me motivated to write on this blog. He says:

Hi Amy,

I've been checking your blog to see an updated health post. How are you doing? Are you getting psyched to come back to the States?

The sick thing is an interesting tidbit right now. No, I am not healthy. Yes, I am sick. But I am sick again rather than still. Which I suppose is better. My chest is not full of gunk, though I go in for an x-ray on Monday just to be sure. I, however, have come to the conclusion that whoever told me that it takes 5 to 7 years to develop allergies in a new place LIED. (And I say that with venomous emphasis, just in case you were wondering.)

I had seasonal allergies in the states: mulberry pollen got to me just like it did everyone else. There must be something here, though, that I am really allergic to in the air. I have been hacking and sneezing repeatedly and strongly, and glad for doing it as it itches my throat when I do. (When I am not sneezing to itch my throat, I am rubbing my tongue as far down it as I can to try and itch it that way.) My nose is running, my throat is sore from the nastiness draining down it, AND my eyes and the inside of my ears are so itchy that I seriously consider scratching them out.

These allergies don't feel like allergies from mulberry pollen. They feel like the allergies I get when I roll in the Bermuda grass and my eyes swell up and I break out in hives. So today Stephen and I took a trip to the local chemist (pharmacy) and I found the anti-histimine Loratadine. I hope it is my friend. I am really tired of being sick.

The weather here has been about 65 to 70 degrees F. The other day a colleague was telling me that it was obvious that summer was here. I hesitated to ask. She told me that this was about as hot as it gets in the summer. Egad! I feel like an icicle. My sweater is still my best friend, and I never leave home without it.

As far as being excited to head back to the States, I am! I can't wait for the heat. I can't wait to see my family. I can't wait to hold and kiss Tristan and read him books. Still waiting on the inventor to show up with my portal for instant travel.

There is news going on in our world too. We are house hunting again. Our lease is up at the end of July. The rent is going up, and we can spend less fairly easily. So the weeks before my trip to the States will be filled with work and packing. Woohoo fun.

Remember the job Stephen applied for? Well, just the other day we were sitting in our favourite coffee shop talking about it. We decided that it had been too long without hearing anything, and that must mean that he had not been called back for an interview. We get home and Stephen finds an invitation to interview in his email inbox. It is July 10. We will let you know what happens.

Ashley leaves the country on Tuesday. She will be flying internationally all by herself. She is almost adult-like. She will have her old cell phone when she flies into Houston, and will be staying the night with her Uncle Jim.

That's the current scenario. We will keep you posted!