Monday, March 24, 2008

Next year, it's rabbit pie

Had friends up from London, arriving Thursday night and leaving Saturday morning. They managed to catch some of the worst weather I have seen up here. The woman who has only just moved back to the UK after 18 years in Spain would be entitled never to come back to Northumberland, ever. We tried to go for a beach walk twice and thought better of it. Instead, safe in our cars, we watched the white fury of the seas, waves so tall that they seemed to stand on feet, and thick sandy froth churning in the rock pools. We managed a teashop, a country outfitters, a second hand bookshop, a museum and a castle; even so, I am not sure it made up for the weather. On our way into the castle, gusts of ice and sleet leaned against us and I said to the woman: "It's not like this usually you know." I gulped down a mouthful of wet bitter cold wind. "You've caught it on a really bad day." Their visit though was definitely the highlight of Easter.

I just did not find Easter worked for me this year. My mother and father were supposed to come and cancelled because my father did not feel up to it which was disappointing. Usually, we have an egg hunt on Easter Sunday morning with the other children who come up to the cottages along the row. Luckily, two girls were there but three other families did not make it which seemed sad somehow and instead of our traditional glorious, daffodil-coloured sunshine, it was bitterly cold and grey. Once that was over. the children spent the rest of the day either eating chocolate, asking for more chocolate or crying that I had said "No" to more chocolate. It was so bad, by bathtime I had gathered up all the chocolate that was left in the house and informed the children they had eaten quite enough and Easter was officially over. I was braced for revolution but they took it quite well. I think my five-year-old might have been more vocal but this morning he woke up and started throwing up relentlessly with one of his stomach migraines which happen about every six to eight weeks. During these vomiting marathons, he withdraws completely, refusing to answer the simplest question, capable only of staring at the TV or listening to tales of pirates and dinosaurs. He vomits, sips water, vomits again and sleeps. I moved him from bed to lounge to kitchen sofa. This afternoon, he started to rally. As I pulled his washed-out tee-shirt over his head, it seemed as if he remembered something. He said: "Thankyou for doing all you did for me." As I eased down the shirt over his chest, I thought: "Ah, darling one. Happy Easter."

16 comments:

Laura Jane Williams said...

That is adorable- no doubt makes it all worth while, eh?

G.I.M x

Anonymous said...

I did a different easter - we went to a concert rcok and stuff with an amazing Elvis tribute band. Then we went to the Hard Rock Cafe
Much better than the hard cooking and stuff.

Penny Pincher said...

Poor little chap - he sounds just like my husband when he's sick..

Day Dream Believer said...

Sorry to hear your little one not well-I used to get terrible migraines and be sick as a child just the same.

Easter not worked for us this year either-we have all been ill with proper flu.

Glad to hear about your imminent book deal. Been following your blogs for a while but not commented before.
Well deserved.

Mimi said...

Have you tried bringing him to a homeopath? My daughter had several bouts of an unidentified cough that left her ill for a week to 10 days each time. This Easter, husband and myself both had terrible flu, and not a bother on the daughter! mimi

Anonymous said...

I've been peeling Amy off the ceiling for 2 days, followed by egg wrappers.

C xx

aims said...

And that from a five year old? My Goodness!

A Mother's Place is in the Wrong said...

Dear boy, how sweet it is to hear words like that - it's something you never forget! Margot xx

Drags said...

Ah the boy will go far with a heart that big....
Meanwhile two adults and two teenagers still eating one gigantic Hotel Chocolat egg....

Maggie May said...

There's nothing quite like the fascination of watching the fury of the sea, from a safe place. Lovely!
Sorry to hear your little one gets migraine & sickness, as I used to do from the age of four. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Sarah said...

Hello Wifey,
I'm sorry to hear your Easter was horrid. Your son sounds like he is really put through the mil, when the migraine strikes.
The storms must have put pay to alot of plans. We sat in the car, at the beach, on Friday, and watched some very determined-looking walkers taking the air. I've done a bit of painting, since then- an ill wind blowing me a little good. Hop over to mine- I've posted the results.
xxSarah

welsh frog said...

wifey- abdominal megraines- took me twenty years to find an effective remedy- immigran by prescription- or another similar over the counter combination of codeine and paracetamol. puts a halt to pain and stops the vomiting but does nothing to ease the post megraine hangover. poor dab

blinkered said...

'immigran' is it any good for childlike mood swings or is it that you take the chocolate from them and they just go ape. or just dont wake them in the middle of the night.

poor dab in deed

Grit said...

good grief! the junior grits never say things like that. last recorded note from squirrel: 'You are now pissing me off big time.'

Cath said...

Aaah that's like something my 10 year old said to me last week. It warms your heart when they express their love that way. Hope he feels better soon.
And you can get a rest...

family affairs said...

It's always refreshing to read about somebody else's dreadful Easter - mine was bad for other reasons and I didn't have my kids around as an anchor to keep me sane....sorry about your little boy and enjoy your holiday x