As easy as buying a new epipen

Here's why it took about 4 hours over several weeks to get BallFiend a new epipen...

1. Go to GP to get new script and anaphylaxis action plan - this took about 1 hour (including the 40 mins waiting time because the doctor was running behind).
   
2. Go to Pharmacy to purchase epipens. Realise as I hand over the script that the GP has only written one epipen on the script (It should be two - same thing happened last year; hopefully I will remember when we return to the GP for a new script next year!). So pharmacist has to phone GP for authorisation to release a second epipen. GP is not available so pharmacist leaves a message and says she will call me once the epipen is ready for collection. About 30 mins.
   
3. After waiting for two days with no call from the pharmacist, phone Pharmacy to check if GP has authorised second epipen. Yes epipen is ready for collection. That took 5 mins (of which 4 mins is waiting on hold).
   
4. Return to Pharmacy to collect second epipen. About 30 mins.
   
5. Prepare Anaphylaxis Action Plan - take a new portrait photo of BallFiend, adjust size to fit the square on the Action Plan, print photo and stick it on. Scan the action plan. Print copies for School, cubs, etc. 60 mins.
   
6. Upload new action plan onto BallFiend's online health information form for Cubs. 15 mins.
   
7. Update first aid kits (Home and School ones) - insert new action plans and put in new epipens. Mark old epipens as expired. 15 mins.
   
8. Return expired epipens to pharmacy.
   
9. Update details on the online reminder service ("Epiclub") with the new batch number and expiry date. 10 mins. 

How to sleep-in when you have kids

This is what it takes to get a sleep-in around here...

1. Just before kids go to bed we give them instructions for the next morning... what they can and cannot do, not to wake us up unless it's an emergency, discuss which things constitute an emergency, practice closing the bathroom door quietly and NOT slamming the toilet lid down, etc.

Later, DeepSpice and I litter the house with reminder notes* before we go to bed.

* this is a technique deeply ingrained in me as a result of growing up the regime of StompyDad.

2. The kids get up in the morning and read them (hopefully), and even follow the instructions (she says, even more hopefully).

Results:

This sytem works sometimes and we get to sleep in undisturbed by doors slamming, bickering, kids coming in asking for help to install Minecraft mods, etc., etc.

And when we get up, we have two kids who (although now square-eyed) have actually eaten something so are not completely feral and hangry. 

This morning, when I got up, I found a note from BallFiend on my desk. When he took the Weetbix out of the pantry, he had seen the bags for baking chocolate chips I had hurriedly dumped there yesterday whilst I was moving stuff around when looking for something else at the back of another shelf.

--

Code

BallFiend came home from school today and said "Mum, I want to learn to code."

Ah, that's my boy!

Of course, the reason he wants to learn to code is so he can make his own mods in Minecraft.

I'm OK with Minecraft as a gateway to geekery.

--

Portrait of Woofer

Thumper's picture of BallFiend's toy dog, in chalk on the driveway:



--

Thumper's kindergarten artwork archive

An archive of Thumper's various artworks from her kindergarten year (2014). Photos not taken till February 2016 (coz we're slack).

A bus. March 2014.

Left: a boat. Right: A sunny day.

Left: a magic wand. Right: a collage.

Soundwaves

Charcoal drawing.

Left: a campsite. Right: a collage with noodles, two bowls and a seat (March 2014).

A forcefield around a bowl of noodles.

Another collage

A box of sweets.

More collage.

Faces.

Crocodile (from a craft kit). 

A shaker (2014) and a collage (2015). 

Yet another collage (made at home, not at kinder).

A collage and a shaker.

 --

Thumper's art and writing, 2015

Some of the things Thumper produced during 2015 (first year of school - prep)...
(Photos taken in Feb 2016.)

A 'mythical creature' (made at school).

worry dolls (made at school)

Some writing (done at home) from June 2015:
a sword with labels;
random writing

--

Possum vs Campervan

Thumper's writing is really coming along nicely. I love that she enjoys writing. 

Once I saw a possum it

jumped on to my head then

it jumped on to the campervan.

--

Thumper's artwork archive

Just 'saving' a photo of some of Thumper's 'art'. She has agreed we can just keep a photo of these ones. They are from when she was around three to four years old. 

"My dog" featuring a belly button.

"A dog"

"A zombie with teeth and eyes; it stops tennis balls going in its mouth. It stuffed vegies in there, that's why there are holes."

"A giant zombie in his car."

--

An observation

"A human who is alive should be called an undead zombie."

- Thumper

--