Team french manicure

Pamper party? Visit to the nail salon? Girly hen night antics? You couldn't be further from the truth. Football....

Playing football is a daily activity in our household, hourly even. So this afternoon when myself and G embarked on a football game whereby one of our teams would be crowned champion, I couldn't have been more surprised at the team name choices.
'Mummy, I'm team french manicure and you're team tropix.' G gleefully announced.  Our non-girly, jogger wearing,  trainer loving, hairstyle hating, 'it's a grey t shirt day' chanting,  football mad daughter was naming teams after nail varnish colours. The irony!

Family fun
We've had a superb week with Daddy.
Fruit picking, a trip to the farm park,  lots of dog walking, a visit to London Zoo and Auntie L, all rounded off with birthday celebrations for Daddy and the other 2 twiglets, made for a tiring but amazing week. Don't go back to work Daddy!

Normal routine resumed in T-3 weeks
A visual timetable has been the way forward for helping G during this summer holiday time of routine turmoil. Each day we've been besieged with millions (as G would say) of questions about what we are due to be doing in the coming days. Several normal activities have ceased for the summer, and the rest of changed days (AGHHH!). She's gone from knowing the days of the week to being in a complete and utter pickle, and we needed a rescue remedy. Fast.
So the visual timetable was devised- a week by week overview with pictures and keywords/letters outlining our main activities, and I must admit it really is helping. She knows to refer to it if she's confused, which is fantastic.  The only downside is when plans change, which inevitably they do!
I see this being the way forward when she starts school too. Mental note made.

Turner Syndrome meet
Last Sunday we were lucky enough to meet with our local TS friendship group (local in the sense that it encompasses our county and 2 neighbouring ones). Yet another fantastic time had by all, and whilst our group is still in its infancy-4 families with TS daughters and 1 adult- the experience of meeting up is invaluable.  Next stop conference!

Milk trial
The time has come again to trial the dreaded dairy. Milk to be precise.  This week will mainly be spent breaking biscuits containing milk powder (but not gluten!), into minute pieces and feeding G the crumbs. Then I'll turn detective and piece together the subtle but potentially telling clues. Best dig out the pooper scooper!

Next stop-eye appointment in 2 weeks time. Every time she consults the visual timetable I hear 'Mummy will I get to wear glasses like you?'. Maybe G, maybe.

30 degrees...PJs and a duvet!

We have just returned from a lovely,  albeit short break beside the sea. G's beloved pal Winston joined us for the weekend,  and surprised us at how adaptable this home-loving little pooch was (that said, we won't be taking him too often!). Sandcastles were built - and promptly stomped on, lollies were devoured, many 2 pennies were spent, and the evening entertainment comprising of 2 rabbits and a rat (I think) went down surprisingly well. G had a fantastic time!

What strikes me each time we go away though is how G struggles with being out of routine. She loves the sport,the evening entertainment, the arcades, the beach, and ADORES being in a caravan but my goodness she cannot cope. Maybe that's why we only choose to go for weekend trips. Maybe that's why we stick to the same caravan site (except this time....our mistake. Big mistake!). 

So it's becoming increasingly obvious that change is an issue. Many children dislike change I hear you say? True. Maybe it's just me being over anxious. Some recent examples include:

* Swimming lessons- G has been moved up to a group where her daddy is no longer allowed in the water with her.  Gradually (or not so) as each week has passed the hysteria associated with going swimming has escalated until we decided to halt the lessons. 
Giving in too easy? She'll get used to it? She needs to get used to change? No. She's distraught. Now it's affected her love of casual swimming-this weekend on holiday she was excited about the indoor and outdoor pool....until she got in. It was not worth the tears and anxst.

* Dressing for the heat- G wears joggers, t shirts, socks and trainers.  No deviation, except for shorts, thank goodness for shorts.  No other summer wear permitted, despite dripping with sweat. Hhhhmph.

* Dressing for the heat at night - long sleeve Pjamas, a duvet and a blanket on top. Again no deviation. Tonight's compromise landed her in a state, but saw a short sleeve vest, long Pjamas bottoms, and blanket and a fan on its highest setting. 

These are just snippets.  Compromise is tough.  We pick our battles, some aren't worth fighting!
Another thing that makes me chuckle is how Friday is always the day we go on holiday, and as soon as she wakes then we should go. Monday is the day we return, and as soon as she wakes we should return. The latter meant we spent a gloriously sunny day in the car.

In other news...
The strep pneumoniae bacteria in G's nasal canal has cleared. Only to be replaced with another nasty, for which more antibiotics was needed. Course complete, fingers crossed the bugs have done one.

So that's us. I'm only holiday now for 5 weeks so lots of quality Mummy/G time, with a week of Daddy thrown in for good measure. I cannot wait!