Lice, tonsillitis and pink eye. Oh my!

Does anyone want my family?

• DD has lice. (Not again! That's it. I'm chopping her mop to short curls. I can hardly get a brush through it, let alone a nit comb.)
  
• DS went on camp and came back with tonsillitis, which he gave to me. (Yay, I'm still on the antibiotics)
  
• DD now has conjunctivitis, most likely viral (or it could be impetigo as she seem to have that too!!!). I haven't got rid of the lice yet! Oh well, at least she has a better reason for staying home from school.
  
• DH has run out of (good) painkillers and is spending half his day in bed, the other half asking me to keep the kids quiet, while I'm trying to work as a professional software developer.
  

Hang on, two positives:

• At least we haven't got the Swine Flu. (Touch wood!)
• Oh, and the kitten is recovering beautifully from her desexing the other day.

I didn't know Tonsillitis was contagious!

Well, my trip to the doctor Friday morning confirmed I too have tonsillitis. The doctor put me phenoxymethlpenicillin, 4 pills a day for 12 days. Wikipedia told me that this is the recommended antibiotic for Streptococcus pyogenes, the cause of Group A streptococcal infections. Interestingly, I also found a link between these infections and rapid development of OCD or tics, known as PANDAS.

Well, I felt better the next day after just 4 doses, so it seems to be working! Little bit nauseous, though, not sure if that's the antibiotics or something else, but that settled down too.

I'm also aware that antibiotics may stop the pill from working, so DH isn't getting much fun for 12 days!

I need help

I didn't realise it's been more than a week since my last post; I've been busy, as usual.

I woke up groggy and with a sore throat today @ 8:05am, having fallen asleep in bed in my clothes, and having forgotten to set the alarm. I woke up because DD knocked on the door complaining DS wouldn't let her have lemonade LOL... later she apologized for waking me up, and I said, "No! Thankyou for waking me up.... I've gotta to get you to school in less than an hour and it's school photo day!"

Well, at least DD's photo will be taken today. DS is home with tonsillitis and antibiotics. Yep, that's what I think I've got.

Over the last couple of days, I've been "embracing" my role as carer... because I can't do this by myself anymore! I rang the lady at the pain clinic (we went to the clinic on Tuesday) who runs a carer support group. She has put me on to some local support groups; not yet enrolled in any yet. I also rang Carers Victoria for the best advice on how to get someone to help me clean and maintain the house, as DH's help is now down to an occasional load of laundry unless I specifically ask him to do something.

Now I'm getting up the courage to ring the council about HACC (Home and Community Care). For a subsidised fee you can get help cleaning. I need some one off help to get to a basic point, and then someone to come in once a week/fortnight to help with floors, bathroom and toilet. I wonder if they could help with cobwebs, dirty walls, picking up dog poo and mowing the lawn too? One thing at a time, Sapphyre!

When work + care = stress!

Today I let DH have an earful! He had been talking to our friend T out the front for a long time. DD was in bed having a nap (she's home today because she has headlice, but that's another story), and I'm on the phone in the middle of a complex meeting about a difficult technical issue (no office politics thank goodness)... when he says "I' m following T home, Okay?" I wave at him, in annoyance, not really listening. Then he went back outside.

3 minutes later DD woke up. She hasn't had any lunch. I'm in the middle of a work discussion (conference call at their end with multiple people), and it finally sinks in that he has left me in the lurch! I can't feed DD lunch and be in a complicated discussion!

Fortunately DD is in a good mood and actually follows my gestures and gets herself something to eat... but I am livid...

As soon as I get off the phone I feed DD, then try to ring DH on his mobile... ring ring... oh it's still here! Great, not only did he take off without a discussion, he didn't even take his phone. (I need him to come home as the issue is still progressing.) Now, I'm just angry... and when he walks in the door I basically yelled what I was mad about and said he's not allowed to leave the house without discussing it with me (when there is a child here and I'm working)... he's overwhelmed with how mad I am... and I ask him, "How do you like it? It's not much fun being on a short leash, is it?"

Anyway, we have calmed down now and are talking to each other again. I have apologized for my reaction, and he has agreed to discuss leaving the house with me and not do it while I'm distracted. So, we have an improved relationship!

How do you do it? Time management and prioritizing

Every week I struggle to work my 35 hours. I often end up catching up on the weekend or using leave. Prior to April, I worked 40 hours a week, so things have certainly improved. Thank goodness for flexible work schedules and understanding employers!

Today I created a timetable for myself. Now looking at it, I can see that during the week, if I allow time for school drop off / pick up, lunch, and only working Monday to Friday, I only have 36 hours available to work! (No wonder I was having trouble with 40.)

That's for a regular week. I will still need to use leave or work on the weekends sometimes when we have appointments to attend. Fortunately, work hasn't made a fuss about me using my personal care leave to take care of my family.

With prioritizing, the hardest thing I've had trouble accepting is that everything won't get done. However, if I decide what's most important, soon the other tasks fall off my list or end up getting done later (eventually).

I am now using todoist to track things I have to do. I love it for the following reasons:

1. It runs in my browser in a side-bar so it's always there.
2. It allows emails (gmail) and any web page to be added as a task!
3. It's very easy to use.

Here's a life example. DS left on his school camp this morning. Getting him to camp was my main priority since Friday evening.

• We shopped Saturday afternoon (needed additional shoes, and has grown out of pants and jumpers).
  
• We packed yesterday afternoon.
  
• Last night I washed some additional clothing and then wrote on my hand it needs to go in the dryer.
• When I woke up, I put those clothes in the dryer.
• I made both kids lunches, but only packed DS's.
• Packed the original clothes, 5 minutes before we were due to leave realised the zipper was broken on the gym bag they were all packed in!
• Found another back, repacked, and moved the luggage tag.
• Dropped DS at school gym. Realised we'd forgotten his pillow.
• Came home, DD was dressed and ready to go. Even though she was demanding I pack her lunch, I told her we didn't have time as I had to get DS's pillow to him
• Got DD to school early and got DS's pillow to him.
• Came home, packed DD's lunch, and then got it to her classroom.
• Came home and started work

See it's easy when you prioritize!