Hello London! Hello to the Start of an Amazing 6.5 Weeks

Today was a looooonnnnggg haul. We started in Melbourne, leaving home at 9.45am, caught the train into the city, the Skybus to the airport, and then three flights: Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam to London. Kuala Lumpur airport's layover was enough time for me to do some work. Amsterdam airport was fogged over, so we really couldn't see the beauty of the city (and it was 5am local time, so not much happening at that time anyway). And then London... after an hour waiting in line with possibly another 6 airlines worth of passengers that just happened to have land at the same time, we were actually surprised that our luggage was there ready and waiting for us and we could just exit the airport. No extra scanning of the luggage, no sniffer dog attacks... just leave... and wish that one of the names written in black felt tip pen on white cardboard being flashed around by chauffeurs waiting in the arrivals lounge, was yours... But no, we opted for the Tube instead. 

We caught the Tube from Heathrow Terminal 4 on the Piccadilly line, and of course, my 11 year old laughed that the final destination of the train was Cockfosters! We got off at Turnham Green (via the District Line) and used the $65 Tom Tom app I bought to bring us to our hotel. We had to dump our luggage and were to come back in an hour while they made up our room, so we tried the lovely Parisenne Crepe cafe for breakfast. We then had a little walk through the streets and found a fruit vending stall and checked out the prices versus the prices back home. Strawberries: one pound a punnet (AUD$1.40), granny smith apples: 30p each (AUD47c each). And the boys found a glorious park with a circular seat around a tree.

 We are in majestic looking Best Western hotel, but somehow we've been given a cute little basement room that's completely decked out with beautiful white linen, flat screen TV, air conditioning and an ensuite, but it's tiny. It has adorable common gardens, and plenty of free tea and coffee (and hot chocolates for me and my boys) at the reception, so we're not complaining. 

After a much needed shower and freshen up, we caught the No 94 bus up to Piccadilly Circus. We sat at the front up the top of a double decker bus and rode through Notting Hill, Oxford Street to Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus. 

After a few photo opportunities, we checked out Hamleys - the biggest toy store in London, and the boys bought a couple of toys for home. The boys even got to pose with royalty!

I also wanted to take them to Next, but unfortunately, their range wasn't as good as it was when I was here 5 years ago, and their sizes only go up to 12 year olds... which makes it hard for my boys who are on that borderline sizing that takes them into mens. 

We then decided to catch the bus back to our hotel, which with all it's stops and starts and dealing with the London traffic, wasn't worth the hour long drive it took as the novelty ride there, as it did on the way back. 

We went home via the fruit stall and grabbed 4 bananas, 2 punnets of strawberries & 3 granny smith apples for 3 pounds 50c. An absolute bargain in Melbourne books. 

Think we might be up for an early night tonight so we can get ourselves into London time, but before that, it might be a meal at the pub!

(oh by the way, we are cruising around the UK and Western Europe for the next 6.5 weeks... hope you enjoy the journey as much as us!)

Trusting Praise

When you live a life where you receive no praise for your efforts, talent and personal attributes, and then it comes from unexpected sources, how do you trust that the glimmer of praise you receive is genuine, and not giving you false hopes, leading you astray or just being 'nice?'

I will admit, I struggle with trust. I trusted, believed, hoped and prayed that the life I created for myself in my marriage would prove everyone else wrong, and do everything I wanted it to be, but it didn't, and I didn't see it until I was in too deep. I trusted that someone could love me without taking advantage of me and my giving nature, but sadly, I couldn't. I try to trust people's positive thoughts for me, but struggle with it because they don't follow through... it's like it's all talk and no action. And I think that's what it comes down to... you know that praise is genuine when people actually make an effort to 'do' something outside themselves to make something in your life possible because they believe in you. It's that whole concept of 'putting your money where your mouth is.' It doesn't have to be money, it can simply be an action, as actions are definitely stronger than words.

I used to struggle hearing beautiful words from my lover, when he told me all the positive qualities I brought to our relationship, and how he felt about me. He always brought me to tears because finally someone could see the values in myself that were worthwhile to them. No one before him actually told me how I actually affected them and what they could see in me. It was truly humbling to hear that I was actually a 'good' person from someone who I hold great regard for. So when it starts happening in your life for the first time in your late 30s, from other sources as well as your lover, you start believing that it could actually be possible that they are right. And you desperately want those people to be with you always, with their support, love and admiration, as their belief in you helps you believe more in yourself and your talents.

So when someone so important to you who has the ability to make a dramatic change in your life says some powerful words about your future... do you trust it? Or do you keep it in the back of your mind, plod along with what you need to do, and hope that they are actually seeing something in you that you just can't quite see yet? It's like when you watch all those talent shows and the 'star judges' tell the unknowns that they have an amazing future ahead of them... are they doing it just to be kind, for ratings or do they see real potential in the new talent? It's when the 'star judges' say "I want to produce your album" or "I want to set you up with some well-known artist so you can work with them," or "I want you to meet my record label." THAT'S when you know their praise is genuine. They follow through with their belief with a commitment.

There is a lot of 'sweet talking' out there and you can understand, especially for those in creative fields, sporting fields and even in love, why people see 'praise without commitment' as rejection, and they have lost their ability to actually trust the words that come out of people's mouths unless they follow through with something tangible.

What's Your Child's Level of Homework?

As my oldest son prepares himself for high school next year, we get to meet a variety of parents from other schools and see what other schools are doing to get their Grade 6ers ready for the big transition. Some schools have a 'no homework' policy except for nightly reading, other schools understand that homework is the expectation of what life gives you, therefore we need to prepare them now.

I must admit, the level of homework at my children's school has hit us over the last term. Before it was a weekly activity sheet of maths and the occasional news group project, but now, there is so much more. My 6th grader was given a reading assignment for the term... he had to read four novels, 2 information books and 3 picture books and do an activity for each of them to show he understood the text. The activities have included creating a new book cover, a diorama of a scene in the book, a character analysis, a poster to advertise the book, a plot analysis as well as a few others I can't remember. On top of that, they are doing a 'government' theme, so they have had a grid of multiple intelligences that they have to do one each week... which include writing a persuasive speech about a political issue, designing a new parliament house, etc. Plus they have themed English and maths tasks on hot political agendas at the moment, for instance the rise of the Medicare tax to including the National Disabilities Insurance Scheme. They also have to log onto Mathletics and do their assigned weekly tasks. And they have their spelling homework, calls Words Our Way, which is 6 activities designed to strengthen their understanding of Greek and Latin roots in the English language so it's easy for them to recognise the meaning and association of similar words. So there is a lot going on in Grade 6.

As for my 4th grader... he too has been overwhelmed with homework tasks. However, his needs are different because of his learning difficulties. He has his standard class homework of a maths worksheet, an English worksheet and nightly reading. He has a speech therapist who gives him sequencing homework. He has his tutor giving him spelling homework. He has drum lessons that he needs to practice.  He has news group homework to do and practice speaking. And his special needs teacher has assigned him a reading manual called Toe By Toe that will help him identify blended sounds to help him create memory continuity in his reading.

For me, especially my 4th grader, I need to be there for him every step of the way when it comes to his homework, so I find myself dedicating 1-2 hours a day to help both my boys with their learning needs. For my older son, who is completely capable, my help is usually to stretch his thinking ability to go beyond what is required. I help him identify grammatical and punctuation errors in his work, as well as just being their when he doesn't understand something. All of it is in his own words and his own work. I get disheartened sometimes because I want him to be 'perfect' but I let him submit work that is his own, and I know that he is just a 6th grader, and that areas that I feel he needs improving will come in time with maturity and age-appropriate expectations. I just want him to understand that a higher standard is possible.

So how does this level of homework prepare our children for their adult lives? Even if we have a standard 9-5pm work day, there are still things needed to be done at home... if it's paying the bills, preparing for a holiday, dealing with legal issues, organising a renovation or buying a house, household chores... I guess what I'm saying is, the working day goes beyond school/work hours and we need to prepare our children for what is continually becoming a more stressed lifestyle that we live in this modern age. And if we want to strive for our dreams, we have to put the effort in, especially in times when we want to relax and enjoy ourselves, but can't because we have too much to do.

Yes we need a balance in life, but at the same time, we need to teach our children that there is no rewards without effort. I put the effort into my boys so that I can give them the best chance in life. I tell them that if we work hard, we can play hard... and they like the sound of that. And very very soon, they will understand what the rewards of the 'play hard' is all about! I'll keep you posted! :)

Whose Needs Do You Put First - Your Spouse or Your Children?

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman do it... they openly declare that they put their love for each other first over their children. And I know there is a whole generation of baby-boomers and pre-baby-boomers that do it. Prior to the World Wars, parents had the pre-conceived idea that if a child dies, because it was common through disease, ignorance and lack of education, they would actually 'replace' that dead child with another by conceiving again, so it was important to keep their marriage in harmony by putting each other first. But in reality, what is best for your marriage AND your family?

I'm a little torn on this debate, as I have experienced both. As a daughter of parents who put their own needs ahead of their children - ensuring they had money for their retirement, supporting each other when one of them were telling the children off and concerned about their own social plans before the social needs of their own children, I felt the brunt of my feelings and voice not being considered. I was an underling, someone who had to respect my elders when I felt I wasn't being respecting as a human being. It was a form of emotional abuse that sits with me to this very day. However, my parents are still married and enjoy each other's company, and even though they don't tell us as individuals, they are proud of the children they have raised.

Because of how I felt as a child growing up in that environment, I always said I would put my children's needs first. I couldn't believe that my mother didn't stick up for me or my sisters when she knew in her heart that we were being wronged. It was tough love. So as we grew up, if anything happened in my marriage that didn't sit right with me, them not getting a fair go in sports or school, or through my children's peers bullying them, I would show my children that I would be there for them, no matter what. And I can vow to this day, no matter who it is, I have always stood up for my children. I wonder though, if I did what my mother did, would I still be in a place that I was scared to be in, being taken advantage in all facets of my life, seeing my children being hurt, wetting the bed because they were scared, because of some vows that I honoured, but weren't honoured in return?

I know people who put the livelihood of their children's needs first over their marriage. They constantly fight, bicker and are spiteful to one another, to the point of saying that one child loves them more than the other because he/she spends more time with them. It's childish in so many ways. Now that their children are off their hands, are adults and married, they still give more time to their children and grandchildren than they do their own marriage. They have separate hobbies and friends, different physical levels - he's into sport, she can't climb a flight of stairs, and they literally have nothing in common except their kids and a pool of assets and debts. They even choose to live separately and be together occasionally. But they believe that they must stay together based on their Christian values and that they need to show their children the commitment of what a marriage is, no matter how much hurt they give each other. They are both very much into ordering 'who' they love the most within their family. He actually always put his own mother first before his children and then his wife was way down the line.

Personally, I believe you look after each other first before you have children and establish the strengths within you, then when your children arrive, you look after your children - they have no one except YOU. When your children are old enough to be independent - you can determine if that is when they finish college or get their first full time job or some other milestone, then you devote yourself to your spouse, as long as your marriage has survived, and these days many don't, and many actually fall apart when the children leave. Your children have their own partners and children to look after once they move away. You've done what you can to rear them into upstanding citizens. It doesn't make you love them any less and want to be there for them, it's just working out who's your priority - your spouse or your children who's more important to you. If you choose 'time with your children' when they are off your hands and have their own lives, then there truly is no point in continuing your marriage, because you aren't being true to anyone, especially yourself.

The empty-nester years are the time to reignite your love for your partner. You can keep that fire alight with regular date nights and quiet intimate times throughout the twenty odd years your nurture your children, but if you can't bring back the passion when you're house is empty, then what's the point of living a miserable co-existence with someone who doesn't bring you joy in your life without your children being there? Your children see you as being individuals, and love you so. They don't need to have you together if all they see is exasperation and anger between you.

But, at the same time, if you truly have to consciously order who you love the most in your life, who you'd rescue from a burning ship first if that hypothetical question came up, you really have to question the truth behind your love for your family... everyone should be loved equally, no matter what. It's such a cruel thing to say someone is your favourite when there are so many others in your life who matter. If you need a pegging order, you need to step aside and spend some time thinking about what it is you truly want in your life, because numbering your family from one to ten, shows no unity, and you need to get yourself out.

Happy Belated Mothers Day!

Just thought I would send happiness and peace to all those wonderful mums, step-mums, grandmas, aunts and special friends who help nurture our children into the best people they can be!

I will say, that from yesterday, I have only heard 'happy' Mothers Day stories. Children have done lovely things for their mums, dads have been extra helpful and loving, some announced that they are going to a new mum and special friends acknowledging pseudo-mums to make them feel special. There haven't been any disappointing presents, there haven't been any ignorant spouses and there have been many stories that have included some special unexpected surprises. It's been really nice to know that there is a general spirit of warmth and love around.

I took my boys out to breakfast in the morning at Ricketts Point Tea House... a coastal contemporary cafe on the edge of a marine sanctuary where the swans, pelicans and seagulls play, and if you're into snorkelling, you can see the sting rays, tropical fish, starfish and crabs playing in the reef. It truly is one of Melbourne's hidden secrets. It was an overcast day, so the water was a little dull, but we enjoyed our pancakes under the heat of the outdoor bar heaters on the beachside deck.

While we were finishing off our freshly squeezed orange juice, I decided to rename Mothers Day to 'International Good Children Day.' After all, that's what we all hope for on Mothers Day... that we don't have to deal with bickering, fighting, whinging and selfishness, and we get to enjoy being looked after by our favourite little people.

We went and bought flowers for my Mum (as well as myself, as no one buys me any!). We bought some beautiful roses and I had bought myself for my boys to give me, a French provincial jug so I can have a lovely vase to put some flowers in it each week. I set it up, and I must say, I am quite impressed with my little Parisienne themed entry table.

I had a lovely phone call from a friend who had just arrived from London, who I've planned to catch up with during the week, and then we drove down to Mt Martha to catch up with my family for a combined Mothers Day and a couple of birthdays.

I did get a 10 minute massage when we came home from my 11 year old and this morning, they both helped clean the house before I even got out of bed - all the vacuuming was done, the rubbish in the bins outside and the dishwasher was empty! I had a second Mothers Day! Lucky me!

I am so proud of my little boys for everything they do. They really are excelling in so many ways at the moment and it is so wonderful to see. I hope you are seeing some bright stars shining through with your children, and relishing in the joyous moments. Mothers Day is truly a time to reflect on all the love, kindness and pride you have for your children. Love, cherish, enjoy! :)

Parenting Vs Just Being Mum & Dad

I read an interesting article about the difference being a 'parent' and being 'Mum' or 'Dad.' It was written on the back of Mother's Day, so for the sake of this exercise, I will write 'Mum' instead of both 'Mum' and 'Dad' to make it flow better, but it's not in anyway to discount the wonderful Dads out there.

It essentially said, that being a 'Mum' has the nurturing, emotional tone. If a child wants their 'mum', they want someone to look after them, defend them, feed them, help them, do everything to show them that they are being loved. Whereas, when a child talks about his/her 'parents', it has a more practical and rational tone. The word usually comes up more in the teenage years, and usually they need to talk to their 'parents' to see if they can go out, get some money off them, get them to drive them somewhere. The child treats their parents as more of a negative imposition, than their loving caring 'mum.'

And I so get that... friends and people I come across, in their adult lives, often refer to their 'Mum' as 'Mum' because their 'Mum' has been the most supportive, loving, nurturing person who has always been there for them, been there for them at their graduation with flowers of congratulations, shed tears for them when they got married, helped them with all the uncertainty when they had their own babies, picked up the kids from daycare when a work meeting went into overtime. A 'Mum' always has your back, no matter what.

Whereas, a 'parent' usually takes the back seat. They watch you from a distance, tell their friends what you are up to, but don't actively participate in your life. They see that their job is done in raising you once you leave home, and it's now up to you to make your own mistakes or create your own successes. They don't encourage you, they don't give you surprise gifts for being their child, they are always too busy in their own lives to help you in yours, they just exist in your life, as your life-givers.


A 'Mum' will give you a Mothers Day gift because you too are a Mum. A 'parent' won't give you a Mothers Day gift because she sees herself as being the matriarch, and you are not 'her' mother.

Sometimes, throughout your life, you will find that your 'Mum' might certainly turn into your 'parent' as she go through menopause or some other life-changing event, and it's true the other way, that your 'parent' might all of a sudden become your 'Mum' because a life-changing event has happened, like she may have lost her husband to death or divorce, so she starts becoming more nurturing in her life because she needs to feel needed.

I'm sure those who have 'Mums' in their lives couldn't imagine their mother being just a 'parent.' Where those who have a 'parent' in their lives would dearly love having a 'Mum.'

I know I strive to be a 'Mum,' and I had one of those days that prove it... My oldest son forgot it was inter-school sports day and completely forgot to take his hockey gear to school. I was on my way to an appointment when he called. I turned around, called my appointment to say I would be half an hour late, I rushed home, got his stuff, took it to school hoping the sports bus hadn't left otherwise I would have had to go to the hockey field a few suburbs away, making me later, but luckily they hadn't left, and I got to my appointment only twenty minutes late. Once I got to my appointment, I had a text message from my youngest son's friend's mum saying that he had left his school bag at home... so Mum to the rescue... after my second appointment, I rushed home picked up his bag, took it to the school and I had a happy little man. Whereas, a 'parent' would say 'tough - you left it at home, you deal with the consequences.' To me, being a Friday, I know how hard my sons have worked on their homework all week, and if they didn't have their bag with their homework and their lunch in it, it would have been unfair that one little slip up could jeopardise all the effort they had put in. So I couldn't be a 'parent' I had to be a 'Mum.'

So this Mothers Day, try to be a 'Mum' for all the single Mums out there who have no one to spoil them, and show them that they are actually doing a fantastic job in being a 'Mum.'

Oh what school to go to!

My oldest son is in Grade 6, so we are currently going through the rigmarole of choosing which school is best for him. He's smart, in fact one of the most focused and dedicated kids in his class who has been in the maths accelerated learning class for the past three years. A scholarship is possible, but even though he loves his hockey, he's not competitive therefore he isn't an exception in his sport, the kind of thing private schools look for when they award scholarships. And I certainly can't justify private school fees when they are heading north of $25,000 a year. We aren't Catholic, so the semi-private catholic schools aren't an option. So we are left with the state run high schools.

Since my day, when the state run high schools were being closed down left, right and centre because the government couldn't justify having so many high schools in certain areas due to the high level of private school attendance, state run high schools have actually picked up their game. The one thing that really sets private schools and public schools apart is that in public schools (state schools) the teachers have a duty of care. You don't need to pay a school tens of thousands of dollars to educate your children, because private schools don't have a legal obligation to actually care about your child. Whereas at a public school, they do. They have to provide your child with an education that is suitable to their year level or learning capabilities.

The last week, we have had a good look at the high schools in our area. Each child is given a form from their primary school to indicate four preferences of which schools they would like to attend, and if they can't get into one of their preferences, it is the state's obligation to put them into the school zoned for their area.

Our first option, the one we'd dearly like to get into, is my first high school. Since I was there, the facilities are just world class, and even better than the private school I ended up with. They have music studios, a drama studio complete with lighting stage, a stadium the size of two basketball courts, a brand new (opening next term) science and arts technology lab which includes your standard physics, chemistry & biology labs, but also a robotics & electronics lab, 2 new lecture theatres, study pods, an amphitheatre where twice a week one of the seven school bands plays and entertains the kids at lunchtime (complete with lighting), an international language lab, a state of the art food technology lab, every student gets a netbook computer, championship hockey field (hmmm... wonder who would like that!?) and the list goes on. The only problem is, we can only get in if my son gets into the accelerated learning program, as we don't live in the 'zone.' We have nominated it as our first preference, so if they fill the places with children who live in the area and there are more spots available, we may have a chance to get in from outside the zone, but it's slim.

Our second option is the local high school. The people are lovely, but the facilities are just run down. The drama room is an old classroom with a closet for 'dress ups,' the library is two converted classrooms with a thoroughfare through the middle (not the ideal place for a quiet room to study), the hall seating is about forty years old with the leather sagging through, there are weeds growing through the basketball courts, and the staff seem completely disorganised, nice but disorganised. It's very much an arts based school, so those who love to create, it's perfect for them, but for my studious one, it may not be that great. It was heartbreaking to see that only a few kilometres away, with the same type of demographic within the suburbs, two schools could be so completely different. This is the school we would guarantee to get a place. They have just been given $6 million to do some upgrades, but the upgrades have to go across three different campuses. The first school spent $5 million on their new science and arts technology building. Really? How far did the government think $6 million would go? But even if I did send my son there, how long before the school actually spends the money to make an impact on my son's education?

The good thing about me being a little bit flighty, is that we can always move to the zone and be accepted into the first school if we don't get in any other way. It would make it hard for my little one in his last years of primary school, travelling a few extra kilometres (actually it will be hard on me, as I will be the one driving him there!) as he wants to stay at his current school. But it's a waiting game... we will know for sure by mid August what his fate is for schooling next year. Hopefully it will be great news, but only time will tell.

Being Older Than Your Years...

We have just finished watching the Showdowns on the Australian 'The Voice.' The last singer was an eighteen year old boy, Harrison, who actually is a local boy who went to the local high school here last year. He, his brother and his mother are super close (a little bit like my boys and I). The little brother is so proud of his older brother, and is overwhelmed with tears of pride each time he performs. He's so overwhelmed, because Harrison has had to overcome a stutter all his life. He'd been picked on, lost all his self-esteem and somehow, now he's finished high school, drummed up the courage to audition and perform on 'The Voice.' He has performed three times now - his audition, the battles and now the showdowns, giving the public now a chance to vote him in or out. But Joel Madden, lead singer of Good Charlotte said to him that he's 'older than his years.' He has the maturity of someone so much older than eighteen - he has dignity, he has class, he has presence and he has vulnerabilities.

When asked in the snippets before tonight's performance who he was singing the song for, he said 'it was for all the people who mean so much to him and he misses when he's away from them.' Seal asked him if he was singing it for his Dad? and Harrison said 'no... you can't miss someone who has never been there for you.' I could see my oldest son identifying with him.

You could see that Harrison had played the 'father' role in his little family of three, hence the reason why his little brother looked up to him so much. And I feel that with my sons. My youngest son loves his big brother, loves that he's there to look after him at school or at home. Even though they both like their personal space, they value each other as amazing buddies, team mates and my little helpers. I can see my oldest son is the more responsible one - if I ask for something to be done, he will do it, no questions asked, whereas my youngest son takes a little more persuading, but then sometimes sees his brother getting in the action and wants to be apart of it too.

I told my oldest son that it's actually a good thing being older than your years, because he will be respected more, he'll have a better chance in job interviews because he'll have that higher level of maturity, he has a better understanding of responsibility, but he still gets to be a kid - learning through playing, hanging out with friends and letting go of all the responsibilities he has at home and school because he is still only eleven years old. So many people recognise how amazing my oldest son is and what he's silently accomplished on his own, and somehow, he has an incredible sense of humour, laughing at what would break most kids his age. It's so good that he can see the funny side of things and make a positive out of something that he may initially see, or others would perceive, as a negative.

Sometime in his lifetime, his maturity level will be his age and he won't be 'older than his years.' I hope that mid-life crisis happens when he's 40, when he reverts to his youth with all the boy's toys he needs to have, because (even though he hasn't) he feels like he missed out on having a childhood.

A Trip to the ER

On Friday, I get the dreaded phone call from school... was it something about an excursion that hadn't been paid, did one of my boys do something naughty at school, or is someone sick or hurt? You just never know when you get the phone call... but this time it was the 'hurt' phone call and it was enough 'hurt' to give me a call to take him to the doctor.

When I got to the sick bay, my little man was bright red in the face from all his tears and holding an ice-pack on his wrist. I gave him a big hug and asked him what he had done. Essentially, he had fallen awkwardly on his hand and then his weight added more pressure on his hand/wrist/arm and he heard a 'crunch' which, of course, hurt. He showed me two points that it hurt the most, at his wrist and about 5 centimetres (2 inches) up his hand. He was probably in a little bit of shock and was just miserable. Last time he did an injury to his hand, horrible me didn't take him to the doctor's for 6 weeks after the incident, after the bruising around his knuckle just wasn't fading, and there was a small fracture... so off to the ER department for the 'just in case' X-ray, so we don't make the same mistake.

We arrived at the ER and there were only three groups of people waiting... a lady with her two grandchildren with one of them already with a cast on his leg, an elderly couple with their walking sticks and a middle-aged man in one of those fluro-vests you see tradies wear. We checked into triage and had to wait... wait... wait... as you usually do at the ER. As we waited, the 'school uniforms' arrived... there was a boy with a bloodied nose like he had broken it, there was a boy with a temporary sling on in the most pain you could see on a little boy's face, there was even a boy who was luck enough to get a ride in the ambulance after what looked like a broken arm. The elderly man with his walking stick said 'looks like lunch time is over at school!' We all laughed, as it was like every school in the district had someone representing them in the ER.

I said to my son that, as he's not crippled with pain, he will probably be put down the end of the list, as these more serious injuries get looked after. I did tell him to 'look more injured' than he was actually being so we could get seen to before all the blood and broken bones victims, as I was feeling a little out of place for what wasn't looking like a real injury at all. Luckily, they did see him in the order of how we all arrived. He was seen by the triage nurse, given an ice-pack, then the doctor almost immediately, before we were sent to radiology to get an X-ray, and we didn't really have to wait around then either.

After the X-ray, we were sent back to the waiting room and the boy on the ambulance stretcher was replaced by an elderly lady on a new stretcher wondering if she'd brought her jacket and purse, rather than looking sick or injured, like my prodigal son. The paramedic reassured her that it was all there.

Within minutes of sitting down, the doctor came back and to tell us that his hand isn't broken - no green fractures requiring plastic surgery for today. We were out the door (with a stop via the kiosk) within 1.5 hours of arriving. We love our little ER Department in our street... lots of lovely nurses and doctors and a great community feel.