breathless, doctor's orders 'n' finding the breeze

I do believe it is that time of year when kids 'n' parents (especially mums) get really quite tired.

Kids because there's end of the year stuff at school to do and get excited about.

While we mums are a) stressing, b) getting excited ourselves (if the truth be known) and c) trying to remain calm and in control of the whole end of year and summer holiday situation :-)

Yep, that's about right....
getting everyone's stuff ready for the hols
...liquid medication in a wine glass is a good alternative :-)

Around 3 weeks ago I started with a sore throat which gradually turned into a cough and full blown cold (one evening I swear my head was going to explode).

The cold cleared up and I started to feel better (although did have to miss my SPCA shift).  The following week I'm on the MRT, start coughing and low and behold I have an asthma attack (not had one for 7 years!)  Course I panic and decide to go to the doctor, get a Ventolin inhaler and told I most likely have mycoplasma ...   Come out of the doctor with antibiotics and smiling thinking I would rid myself of this germ.

A week later, antibiotics finished and I don't feel ill but so exhausted I wanted to cry :-(  Imagine, the kids are home at 3.30pm and I'm just wanting to close my eyes.  Queue Mr Man coming home from work and I'm off to bed (sleep before 9pm for me!)

I was convinced it was just me and (dare I say it) I felt I was getting old...shock, horror!!  Anyways, after talking to a couple of other mums around my area it seems it's not just me and is a rather common thing that has to be suffered prior to the BIG RELAX during the summer hols/vacation.

I did visit the doctor again this week and came out with another weeks worth of antibiotics and she told me I needed to rest and fight of the germ before I would feel better and the exhaustion is normal it's my body telling me to rest.

So, with the mixture of my germ infested body and the holiday preps this tiredness wasn't helping me 'get well soon'...I need to rest like the doctor ordered.  Hence the blogging has begun again...the sitting quietly and typing until my heart is content is rather therapeutic :-)

Taking 40 winks with Mr Dog as my companion...

thnx Mr Man for snapping while I sleep! :-)

Resting is all well and good but when the temperature is over 30 degrees (mostly 34-36 degrees) even resting gets pretty darn hot.  So, to kill two birds with one stone and all that (exercise to get up the endorphins, and give energy, give Mr Dog his daily exercise and search out some 'air')  I've took to walking the extra km with Mr Dog and finding ourselves where the Marina Bay Reservoir meets the sea (The Marina Barrage).  Yes, finally we find the sea breeze and enjoy a moment of hair blowing and breathing in the sea air (I'm a true believer that sea air is good for the health)

Finally, I'm feeling on the mend and although still rather tired I am getting my energy levels back (although falling to sleep during my facial today was rather embarrassing :-Oooops!!)  Finish up this course of antibiotics and I shall be 100% back to normal (as normal as can be hoped anyways :-))

*the air quality does seem particularly bad right now...I see haze resting over the city and there's also a strong smell of smoke/fire in the air.  Playing havoc with my asthma, tight chest and rather sore eyes too :-(  Not a great day to be outdoors.  I know Shanghai and Beijing have it so much worse and I totally feel for those who live out there.

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx :-)



*kill two birds with one stone - no, I'm not literally tossing stones around to knock out poor birds...to kill two birds with one stone is actually a way of saying do two things at the same time with only the effort needed to do just one of those things.  I'm sure most people know that anyways :-)

The great British summer...

When I organised my 'summer' vacation I intended having just 3 weeks in the UK but when I started planning I realised I 'simply' would not fit everyone in.  So, a little change and an added week was 'simply' necessary! :-) It's a good job that I did...the time whizzes by and there really is never enough hours in the days.

My schedule has been planned, re-planned and all in all BUSY but FUN, FUN, FUN :-)

It's been an eventful 4 weeks...driving, shopping, Geocaching, buying apartment, furnishing apartment, hair appointment, meals out, drinks out, family, friends and all in all a 'right lot' of fabulous fun :-)

Bolton Abbey Station, Jerry & Ben's Holiday Cottages,

floods in the North Yorkshire roads x 2, Bizzie Lizzies Fish & Chips x 2,

Bienvenue to Yorkshire ;-) Bolton Abbey windows

just a few of my best bits xx ;-)
...

Girlie night in Skipton, Craven Arms in Appletreewick, Geocaching in Skipton,

Waterfall in the forest in Malham, Cliffton Park in Rotherham x 2,

my window ledge in Skipton, Skipton canal (view from Aagrah),

Malham Harry Potter style ;-)

So, on Sunday I said goodbye to my beautiful Yorkshire and 20 hours later I was saying good evening on Monday as I got back to Singapore with my boys...well, to say we were sad to leave is a major understatement! Though, it goes (almost) without saying that we were 'proper' excited and happy to see Mr Man/Daddy and Mr Dog xx

I hate goodbyes...one of those things I never, ever get used to! Always loads of tears :-( it really never gets any easier! It's kind of like 'pay back' for having such a fun time.

***

Sometimes you have to just hold your head up high,

blink away the tears and say,

Goodbye xx ;-)

***

We'll be having visitors to us but when will we be back in the UK?... Maybe Easter, maybe summer but which ever more than 6 months away...

Still, I'm actually ready to leave this cold, damp and often depressing grey weather of Yorkshire. The tropical-ness of Singapore is my preferred climate ;-)

Heck, I'm feeling quite emotional :-/ but as my blog description says..."good days, bad days, happy days 'n' sad days but hey, always smiley days".

For everyone finishing off their fabulous fun times visiting 'home' and are on their way back to their 'other life'...."don't be sad, spread your wings and fly" :-) xxx

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx ;-)

I want to add...

...that Britain experienced it's most wet summer since records began!

...and the Goodbye poem was found on Google Images it so made me cry that I 'simply' had to use it.