LIFE AS IT IS - This week in... January 2015

Quelle surprise, my Editor has asked me to put together a feature on peanut allergy. I said I'd rather do one on common courtesy & the freedom of speech v respect, but it's clearly been superseded by my daughter and her stunning reaction to nuts.

Yes, New Years Eve - of all eve's, she swelled up with lips the likes that women might pay money for, came to tell me they felt odd and... what did I do? In a true LIFE AS IT IS parenting moment, as a woman for the umpteenth time that week being poked by her child while on the phone, I told her to wait. She then passed her father, who making a fire, echoed the sentiment.

Fortunately, I was not on the phone for more than a minute longer, and fortunately, I had anti-histamine in the cupboard, and fortunately, I had not had a drink already, and fortunately, I'm so used to A+E dashes, I was able to remain calm and focused.

So there I am, this time with Esme, who by now is coughing, telling me her throat feels funny, and is blistering all over her body like a plank of painted clapboard left in the sunshine for summer's on end. I can't say more than that at this point as I have to write a feature on the subject. Weirdly, she loved it. I did not.

This was also the week the beautiful Christmas holidays came to an end and work resumed, and some sort of normality kicked in (if a little reluctantly). Fia returned to nursery. Playing football was a new part of her curriculum, which naturally she embraced. 

Esme was more than happy to return to a school she loves, albeit with intermittent news flashes to goodness knows who of "I'm not allowed to eat nuts anymore!" I already knew that school was a nut free zone, and although it is, apparently Esme will now be given a yellow plate at lunch time. Her immediate thoughts on this are: "At least it's not green. Because that's snot." Obviously. Her secondary thoughts on this are: "The reason I have to now eat off a yellow plate, is because those are the plates that aren't made from nuts." Gorgeous eh?!

Simon returned to work and a job he enjoys and is brilliant at. I am so proud of him and all he accomplishes every day at the airport. That man is my world.

I returned to work and amidst a script and research for a feature, I wrote a review for my little blog. Yes, this little blog... a place that has opened up a wealth of positivity for me and mine. And a place that hopes to represent a fair life as it is, offering due respect yet adhering to the rules of freedom of speech.

Of which, sadly this week in January 2015... is a tragic start to the year for all, for the freedom of speech has been knocked completely sideways, as a group of satirical journos and innocent others were brutally murdered by a bunch of insane fanatics. 

I cannot understand the hapless and hopeless world some barely love in and many just about live in. We are all the same. No one is better than anyone else. Everyone deserves respect, a home, love, food, health, peace. No matter what their status, faith, culture, colour, politics or agenda. It is 2015 FFS.