Too Little Time and a Sore Shoulder

Did I tell you the one about the house with no heating fuel? They froze though the winter and had no hot water until one day the Tax Credit Fairy repaid them the more than two grand that they owed them. Unfortunately by the time they coughed up the cash, the heating pipes had burst and silt had clogged up the tank. It cost the poor little homeowner nearly that much to get the heating working again. Still, it's nice to be able to have a hot bath once in a while.

I'm back at work again and it's actually going quite well. I kind of like it, though I'm loathe to admit that anything to do with teaching could be anything other than totally stressful. I have even stayed late a couple of times voluntarily!

My kids are also settlingy into their new classes. Saskia and Eartha are in the same group at last, getting the same lessons, although not allowed to sit next to each other. Donny and Mel have a teacher, whom they describe as strict, though I suspect she's not that scary really.

Mel has a self-esteem problem. He takes everything anyone says to him to heart. He's very low at times and really doesn't like to go to school. I don't know what to do with him. Both he and Donny are getting hormones all over the place too. Eeew! Smelly and moody!

I got Donny a new second-hand bike. Her old one fell apart in many interesting ways about two years ago. The new one is a total hit now though. The kids have spent the past week cycling up and down and round and round. I got a couple of freebie bikes off the internet and did them up, so the smaller ones have some bikes that fit them too.

Some time ago, I pulled my shoulder, possibly at Go Ape (in May). It wasn't really a problem, but it didn't go away either. At the start of September I went to the chiropracter, who did his thing and leant his entire weight on it. The pain was excrutiating and thereafter I have had trouble moving it. It is weak and even turning the steering wheel or changing gear is a problem. I thought it was going to sieze up altogether and become a frozen shoulder. I had one before, when the big twins were babies. It was a major problem because I couldn't do anything, like wash my own hair or get dressed, so I desperately don't want another one.

It did start to get a bit better, after a couple of weeks, but then I did some fabulous climbing (4+, superb ascent of the grey holds on Wall 12) and the morning after it was like a lead lump attached to my upper torso. I think I need to rest it again. :o( I'm clearly going to have to be very careful with it from now on.