Bear is tested

Apparently some of the kids in his class, including him, are doing some tests early.  This is a bit vague.  The reason it is a bit vague is because that's about all the information I have.  According to bear there had been tests.  According to the absolutely lovely teaching assistant it was to do with around the top third doing some tests early, and bear was fine.  Bear was very blase about the whole thing.  I hope it lasts.

On the other hand uncle has not been assessed because a panel thought he didn't need residential care.  All the healthcare professionals at the health care meeting thought he needed residential care so this came as a bit of a surprise to me.  It also seems the the funding would be capped at a lot lower rate than Leeds.  It looks like he will have to stay in Wrexham, at least until I can find well paid work.  Then bear will suffer as his mother won't be at home for him if he is poorly or hurt.  I feel a bit desperate.

Day Continues Odd

I just had a call to say that the delivery driver had just handed a parcel to my mother.  She passed away in 2003.  I was a bit stumped.  It was actually a delivery to a friend whose mother was able to take in the package. 

And I posted on a forum without thinking about the local funeral parlour having MacMillan Cancer Care coffee mornings and chatting to them if they were on a cigarette break.  I didn't realise how deeply ironic this was until it was pointed out.

I think I will sit quietly for a while until my Morrisons delivery comes.  The delivery charge was £1, the savings were sensible, last time the quality was exceptional and I have had an email and a txt telling me the name of the driver and that there were no substitutions.   

I think I love Morrisons.

Determined to be cheerful

I'm not doing a very good job of being cheerful at the moment.  To be honest, a full day yesterday trying to track everything down was a bit grim.  So today I am going to try and keep focusing on the positive.

One positive that I am very grateful for is our warm house.  We have the heating on a thermostat and a timer, so that the heating is on only when the temperature on the landing goes below 19C and at certain times of the day when the whole house is being used, like first thing in the morning and early evening.  The rest of the time we just heat a room.  Sometimes I don't need to do that, even in winter, if it is sunny.  That is the advantage of a south facing, back to back terrace with double glazing.  The house warms up quickly and cools down slowly.  If you add in the effect of the Lakeland heated airer, we do pretty well.

This meant that when I got up with bear at 2am this morning the landing was a comfortable 18.5C and I could give him cuddles without shivering.

I have also noticed some holes near me.  I am a bit concerned as there is a lot about sink holes in the news and these are only a few yards from my home.  They are tiny, but they are new.

 Sorry about the weird layout, I may have to fiddle with the settings again.

They are honestly very small, but also very new.  I shall keep an eye out.  

Frustrating Day

I started ringing who I needed to at 9.30am and I got the last call back at 3.05pm as I was heading out of the door to pick up bear.

I don't feel I got much further forward, except I have the name of someone who explicitly stated that they would refuse to fund uncle outside their authority.  They're not supposed to do that. Also the main people we need to speak to are off for the next two weeks.  I was missing evil cat by the end because her swear word vocabulary would have been very useful.  To be fair, once I got through to the right people they were lovely.  The hospital switchboard put me through to their hospice twice.  It didn't help.  They asked me a lot of things in Welsh, and it put me at a disadvantage.

Also uncle told me that he wanted a flat with a garden.  My instinctive reaction was unprintable.  They have pushed him according to a number of different notes to go to sheltered housing.  He couldn't cope with sheltered housing.  The discharge meeting was clear he needed residential.  From what I have heard it has not stopped them describing the new build sheltered flats in glowing terms to uncle.  Of course, with it being uncle it could all be a figment of his imagination.  Or he could enjoy my consternation.

All things considered, I am very grateful that father bought me so much Cointreau.  He is not well.  Bear is also under the weather.  I may add some Cointreau to the next order.  

Just....no!

I was talking about my conversation with uncle on the phone with my brother.  I was trying to work out where uncle was mentally as he is an Olympic standard wind up merchant but he has also been completely confused.  

"He was on about a little brother for bear." I told my brother wearily.  "He was quite insistent."

Bear was in the room and turned around with a pleased and expectant expression.  I told him firmly, "No!"

I am getting close to fifty, there are going to be no siblings.  Bear will have to make do with a puppy.  

Pottering on

Bear was the prow in Noah's Ark in the Sunday School play.  It was fun, chaotic, and DH was at his acerbic best with the sotto voce comments.  The organ plays pre-recorded music and the selection for the play and hymns was more random than normal, no-one cued their lines properly and the kids were wonderful

Bear is having a bad time with his cough.  I am a bit worried, to be honest, although he seems to be getting better.  He is just under the weather.  I daren't keep him off school and on consideration I am not sure that the three days at martial arts was a good idea.  Bear loved it, however, so I suppose that is something.

Still chasing round about uncle.  I managed to get to speak to him on the phone this afternoon and he sounded about ten years older than when I spoke to him last week.  He wasn't really with it and doing his best to be annoying to get a reaction.  It isn't a good combination.  When he is away with the fairies and being annoying I am tempted to tell the fairies to keep him.

Bear is happy

Bear has saved up his pocket money, with a little help from father, and has finally got the pennies together to get the gun he has wanted for ages - at least three months anyway.  It is the Nerf Deploy (details here if you are interested) and it is apparently amazing.

It has taken his mind off the terrible injustice that he is suffering.  We have refused to buy him the Lego Movie Video game.  This is quite deliberate on our part, as DH and I both are well aware that waiting even a few months will bring the price down significantly and I am not sure that bear will actually play it.  As an over indulgent parent I could live with buying a game that he wouldn't play if it was significantly reduced.  However I couldn't live with paying £25 plus for something that will just be an icon on his desktop.

I am taking bear to a rehearsal later tonight.  He is in a play in church, apparently banging drums.  I will carry the chairs around, probably just one at a time but it will at least be exercise.

They have refused to review uncle's funding because he would be moving from Wales to England.  They haven't even referred him to the unit that checks he gets all his benefit entitlements.  Because he gets quite a good pension he wouldn't need a large top up, but they are not even considering it.  My brother is calling Age Concern on Monday to try and find out if we can challenge it, and I will be checking with the home that we found here and the local social workers.  So I am happy to listen to bear's monologues and demonstrations because then I am not worrying.  Next week I will have to start looking for work that will not only cover childcare but also give some wiggle room to help with uncle's care fees.  There is still the bright side.  It will be very healthy to get out and about.