Toothache

Why is it that I only ever seem to get toothache after I've been to the dentist?

I had a tooth taken out last week. My jaw ached a bit afterwards but that tooth hasn't hurt at all (well, obviously, because it was taken out, but you know what I mean...). It's the tooth next to it that's the problem now. The dentist chiseled that one down a bit and made a crown for it which included a false tooth to fill the gap. For a few days it was fine, but then it started to ache.

I went back yesterday and the dentist took off the crown and poked around a bit. It hurt so much I cried. I don't mean my eyes watered a bit, I really cried; there were tears rolling down my cheeks. Honestly, that was worse than childbirth. It seems that now that the tooth has been filed down, the nerve is close to being exposed... He proposes removing the nerve (is that what they call a root canal?) and would have done it there and then yesterday but I had to go and pick up K. So I have that to look forward to on Friday morning.

Now that the temporary crown is back on it's not too bad, but it still aches. So now I'm having a cup of tea, waiting for the painkillers to kick in and preparing for another afternoon of Doing The Minimum.

(Apologies for the lack of photos lately. But really, do you want a picture of me with toothache? For that matter, do you even want to read about it??)

Did you miss me?

Just as I was regaining a bit of enthusiasm for doing things, I got knocked out by a stomach bug... It hit in the early hours of Sunday morning; unfortunately, the day I was supposed to be doing 120+ 'interview tests', in a city a 2 hour train-ride away. This led to me frantically phoning round at 7am (not surprisingly, not many people were answering) trying to find a) the mobile number of the woman I was supposed to be working with and b) someone who could take my place. I felt really bad about letting them down (as well as just really bad) and I'm not sure if I felt more or less sympathy for them when they called me at 10am to say they still hadn't found anyone and was I feeling better enough to just come for the afternoon?

In the end I spent all day Sunday in bed, and on Monday went to the doctor for a 2 hour drip to try to make up for everything I hadn't eaten. H joined me at the doctors since by then he'd got it too. Tuesday and Wednesday passed in a state of Doing The Absolute Minimum, and today I almost feel back to normal.

And what about K? Well it seems he had it first and we barely noticed. Last Thursday when H's mum was looking after him he was sick after breakfast. He didn't eat his lunch but he carried on playing and running around as usual and by the time I came home I wouldn't have known anything had happened. Once again he turns out to be the toughest and healthiest member of the monkey household :-)

One silver lining to all this is that I got the chance to watch some of the DVDs I had for Christmas; all of the BBC's Jane Eyre, the first few episodes of Mistresses and, possibly best of all, The Best of The Two Ronnies. Classic stuff...

Don't try this at home!

Seeing as I'll be working all day tomorrow and Sunday and therefore missing yoga this week, I thought I'd do some yoga at home this afternoon. Don't the parenting books always say that your little one will love to watch you work out and will probably join in, making a wonderful parent-child activity?

Well, I think I've invented a new, more challenging style of yoga - Toddler Yoga. It entails doing your usual yoga routine while accompanied by a small child who wants to get involved. Not simply by copying you of course, but by becoming part of the actual pose. Today's examples include Tree Pose With Toddler Climbing Your Supporting Leg (great for balance!), and Lying On Your Back Pulling Your Knee To Your Chest With Toddler Standing on Your Chest Stretch (I think that one needs a snappier name if it's really going to take off...).

Today's yoga was cut short when K invented his own new pose, Toppling Rocking Horse, but not before I attempted a little savasana (the corpse pose, lying on your back in relaxation). At first, K used my prone body as a table for his toys, but then he toddled off and came back with a blanket. He then lay down on top of me and covered us both up with the blanket. Relaxing? Not really. Super sweet? Oh yes.

Motivation

...or the lack of.

Yesterday was Tuesday, which means that K was at day-care from 9 to 5. The only commitments I had were one class, a dentist appointment and a bit of lesson planning. So, what did I do with the rest of that valuable day? Update my shop? Sort out photos? Tackle the awful junk-heap known as the utility room? Start some new sewing projects?

Or did I fritter it all away reading other peoples' blog archives?

You decide...

Today is not much better. Once I get into this 'can't be bothered' mood, it's hard to get out of it... K and I have been at home all day since it's bitterly cold and somewhat snowy, and there's nowhere we have to go. He is now upstairs 'resting' (not actually asleep I think). The only productive thing I have done so far is a bit of shop tweaking, including the introduction of a discount for orders of 4 fat quarters or more. Why not check it out?

And now I'll go and do something useful. Or I might just spend some time fretting about how much it'll snow tonight and whether I'll be able to drive to work tomorrow...

Oh, and next week at the dentist I have to have a tooth out. Fantastic.

New Year Resolutions

Did you make any? Are you sticking to them? I don't usually make resolutions as such, but I do like to look back and take stock of the previous year and make a few goals or intentions for the year ahead.

2009 was the year I started this blog, and my Etsy shop. We didn't get to travel really, but we did have a visit from my parents and we all went to Himeji for a few days together. I went back to teaching part-time at the university in April, and I set up a new class at the local community centre in October. Of course it was also a year of big changes for K, who went from being a little baby to a very active toddler. And it was also the year that a very good friend of mine fought cancer. I look forward to seeing her, healthy and strong, again soon.

For 2010 I don't have any of the usual, negative, resolutions. Instead my resolves are more positive and are all focused on making the most of life:

• Go out with H (without K!) once a month, for a meal and a film or something like that. I can count on one hand the number of times we have done this in the almost 2 years since K was born, and it's just not enough.
• Spend one After-K-Has-Gone-To-Bed evening a week with H doing something fun. We tend to spend that time in front of the TV or on the computer or doing our own separate things. I think we can manage one screen-free night a week!
• Spend more money. I bet that one surprised you! Of course, my goal is not really to just spend. It's more about allowing myself to spend a little more on enjoyable things and treats without feeling guilty. Even though I'm earning more than I was a year ago (though not as much as 2 years ago), I still feel bad if I 'waste' money on myself. But I am putting money into savings each month and I can afford some pocket money. While it may be true that if you look after the pennies the pounds will look after themselves, and that money can't buy happiness, the occasional treat makes a big difference between just existing and really living. After all, what is money for if not for spending now and then, and why am I juggling work and childcare if I can't get a little reward occasionally (justify, justify)? And you know I'm hardly going to be splashing out on designer bags and expensive jewellry...

My other general intention is, well, be more like Mary Beth :-) Her beautiful blog, Salt and Chocolate, is a real inspiration to me. She makes the effort to celebrate the little things in life and is so mindful of the seasons and the changes in the world around her. Mary Beth takes (makes?) time to cook and bake and really spend time with her family, but never in an unobtainable, super-woman kind of way. She keeps thing simple, low-key and realistic. If I could just make a few steps in her direction...

While I'm mentioning other people and their websites, have a look at Gretchen's Happiness Project. It's full of useful ideas and practical tips on how to increase the happiness in your life, without being touchy-feely :-) It's another site which has been inspiring to me and has helped to shape my goals for this year. There's also some great advice on keeping your New Year Resolutions! Good luck...