Adventures

So thankful for sock cat!

It's been an exhausting couple of days, for both me and Felix. I made a spur of the moment decision to do a trip to the city, on Tuesday, with Felix. My plan was to do a bit of shopping and catch up with some of our older kids, and get to the final Early Intervention at Down Syndrome SA, to say goodbye to the coordinator who is leaving. The trip usually takes 4 hours each way, so I'd planned to set out early on Tuesday morning, stay overnight and drive home on Wednesday.

I didn't sleep well on Monday night. My stomach didn't feel good, but I put it down to something I ate for dinner the night before. I woke up already tired, but determined to get away early for our long drive. The car was packed, and Felix and I left town at 7am. Fifteen minutes out of town, one of my brand new tyres went flat and I quickly pulled off the highway and called the RAA for help. They took an hour to arrive, changed my tyre and I drove back in to town to the place that had put on my new tyre. They were puzzled as to what had happened because there was no puncture, so they replaced it for free and I left for my second attempt at driving to the city. All this time, Felix had happily sat and played with his sock cat, and watched his Play School DVD in the car (such a great invention!)

Yummy sock tail

At 9.30am, I made my second attempt at starting our 4 hour journey. An hour and a half into our trip, the tyre on the opposite side of the car went flat. This time, we were literally in the middle of nowhere. I phoned the RAA a second time and waited....and waited....and waited. It ended up, they had driven in the opposite direction to what I had told them, so they couldn't find me. After an hour and a half, my patience was disappearing fast. Thankfully, a farmer who was out in a paddock, saw Felix and I standing on the side of the road and came to our rescue. He was so lovely and changed the tyre quickly and we were on our way again.  This time, I had to drive another 80km to another tyre place to get the second one replaced; there was no puncture in that one either!! They took off all my tyres and checked them, then sent us on our way. We finally made it to the city at 5pm.... 10 hours after we had started. Soon after we arrived (at Joel and Bekah's house), I started vomiting. Aaaaaaagh!!! What a day!!

Now for the good news...

Noah learning to walk

There is a huge, long, freight train which travels along the highway which has so many carriages, they would be difficult to count. When Felix and I were stuck on the side of the road, I could see it coming in the distance. I pointed it out to Felix and he started signing 'train'. He was so excited to see it up close and his eyes didn't leave it. When the engine got near us, the driver waved and tooted the horn for Felix. It was pretty awesome! Felix thought it was great and it certainly broke up the monotony of being stuck with a broken down car. The train driver will never know how much I appreciated it. There is only so much you can do to entertain a two year old on the side of a highway!

I know I affectionately call Felix's favourite stuffed animal, the 'ugly' sock cat, but I will be much nicer to it from now on. That sock cat kept Felix from complete boredom during our ridiculously long day. He played with it, making it jump and dance. He sat it on his head and turned it upside down. He chewed it and sucked on its' tail. The cutest thing, by far, was when he put it over his shoulder and said, "Ahhhh" while he patted it on the back. I can't believe how long it kept his attention. So a huge thank you to sock cat (and to Amy for her choice of gift for her little brother).

Feeling extra cuddly, a bit warm and his
tongue is sticking out... usually signs
that he's starting to get sick :(

Spending time with Bekah, Joel and Mel, and, of course, little Noah, was the highlight of our trip (and a very brief hello to Daniel and Cate). I was feeling lousy, but they made sure I had a comfy bed ready and a yummy home cooked meal.  Little Noah showed off, taking some of his first steps by himself, over and over again. Such a clever boy. He and Felix played really well together, sharing toys and giving each other kisses. Felix was so thankful to be out of the car and enjoyed having his nephew to play with. He was such a trooper all day, never complaining and not crying once throughout the whole trip. He really is precious.

We got home with all four tyres intact, last night. Felix was so tired, he just wanted to go to bed, as did I. He slept well, but has been a little bit unhappy today. I'm hoping it's just because he's worn out from the trip and he's not getting sick again. Poor little man kept tripping over things and bumped his head a couple of times, which is very unusual for him. He has been extra snuggly and felt a little bit warm before he went to bed. Hopefully another good sleep will help him feel better.