Sunday 1 July 2012

Hello July

Well, I fell off the Marauders' Map there for a while, didn't I?
Clearly I needed some blogging-free time and I have made full use of it, I assure you.  
We are all well here in my little family and life continues apace. 
Much growing has been done by Frank, much crafting and reading of Harry Potter to Frank by myself and much retiring from his main job and poetry gigging by Mr Muffinmoon (aka Fred Slattern, Colchester's Slum Poet).
We have a ten day trip to Denmark under our belts and spent two days of those at Legoland, much to Frank's delight.
I seems, also, that blogger have been busy whilst I was otherwise engagaed and I am struggling to work out what's going on here today!
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I feel it will be impossible to fill all the gaps of what we have been doing in one blog post and so will concentrate on Denmark today.
We are a family with a camper van.  We have no other motor vehicle.  We walk and cycle or we drive our van around.  
Thus, for us, and considering I feel best when I am not in a tin can way up in the air and also when I can pack as much diabetes-related stuff as I wish, we tend to head for the Netherlands or Denmark or France or Germany or indeed stay home in the lovely UK for our trips.
This year, with a Lego fan in our midst who is turning six in a week's time (yikes!), we felt Denmark and Legoland over there was a good plan.
And, boy, was it fun, once we finally got there.   
And thereby hangs a tale:  waking up on the morning of our planned departure on the 5pm ferry I was getting Frank dressed and saw what looked like lots and lots of insect bites all over his back.  To the docs and the practice nurse confirmed chicken pox!!!   
This actually felt like a huge stroke of LUCK to me.  
Yes, really.
Imagine how it might be being already on the ferry or in Denmark and seeing all these spots break out.  The Danish are great at speaking English but I do not want to be fighting my D-Mama corner to doctors that might not understand me clearly.   We all know we are indeed the experts in our own child's care and that most doctors do not have the knowledge that we do.  
We are the specialists and travelling elsewhere can feel very much out of my confort zone should things go wrong.
Frank felt fine but we had no idea how many  more spots might break out and, more importantly, how having Type 1 diabetes might bring complicaitons for him.  So, we cancelled our place on the ferry, sat tight with the door closed and a skull & crossbones on it and waited it out.  
Frank continued fine.  
No more spots broke out and after a few days had passed we rescheduled and hit the ocean, heading north east to Esbjerg from Harwich.  
It is an 18 hour journey and so everyone has a cabin and we even enjoyed the fabulous buffet of smoked fish and fresh salads.  Yum. 
 And once there we camped for five nights, spent two nights in a pirate-themed room at Legoland, a night in a B&B and then came home much refreshed and, for me at least, needing a break from the strong coffee and smoked fish!
A few pictures for you all.  
A taste of Denmark.

 ~ Frank at the Ribe Viking Centre ~ I asked him to look like a "serious Viking" ~
 ~ smiley boys at Legoland ~
~ the best beach we found on the trip ~
~ the fantastic wooden castle and figures at the Ribe Viking Museum ~
~ and, finally, but best of all, the disabled toilets in the Hotel at Legoland ~ crocodiles in wheelchairs ~

Happy Sunday and happy July to you all.
Much love.

4 comments:

  1. Welcome back! So great to hear your voice. Sounds like a wonderful trip. Happy birthday to Frank! (and hooray that he made it through chicken pox relatively easily). :-)

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  2. What great reasons to not be blogging, sounds like such fun! Our boys would love to be amidst your almost 6 year old Lego lover, but I do have to admit those darn things hurt THE WORST when stepped on in the middle of the night when you least expect it and are up to do a BG check!
    Glad you're back happily home for a bit :) I hope summer has reached you, we're still waiting for a bit more sunshine and are hoping it will arrive soon!

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  3. Welcome back - I'm really pleased that the trip worked out for you and that Frank's chicken pox didn't spoil his fun xx

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  4. how fantastic to see your name pop up, hello!

    i hope frank is enjoying harry potter, what a wonderful age. and my goodness, it sounds like your holiday got off to a rocky start but you handled it with aplomb! camping and legoland and vikings, oh my!

    so glad to hear your voice and see your pics! :D

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