Entering 2012 with an air of uncertainty

I'm hoping everyone here had a great Christmas and enjoyed every moment even if there was a distinct lack of snow.  *sad face* I had so counted on waking up to some glorious snow on Christmas morning.

For us the lead up to Christmas and the day itself was a bit uncertain due to one of our children having a fit a few days before. Now this isn't the first time she has had a fit (she has had one previous one) but it was the first ever fit i had witnessed, made even worse because it was my own child. Now any decent parent will certainly agree that you do anything possible to protect your child and the feeling i had of being helpless and useless all at once is hard to deal with. There is a fairly big chance that this will be a long term thing but i have been told i need to await the next fit till she can be medicated. I feel like we spent christmas waiting for the next fit, making sure she isn't stood too long, making sure she isn't stood on hard ground for a long period of time, glancing at her way too often to make sure she looks ok. Just generally being overprotective and probably if i use her words "annoying"  I have relaxed a little bit, read the sheet i was given at the hospital and will try and not panic when/if it should happen again but really..does a parent with a child who experiences regular seizures ever feel relaxed?

So here we are entering 2012 with an air of uncertainty.

Christmas Giveaway Winner

A big sorry for the delay in announcing the winner. It's been one of *those* days.

The winner whose name was selected with the help of my oldest daughter out of a cowboy type silver hat. (It's always good to know the details!) is...... QG

If you could please contact me via my email pickingoranges(@)gmail.com i will get your prize sent asap direct from Amazon. Please remove the ( ) bracket signs before emailing.

Keeps your eyes peeled for a new giveaway in the new year.

If you could give me some idea of what would be appealing to win that would be great! 

Slow down December & is there a doctor in the house?

I officially hate December. No really i do..it does seem to zoom past. I haven't purchased Christmas presents let alone any Christmas food. I don't have Joy in my heart and i just don't feel the Christmas spirit, though the thought of a neat Vodka or two did try and tempt me last night but i was strong and didn't give in.

I suppose it doesn't help that my mind has been preoccupied a bit this month. I have raynaud's phenomenon, nothing special about that as loads do but the past few months i have had something which i presumed at first was related yet seems to even baffle my doctor and rheumatologist.

I have red/purple marks that come up on my palms, and sometimes fluid like lumps under those marks. When the lumps come up my skin itches for several minutes till the lump has fully come up then the itching eases off to a stop.  The past couple of weeks i have also had what seems like a fluid lump come up on the inside of my arm, half way between my wrist and my elbow. I know i shouldn't google (though my doctor does!) the only thing i could find that looked visually similar to my marks on my hands were Janeway lesions, though i also considered it may be an allergy but the doctor didn't seem convinced on the allergy suggestion. Anyway i suppose i'm posting in the hope someone comes across this blog before my next hospital appointment and can give me some idea what it is. It's really frustrating not knowing and whatever it is leaves me with very painful hands afterwards, a bit like how it feels when you have a bruise. It has had a good effect on my raynaud's though as rather than freezing cold hands they are quite hot lately.

I also want to let everyone know that i haven't forgotten about the giveaway and it will be drawn early tomorrow afternoon. Good luck to all those who have entered x
Oh and sorry for the rather rubbish photograph but look..i'm trying to get in the festive mood!

Debenhams sorted it.

Argh i really must learn to update quicker. Debenhams did credit my card back the amount it was owed and i was issued with a 15% discount code as a gesture of goodwill. Though i hate it when they put that, as quite frankly it's their screw up and they make it sound like they did me a massive favour. *rolls eyes*

Anyway my items i reordered have arrived in good time and i'm happy with everything so i thought it best to update and let you all know. I still won't be in a rush to online shop with them but will still no doubt enjoy shopping instore. Hurry up Christmas sales!

Christmas Shopping - Bah Humbug.

Another one pops in my email inbox. Taunting me yet again as if to say "You still won't be ready when the time comes"  Yes..Christmas emails.  Get 20% off if you purchase tonight, it would make a great Christmas gift. Yeah right...or "Buy now while stocks last, It's just what your loved one will want this Christmas.

Let's just ignore the fact that we all know that by December 23rd everything gift wise will be half the price it is now.

Now vouchers..Such an easy option that always seem fairly appreciated and it means your loved ones can buy what they want after Christmas when everything is on sale, but with that comes a lack of thought, nothing to really hold and admire on christmas day and the knowledge of whoever gets the vouchers will have to deal with hoards of *sweaty & over stuffed on turkey* boxing day people who are desperately trying to grab that last cr*ppy tube of fake snow and those much wanted reindeer socks that are only really suitable for the Christmas week. Maybe they are too drunk from Christmas booze to realize that it doesn't make much sense or even worse they are just one of those awful people who happen to have Christmas for the next year all sorted by the end of January. These are totally awful people who make me look completely useless. Grrrr

Yes you have guessed it i really hate Christmas..well no that's a lie. I actually love Christmas. I just hate the hours of shopping for the perfect gift. The expense of it all. The ramming Christmas down my throat in September. The unrealistic expectations of children who still like to hold on to the idea of "Santa" yet old enough to know that the jolly fat man gets rather a  lot of help from tired parents who haven't yet managed to win the lottery.

BAH HUMBUG.