Lead up to the holidays

Today the kids break from school for the Chinese New Year. YAY, for the next 11 days, I don't have to get up at 6am.

Not that I've been minding really, even though I do whinge about it. Now instead of coming back home to sleep, I meet up with my mother-in-law and we go for a 40 minute walk. It's good. Sometimes we go to the morning market afterward where we can buy pork, fish and vegies that are fresher than the supermarkets. So it works in all ways.

My son has been having problems with his teeth again. A cavity in his milk molars has gone deep enough to cause him a great amount of pain that no amount of cuddling can stop. The dentist performed a 'pulpectomy' - sounds hideous doesn't it? No, not pleasant. They drilled out part of the tooth pulp and filled it. This, I think, is a pre-cursor to a baby root canal which was actually recommended by the dentist back home. I was told though that no dentist would want to do it because it's a milk tooth. I was hoping they'd just extract the tooth altogether but they didn't want that either, because the tooth holds the space for the permanent tooth later. Anyway, about 40 minutes in the dentist chair, a bit of screaming and crying and a good dose of Panadol later and he was back to normal and off to school. Ex quietly noted "our son's a woos isn't he?" No, I said, he's not actually. He has a higher tolerance for pain than his sister. If he's crying because of pain, you can be sure it really hurts. He was so brave. It shows me that he doesn't know our son that well. Not as I know him anyway. I was brave too - it's hard to put your kids through something you know is going to be so painful and I didn't cry - almost, but didn't. So we got through that today.

Ex is doing well. He's working more and going to visit potential customers who will be listed on the site and getting positive responses. I hope it goes well for him. He's more relaxed, happier and more motivated, both in his office and around the house, than I've seen him in a very long time. He's painted the front fence this past week and is taking care of the garden - I've never seen him do that - and getting pleasure from the little things in life. He's learning life's lessons, I guess, just like I have. He's telling me things about life that I have already discovered ie be grateful for the little things, look around you and appreciate what you've got, don't compare us to other people etc. It's good to see him coming along in this way. I whinge about him alot, but I do want him to be happy - if only for the fact that he is my children's father and I want them to have a happy father. But I've also known him for a long time and know how miserable he has been and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. With his new outlook comes more energy, tolerance and pleasure for him and the kids. I can see him trying and succeeding, rather than just sitting there telling other people how things should be done, how life should be approached. I can see action from him, rather than just words. It's good and I'm happy for him.

Be grateful for the little things.

Cheers.