“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”

WannabeFree

There will be days we'll be pretty hooked up in the room most of the day and others where she'll be free to go for a wander.

Meal plan is roughly done

Breakfast- porridge (mainly soaked overnight, done in the microwave made more appealing with jam or even sugar it's a good bribe)

Lunches - pack lunches all round. I tried and failed to convince them school dinners would be helpful. I think it's a battle I won't win. They'd rather starve which just makes them eat more when they're home. Sandwiches of some variety, a snack, a yogurt - fruit when it's in supply/raisins when it's not.

Dinners.
Sausage casserole
Cottage pie
Chilli
Lasagne
Bolognaise
Curry
Soup

The above will be cooked at the weekend and frozen in portions. Enough for the 28 days. Odd days will be jacket potato or pasta to fill the gaps. Not so repetitive it's boring but simple enough to get it all sorted in advance.

Snacks will be whatever I can get baked at the weekend. Then unfortunately it will probably be shop bought custard creams and digestives nearing the end of the month. Still they'll be enjoyed.

List created of things needed to complete the shop for the month. £10 set aside for emergencies (wondering if a flask is considered an emergency to carry coffee back and forth every day :cool: rather than the 3 paper cup coffees it would buy and be gone at the first sign of a set back - Probably not)

Honeysucklelou2

Those metal double skinned drinks containers are useful at keeping drinks hot. The one I have will hold about a pint of liquid. An lighter alternative to a flask possibly? My DS found a large flask for £2.40 ( yellow sticker) at Mr T's recently, so can be found for low cost.

You sound very organised for the coming weeks. I hope all goes well medically.

Cherryfudge

I find flasks are heavy to carry but possible. If you could find a source of hot water at the hospital you could bring your own coffee, but I'm not sure where you could go for that. The canteen might help?

You are super-organised, well done. Hope all goes to plan and you don't have too many weekend train fares to find. x

jwil

All sounding very organised. All the best for the next 4 weeks.

If a flask is going to save you money and make things easier, then it's worth it. If it's just adding another thing that you need to remember, and carry and will wind up being more work, then I wouldn't bother for now.

WannabeFree

Evening

I didn't get a flask. It's really not a need more if a want. I can take water/squash in a bottle and refill it from the water dispensers there. I'd rather keep the last of the pennies for the unexpected. No matter how much I plan I'm sure there's going to be days that aren't as smooth as I'd hope. Plus the older two still have no confirmed plans for the weekends so that's making me slightly anxious.

We went to the supermarket and stuck exactly to the list. Worried my smalls think I'm the grinch :rotfl:

The weekend will be spent getting everything organised to make the next few weeks easier. I have put some little activities youngest got from Santa in a bag along with cards/a story and some craft/drawing bits. I think I'll make a few different sets so I can swap them around to make keeping her entertained easier. In fact I might do that now before I forget.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend x

Daisy78

The activity bags sound like a great idea. Hope you all have a lovely weekend together x

PositiveBalance

Gosh, Wannabe - you are spectacularly organised! Well done! B:T

WannabeFree

Afternoon

Smalls are eating pancakes so taking 10 minutes to myself. The ovens full and over half way into making the months meals. Will be all done by this evening then we can spend tomorrow just playing games and thighs before we are back to reality on Monday. We've had the most amazing time off. Created lots of happy memories and it's really been the break we needed to get us ready for whats coming.

Had to pop to the shop and buy onions because I forgot! So a small spend there. Still left with £10 intact and some pence. Going to try and hold onto that as long as possible.

charlies_tribe

Hope the next month goes as well as it possibly can. Wish I was closer to give you a hand with the older children. Sounds like they are fantastic children though, mine would run riot in the ward complaining they were bored. You're doing fantastic even if you don't feel like you are x

Honeysucklelou2

Does the ward have some sort of play worker or teaching team that might be able to help if youngest gets bored?

Well done on getting all the meals done - really impressive. I hope tomorrow is as relaxing a day as possible. Thinking of you all...