Bugs

Well. The reality is that there are a lot of flies. And mosquitoes. I also believe we may have a flea in our bed. My legs look like I have a seriously infectious kind of smallpox, and much as I love his legs, Craig’s do too. Miraculously, Evie and Barney seem to have got away with it. Perhaps the bugs prefer older blood.

I wasn’t into the use of spray insect repellent at first (full of toxic chemicals surely? – if it’s going to kill the bugs it can’t be nice, even if it is ‘pine fresh’). But now I’m spraying like a crazy woman. I do not want those creatures in my room, my bed or crawling around my legs.

It’s been nice to have four children crawling around my legs though. We’ve been looking after Lachie and Darcy during the day for the last couple of days while Alice has been at work, and it has felt like a chance to reconnect. When Darcy gave me a kiss today, it felt like it was all worthwhile. He was only a baby when they left the UK, so it’s been like discovering a new person. Lachie too – he’s all grown up and keen to show Evie the ropes. She tells me that she’s falling in love with him, but he will have to come back and live in England. I don’t know if he’s in agreement…

Mum is out of surgery and doing well. She’s amazing, resilient and brave. I think it hurts a lot, but she’s not really letting on. People have been so kind, caring and supportive of her and of us. It makes me feel small and humbled, but very loved. I feel a strange mixture of distant and yet very connected.

And a bit itchy.