Grahams Accident

I have not blogged for awhile and that is because I have found it hard to put into words the events that happened the week before Easter. How do you put down here in a blog painful events, when I more want to remember the happy times in my life. That being said, I think it is important to write about it, and remember, and look back and realise just how lucky I am that it has all turned out to be a good ending.

All I can say is that my perfect world came crashing down around me with the thought that I was going to loose my husband. In brief, Graham went out on a bucks night in April, while I looked after the kids. It was all meant to be innocent fun with some of the guys he works with, yet at 2:30am I received a phone call from the police to say that Graham had been assaulted and was being rushed to hospital. I was not given the extent of his injuries and was left in a state of shock and despair.

I am very lucky that my sister was the triage nurse at the hospital that he was being taken too because I was able to leave my boys sleeping while I sat by the phone to find out the extent of his injuries. At first we thought that it may have just been alcohol self inflicted and that he just had way too much to drink, however at 5:30am I got the call to say that he had a fractured skull, swelling to the brain and was therefore being rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment for brain trauma.

I dropped my boys off at Grahams mums and went straight to the hospital. When I got to him he looked terrible, had slurred words but still managed to tell me how sorry he was - I think he thought that I was going to be mad at him for being in hospital - gee did that make me feel like the evil tyrant!

The first day we didn't know if the doctors were going to operate to reduce the swelling in Graham's brain, it was the most awful feeling all day. Luckily his CT scan showed that the swelling was reducing by itself, and surgery was not necessary.

It was a week of hell, trips back and forth to the hospital every day, finding sitters for my kids and shoving them where ever someone could have them, my stable diet became what ever the healthiest thing was available in the vending machines. I think at this stage I really needed my friends help - but I am not one to ask for it, and therefore it was not really received.

Thankfully Graham got well enough to come home from hospital just in time for Easter with the kids. He was confined to bed rest because he still had double vision and balance problems. In all he ended up having nearly 3 months off work and even today still has not fully regained his sense of smell and taste.

We are rebuilding, it has been tough, but we are all getting through it. I don't think I will ever fully get over this, just the other night Graham worked overtime and came home from work late, and I ended up a blubbering mess thinking something had happened to him again.

I know that I act tough, and if you ask me ill tell you that things are wonderful, but in reality I will now fear every time Graham goes out without me. Every minor bump in the road will have me wondering if this will affect the equilibrium of our lives.

Those gutless wonders that did this to my husband are still out there, and what is worse would have not the slightest care of what they have done, and what they have put my family through. All I can hope for is that Karma will have its turn.

Grahams Birthday - March 2011

Well another year older for the old man, mind you he is the fittest and healthiest person I know. I wish in fact some of his exercise motivation would rub off on me. Graham is either lifting his weights daily or running on the tread mill in the evening - sometimes both in one day. Guess it is his way to ensure that he stays energetic for our whirl wind children.

We didn't do too much for Grahams birthday this year, just celebrated with some cake which according to Graham, must always be a Chocolate Cream Sponge available from the Cheesecake Shop, as this is his favourite treat every year.

Crazy Hair Day - March 2011

When Graham dropped Mitchell off at child care, they told him it was crazy hair day, and asked what color to put in his hair, Graham said "Just give him Norwood Redlegs colours", when I picked him up this is what I was presented with:

I had to wash his hair 4 times before it even started looking blonde again.....Good one Graham!

A day at the Adelaide Fringe - March 2011

Mad March is always a time of the year that I love here in Adelaide, and while I don't get the opportunity to go too many of the Fringe shows now that I have kids and not too many babysitters, it still provides us as a family with some wonderful opportunities to get out and about into the sunshine.

We spent a lovely day out in the 'Garden of Unearthly Delights', where the boys went on the Ferris wheel (even when their dad was too scared to go on) we watched the street parade, ate lunch at a cafe down Rundle Street and just had a good day enjoying each others company.

Some fun in the park: We caught up with my lovely who friend who is ever so talented with her camera and took these lovely photos of my boys during the street parade: How is this for some nearby street art in Rundle Street:
The Fringe Street Parade:

Below are some of the unique little spots in the Garden of Unearthly Delights in Adelaide East end:

A girly weekend trip to Sydney - February 2011

Well what was supposed to be a get away without kids for me and Rachel, did not start with smooth sailing. Our first mistake of the trip was to choose to fly Tiger Airways.

We got to the airport rather early and went and checked in at the counter, I did not realise that you had to do e-check in before you arrive, and we were both slugged a $20 per person fee. Then after reluctantly paying the funds, we decided because we were so early we would go and check out the shopping in Ikea. Apart from the walk over in 40 degrees that was a stress free expedition. Then we sat at the terminal waiting for our plane, and was surprised to see the Tiger Airways sign being taken down. Huh, we were then told our flight had been cancelled and our only option was to either fly the next morning or get a refund of our ticket. Ok, now there is one nights accommodation lost. But apart from my initial sook, we took it in our stride and booked the Stamford Grand in the city (getting a cheap Wotif.com.au deal) - this was a girls weekend, there was no way we were going home! We grabbed some dinner, then spent some time at the Adelaide Casino - pretending of course that we were actually sitting in Star City, Sydney.

We finally got to Sydney at lunch time on Saturday so half our time there was already wasted, but we made the most of what we could and ventured off into the 42 degree heat. As we walked around the markets and toured Sydney, we had no idea we were walking around on a heat record day, we thought it was hot, but thought the weather was meant to be 36 degrees.

Chinese new year celebrations were in full swing while we were in Paddy's Market which is near China Town, we heard the fire crackers going off and went out to investigate.

The only way we were able to cool off was a trip out on the ferry to Manley, Rachel and I loved it there, by the ocean we picked up a couple of caches, and enjoyed some baked fish and chips which we ate by the beach.

Sunday before our flight home we took a bus trip out to Palm Beach aka Summer Bay, it started off really hot and hard to do anything, then some thunder clouds rolled in over the ocean and within about 15 minutes I think that the temperature must have dropped 15 degrees. It was so lovely out here, such a beautiful spot that really must be a place where the rich and famous live or holiday.

Harry Mc in Hospital - January 2011

Not that I wanted to take many pictures of my little Angel in this condition, but for 5 days he was in and out of hospital, with originally a gaestro virus which then caused him to get a twisted bowel. Poor little man was in so much pain.

This was his last day in hospital, and the day we knew he was better, when he started downing those sandwiches.

Rocky Horror in the Botanic Gardens - January 2011

What a crazy bunch of girls to sit in the Botanic Gardens on a night with forecast thunder and lighting to sit and watch the movie 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'.

but that is exactly what we we did, Amanda, Lana, Amy and myself sat huddled together, eating veggies and dip, with a blanket over our heads while we sat and watch one of my all time favourite movies.

Despite the weather, we had a great time, and I definately hope we can me some type of regular occurrence of the event.

Monarto Zoo - January 2011

In early January we took a little mini break with the boys by staying at the Hahndorf Resort, and by doing this we were easily able to spend a day out at Monarto Zoo, which is a zoo set up to help animals roam in as close as possible to their natural habitat.

We had a great day and surprisingly I did not take too many pictures, but this was a day out that was well worth the trip, and we all had a great day where we bonded as a family and thoroughly enjoyed each others company.

Mitchell's 2nd Birthday - January 2011

Well we celebrated Mr Mitchell's birthday with a small family and friends gathering, being so close after Christmas it is always going to be hard to organise any type of big gathering, but the Nana's came, and the Mashfords came so he had a great time being doted on and chased after by everyone..

He got up in the morning and got to open some presents, he got a Chuck the Truck, which is a talking truck, a new bike, and lots of other bits and pieces.
At the moment, Mitch does not really have a favorite character that he follows, but he does like all boys stuff like 'Bob The Builder', so that was the cake that I made for the occasion. The best thing about this cake was the toys he got to keep as a result.
At the end of a big day with so many presents and cake and visitors, the boys curled up together in bed for a brief moment of affection.