Ok, that was bad.

How awful to have gone so long without posting. Things have been kind of hectic, plus I haven't really felt like writing anything.

I know I said it last time, but I will try from now to keep up.

Some of the things I should have blogged about in the past couple of months -

Paris was wonderful. It was lovely to spend time alone with Tony. We did a lot of walking, but had so many sights to see, it was marvellous.

Unfortunately, Tony's mam passed away in mid August. That was pretty awful for everyone and there will need to be an inquest into her death next year as initial coroner report suggests the hospital/surgery may bear the blame for mucking up on her surgery and care. She'd had a blood clot in her leg in July which was operated on and then there were weeks of no action and a second surgery the day before she died where it looks like they did something they shouldn't have :(

We took all the kids to Chester Zoo. That was "interesting". Not as bad as it could have been with Jack's outbursts, but still some stressful times.

Jack went back to school, full time! Hurray, for both of us ;-)
He has made a lot of progress with his communication over the school break and we've been working with him physically, so he can now just about stand up if we hold his hands and give him a little pull. Not so much weight bearing, he is still *very* weak, but he is at least making efforts.

Katie began nursery school in the afternoons. It went from 2 weeks of "ok, bye mammy" to "I need you, I don't want to go, I miss you" and many tears! She has been slowly getting better so hopefully will be ok soon.

Ben restarted active treatment for his talipes as his feet still aren't straight and he is almost 20 months now and still unable to stand unassisted or walk. He was in plaster casts, changed each week, for 3 weeks on both legs up to his thighs :( This then got changed to knee length casts and can you believe, he escaped them!!!! Must have just kept working his feet back and forward until he got his heel/ankle out. They weren't loose either, so I have no idea how he did it. That's why nothing is working for him, because he's Houdini! He's back in his shoes/brace and not liking that, until we get in to see the consultant. We're just stuck because he's still a bit young for the surgical treatment they are looking at and in the meantime, without his brace, his feet just turn and he stands on the outside edge of his feet and keeps going over on them so can't weight bear.

I have kept up with my running and CRAZILY entered the Edinburgh MARATHON next May. The furthest I've run without stopping is 14.5 miles so I need some serious training over the winter. Which brings me onto... I did my first official half marathon on Sunday gone, and what an event for my first. The Great North Run, biggest event in the world with 52,000 entrants!!! At the time I didn't appreciate just how fantastic it was, especially over the last few miles uphill, it was tough, but looking back, it was really something else. Phenomenal race with amazing spectator support. My official time was 1:58:28. I'm hoping I'll be further up the field next year as I was dodging a lot of people. I got under my target of 2 hours, but was hoping for closer to 1:55. When I finished I panicked - "and I have to run this distance immediately again for the marathon??!!"

I think those are the major highlights.