Bella was very excited about Halloween this year. Last year was the first year that she really looked forward to it, but it was somewhat tainted by the fact that Jim and I separated 2 days before - although that didn't stop me having our annual party (a slightly more stressful one than normal admittedly - although less than it might have been thanks to a very helpful friend, who was truly kind enough to help me prepare whilst I was busy being snappy and uncommunicative!).

The day before Halloween I bought tickets for the girls and some friends to go to a party at a local soft play centre, planning on tiring them out and feeding them there so that I could then spend Friday night cooking the food, decorating and making the party bags for Saturdays party. Allowing me then to spend Saturday morning relatively (it's all relative) relaxed.

Anyway, it was a lovely plan and maybe next year it will work. This year though Bella and I went pretty much straight from the party to the hospital. And instead of spending Friday night preparing for our party on Saturday, I spent it sat in hospital while Bella had yet more steroids, two lots of nebuliser and a ton of her inhaler. 

After getting home at 1am and Jim heading out to do a food shop at 2am, we did kind of contemplate cancelling the party but it seemed mean when the only thing that got Bella to comply to the nebuliser was being told that if we got her better she could stil have the party! So... after only 4 hours sleep...

...no pumpkins were carved (first year ever), a lot of decorations didn't go up and the goodie bags weren't made, but beef bourginon, chicken and pumpkin stew and some (admittedly awful) soup was made. And although Jim and I were still throwing our hands up in the air and threatening to cancel right up until the very second that the first guest knocked on the door, within twenty minutes of everyone arriving and the first glass of wine being inhaled, I remembered exactly why I do this every year.  We all had so much fun (and so much wine) that no one worried about the state of the place, least of all me!

And we followed it up with a very lazy Sunday, where Jim and I claimed our stakes at the new kitchen table/bench combo that we've got going on (the rest of the kitchen is being put in in less than a week - wahoo!) and Bella and I stayed in our pj's all day!

 

Comments

[periwinkle]

I think your kitchen is looking great -- poor Bella, at least she got to enjoy the party. I'm curious at to what the little black and orange animal is beside the pumpkins - is it a cat?

[liz r.]

Poor Bella . . . poor Jim . . . poor Manda. I am glad you went on with the party; your kitchen looks charming and it sounds as if everyone had a good time.

[Marina]

Well done for getting through a stressful (but ultimately fun!) day. The house looks amazing....

[Ali]

So sorry she was poorly. Your kitchen looked amazing though!

[Pam]

your kitchen looks beautiful. can't wait to see the whole reveal. Hope Bella is feeling better.

[geek+nerd]

I really love the black garlands. So simple and creepy beautiful! Hope Bella is on the mend!

[Kristy]

I am liking the new kitchen layout! Did you get my Twitter DM btw?

[Al]

Nightmare before Christmas has to be one of my favourite ever films. (The corpse brides pretty cool too). I think you're completely bonkers but so glad that Bella got home in time for the party. No wonder you're tired!!!! Fi's had Max in hospital this week with a chest infection and chronic asthma, helped along nicely by the fact that his Dad had a puffer with an expiry date of 2007!
Hope you're having a relaxing week.
A x

[Fancy Elastic]

boy oh boy what a weekend!

Well done for keeping on... just goes to show that parties are about the people (free-flowing wine helps), although the kitchen looks pretty spooky!

Looking forward to seeing how the kitchen ends up.

x

[maypole]

Blimey! never a dull moment in your household!! glad everything came together in the end though. Kitchen looking good.

[Rachel]

A bit of a rollercoaster time to say the least! Hope things settle down for you soon!
Rachel x

[ballee]

Great movie on your laptop! Do you know this crochet pattern of the Patch Lady: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30125987?

[ballee]

sorry, mislink
should be:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30125987

[deb]

You are really really amazing. I vote you "MUM OF THE YEAR 2009". I'm speechless! I feel inadequate - lol!

[jo]

whew! and are you and jim together now?

[philippines homes]

Was the second photo a kitchen?

Deirdre G

[Stephanie]

Sorry everything was so rushed and hectic. I'm glad you got to enjoy yourself though. I love your decorations.

[SierraMoon]

sorry you've all been thru a tough time. but still it is so beautifully decorated, I like your new kitchen !
I've been following your blog for a while, let's say several years (?!)...
and... I feel upset everytime I hear about poor Bella's health problems...
I was thinking : have you ever thought about having the air in your house analyzed ?
Sometimes it takes so little to feel better when you find the right switch, which is not always obvious... like in Sept I saw some of my pbs solved after been diagnosed gluten intolerant, something I'd have never thought of...
wishing you healthier & more relaxing times to come

[Emily-Claire]

I'm sorry about little Bella... :(

I'm glad everything worked out in the end. Your decorations look great and I always admire your taste.

Please take care.

[suzie sews]

Poor Bella, yer life loves throwing those curved balls at us... As for your seperation, well its a tough one, a crap old journey ahead but with support and understanding from good friends there is light at the end of the tunnel... eventually!!!

[janjan]

Phew, I don't know where you find the time to blog but thank goodness that you do. Sounds like you've been up to your neck in some serious stress. Hope things are settling back down and that the girls are ok. And remember to do at least one thing for yourself every day. PS Can't wait to see the kitchen. I'm dying to see what choices you make with the colours! One thing we can be sure of is that it will be very "Treefall" xxx