Back in March I started moaning about La's Tuesday trip getting cancelled, often without warning. La and I loved that two hours because she got a change of scene and I had a bit of a break.
(Despite all these years of motherhood, I can't quite explain why I only really get into my stride work-wise at about 3pm, just when the day has to be devoted to caring for various people.)
One of the reasons this blog has been a tad quiet of late is that the slot has remained uncovered for all that time. What's more the precious remaining Thursday 3 hour slot has been patchy due to illness, annual leave, etc.....aaaarrgh...
..all of which has left La and me a tad sad. On evenings in we used to go in for cooking marathons but of late La's been determined to thwart me by:
- eating any uncooked ingredients I'm prepping up
- leading me towards the ironing board (why?)
- insisting we hang out together watching (crap) tv in the lounge
Since March La and I have spent all this time when she could have been out having fun, doing our best, but, thwarted by this vile weather, we have passed these 'lost' hours in many ways:
- Watching too many episodes of Escape to the Country or Place in the Sun Home and Away.
- Rather guiltily becoming addicted to a rather rude French period drama set in a brothel
- Experimenting with eating a little paint stripper (La!) the time I decided I could finish a spot of DIY
- Rearranging her bedroom
- Clearing out various household cupboards (booooring)
- Finishing mountains of ironing (me) while La snoozed
As a carer I have vered from being passive and patient to getting really mad that La's 5 hour weekly allocation was not being covered over a long period. In the latter mood, I rang the agency involved and they blubbed on about illness, staff shortage, etc and could not see La's hours being restored 'in the near future'. Try explaining that blather to La, who on Tuesdays and many Thursdays is especially restless.
The 'explanation' made me madder and after many attempts I managed to get through to La's social worker. She promptly called the agency involved and, hey presto, as of today we are getting the 5 hours back. (I'm not going to dwell on why I was fobbed off and it had to take a call from an official person with an eye on budgets to get things magically shifting.)
I have to say that this same social worker arranged for my annual carer break allowance and weekly allocation to get into the community (yoga classes in my case)so she's a star.
Not something many carers say a whole lot about social workers but she stood up for La and wouldn't listen to any excuses so THANK YOU!
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