Teaching a few tricks

Edit: I have to add the following to this drama: Callum started calling me from the playroom where he'd lined up trains Thomas, James and Percy to look at Fishy. "Messy" he was calling. I sensed from the next room that something was up, something messy. Little could I have envisaged that it wasn't just something messy, but something fishy. The contents of Fishy's tank were spewed upon the playroom floor (I knew I shouldn't have brought it down a shelf but wanted the boys to have a better look and contact), and fishing was lying seemingly stone cold dead for how long, I had no idea. I waited a moment to think of what to do whilst sighing "Oh Callum" and feeling more sad than angry. Then, in a moment, I sprang into action, found two fishy-like books which I use to decorate the side of Fishy's tank by Donaldson/Scheffler (author/illustrator of The Gruffalo) and literally scooped Fishy up with them, still lifeless. Putting the partly broken tank and pump back together, I thought of the inevitable moment when Fishy would swim no more, when, lo and behold, off swam beautiful Betta Fishy like he'd never done before. A fish outa water? You bet.

* * *

A newbie photographer, Mary's been wanting to learn a few tricks and whilst for many reasons I couldn't have felt less like modeling - and I've put it off more times than I can mention of late because I'm always so jaded looking - I put on her red dress and make up and set up the natural light studio upstairs.

We focused on focus points, eyes, the direction of light and how to use/abuse it, the exposure triangle and composition and I think she did absolutely wonderfully. Staying true to my principles, the crop had to be done in camera. She bravely used my camera and my 3 main lenses. I processed and edited them afterwards from RAW because I have yet to teach her that and also because I had to make myself look presentable for here.

Hearing the patio door slam next to us upstairs when we briefly stepped outside was not a good sound though and Mary had to climb the roof in her dress (we made an occasion of it tonight by donning dresses, but given her's was a short cocktail and mine a long cocktail and I'm petrified of heights, she did the honourable thing), rip the new window screen and climb through the nursery bathroom. Tried to wake Callum up downstairs so he could show us his new trick of opening doors but he was having none of it.

The boys and I still have our colds: my day's been spent wiping the green stuff and diarrhea, and poor Reuben had a throw up from coughing so much this morning exactly as I was cleaning Callum in the sink from a blow out. Both in with me again tonight and no doubt it'll be coughing through the night again keeping each other awake til Reu's night nurse is back on Monday night. Very tearfully tired and emotional right now but wanted to end on a good note.

It's times like this that I realise how quite alone I am here in LA and how come Friday I will have noone to turn to for help. It is tiresome for me to hear the insincerity of we must catch up sometime and I often feel that in reality, it's the people who are in the same disposition of living the disabled parent life, in and out of hospital, plus one who have more time. My rant.

So lovely to have spent the evening with Mary, ordering real pizza, sipping chilled champagne. It made it all feel so much better.

Callum's on my lap now and is counting the number of Mamas on the outtakes (will post tomorrow). I've put him to bed once already when I fell asleep next to Reuben momentarily. "Mama's bed". OK. Let's go darling.