My brother and his family emigrate to Australia and Beth has Chicken Pox!

Today my brother Matt and his wife Maria and their children, Sydney 9, Annie 7 and Alfie 17 months, left England for a new life in Perth Western Australia (well my brother actually left a few weeks ago) and you can see from one of the photo's it looks like an incredible place! Matt has taken up a job there as policeman and they are both excited for this new adventure. Maria said the girls are bit apprehensive but they are all excited to see Matt as the last few weeks have been though without him. Maria has been trying to finalise the sale of their house and Alfie has been pretty poorly with measles. They are on the plane as I write this and so I hope to hear some time tomorrow that the journey went ok. Maria was dreading 2 long flights with 3 young children.


We have had an interesting few weeks with a 2 week Easter break from school for Beth. Last Friday (the last day of Beth’s school holiday) was full of excitement for her as she took her horse Cyril to Brooksby Equestrian centre, in Melton Mowbray a 40 minute drive away, where she and Cyril had this huge sand school to themselves where she had an hour lesson with lots of jumping (I will posting a video as soon as we worked out how get the video onto the computer). This was the first time we had taken Cyril out somewhere in a trailer since we got him last summer. He was a very good boy and traveled very well, although he was a bit hesitant about getting on the trailer and had to be enticed with food. We think he might have been thinking we were selling him as the last time he went somewhere was when he came to us.


Well when we returned home Beth seemed somewhat exhausted and I put it down to a busy morning and not sleeping too well the night before (because of excitment). But the night before Beth had actually woken up feeling all achy and the reason she didn’t want much breakfast wasn’t because she was so excited but because she actually felt sick. But she thought I have been looking forward to this day for weeks and I’m not going to miss it, so didn't let on. Luckily she said she felt absolutely fine while riding which was good considering she was coming down with chicken pox. By late afternoon and lots of questioning from me I realised that Beth was in fact not well and coming down with something.


So as we talked I noticed some spots on her forehead and at close examination saw that one looked like a blister! I announced Beth I think you have chicken pox and the reason for my confidence was that 2 weeks earlier we had been at my nieces wedding with our dear friends the Kears and the next day Olivia, Debbie and Dan's adorable 2 year old came down with chicken pox. Beth had been in close contact with Olivia for a lot of the wedding as they are in separable when around each other. So over the next day Beth got more and more spots, her back was covered and plenty on her front and head. I really expected her to be pretty poorly with her being that much older but Saturday and Sunday were her worst days with bad itching and some flu like symptoms, I just kept telling her she was lucky that she didn’t have other more serious symptoms. We have used a aromatherapy oils in the bath and to dab on spots and they are fading very quickly.


Well at least she has now add it, I had thought she like her brother Aaron had an immunity to it as Aaron at 26 has never had and Jess only had a mild dose. I had even had my 2 nieces Lydia and Ella over a few years ago when they had the disease and still infectious so Beth would get but no she didn’t. So anyway Beth has had another 4 days off school this week but is planning on going back tomorrow.