iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Home! A mere six hours in A&E tonight! Bloods show no sign of inflammation, which is excellent news. With family history and the symptoms showing up suddenly and severely, they initially thought RA but they're now saying growing pains, and further observation in a month or two. What a day!

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They're testing 10yo for rheumatoid arthritis. He's had bloods done, he's incredibly cheerful, he thinks this is all one big adventure. Poor kid.

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10yo's classmate is in A&E at the same time as us. They've been playing 21 but 10yo knows the mathematical formula to win (because of course he does) so has been entertaining the whole waiting room with his undefeated winning streak. When he finally explained his trick everyone cheered 🤣

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Aaaaaannnnnddddd now we're back in Paediatric A&E because apparently I can't have anything good happen without something awful coming straight away to balance it out again!

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God, what a rollercoaster this all is. Just had a call from the SEN team. Requested school, that said they couldn't take 10yo, have now been named on his EHCP. That means they HAVE to take him. They'll contact us with a start date once they know. He was so happy when I told him he couldn't speak 🥺

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Just had an email about a webinar and if they had deliberately attempted to make the title push as many of my buttons as possible I don't think they could have done a better job. Library plus Dead plus AI in the same webinar title? No thanks.

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10yo has just said he wants to go back to school soon ❤️ He's asked if he can start with an hour at a time, and then gradually build up. So pleased the suggestion has come from him, and isn't something we're imposing on him. More phone calls to make next week I think.

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Thank you so much for all your input on this - it's hugely helpful. Lots to think about! The books are for Phil for Christmas, so it looks as if I'll get him a few of the suggested starting points and see how he gets on.

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

If an adult were to start reading Terry Pratchett books, where would be a good place to start?

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

10yo had his next karate grading today. He was expecting to go up half a grade but he went up the full one! He's now a red belt 🥰

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Reposted by Sarah-Jane

Gail Myerscough @gailmyerscough.co.uk · 26/09/2026

All my Christmas card preorders were posted yesterday. Thank you to everyone who ordered. 2026 Christmas cards are now available in my online shop if you fancy getting in there early. www.gailmyerscough.co.uk/christmas

gailmyerscough.co.uk

Christmas Cards | Gail Myerscough

Christmas cards with bold graphics, retro pattern and a mid-century colour palette. For anyone who likes their Christmas a bit less traditional.

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Finished the second of these last night and now I'm absolutely BEREFT that I don't have any more Annie Garthwaites to read 😭

The cover of The Kings Mother by Annie Garthwaite displayed on a very old Kindle.

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Me: 'What was the best thing that happened at school today, 4yo?' 4yo: 'I got to wear my puddle suit and we didn't have to tidy up until after we'd been outside!' Later: '4yo, this newsletter says you won the Reading Star of the Week Award.' 4yo: 'Oh yes! I did. I forgot about that.'

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Received an email from a charity I support and the first line said 'Sarah-Jane! Run a marathon for us!' and I have never deleted an email so fast. No thanks, don't think I will.

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Colleague: 'That email from manager is a bit strange, isn't it? What do you make of it?' Me: 'I don't know, I don't think I've been sent that one.' Colleague: 'No, you haven't. I just wondered what you thought of it.' What do I think of an email I haven't seen?! Give me strength.

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Just nearly bit my tongue off trying to stay quiet when two older members of staff, who track their adult daughters' phones, gave me a knowing look and said 'You have this all to come! Kids going on holiday with their friends and not knowing what's going on! Don't worry though, boys are easier.'

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Just heard 4yo shout at his dad (who is keeping him in the sitting room so I can get ready) 'I want Mammy!' and Phil said in a cheery singsong voice 'And I want a Lamborghini!'

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This morning my eldest has a t-shirt covered in yogurt and won't change and my youngest has gone to school in trousers that are back to front because he got dressed himself and then argued about turning them round. Why yes, I *am* looking forward to collecting my Mother of the Year award soon 😇

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

My children are so excellent at the passive voice that I wonder if a career in PR for an evil billionaire is in their future. 'The water got spilled.' 'The felt tip has lost its lid.' This morning's example: 'The box of cars got dropped and now they're all over the floor.'

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

10yo has an awkward head on and started arguing with me tonight about my *own job*. I am not a real librarian apparently, despite the fact he spent all day with me today in the LIBRARY in which I work doing library things. He then told *me* I was being argumentative.

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Was meant to be WFH today but ended up being called into work unexpectedly as there were no other managers in. Had to take 10yo along 😬 He did marvellously to be honest. Helped me with some delabelling of withdrawn books, did a bit of (supervised) shelving. I'll make a librarian of him yet.

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Have just sat down and made a list of everything I want to fill our weekends with for the next two months. Things are so stressful and uncertain at the moment I need bright spots on the horizon. It's mainly going places in jumpers and drinking hot chocolate so autumn needs to properly arrive pronto.

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Another three Switch games lost. Honestly, FML. He's saying to me 'Do you not have a SINGLE IDEA where else they could be?!' as if I am somehow responsible for this.

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I'm really not in a good mood this morning. From the second I opened my eyes (earlier than I needed because of course) my kids have stretched my patience. Littlest has been an absolute pain, eldest decided to 'help' me by telling his brother off, which made him cry, and he's lost another switch game

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Don't worry everyone. If I was struggling to understand the subtle nuances of Super Mario Galaxy, 10yo is on hand to explain every character, every scene, and every line (even though I am already fairly well versed in Super Mario already).

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Also, dangerous times today when Phil and I spotted a house we like for sale on an estate we love, at a price we could manage.... Do I want the disruption and the stress of moving? Absolutely not. Do I want extra money going out each month? Nooooo. Is this house very nice? Yes.

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Sarah-Jane @porschespider.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

The boys have requested a movie night tonight (it's Super Mario Galaxy, don't be too jealous). They've bought popcorn, pop, sweets, chocolate. I've done a little grazing plate of veg. Shall we have a sweepstake on how much of this will be left at the end of the night, as opposed to the rest?

A wooden board on a black mat. It has lots of colourful salad vegetables on it: rocket and lettuce at the top, carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes in the middle, and red and yellow peppers at the bottom.

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10yo is entering a contest where you have to draw your favourite historical site and this is what he's done, based on a picture he saw online.

A pencil drawing of Stonehenge with a huge yellow sun and red sky behind it.

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Well, the good news is that a stroppy email from me and a phone call from Phil got a reply from the SEN team. The bad news is we're still no further forward, and she didn't even get our surname correct, which fills me with all sorts of hope, as you can imagine. Not a misspelling. The wrong name.

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I tried to get 4yo to read his book again this morning, to show his grandad, but he refused. Psychological warfare normally works on him, so I said 'Oh, maybe it was just a fluke. You probably can't do it again.' He gave me a scathing look & said 'Mammy, you KNOW I can do it. I just don't WANT to.'

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