Monthly Archives: March 2002

Did no work in the attic last night – but I did finish off a delayed project that I promised someone – so one less niggling guilt to contend with now.

Jude has had a gummed up eye the past 2 days. As he cannot cry tears properly as yet, I think such things affect babies more. Mucus gunk keeping his eye closed. I’m sure Eve suffered similar at some point, & possibly even Jack, but I just can’t remember. As he went for his 1st inoculation jabs on Tuesday (polio/whooping etc etc) they gave us some eye drops to help him – which he naturally would rather we wouldn’t bother with. He is most resistant to having them applied, so has only ever had them once. The jabs do not seem to have left his legs bruised too much. Eve was with them at the doctors & whoever was giving Jude the injections was worried that Eve would be distressed. Louise says that Eve was not for being distracted & watched with interest as the injections were administered. Craning her neck – trying to view as closely as possible… hmmm… Eve has been less manic in general these last couple of days. If it was teething, it’s died down a bit. If it was flu, she’s recovering. Ate heartily yesterday, although… She had a new bowl, which she said was her ‘pudding bowl (a week ago she would not touch pudding & custard). She wanted her pudding bolw at tea, but was most distressed when her normal tea arrive in the pudding bolw!! She tipped her tea on the table & cried & cried & howled for a good 10 minutes. Not impressed. Perhaps she was expecting pudding (oops!). When Jack decided he had enough (not much into his meal) Eve elected to polish his off in grand fashion. She’s eating so well – perhaps she’s on a growing spurt.

It was Parent’s Evening yesterday. Went to see Jack’s teacher again (only the second time) & discussed how he was getting on. He is, on the whole, doing quite well. They like him a lot as he is well behaved, keen & interested. Whether it is a general point or not, we came away with the perception that he is feeling unconfident. Socially, Louise & I feel he seems to be confident, but in his school work maybe. He was quite perfectionist in his work & would scribble things out at home rather than live with an error. He has reduced that to crossing things out. His schoolwork has some crossings out in it, but on the whole, that’s fine. It seems that sometimes, when left alone, he will reach a little crisis of confidence & not be able to do something. At least he goes to ask a teacher, but still, you worry about such things – whether he is feeling ok in himself – whether he is happy? What does he have to measure these things to himself? He is only 4. Perhaps we worry too much/perhaps we don’t worry enough is one of those things we will always… um… worry about. The best ambition we could have for him is that he be happy.
Been guilty of neglecting attic work – must be better resolved.

Eve had a good day yesterday; much more her usual self. She even allowed herself a sleep during the day. She’s still apt to being a bit cheeky at the moment though. It’s her age, I guess; doing that bit of boundary testing.

I fine, cold crisp bright morning. Will they come to do the roof today? I doubt it – due for more miserable rain tomorrow. Gah!

Jack coughed himself to sleep last night, but he seemed to have a better night of it in general. Hopefully he’s getting better. I am feeling marginally better. Not over it yet, but better. I didn’t manage to get any attic work done last night (not managed any for a few nights!) as I just about got to sort some files out, & check some mail before I thought better of trying to remain awake.
Gosh! I found some time to sleep – what a novelty!

Train home.

Jack has quite a cough at the moment. It made him cough so hard he threw up the other night (Saturday?). Louise was upstairs at the time & guided him to the bathroom before he was actually ill – so that saved a lot of bother.
He’s basically OK during the day – it sits badly on him while he tries to sleep though. I got to sleep with him last night & he coughed loudly at me at what seemed like half hourly intervals. Suffering a bit today because of it. Probably have the same cough as he, as I have sinuses blocked. Leaning forward/looking down is uncomfortable for my face.
Shut yer whining!
Eve did a pooh in the bath (shared with Jack) on Sunday morning. Heh – that’ll embarrass her later in life! You wonder when she’s going to ‘get more control’ over this important part of life. I was not upstairs, but as the bath was bubble laden it would not have been immediately noticeable. Louise was upstairs & heard Jack saying, “urg – what’s that? …Eve’s done a pooh in the bath!!!!”. I had to nip upstairs to sort that one out. Yuk!
Jack’s been really well behaved of recent. He has not been reacting too badly to Eve, who has been more manic, shouty & attention seeking of recent (delayed reaction to Jude?). He has managed to shrug off some pretty annoying provocation from her. Of course there are the moments when he provokes her… but that’s a flipside. He is, on the whole, not retaliating against the weaker party – which is very good. Having said that – yesterday, for one reason or another was quite fraught. I think we’re all suffering something of this cough thing. Eve was in excruciatingly loud mode. Very fragile & apt to complain at everything. She did fall asleep at @16:15/30 & things all calmed down nicely & became a lot more manageable. She woke just as we were finishing tea. Jack asked to go to bed then, so it was into the night-time routine (about an hour or so earlier than usual). Eve joined in & actually fell off asleep @ an hour & a half later. Quite surprised at that. I think if it were Jack in the same circumstances (when he was younger) he would have run us ragged late into the night (as it was I did that on my own). She was in desperate need to catch up on sleep. She woke just as I was leaving this morning, & I got a big smile. She seemed in a lot better frame of mind. Whether that is how the day progressed, I guess I’ll find out…

Ah – another Saturday travelling to…. Work!
Bah
It all went smoothly this morning, although it came as something of a shock when I realised I needed to be setting off to work. What a bugger! Hugs, kisses, scarper.
I found the bit of paper that had William’s address on it; Jack’s friend whose moved to Spain, but no – the address says Majorca! I went to Majorca when I was a young kid (7/8??) on holiday with my parents. There are some old photos they have somewhere. It was the only holiday we had abroad as a family. My parents were always working in the pub, & it’s hard to leave such a thing, as they don’t run themselves.
Anyway – Jack has now the option of writing to William, but I’m not sure I should mention it as a prompt to him, because he does get glum when he realises that William isn’t about. On the plus side William is supposedly coming back to the UK for Easter – so they should get to meet up then!
I had a good night sleep last night, but still woke up feeling grotty. I guess I have to conclude that it’s not just lack of sleep, but my sinuses are blocked & I sneeze & cough… lordy I have a cold! tsk.
Eve & Jack have the same. Jack had a nasty cough in the night, but in the day it doesn’t seem too bad. Eve is suffering a little with this, but is generally crankier through her teething. Heh – she also slept quite well. I heard her yelp as she woke up, so scampered upstairs. She was running down the hall at the time, & I was worried she was upset (she often wakes grumpy & upset) but she had a huge smile when she saw me appear at the top of the stairs & gave me a big hug. Ah, the sort of things patents love.
Hey ho – here be Manchester once more. Pack up – go to work – bah.

Hmm
I actually don’t feel completely shagged & useless. This does not mean that I actually have 2 brain cells to rub together; it just means that the paracetamol I had half an hour ago or so is starting to have an effect.
MMMmmm no headache….
Eve is teething at the moment. This means that she is acting barmy as her gums are driving her barmy. Her ‘loud-o-meter’ seems to have stuck on ‘intense’ & she has a constant frantic edge to her. She is also rather fragile.
Jack was saying the other day as I picked him up from school that he was missing William. William is the lad who was his main friend at school, & who has gone to Spain. It’s difficult to know what to say really. I empathise as we moved around a bit when I was young, but I still don’t know what to say. I will have to try find the address for them in Spain that his mum gave me. I know where I put it, but household clutter may have swamped it. I suggested that he write to him – but I really do have to ensure that we can before reminding him of that. Jack also said that no one would play with him at school when he was going to bed last night. I don’t know about the hurly-burly of the day to day at school – but Jack seems a popular lad. Other kids say hello to him when we are out. Not just ones from his ‘year’, but older kids. So maybe that’s just Jack missing William again. I don’t know. Again I worry for him & I don’t know if I justifiably worry.
Hmmm – I think there’s a ‘parent’s evening’ next week…

Train home.
Not too, too busy today. As usual I am over tired though. I really should get a better nights sleep. Pottering in the attic last night & I shall potter some more when I get home. The old pantomime of being home, but not being home. As Louise’s mum is visiting, I can get away with this.
Just been reading the paper. International news is depressing. We are still as www.seruv.org.il at some point. It looks to be honourable people in the face of national stupidity.

Cor – that make 3 day in a row I’ve set off for work & it’s actually not raining. Lovely.
They have not come to the roof again. Louise met Jill yesterday who said that ours was the next ‘roof job’. They have not been to do the roof yet as they want to take off all the ridge tiles. It’s going to be a 2 day job, & we have not had a period of 2 working days without rain.

Jeeez- another month! I mean – a month!– what happened there?
<sigh> – I only used to get caught out by weeks passing.
Will years be next?
No fair – no time to enjoy things.
Train home – brain is a blur from it being busy at work yet again. Nothing notable to explain such other than lingering tidying up of previous problems.
No time to complain at being underpaid the hours I work & all that crap – hey ho.
That’s all ‘work’ – leave as much of it at work as I can.
Jude was smiling over the weekend. Yet to catch such a photographic image of such an elusive thing. Heh – we did catch one of Jack’s early smiles on film. Smiling at you rather than the ceiling. There is communication stuff starting to set in his brain.
Wonderful things – baby smiles.

Jack was called up in front of assembly at school on Friday. This was because he was “the best behaved boy” in his class/year. He got a little sticker & a lot of pride. He was chufty about it. He has been especially lovely recently. Had the occasional flare up, but nothing as protracted & as involved as he used to do with us at home. He is no angel, but Louise thinks that he has made the decision to be good at school. His reading is starting to work better for him as well – he understands & recognises things better. He is also able to write more words on his own. He filled as few lines in a notebook with “yes no yes no yes no yes no” the other day. It’s all less frustrating for him.
I wonder sometimes if we expect too much. I suspect we are probably quite quietly demanding parents, but I have no yardstick to compare.
Heh – we got Jack another coat the other day as the one recently bought did not really seem good enough for the frightful weather we have been experiencing (Old Lincolnshire saying that Louise reminded us ‘tother day: ‘February Fill Dyke’). I got it on the way home Wednesday, I think, & it was put away as I got home so as not to be noted by Jack or Louise’s mum. Louise got it out in the morning as they were about to go & Jack is under the impression that ‘a lorry came in the night’ to deliver it (as if we ordered it off t’net). We had tried to order one previously from t’net t’other day, like, but they were low on stock – so we cancelled the order when fannying about started. Louise thought it easier to flatter Jack’s assumption – so, he thinks the coat is more ‘special’ due to this phantom delivery & maybe he likes it all the more (?).
Eve has been cheekier of recent. She’s always been an opinionated little thing, but is trying to get her way more. She picks up Jack’s bad habits & runs like billio with them bath water gurgling & spitting, taking things from the fridge. She is probably the loudest member of the household, & when she is upset has really started to be piercing. High-pitched over-scream. OW! She has been getting up too early & still has not properly resolved the ‘sleeping during the day’ thing. Sometimes she just does not – gets over tired – over emotional & loud. She is also winding Jack up occasionally, which he does not respond well to (& she should know that by now). Still – that’s all part of being brother/sister. Perhaps there’s a bit of attention seeking now that Jude is here.