Monthly Archives: November 2002

EVE’S BIRTHDAY TODAY!
Kinda hard to believe she is only 3.

A good nights sleep last night as well – still feel a bit groggy, but that may be because the previous night was so grotty & I had no ill affects yesterday… It’s gotta give somewhere.

Only Jude awake when I left the house this morning, which in a way was a shame as it would have been nice to see Eve open a couple of presents. Am I mad? This is my daughter’s birthday! I should be at home!

Louise was telling a whole bunch of amusing anecdotes about the kids yesterday, but I can’t remember bugger all. This is certainly one of the deficiencies of writing this stuff when my head is a fog. I remember she said that Eve said that she did not want to be a baby now, as she was a BIG GIRL!
Jude is balancing – he’s been standing for a while & this past week he’s been walking around the furniture a lot. He’s now just started ‘letting go’. Only for a very short moment – but he’s doing it.

Just made myself cringe and sink internally for a moment as I recall that I caught Eve’s fingers in the door frame yesterday. Jude is trying to climb the stairs (he can do now, but certainly not without supervision as he slips sometimes). Eve was trying to help move him from the bottom of the stairs & I then made to close the door – which wasn’t closing – because Eve had her fingers in the space where the frame closes in… & there was this little grinding noise of her fingers squashing…. eurg…
She cried a lot…nearly was not sick – but that was inevitable in the end. Two little crease lines on her fingers looking like it was very close to breaking the skin. I was worried I’d done some real damage, but she was able to bend them without any problems. Plasters were put on – she demanded them & I guess they act a little as a placebo. They’ll also help her to keep her fingers padded & straight.
Didn’t like that.

Jack’s tired at the moment – he’s playing up a bit – being a bit of a ‘wild boy’ sometimes at home. Still has some sleep to catch up on methinks? Having said that he & Eve played together very well last night before bed. Very much as a unit, no bickering & sniping. To bed a little later due to good behaviour.

Good weekend!
My brother & wife Jess came up for a visit this weekend. They arrived on the Saturday afternoon bearing gifts (& as Eve pointed out, some “bottles”). The gifts were basically for Eve’s birthday this week. Being our kids most were opened straight off (Jack had a little gift as well). Present from Mum & Dad also arrived. Much excitement & quite a bit of fun. They got a game that involves hammer (#lov-ley!) & there’s a nifty new ladybird rain mac for Eve – she likes it & was wearing it quite a bit.
It’s good to see my brother; I haven’t seen him in quite a while.

I was a little bit of a bad host at times as the OS 9 upgrade disk arrived. Found it at the door when I got home on Friday. It went in for upgrading before I went to pick Jack up from school. When I got Jack home I started upgrading to OSX – we went off to the supermarket for tea – so I left it installing from the second CD & when we got back it was all done. Coo! I’m happy – at all works very well. I make a conscious decision not to whitter in a geeky fashion – happy little geek that I am.

Hamish & Amber came round on the Saturday afternoon before Neil & Jess arrived. We went out into the garden to look at the frog that I released from the dustbin. Um… we have a dustbin without a lid that has never been used just stood on the front patio. Jack had put some cuttings from the hydrangea in there & it has filled with rain over the last couple of weeks, somewhat. We spotted a frog in there that morning & Jack was most interested in it. He was keen to show it off, but Louise & I realised that it probably couldn’t get out as the bin was not that full of water & there was nothing for it to jump from. Jack was rather upset at me for releasing it, but did seem to accept that perhaps it would not have been good to keep it there. They were actually frog gawping when Neil arrived. Neil managed to tire out Jack & Hamish a bit by getting them to run about. Not sure how he initiated it all, but he was timing them running between the sofa & chaise longue – having to run back & forth between the 2 touching each. Jack managed a best of 43 in a minute, but could not better it, & Hamish managed to nudge his total over Jack’s to 46. Amazing bit of distraction & a very good way of burning off some of Jack’s excess energy that he was bouncing from since their arrival. He still managed to stay up late though – he watched Monsters Inc again with Neil & Jess while Louise & I got Jude & Eve off to sleep.

We went swimming on Sunday morning – it’s Jack’s swimming lesson day – so we need to go anyway. He enjoyed himself greatly & is getting quite used to the water. Neil was getting him to go underwater & blow out bubbles. Jack needed his mask for this. After an hour Jack was still reluctant to get out of the pool, but relented as Neil & Jess were going. On the way home in through the park he stuck with them & played on the roundabout & seesaw while Louise & I pushed Eve on the swing. Home & Jack played on the Internet & Neil watched him & helped for a bit as well, before they had to head off home.

Yeay! Managed to get a haircut! That’s better.

Hazel – Louise’s pal from London sent the kids an enormous bunch of pens & paper & stickers yesterday. Cor! It kept them jolly busy until tea time – allowing me to prat about getting little jobs done. Made for quite a productive little time.

Still no OS9.2.2, (pedant in my version descriptions, eh?) when I got home. Unfortunately I looked at the apple site again with details as to delivery times & all that & noted with some dismay, that although they claim to have a 2/3 day turn around, they also state that it can take 7 to 14 working (not normal) days for the goods to arrive – which means that I have only really touched the 7 working days limit. Bah! More being ‘adult’ & patient.

All the kids were asleep when I left this morning. That hasn’t happened for… well – some considerable time. Peaceful & stress free.
You kinda miss them though.

Yesterday Eve was completely & utterly tired out. She was ready for dropping off to sleep before 7, but then the fireworks started & it was at least an our later before she could keep her eyes open no longer & flopped down from the bedroom window & was willing to be carried over to her bed. Just a few seconds before she fell asleep then. Jack stayed at the window watching the fireworks around the town for another half hour or so before he was wrenched from the window & dropped into the bath. It took him quite a bit of reading before he would calm down enough to slip into sleep.

I tried to get a haircut again yesterday & failed miserably – annoying that. Queue to big at the barbers in Manchester (I could well have missed the train I need to get – so off home to try the 2 others. Tuesdays one closes (I’m sure I managed to get a cut there on a Tuesday before…) & the other one has a notice declaring that it’s closed – just for today. Petty frustrations…. Ah, talking of which; my other petty frustration – my Apple CD of 9.2.2. still has not arrived. [Summary:] I got my OSX install CD the week before last & realised that I could not do a straight upgrade, because OS 9.0.4 on my machine would not be compatible for use in OSX’s ‘Classic’ environment (allowing usage of the current apps I have). No OS 9 upgrade CD is packaged with the latest version of OSX – thus I have to send off to apple with monies for P+P & ‘handling’. Done 25/26 of last month.. & I’m being very good… I’m being adult & not installing OSX & then sorting out the problems later -!
I’m just waiting – I’m BEING PATIENT! gah! Most unlike me & ‘new toys’. Excuse me while I just go & sulk in the corner for 5 minutes…

Heh… While Jack was on holiday the other week it was ‘photo’ time at playgroup. Someone comes around to take those ‘your child (nearly) smiling photos’ like the ones they take in schools. All the brood went to have their picture taken. Louise was a bit worried how the photo would turn out, as Eve was a bit nervous of it all. It has turned out very well! We have an adorable photo of the three of them sitting in a row – smiling (well – Jude is more quizzical & Eve’s smile is not carefree – but Jack is on full ‘charm offensive’).

Oh, my brother & Jess are hopefully dropping by this weekend – it will be good to see them – it would also be good if I could get in touch with him to figure out what his plans are… but those are just details.
We’ll then have Caroline coming to visit in a few weeks as well if things work out. We are a bit ‘socially booked’ at weekends at the moment… weird.

Power cut this morning – I feel grecky as the hot water although gas, is dependent on electricity. Bah. Still – it was a novelty of sorts.
Got me new glasses yesterday! I can see everything crystal clear. My eyes were not enjoying it that much yesterday & my head & eyes feel a little dull this morning; that’s probably through sleep drought.
Giving up typing this morning for the more passive activity of sleeping. I feel I need to.

Hah – this machine would hardly work this morning (the eMate on which I type) as I’d filled it so with all my waffling. I deleted a stack (to free up the memory stack). I’ll concede I need to look at deleting some apps I don’t really need either.

On Friday last week they came to fit the new windows in our house. They took just the one day to do it. They did rather a good job. It’s all rather gratifying. I was sceptical about moving to PVC double glazing, but it has made quite a difference to the aspect of the rooms – they seem much more light & airy without the heavy coloured wood of the previous windows. The Kitchen door is rather pleasant as well. We have not done the windows in there as we are looking to change the room round before we do that – but the door is such an improvement. We decided to have a big window on the door to let in more light & it works a treat.

Been quite a good weekend. Jack’s was a bit cocky on Saturday, but we put that down to the fact that he refused to have any breakfast. By the time we were going out he’d got himself cranky (& was demanding food – but we were going out!). Got present for Leila’s birthday party – forgot most things – back home & off to the party in the pouring rain. We arrived half an hour late, but it was the best we could manage & it was to little ill effect. Jack was not keen to join in musical bumps & other party games. Whether this was because we were late or because… it’s not what he likes (not a great one for competition sometimes – he comes over shy all of a sudden) I don’t know. He was happy enough to join in hide & seek & run around like a mad thing though. I wheezed about the place a bit as i had forgotten to bring my inhaler. I’ve been more reliant on it the last week after hardly using it for ages. I have a cough. Got soaked on the way home as the rain was even worse. Paced quite well as not to get too out of breath though.

Took Jack swimming on Sunday morning. He’s starting to have lessons – this being the second now. He really, really likes going swimming. He enjoys himself to the extent where he doesn’t really listen to the instructor sometimes. I have to strain my ears to listen to what she is saying. Did backstroke & practiced getting legs straight & kicking well – which Jack managed fine. I seem to recall that I was happier swimming on my back to start with. I never was that coordinated & it’s nice & simple on yer back. That breast stroke… eesh – all those odd arm & leg movements.

Off to Leeds for the afternoon – & pottered about very easily. Pleasant bit of consumerism & then home. Yeah – that went well.

Blurg boogle bliuh nurgah.
brabinb no want work.