Monthly Archives: February 2009

Been reading a bit recently, rather than typing & I know I’ve not ‘posted’ owt for some time, therefore all is behind… I am slack, I am remiss – I’ve enjoyed reading.

Half term holidays last week & the kids were… themselves… noisy, boisterous & demanding & drove Louise a little nutty.. And she’s not been able to get out to even do some shopping (not that grocery shopping is what might be called ‘fun’, but it’s a change of pace). Still there have been better bits & all that, so I shouldn’t paint a monochrome picture.. They did manage to get all down to the park one day – that’ll be easier as the year progresses… it’s a little less hospitable in February.

At work… Well… We did get a visit from our new overlords last week… Delayed from 2 weeks past due to snow & … er… weather or whatever. No pronouncements yet, & little progress. As expected they’re not so impressed with our customer database that might require a little ‘normalisation’ here & there. Naturally I hate Sage & naturally I’ve been handed a wodge of stuff from ‘aged debt’ to see how valid it all actually is? On top of everything else I do this seems that my progress on this one may be …limited. I have advised this & been told that I should try to get the other lads to help.. which I’ve said would take better people management skills than I have… essentially I know the response – I’ve tested the water & as thought I’ve been told I’m a fool for ‘taking it on’ – therefore enrolling them of a ‘fools errand’ that I’ve been set seems an argument I can’t win.

Train on time shocker.

Not been typing much this week because… well the train was late, (it gets crowded) there was something to read, that sort of thing.

So that weekend past – what was that about? All very low key really – not much a doing as we didn’t have a game plan to be heading out for some reason or another, therefore, it was a ‘staying at home’ weekend.. There was no real snow to add to the general excitement, excepting that empty promise that fell Sunday afternoon & evening & all but vanished by Monday morning (poor Jack). Actually, all but Jack & I are fed up with snow. I’d quite happily see more & Jack actively wants more. Jude was never a bit fan to start with, Louise likes the idea of it to start with, but quickly gets fed up of its presence, Eve got bored of being wet & cold, but enjoys it really, & Esme, well – she’s be happy whatever it did, so long as there was opportunity for play.

Jack’s been getting up a little earlier in the mornings to catch the school bus rather than the service bus, He catches the service bus up to Walsden though, so that he has a chance of getting a seat on the school bus (it gets a bit full by the time it reaches Tod). Not sure of the change of heart – I think he’s wanting to be a little more social…

Um…

Oh, I guess our new overlords are coming into the office today (delayed from last week). I guess we might get a feel for things, but I’ve know this year meant change in some form… I’m not sure in what form, but ( know that my job is not safe, in that it is not going to exist as it is at present… It’s what they decide to do, & what I decide I can do. I know it’s impracticable to move down south – it would be too great a wrench, we wouldn’t be able to sell the house, we couldn’t move Jack from this school (I don’t think there’s anything in the state sector down their way that comes close) .. So, their stated desire to centralise their resources are at odds with the limitations of our lives. A year of change…. I really don’t see the point of worrying about such things though, a bunch of homilies come to mind, but I cannot dread change – it should at lest be interesting.

Been a tiring week – work wise I’m still floating backwards while paddling all I can – but then that is not an actual change; just the usual for me. There are the days when there’s less paper on my desk, but usually there’s more; I try to do too much. It gets me a bit down at times (like yesterday) but on the whole I remain ambivalent enough about it to not get to me; the work ethic thing in me is quite strong – who knew?

I didn’t take Jude back down to bed & try to assuage whatever worries he has last night because I couldn’t. I don’t remember when he started this now, but it seems to have been a nightly ritual for too long now. He did come up – he muttered something to me & lay down on the cushion by the bed, but I was incapable of rousing. Louise was woken & she decided to go to the toilet, so Jude followed her downstairs & got into bed Hm – I hope he’s OK… Sure to be – probably went to sleep a charm or something.

Jack got his mp3 payer yesterday – I managed to get another for him (because I’d grown rather attached to this Lplayer) – he now has a not so wee thing that has a pop-out speaker at the back – which I though was more appropriate for his needs. The other 2 have wee memory stick things – not by any rate as fancy as what Jack has, but they need something as a way of satiating them when they discover the one that Jack’s using, Eve almost rumbled it yesterday (Jack is not as discrete as he could be because he’s excited to have it, so I don’t blame him).

Esme seems chipper now – she had a sleep yesterday morning – didn’t go to playgroup & that sort of thing; rested as best Esme is able (active fidget). Listening to N.A.S.A track Money bemoaning money being the root of all evil – why does no one remember it’s the love of money that’s the root of evil, not the money in itself…. It’s an important distinction & singing it wrong in a catchy tune… ah well – I sound a fool – it’s a catchy tune & the phraseology doesn’t flow with the distinction. Meh.

I’ll have to give Jack this MP3 player soon anyway.. Hey ho – it’s been good while it lasted.

Yes anyway it’s been snowing – great fun. I dipped off early to ensure I could pick the kids up from school – Louise didn’t want to be taking Esme down to school (or facing some barrage of bemoaning from Jude) . Jack didn’t go to school yesterday; he’ set off good & early & was waiting up Walsden way when a 6th former & mother in car pulled up in a car to advise that the school was closed. He called Louise to report in, she called me checked the school website & Jack was already healing back. Perhaps the buses decided that it wasn’t possible or something. It’s a bit worse (the snow) over Halifax & Huddersfield way (over a couple of big hills).

Jack had a good day.

Jude & Eve had to go to school – the only way that Louise could get Jude to go was not in uniform… Which was OK, because the school ended up going to the park to do sledging. If you didn’t have a sledge you could use a black plastic bag. I think they had fun – Eve said she did… Jude was less committal – he has to keep up this pretence of not liking the snow. He doesn’t like the cold & wet that’s true, but he does concede that it’s pretty. When I met him at school he asked where Louise was – mentioned that Esme was not so well today .. [pause] “Ah, that’s why she wasn’t there at dinnertime” (dinner playtime when Louise would be taking Esme to playgroup for the afternoon) [pause…. pause…] I’m not feeling very well…” I grinned at him & admitted I expected as much. He gave me his sheet of homework & dashed off to ‘the cage’ to slide about & throw snowballs.

Went out & made a snowman when we all got home. Took a while as I need a lot of snow, me. I was a target for Jack & Ethan & Aden for a bit that was tiresome every so often, but I did retaliate every so often, which was tantamount to encouragement. Ethan amused me for a while after I managed to hit him… He didn’t like being caught by a snowball (I made him cry), so although he wanted to join in with Jack he didn’t want me retaliating, so he’d come up to me & throw a snowball about an inch & then in a deadpan voice say, “Oh dear” & bemoan his lack of ability. I did help him out later when the cold sensation of snow in his boot caused him distress (he thought it akin to pain – possibly a little Aspergers coming to the fore) only to have Aiden dump my snow stash on me head as I was helping Ethan put his boot back on. Not only did I get a bit down the back of my neck, but had to empty the boot out again. I didn’t ‘get’ Aiden back I could have & I made a half hearted attempt, but it would be unfair, really.

Got the snowman finished.

Another weekend that went quite well, really…

Saturday was an easy day – no ambitions to be out & about & no deadlines nor urgencies; so that was all right. I had to go out for the shopping & I took Jack with me. He still doesn’t know we have a new mp3 player for him, so I get to play with it for now. I’ll get that bit of Elgar on there for him by the time I hand it over, now. Might have to delete some of the more esoteric stuff off there – not sure what he’d make of Atom ^TM ….

One thing I didn’t do over the weekend was obsess about removing blue lines from those ‘eight’ comic panels that I scanned – need to scan the last page that I’ve drawn as well… Well, I didn’t stress over the weekend.

Esme slept in a little on Sunday morning – didn’t wake up until 08:20 – most unusual for her. Jude was awake at sevenish & Louise got up to see to him. I don’t think he will have twigged the time, he was on his usual complaints about not feeling so good & not being able to get back to sleep… This would usually be the time he gets up though… So anyway that left me to a lie in, lucky me.

I went out to get some extra bread & I only got crust before it was all gone. Louise reminds me that we’re getting to the point where 2 loaves are more appropriate… And it was Eve was good enough to share half a sandwich with Esme who was throwing a wobbler because there wasn’t enough for another sarnie for her… butterbroat. Jack had some German to learn. He’s doing OK on all that, still – although I do have a ‘back of the brain’ panic that he’s being neglectful of something which will come back to bite him on the bum… but as yet it’s not happened this term – so all good. He was up & setting off with me this morning… He’d been getting a later bus, but I think he wants to start being more sociable in the mornings again. He was also awake early because of the snow – it excites him (naturally).

Went to Hebden Bridge yesterday to see Inkheart. As an OK film – enjoyed it enough & was entertained, but couldn’t help feeling there was a little something missing… I get that a bit with films nowadays, it seems – there’s a some essential ingredient missing for me – some subtle tangent absent; shame. Met up with Louise’s mum, (it wasn’t a film I could take Esme in comfortably PG) Esme was being a right daddy’s girl & gave a little beal when we went into the cinema, but was apparently fine & dandy as soon as she settled into having 2 adults undivided attention.

Jude was a little better at settling. We’ve figured that giving a small dose of Piriton before bed seems to have a good effect. I suspect it’s a good portion of placebo, but all for the better. He still had a moan about not feeling so good & not being able to fall asleep, but still does so, & without so much fuss as the beginning of last week. He was woken in the night this time – Esme woke up feeling ill & Eve (sensibly) told her to go to the bathroom & then up to us – she did & I had to dash back down with her to let her be sick in the sink, poor thing. I wonder what that’s about? Hopefully it’ll just be a passing thing, not another bug.