Archives: eve

Naaah

It doesn’t look like I’ll polish off that room this week. I took a night off & did no decorating last night. I decided that I wanted to put up a ZUM!& review… so I did. We also have Caroline coming up from London to visit us – which will be good! It would be a bit rude of me to do the decorating while she is here tho…

Eve woke at about 10:20 late night – rather upset. She has not woke at this time for quite some time (she sleeps rather well for at least the first 4 hours of the night, as does Jack). She would not settle either, so Louise took over comforting, & still she would not settle. It’s a bit distressing when this happens, as there is plainly something amiss. She was not comfortable… Stomach ache – possibly just trapped wind though as she did a few class farts. It did take her just over an hour to settle down again. She went off to sleep in our bed, me already drifting off & Louise trapped in her daytime clothes as she was not going to let her go. There was no recurrence in the night, so we can but hope that it was wind, & she is over that. She has got some ‘bug’ at the moment as she threw up her tea again last night. It would have stayed down save for the fact that Jack upset her again, & her upset spiralled into distress & puke. This has happened a few times of recent… & Jack has been warned about such foolish behaviour at teatime. Teatime is not going as smoothly as we would like at the moment. It did not help that I was very late home yesterday… the trains going a bit pooh on me, & all that.

Been messing about with this part of the site – the diary – when I’m supposed to be whipping myself over sorting out the ZUM! stuff… Still, I’m quite please with all my messing about. The code for the pages is a damn site better/cleaner & It’s good practice. I should start doing the same with the ZUM! site. Plans… plans…

Jack asked Louise yesterday if there was anyone on the plane? It’s not like he has seen pictures on the television or anything. We are worried at this age the glamorisation of such an event would take precedence over the reality of it. Talking of that… I managed to catch a few moments of early evening ITV news, & while there was some meaningless news waffle they showed pictures of the second plane hitting the tower repeatedly from differing angles. Once or twice would have underlined the horror, but this was again, & again & again! If that is not glamorisation, I don’t know what is. Yes, anyway… I thought Jack’s question was very well… attuned. He has heard things on the radio (as we have Radio 4 on the background most all the time) & may have heard the teachers talking bout it at lunchtime, from what Louise gathers. Anyway, Louise was a little taken aback by this question, but gave a very good answer of, ‘Yes, & there were people in the building too’. To which Jack seemed sated in terms of curiosity.

Eve is comprehending books more. To start with she really got fixated on books illustrated by Stephen Cartwright as he puts a little duck or something on each page, & Eve would want to look at these books to find the duck, or as she says “Wack-wack!”. Louise says that she’s heard that this is a good 1st step in reading… heard somewhere that academics say that encourages the child to look for patterns, or some such. Now we have a ‘Goldilocks & the 3 bears’ illustrated by this fella & Eve blows the hot porridge & empathises with the baby bear when his chair is broken (“Daddy fix it” says Louise). An interesting development – empathising with the book.

Jack’s writings

Jack’s house (school picture)

Did I get any decorating done last night? Did I chuff! I did ‘play’ on the computer though. Got a nice chunk of redesigning the bits behind this page done*. Rejigged it so that it is better HTML & uses CSS so that it’s… well, basically better code & easier to ‘administrate’. Not seemingly a lot of good, but it’s a pride thing. I’d been playing with icab as a browser again. It’s a nice little thing, but if a page has ‘bad’ HTML coding it has a little icon of a ‘smiley face’ on the menu bar that goes red & unhappy. I thought I’d cheer it up. There’s still a <strike> code in the August page which I want to keep – so it’s only moderately happy there.

Louise & I were chatting about how well the kids are doing at the moment. She’s chuffed at the was Jack has settled into the school routine so well. I don’t really get that much of an impression on how he is doing, as, I guess Louise gets the detail off him. He did say to me that they had done ‘curly c’ yesterday, but then he knows most of his letters now. The social side of things is enjoyed. They played out 3 times yesterday…

Eve seems to be coming on very well with her language. Louise says that they chat most of the day, so I guess that she would. She says Eve’s ability to copy words is impressive. When talking of colours (which she does not quite ‘get’ yet) she repeated “bluey-green” after the one speaking. Not a useful word, but quite a complicated one. Eve is picking up on singing as well. ‘Wheels on the bus’ was sung yesterday & Eve joined in & may well have been singing it afterwards to. She does sometimes break into a rendition of ‘Twinkle Tinkle Little Star’ but only a few phrases. As we were doing the bed time routine yesterday, I was having difficulty concentrating on reading to Jack as I was listening to the conversation Louise & Eve were having as she tried to persuade her that she should go into her cot.
A lot of replies from Eve like, “No bed”, “No Cot” & even a “No thank you”. Choice was not really an option in the end, & she did go in her cot with the minimum of complaint (crying about the injustice of it all).

*original html based diary pages

i am special …say it every day

Hectic couple of days at work & home, so travelling home today is my 1st writing time. My fault for trying to do too much at home. Been actually starting to write some comic reviews again, & although they are not fully formed enough for ZUM! as yet, I thought I’d bat them off to a review zine in the states. Dunno what will come, but why not thinks me. I was too late to bed last night, so have a ‘background’ headache now, due to tiredness.

Jack’s 1st day at school went well, according to reports, although he was a little tired. He was lying on the sofa watching “The Travelling Thornburys” (my favourite cartoon at the moment) when I got home. Louise says that she was worried how he’s be when he came out from school – overexcited or whatever, but he was happy & placid. He had a good day at school, likes his teacher, & had some stories & … well, rather enjoyed it. It’s not really as if the surroundings are unfamiliar as it is the same school as he has been attending ‘nursery’ school at. He is now in what is termed ‘reception class’.

Louise didn’t tell me how leaving him there was, but then, as said, this is just next from nursery. The school day started later yesterday, but it was a normal start time this morning, which may have been more difficult. Everyone was asleep in the house as I left this morning. Hopefully everything went well, but Louise had go clothes, shoes etc all prepared the night before, so in theory everything will have gone smoothly.

It was just Louise & Eve yesterday, & Louise said that Eve did not stop talking & noise making all day.. well, we knew she was loud, but I guess that Jack has also been around masking the noise she makes on her own. She had fun by the sound of it – playgroup & more attention to just her. Heh… there’s girl about Eve’s age, with an older sister about Jack’s age. She was there at playgroup, & when she say Louise & Eve – she greeted them as Jack. It seems as she likes Jack, both Eve & Louise also must be called the same.

Jack was a bit difficult at tea time yesterday, as he can be sometimes. He did not want to come to the table to eat, so we didn’t bother trying to force the issue. He was mean to his sister when she had finished, a lego dispute again – he was trying to build something & she pinched a brick, that was either next to or part of his construction, he hit her, she got so upset she ‘lost’ her tea… so, effectively none of them had a tea, really. Jack did not get a tea after that mayhem. All calmed & cleaned up reasonably quickly, but it is especially disheartening for Louise when that happens as she spends this time cooking the meal, only to have it all messed up. Nice meal too – a new sweet & sour… Hey ho…

Dad called last night for ‘tech support’ on his computer. It seems, as he is entirely new to a windows or generally GUI interface, he was a bit rash with the left & right clicking, & somehow ended up getting too high a monitor resolution. He got it back to normal eventually in ‘Safe Mode’, but it took a few goes, & we also installed the printer drivers so that he could do what he wanted to do. Quite good to get that bit sorted – next to get him online!

Jack was still in this ‘at odds’ mood yesterday.  Louise was
saying that  he was trying to bait Eve, by playing with things
that she wanted to play with – thus not giving her much of a look
in.  She however if far more effective at teasing him then he
her.  Especially at the moment when he is so ‘fragile’. For
instance, trains again:  he is paying with his trains &
she walks up & pick one of the ones he is playing with. 
He immediately erupts in complaint – loud & near tearful. 
She regards him a moment & casts the train down 
again.  I’ve seen her do this a couple of times.  If Jack
does this to Eve, it’s 50/50 as to whether she will react or
ignore… actually, it’s probably more likely she will
ignore.  Jack does not seem to have the upper hand in this
‘game’.  Episodes of snatching & howling do occur
though.  We have a brio-esque wooden train track & trains
& have recently got a couple of battery operated engines to go
with it (one actually Brio branded – lummy!).  Last night they
tried to play with them, but… Jack had it in mind that he wanted
all the trains…  It all got very loud, & ultimately, as
Jack was incapable of sharing, the battery engines were taken
away.  Choices or sharing or removal were given, but
ignored.  Cautions were given – but shouted replies, &
ignored – so they had to be put away.  Jack was rather
inconsolable for a bit, but after the excuse of going for a wee
& therefore removed from the room he calmed quickly.  He
was too upset to go to the toilet himself – wanted Louise to carry
him, but she was too tired to take him upstairs… He did not want
me to take him to the toilet, so it ended in the compromise of me
hoisting the wailing boy up the stairs (I jumped him up – dropping
his feet onto each stair – which altho upset amused him) &
Louise taking him to the toilet.
Ah, the things parents do… But as Louise pointed out later –
these things seem trivial to us, but in his world view, where he
has so little control, such things feature large.
Jack does seem to have reached another level of ‘conscious’… He
seems more aware of his surroundings… He is certainly getting
very interested in writing, & will sit writing out words. 
He will ask how you spell a word, & you have to verbally spell
it out so he can write it down.  The results are sometimes a
little odd, but sometimes also rather impressive (from a proud dad
perspective).  Having taken longer on forming letterforms he
also sometimes slows down with his drawing & is taking more
care on what he does – resulting in some rather good drawings
too.  I am too aware that I have the potential to become a
pushy parent with drawing, so I just let him do what he wants.
Eve is eating loads at the moment & growing with it. She seems
to have gone through one of those moments when you realise that she
is a larger version of her former self.  In many ways – since
she has been walking, she has changed little, but such things are
subtle, as I’m sure she’s changed a great deal in reality.  As
enthusiastic as ever & loud, but uses more words (vocabulary
gradually expands).

One day on & weekend!
Yesterday all went to plan, excepting that everything took a lot
more waiting around than the last time Louise went. That was a
little boring. Still, it was very nice to wake, on a weekday, after
7:30. Sometimes at a weekend, such a time is a rarity.
Louise, Eve & i caught the bus to Burley in good time. Jack
& his Grandma had already set off for a day out in Shibden
Park. Jack won the debate on whether to go via train or bus to
Halifax.
Last time Louise had a scan she says that there was hardly anyone
else about. Yesterday was a bit crowded. They had a lot of people
to get through, but still insisted on not being hurried,
consequently, as mentioned, everything took a good while. Eve was
very good. Probably enjoying the novelty of not having to compete
with Jack for attention. We did not get a snapshot of the scan this
time, but it was good to see the little thing wriggling in Louise’s
tum. Eve was a bit quite when we all trooped into the darkened room
& Louise got onto a bench to have the scan… but that could
have been due to the curious circumstances she found herself in.
Over all too quick & off to another waiting room so that Louise
can see the midwife & get the results of the blood test from
the previous visit. Fortunately there’s a creche room off that
waiting room, so Eve & I spent our time there… which was
quite the longest wait we’ve had to put up with visiting that
place. Eventually Louise had her 10 mins with the midwife. She had
a very good iron count, which was a relief. They usually put her on
awful iron pills which ‘does wonders for’ her digestion. Curiously
it when the recent stomach bug was mentioned, the reation was, “Oh,
that one that you think has gone away, but comes back again?” So,
they’ve had a few people with it. Enough to be as common place as
to be given that description. It make you wonder how common this
‘bug’ is on a wider regional/national level.
Shop, cafe, home. Jack & his Grandma having just beaten us
home, but not by that much fortunately.
All in all very pleasant. A bit of a cursive version of events
from me there, but bugger it.
Louise did some baking in the evening. Some very nice ‘everything
in’ muffins (they taste yummy). Her cousin Michelle is dropping in
for a visit. She also has 2 kids, both born within a month of ours.
It’s been a good while since they last got together – so long so,
that I don’t think Eve & her youngest have met. I think it’s
likely that I will miss it all though, as I cannot see everyone
still being there by the time I get home.

Louise reports that Jack was in a better mood all day yesterday. He
woke up with a giggle, mainly as he & Eve were in the same bed
together & woke about the same time. Eve’s fist words were,
“Daddy gone work!” & she got out of bed & trotted down the
landing.
Thunderstorms woke him this morning at 5:10. Quite dramatic
rumblings, & as the windows are a little open overnight, so the
sound of pouring rain was quite loud as well. He drifted off to
sleep again, which surprised me a little as he does find storms
exciting, but woke again just as I was about to leave for work. I
left him downstairs watching “The Hoobs” & he was worried about
me going, advising that I should not in case it storms again. Well,
looks like I might get wet on my arrival at Manchester this morning
at this rate, but I may get lucky.
Eve stirred before I got out of bed this morning. She did not wake
or anything, but she was disturbed by her tum which let out a
surprisingly loud growl of hunger for one so small.
How’s your stomach this morning Paul? …Not quite right, but not
really wrong. Seems caution is the byword.
A day off work tomorrow! Quite a relief really, as it’s been a tad
busy of recent. Louise is due her 2nd ante natal scan. Jack is due
to stay at home with Louise’s mum & Eve, Louise & me are
off to the hospital. I have a nagging feeling that it may end up
that we all go, which would be bad for Louise’s nerves, & thus
blood pressure – which she will be aware they will be measuring,
& will be worried about & thus her blood pressure will be
higher etc.
I look forward to following Eve round the corridors of the
hospital as she explores what it is all about, as I did with Jack
when Eve was being scanned. Louise might frown at me again for
being a ‘silly daddy’.

After Friday’s final fling of being held to ransom by my tum, it
seems I finally have shaken this bug. Although still cautious in
what I eat, I have had no real return to pain. Louise is still
suffering a bit – yesterday even say another bout of discomfort for
her, but hopefully she will also be better too… phew! She is
worried that the kids may have/get it, but it is really difficult
to say. Eve for instance was off her food, doing more poohs &
slightly more irrational yesterday – but whether she has this
stomach bug or what is impossible to say. She was off food etc
about 5 days before I came down ill as well. She being only 21
months, it’s hard to be definitive about anything she might be
feeling. She has started bad habits though. Biting her fingernails
& picking/biting her toe nails. It’s when she’s exited &
being read to, & there’s no other outlet for this energy that
she has to get out (supposition). She & Jack have also started
what can only be described as brawling. Hitting in general is
instigated by her, but usually at aggravation at having something
she is playing with taken from her or Jack crowding in too close.
She stands up & bats hi on the head. Reasonably harmless most
of the time, but enough excuse for Jack to retaliate if he is also
feeling aggrieved. She will also do it when she has something in
her hand as well – which can actually hurt him. He might respond
by, well, basically flopping over her & pinning her to the
floor, tickling her or some such… which she giggled about. Hardly
a recipe for stopping her doing that… Hey ho. There is also a
crawl over Eve game he like to play. Again flopping/crawling over
her. Yesterday evening they both decided to be cats saying (Eve
Shouting as her volume control is not subtle) “Meeow”. Both on
hands & knees crawling along, except Jack crawls over the top
of her. It can then develop into a rough & tumble. To be honest
there seems little that you can do especially when both are
laughing, except try to voice our displeasure/annoyance at this
sort of activity. Sigh… it’s all part of growing up. Being the
younger brother in my family it’s something that niggles if I think
about it too much.
Miserable rainy day yesterday. I did not get out, but curiously I
did end up doing the decorating in our (to be the kids) room. The
kids were there as well, & apart from the ‘no, don’t touch
that’ factor Jack was very very good with the whole experience.
Wanted to help, but managed to restrain himself from ‘helping’. Eve
rumpled some pasted wallpaper that was to be hanged as she passed
the pasting table. She had no idea that that would be/was any
problem, & I was just thankful that she got no paste on
herself. Looking at my handiwork later I was not that impressed.
Looked like I managed to miss a fair few air bubbles, but on the
whole, it’s a damn site better than some of the wallpapering we
inherited with the house & if I’m lucky a lot of it will calm
down when it’s dried properly. Still got more walls to do & we
really do need to get the room sorted, so I will have to buckle
down & not worry about every blemish an the wall that needs
smoothing. Just make sure it’s sound & get it finished!
My – it is nice to feel normal again. I did not get what I would
consider to be my full sleep last night, but I still feel better
than I have for a good long time.

Well – I felt better all yesterday, until I got home, & had
some crumpets for tea – at which point I felt grotty again. Might
have been nothing to do with the crumpets though as I had been
dashing around manchester for an hour after work doing a little
shopping. Could not get half of what I had intended, but that’s
what shopping is all about. Might have been that I had exhausted
myself a bit. On the whole today has been steady again. Louise was
OK yesterday; just hungry, but she said that if she has been
flailing about after the kids a lot she feels worse… so, perhaps
it’s a similar thing.
Both kids were awake before I left for work this morning. Just one
of those things, I guess. I had the door to to upstairs closed
& heard footsteps above. When I opened the door, Eve, who was
at the top of the stairs let out a little happy shout. She &
Louise then came downstairs. I carried Eve down & she hung onto
me for quite a bit. Heh – it’s funny the way she pushes your
shoulders to get you to point in the right direction. Jack used to
do that as well. He also will occasionally try to steer my head
when he is sitting on my shoulders, but I will have none of that.
He is getting rather heavy for shoulder carrying at the moment, but
it’s where he likes to be when I’m around. I guess as he gets older
I will get more used to the weight. I hope he is out of the habit
by the time he’s 21.
Jack woke as well, as I said. He gave me a very big hug as I
picked him off from the top step. He wanted to know if I was on
holiday as he hardly ever awake to see me before I leave. Ah, would
that were the case.
He did see me after I had set off to work though as when I got to
the train station this morning, I realised that not only had I
picked up my house keys but also Louise’s. Had to go back. Jack was
in the bedroom window as I came up the road home, & I watched
him do a double-take & fix himself to the window watching me.
As all were upstairs I shouted up the stairs to Louise as to what I
was there for – so that she could tell Jack, so that he would not
wonder what the heck I was doing. Had to catch the later train, but
was still the 1st in & in on time. (Blasted work
ethic.)

(Workward train)
Well, that didn’t work yesterday. The Ricicles I had for breakfast
had vengeance & caused considerable pain. I lasted until @
10:30 before I concluded that work just was not … working, &
left for home. Got an appointment at the doctors & found that
there is in fact a bug doing the rounds in town & I am yet
another victim. No real mention of what it actually is, but stay
off solids, drink frequently & have some paracetamol &
another tablet to keep stomach acid down… sigh.

(Homeward train)
Hmmm thinking about it, I seem to have 30 days worth of
prescription… I sincerely hope that this is precautionary. I
would rather not live on fluids only for a month!
So, there is no other diagnosis than ‘bug’. You have to wonder
from where you’ve caught it. Well – the kids were off food for a
period last week & Eve had a particularly bad day last Thursday
(Louise confirms that as the day she did rather a lot of nappys).
They are better now, I am on day 4. So did I catch it from them…?
I dunno really. I’m inclined to think not. The lads in the office
are not enthused by the thought I have a ‘bug’. Cotangent? Who
knows… heh – well, we’ll find out, I guess. If everyone else if
off, then that might force some reappraisal of the staffing levels
we currently suffer work under.
Today’s been one of those days – as we have ceased an old phone
number – where I constantly put the phone down & immediately
pick it up & also every so often have my ear chewed by an irate
customer. sigh.
As I managed to get home early yesterday & Louise was out with
the kids for a bit, I managed to get some time for potentially
useful things – which I filled with sleeping. I had terrible
gut-rot remember? When Louise got back I was a little surprised to
see that she had no Jack. This was a relief really as I was as well
not having him there to crawl over me. When Eve woke she did her
best at that, but was not so difficult (or heavy) as Jack in that
respect. I was able to loll on the sofa for the most part.
Jack had gone off with Leila & her mum & dad) for the day.
Leila lives a fair bit further from the centre of town than we do
& was apparently missing the lack of social activity from
school. When Jack came back he was happy & Leila said that she
did not want him to go (aw!). All was amicable tho on leaving – no
protestations & Leila’s mum said that Jack had been as good as
gold.
The kids have had haircuts recently by the way. Eve has had her
1st haircut – which was really just a fringe trim. She needed it
really as her fringe was forever getting in her eyes. Having a
straight fringe is odd though. It changes the aspect of her face a
little. She is still a pretty little thing, but her mischeviousness
is even more evident. It shines through those grins of her even
more.
Being off in the afternoon also gave me leave to read the
newspaper. There were articles on child safety & parental
supervision. There has recently been a court case in the UK where
the parents of a girl who was killed (with her friend) playing on a
railway were found guilty of her manslaughter due to ‘gross
negligence’. This has sparked a few articles hand wringing on the
subject. It makes you more paranoid. At the moment Jack is enjoying
a certain amount of freedom on his bike. Just round the back street
& cul-de-sac where we live, but nonetheless he is not visible
to us at all times. He is usually with the other kids who are on
their hols at the moment – most of which are older than he (up to
at least 9 years for one of the girls, I guess). They seem to look
after each other well, but occasionally Jack will come back crying
(usually as he has fallen over). The thing is, you ask yourself,
“Am I supervising him enough?”. Well, no in that you do not now
exactly where he is (but you do basically) & yes in that you
are assured he is basically safe. It would be foolish to be
‘spying’ on him all the time as the other kids (& he) would
resent the intrusion, but kids are kids – so the compromise has to
be to just ensure you eyeball him every so often to ensure that you
know what’s going on. The balance between freedom &
responsibility – eek!