Later in to work because I’ve left my keys there – not that work is starting earlier – reduced hours in place due to the festive season.

So – are we prepared?

Hm – well – that’s a little difficult to say.. I’d say yes.. but only provisionally. I’m not convinced & I’ve been sent out today with instruction to purchase other bits & bobs. At least I’ve basically finished struggling home somewhat overburdened with stuff that needed to be sneaked into the house while Louise is picking the kids up from school. Plans there weren’t helped by Jack, Jude & Eve being of ill. Esme was ill away from playgroup as well, but that’s less … well, less that being away from school. They’ve all had a nasty cough/cold/sore throat/fever/sicky combination with varying degrees of differing seriousness on each symptom. Louise & I have been a little off, but thankfully nothing as bad as they seem to have had. Louise took Esme to the doctors because it included night time fevers, and once past the receptionist firewall obfuscations the doctor was quite conciliatory & understanding that we’d bring her in with fever & cold symptoms (after everything)

We’ll see we’ll see…

Still to finish off wrapping (must remember more paper!) as there’s been quite a bit to do. Jack was muttering to Louise that he always seems to get books or some such. He does read voraciously… It is a good option (on the whole) but then I do understand because he’s a kid & it’s good to have frivolous toys & fun things. He does have.. well… at least one thing… um… Hmmm.

I’m aware that the blog thing has not been updated for a while. I’m concious – I’m aware – I’m… well, no – I’m not especially guilty. I’ve had time pushed from all quarters & I just shrug & continue as there’s no point in worrying about it as that would imply that I think there’s something unjust & unfair whereas that’s just the way things are at the moment.

Here are other things I should worry about as well, but I’ll have time later (maybe).

School nativity plays… Had to carry Jude down to school last night because he was adamant he didn’t want to go. Not very adamant though because he let me carry him (bit of a give away that). Eve couldn’t participate in her play because she’d been ill at home all day. She came along though as it’s not like she can stay at home on her own… Jude went into the class to change & get ready quite happily (so much for reluctance) & we settled down for the wait (20 mins in the hall while they got ready). They did fine with the play. Jude had his narrator’s part (3 narrators in all) & there was the traditional loud annunciation for which infants nativity plays are well known. Jude fluffed a line or 2, but did fine. His teacher though he was more nervous that yesterday when he was word perfect, but he was probably a tad more nervous because we were there (?) & he was also a bit tired (it takes t out of them a bit) I noted that he was giggling with narrator one (Rhapsody) from time to time as the play went on (the dropping nerves?). I took Esme home after the infants play – didn’t hang about for the Junior’s play because she probably would have fallen asleep during the longer play anyway… And Eve wasn’t in it anyway…

Not been typing for a while… Nothing wrong per se – I’ve just been preoccupied reading.

So… yes… writing…

Well – the days have passed as you’d expect them to – so no real revelations there: days are days no matter what spin you put on them.

But what has bee happening within those days?

I’m not sure, but I think I’ve been so lax that I didn’t mention hat we got up to on my birthday. Louise & I went to Leeds & did a little shopping. I got a couple of books (thanks to the present from my brother). Louise managed to get a couple of bit of clobber from Mark’s & Esme enjoyed the day (I think).

At the moment Esme is not so well.. Jude is getting a little better. Jack is over it & Eve seems to be coming down with the lurgy that’s been lurking around the family. I seem to have scraped through (but given that felt lousy a few weeks back I may have had it already I may have not quite so much escaped…) As Esme’s been very warm in the night Louise took her to se the doctor yesterday & it seems that it’s agreed that there’s something awry & they even conceded that as we ended up with the hospital bout over April that they quite understood Louise’s concerns (unlike the firewall receptionists who seem to think it their duty to use tactic to make you feel guilty or stupid for deeming it necessary to try to see a doctor). Esme has some antibiotics, so they must think there’s a bacterial element to this illness rather than it being just a virus.

Jack was off school the end of last week with this bug, Jude had Friday off (I think) & has had a racking cough that only abated yesterday. Louise is worried that Jude’s got skinny again. Unfortunately last night’s school nativity seems to have taken its toll on Eve. She complained of a headache & sore throat from the shouting & singing. This morning before I left for work she (she’s stirred n bed & asked for some more water because hers, “Tasted funny”) she was very warm & complained of a headache & sore throat. I suspect that if she’s not a lot better when she actually gets up that she’s going to find that Louise may keep her off school. Naturally this will cause problems getting Jude to school… He is a lot better though – he can’t hope to justify it.

Hopefully she’ll be back tomorrow as I’ve yet to sneak all the Christmas presents home from work. It’s daft – I can’t get them into the house when there’s anyone about, & next week they’re no longer at school.

We’ve also got a ridiculous amount of wrapping to do.

Other sparkling highlights missed out on are the fact that I redid the seal around the bath at last. Cleaning out the rabbit’s hutch with rabbit in situ (she doesn’t like getting out) She doesn’t seem to mind at all.

Fingers still returning to normal after making a snowman on the platform.

Naturally I’m feeling better today – not the bemoaning mutter of yesterday.

Jack was complaining this morning that it never snows at convenient times: he’s either having to go to school or go to bed.

Eve has ‘Star Of The Week’ in her class thus week for “not complaining”. There was some indecent in the playground where she was accidentally hurt & she was brave & stoic about it all (apparently). Ironic that she spent a good portion of the evening (when not playing) howling like a banshee about some injustice, discomfort or difficulty. Having said that she & Amber & Jude did play well together. Esme was louder with her complaints… I’d say she’s feeling better as she’s trying to assert her presence somewhat with various tactics… most of them noisy.

Jude was a little tired & hotheaded from time to time, but then that seems to be his nature at the moment… Ah, aside from flashpoints around tea he was fine.

Cold this morning & not feeling espcially inclined to type. Got a bit of a headache & my belly is not so happy. Am I excused?

Weekend was easy enough. We were going to go tot his Kidsfest thing down at the town hall & then onto Hebden for the Cinema, but Jude wanted to go down to the school open day (there would be face painting?) & in the end we did neither. We did get out to the cinema, but Louise discovered that she didn’t have her wallet at the bus stop, so had to go home & then was not inclined to chase after us. She was not going to see the film anyway, but would have searched for a winter coat for Jack.

The film was Igor. It was enjoyable enough, if a little unfocussed. Esme slept through the most of it.

Was a clearing up night the previous night as Esme was sick I her bed. Thankfully although it was pretty horrible for her (on the side o0f her face) it was not like some of the disasters the others had done & I was able to clear up quite effectively. No scrubbing carpets this time.

Sunday we pottered. Jude played well on his own after an our of self sustained Maths book practice (he wanted to do something in the Maths practice book) Esme went shopping with me (in her pushchair). Was happy & chatty & singing (good company) then handed me the bread she was eating on the way home, asked for her mittens & promptly fell asleep.

Last week… I was slack with the writing & I may well be again this week. I was reading Fortean Times last week, but I’ve nothing I especially have to read this week… Not sure – there’s a background lethargy on my part… sort of. Maybe it’s a craving for novelty & typing seems too much like what I said before… or maybe it’s the days drawing in & the cold seeming into the corners… That’s always a handy excuse his time of year (the desire for comfort).

So.. last week? There may well have been some notable things, but although I feel alert this morning there’s also the usual considerable for of my dull brain to scythe though…

So, this weekend? We set out to Keighley… which was just about right really – its a big town, but not a major conurbation in the terms of somewhere that flocks in the shoppers. It has its shopping centre & so forth, but I imagine many from Keighley choose to venture away from the town for weekend shopping jaunts. Good supermarket, wool shop, even a Woolies, a good crop of charity shops & that’s good enough for us. Stopped by the supermarket with the kids first; cafe food & some distraction & purchases fro the toy isle. My nerves got a little fraught from time to time. Jude wanted quite a lot & had to be talked back. Esme was skittish. Jack didn’t really want anything, but then pointed out a Jeremy Clarkson DVD from Louise with cars & explosions in it which was a little daft of him really as it’s just the sort of thing Louise disapproves of… No, he’s not having it. There was no locksmiths, which was a disappointment to Jude. Sainsbury’s is quite good for half price toys at the moment. If there was one more accessible I’d be tempted to try to do a little Xmas shopping.

That main bit done (Louise had been the the wool shop while I started them out at the cafe) we set out to do a little generic shopping.

Charity shops… We were due to go to a stationers, but Jude was satiated with a pad at the supermarket, so we passed that by. My hankering for a perusal had to fall by the wayside,.. shame… I do have to remind myself of a recent ebay purchase though… that should hopefully satiate this.. I’m hoping that will arrive by my birthday in a few weeks (as that’s sort of what ot is..) A shop or 2 in a locksmiths is spotted so I pop Into this poor fellah’s shop with a bunch of over excitables & ask for a couple of sets of our back door key. Jack needs one as he’s off to school al the time & on Wednesdays he’s home earlier & there’s a chance that there’s no one home when he arrives. It’s a Just in case thing really, but a necessity. Louise needs one, & I need one. I do not have a back door key though because Jude ‘needs’ one. He doesn’t use it as such; there’s no real necessity for him to be able to open the door, & indeed he does not take it out of the house as a rule. Still – Jude being Jude he ‘needs’ one. Hm. Therefore as Jack needs one I’ve been left without a back door key. Thus I was qute pleased to get a couple of back door keys cut: one for me & one for Louise (as hers is a little bent – leaving the bent one as a spare)

Jude starts bringing me keyrings in the shop. Jude likes keyrings. The one he seems to have set his heart on is a plastic ribbon style thig with, “Dad’s Keys” printed on them. I have 2 internal rejections of this; (aside from spending more money on him when he’s just had a car & some pads from the supermarket) ; that is that I don’t like this plasticated object & I wince at the printing thereon. I deny, he persists, I deny he persists, the keys are completed in the fastest possible time, I pay, Jude leaves , I leave, Outside Jude is beseeching to Louise, upset at the unfairness of it all. Denied, he turns & starts being a right pain in the bum. ‘Tape Loop’: “I want a Keyring, I want a keyring, I want…”