Work is too too busy. I don’t wanna play. Lots of grumpy people seeking voice to go on & on about the mail server not working proper the other day.
Still I travel to Manchester.

Eve was very difficult to get off to sleep last night & also seems to have had a poor night of it as well. She’s probably teething as she was chewing on a soft toy duck & my t-shirt shoulder as she was being read to for sleep. I think it was past 9:30 before I got both her & Jack off. I’m sure Eve being so fidgety helped Jack fight sleep. Most kids, if they get read to get a couple of Arnold Lobels’ Frog & Toad stories. They got 2 books worth & were still fighting on with drowsy heads. Once I’d separated them into their own beds they were asleep within 10 minutes.

Fuggy brain no wanna wake up 3 snooze rings before rising shower (at least didn’t drop soap & wake everyone).
Not really in the mood for typing. Not because I don’t want to, but i can’t think. Details of yesterday seem unattainable, like dreams after waking. There’s something there – what was it?

Louise is feeling better. Eve is coughing – but seems to be keeping food & drink in her stomach, at least. Jack was not so wild yesterday, so perhaps it was the boiled sweet he had, rather than he feeling ill. Loud shout from his room of “Mummy or Daddy!!!” this morning. A demand that one of us sleep with him. Louise had gone earlier, so as he managed to rouse me from slumber I dithered off down the hall.

OK – I missed yesterday. I was at home. I was not ill, but I don’t feel so bright today. Louise was ill. She would have coped, but for the fact that the cold she has probably is in her sinuses & getting at her inner ear – making it all rather painful for her. She had a good portion of sleeping done in the morning & was feeling a tad better. She was due a doctor’s appointment, but she cancelled. I stretched my credulity by pouring a drop of warm olive oil in her ear. Louise says that her mum used to do this when she was young, but I’m still not really sure on that. Jack’s behavior was not great yesterday. He did not get a good night’s sleep the night before (So neither did I) possibly because he was fretting over the fact that he was going to school in the morning -1st day back after the holidays. On the whole though he’s being annoying & provoking. Last time he was like this he was ill – so, I think we can take it that he is not feeling grand either. Eve is warm – she probably has a temperature, but is coping quite well with it all. She gets the occasional dose of paracetamol to keep her temp in check. She is not wailing as much as she would usually when ill though, or are we getting used to it? Jude is… Well – he’s a baby – there’s no particular trait that would indicate he is ill. His nose runs when he gets upset – there you go.

I was feeling a bit guilty for not going into work, as I know it’s mad busy. We have people phoning up to complain a lot as one of the 3 mail servers we run was down. I should bear in mind that there were 3 on & not just me on the phone as the day before though.

Well, at least I had Monday off.

A very low-key day yesterday. Carolyn (Louise’s chum) Paul & baby Katie came a visiting yesterday. We nearly said ‘don’t’ as Eve was ill the night before. She threw up her pasta from tea in the early hours & was running a temperature. She was quite a mess, but somehow Louise managed to prevent her making a mess of our bed & everything as well. In the morning she was pallid & gray 1st thing & Louise was ready to call off the visit, as if she was ill – then it would not be good to have Eve spreading such a thing to a younger babe. She perked up considerably after having some breakfast though – so the visit was still on. Jack had been looking forward to it their visit for some time – so was rather relieved. They enjoyed it, & seeing a 6-month babe made you realise that Jude is not that big after all. We were starting to think that he was starting to get big, but he looked all small again. Katie was 6 months that day. A happy little soul who can roll about. She rolls rather than crawls much as a method of propulsion. Jack & Eve were crawlers… well – actually, Eve spent little time crawling from what I recall – so determined was she to be on 2 feet that she was never truly proficient. Jack could crawl at one hell of a pace.

Heh… a piece of nice abstract understanding from Eve. I was changing her nappy & she noticed that she had the same design nappy as Jude (Same make) & she decided that I was putting on one of Jude’s nappies onto her. So, I play along a little & after the nappy was fitted, I asked her, “Is that comfortable Jude?”. She paused to think a minute… “Yes!” says she in a slightly squeakier voice (pretending to be Jude).

Playing cars yesterday afternoon with Jack. There’s a lot of crashing of goodie cars into baddie cars. This with the occasional looks at the television that had a compilation of MGM musical numbers on. We were hoping that there would be some ‘wizard of oz’ as that’s what was on the telly when I turned it on. He likes the tune “if ever and ever a Wiz there was the Wizard of Oz is one because, because, because… etc” – but he’s never really seen any of the film… It’s staring to take on mythic qualities… I hope he’s not disappointed when he does get to see it.

Trying to think why I was tardy in writing the end of last week… I might have been reading – there might have been trains without tables…
There were no trains on Friday at all what so ever. In the days of British Rail, if there were a train strike then all the trains would go. Nowadays – with competing train ‘companies’ a strike usually means I can still get the sparse service of another company (we being at the end of their reach into this ‘territory’ there are a couple of ‘turn back’ services a day, but no through runners’). Ah, but the shame, oh the shame, of the fact that both companies had a strike on Friday. I was forced to stay at home with the family :)
Got a little attic work done. More sanding, although this was curtailed by the auto sander packing up on me. Dunno why – it just stopped. The electric motor that runs it decided it didn’t want to play no more. It wasn’t like it was getting over heated or anything either…. Gah! Nevertheless, did get a good amount done before then. I’m now muttering to myself over the colour scheme I should use. I think, although I would like to go for a more daring warm purple for the woodwork, It will have to be a slate blue. I cannot see me doing the ceiling beams purple, & that means thinking of another colour to add to the balance, which won’t do at all.
We were discussing the problem with the chimney/roof & the leak up there somewhere. Now it has been dry for over a week we he suggested that he go up & have a look at it. I will not get onto the roof. I’m sure I could but I’d rather not dare to rationalise my vertigo. He had a good look & noted that there was some mortar, which was still damp – which seems odd. If I stand on a chair looking out of the velux window I can see it myself – so I took a couple of pictures with my digital camera. They are printed off now & Louise is going to call Jill to have a look at them, (or in fact the roof it self) to see if she thinks that this may be at the root of it all. It would be nice if it is – to finally get this all sorted. I worry now that the plaster may be afflicted to the extent that it needs to be redone. That would really be tedious (but hopefully covered on the insurance). Louise & I had a good ol’ chat about what we’d like to get done in the house. We would like to get the downstairs sorted out – kitchen & carpets – but we think that will have to wait another year. This year; window maintenance & painting the back room (as well at the attic). Louise has dangled the carrot of a CD writer for the completion of the latter…
Louise was not feeling well yesterday & was not really any better when I left this morning. She is worried that she has mastitis, but it may just be a cold as I have a few flu like symptoms as well (not as badly as poor Louise though). The kids seems basically OK as well – although there have been a few running noses etc to deal with.

The kids where in the front garden as I got home yesterday, so it seemed natural to do some gardening. We got some plants from our neighbour, Caroline, for Easter, & popped those in where I hope they will go well. Jack & I also set about trying to dig some of the moss from the beds. Its been trying to take over & makes it all look rather untidy. Jack does like gardening. It’s not just the mud (which seem to be Eve’s favorite) but the plants & the care as well.

Eve was ill again yesterday. Louise is worried that she has a milk intolerance (basically doe to the consistency of yesterday’s puke). It seems to have started all of a sudden if that be the case… She is reported as falling asleep twice during the day, & refusing medicine. Although, after tea, she did ask me if she could have some medicine -which I found worrying… Was she feeling poorly? I quizzed her as to where it might be hurting? Head? Stomach? She pointed to the back teeth in her mouth we know is teething at the moment… Hmmm… I really can’t conceive that all this disruption to her system is caused by teething.

Jude & I played ‘put the baby down/pick the baby up’ at bed time yesterday. Jack & Eve were asleep, & so (in theory) was Jude… So Pick Jude up to put him in the cot. He lays down fine. Put some books away… Snuffling noises – Oh, Jude’s got his eyes open & is waving indignant arms & legs. I picked him up & he’s a mad little boy, but hold him firm & he soon drifts off to sleep again (before we’ve made our way to the end of the hall). Delicately meander back to the bedroom & try to put him down. He detects the horizontal, so eyes are open once more, & protest starts. OK – back to shoulder …and hey, he’s asleep again… How does he do that? Different tack. Still holding at carrying height, I get him to the horizontal. Purses lips & relaxes again. Try to lower him into the cot… gently… slowly… head on the cot… let go of his bum so only my hand on the back of his head… slip my hand gently from the back of his head.. EYES OPEN!
Doh!
Start again.
All the above only more cautiously, but this time I keep my hands around his head… he holds onto my arm, but starts to relax & his arm drifts back… He has his face nuzzled into my palm, so gradually move. Not gradually enough – he starts to stir. Lean over right into him so that it might just give the impression I’m still holding him. It work – he relaxes again. Pull back again to the point where he release my arm & I can start moving my palm away again… ok – just a little further… Yes – he is asleep in the cot. YES! Pootle off switching the baby monitor on & triumphantly let Louise know that he’s asleep at last. Turn the monitor on downstairs – wait 2 minutes & dash back upstairs as I can hear him waking up again <sigh>. This time he’s not so easily tricked. He is mad at me & calm down won’t so easily when I pick him up. Bother. Louise comes up to announce that she’ll go to bed, & he can go in with her. It’s a good excuse to go to bed (she admits later) as she’s tired out anyway. By the time Louise is ready for me to pass him over he’s just about calmed asleep again – but what the hell – if he wasn’t with Louise he probably wouldn’t be happy. Some nights he’s compliant, some not.

What’s been happening of recent? Hmmm
The weather has been uncommonly pleasant – We’ve been playing out (the kids & I). Been enjoying the evenings. Jack has had the scooter out again. My parents gave him for his birthday last year, but Hamish fell off it & split his lip (falling on the wall?) so badly that he had to go to hospital to have a stitch or 2 in. Louise finally relented & let him play with it again. Initially in the front garden, as the space is limited to up & down the path. He then managed to bargain venturing out onto the street a little. He’s now tearing up & down the back street – with its moderately steep incline. He’s quite confident on it, & doesn’t fall off it much. Still – with one thing & another his shins are rather bruised at the moment. Dalmatian.
I did not go to work yesterday, as it was Good Friday. We went to Bradford & it was quiet; not a frantic push past the shoppers day. Nerves stayed intact. Rather enjoyed that.
Manchester arrives at the train again – darn it -sometimes I wish it would not keep running into this train. Perhaps the train will find somewhere more fun for me one of these days?

Eeee – it right feels like spring at last. Beautiful sunny (crisp cold) mornings. When I got home yesterday I played in the front garden with the kids for a good long time. Eve is a bit of a mud monster. Louise says that she’s definitely ‘her girl’ as she was a mud maniac when she was young. Hmmm – I did a comic strip about that once.

Did some rearranging of the back room over the weekend… Hmmm… I wonder if that added to the ‘unreality’ of that weekend. It really did fell like I would not have to go back to work this week… hey ho. Anyway – got some cardboard draws yesterday, in Manchester, & was surprised when I got home to have the opportunity to put them together – which I did. A further attempt to clear the clutter off those shelves into something more manageable. It’s getting there. Household clutter is something we will probably never win the battle against – but we will continue to try to make the whole thing more sane.
Jude was the only one awake as I left for work today. I carry him to my stomach/chest so that he faces out from me holding him with one hand round his chest & sitting on my other arm, so he can sit & watch the world as I walk about. There are certain things that he really seems to like. In the bathroom he is delighted to see the bottles on the shelf above the sink/below the mirror. In the back room downstairs, this morning he was most keen on the drawing board. It has some photos & pictures by the kids on it. There is also a rainbow – a few strokes of paint on a caved cut out paper, & he likes that quite a lot. He was also having a good chew on my thumb while we wandered about.

Jack is on holiday now. It did not feel right at all this morning going off to work. It had been a pleasant weekend & should well have carried on all week without me having to go to work. I should be at home with family… bah!
Didn’t do much typing while travelling last week as – well – I was reading & I was tired.
Jack was not sleeping well to the end of last week. He got a fever & was distinctly under the weather on Saturday. We were going to go to Bradford, but we scaled down to Halifax, & then opted to just stay in town & go the The Bear (veggie restaurant in town & highly recommended). Jack went in the pushchair, & just flopped when he arrived. Didn’t really touch his food & fell asleep on either me or Louise (in that order). Eve was happy – she is certainly back on form. There may be something going about & thus it was not just teething last week. Amber a couple of doors down had a temperature & was ill for a couple of days last week & her oldest brother was also (very odd for him) laid up in bed on Sunday.
Still – Jack was better again Sunday & we were able to pootle off to a party to which he’s been invited by his classmate Thomas. Quite good fun, although it was just enough distance away to leave me stranded there without anything to do. I was initially quite put out by this, as I forgot to take anything to keep me amused, like pen & paper for drawing, writing – or me eMate for typing. Bah.
Drank a pint of beer, let me head swim a little with the novelty of alcohol. Popped out of the building to check for public transport timetables home, & walked about a bit in a desperate attempt to see if there was something interesting in the locale… well – maybe a shop really – that might sell pen & paper. No joy. Resigned myself to going back & sat with a couple of other parents who I felt uncomfortable with. I then let myself get lured into throwing the balls back into the ball room playground adventure thing while Jack & pals through them out at me. What the hell – it was a laff. That passed the time very well until it was time for the party tea.
I think Jack enjoyed having me all to himself for a while – he doesn’t usually get that. When Jessie’s mum offered us a lift home, I left it to Jack to decide, & he wanted to walk home with me. Fortunately by the time we eventually left the hour had gone so far round as to let us catch a train home. Jack would have got tired & I would have been very tired from carrying him.