We were just having some pudding – stewed apple & custard. Eve got to use her much treasured ‘pudding bowl’. She’s finished about half when she went quiet & stared for a moment before, “belch-vLAAAArp!”.
Again, she’s sick.
This time it was just her drink really – most of her tea stayed down. Also – she had magnificent aim – it nearly all ended up in her pudding bowl. Very little clearing up. She was a lot better yesterday. She ate quite well earlier in the day. We suspect that the blackcurrant & cranberry juice was a little harsh on a delicate stomach.

<sigh> I’m missing the broader picture really with this writing; I’m only really scribing bits of the evenings with the kids.
It would be more complete if Louise was writing what the kids are up to as well, but I would be torturing her in making her do that. She does tell me what they’re up to, but my brain is not sponging up the details at the moment. Last night she told me a bunch of stuff as we were falling asleep… Things that made me chuckle… but it’s completely the wrong time to tell me stuff I’ll remember in any detail.
Jude was awake as I left this morning – watching intently as Louise ate her breakfast. He gave me a couple of really wonderful smiles before I left.

Eve actually slept better last night. Not something we expected. She is/was teething – she has cut a lower left molar. She is still not well because of this. Orange juice is off the menu – which she will not like, as she enjoys drinking it, but it does not sit well on her stomach. She finished her tea yesterday & then brought the whole lot back up again. That was the second vomit of the evening, so we really should not have been surprised. Unpleasant to clear up, but as it was on a flat surface I found a dustpan & cloth the most effective. Despite telling Jack not to look – he did, looked worried, with bulging eyes & backed off. Hey – I thought he did well. In those circumstances I would have joined in – contributed to the mess. It’s funny – I do not have a very strong stomach at all – but when needs must, you just get on with it.
Right put me off eating the rest of my tea though… It’d gone cold by the time I sat down again.

Eve will hopefully sleep a little longer this morning, as she kept me quite awake between 4 & 5 this morning. She’s not that well – suspected teething. Fragile. At the supermarket yesterday she got upset that Jack was in the ‘Bob the Builder ride’ – it being only a one kiddie ride. Jack tried to accommodate her, but it was too tight a squeeze. She went off bawling to the checkout where Louise was packing up & promptly threw up everywhere. As I was carrying Jude, there was not a lot to be done other than prompt the blank looking checkout girl to call for a mop. Stares all around. I have to admit that the farcical nature of it all made me find it amusing. She still has the ability to puke when really upset. (Violet Elizabeth?)
Getting a lot more smiles from Jude. On Sunday he seemed to take one of those little leaps of comprehension at the world around him. He is watching more & engaging more. You sometimes have to remind yourself that he’s only 9/10 weeks old. Mind you – he’s not up for watching, or wanting to take much notice of things other than lights lines & people. It’s the people one that’s interesting. He was watching us eat breakfast most intently. If you are doing something like that he seems positively keen to observe. He quite likes a quick ‘baby chat’ as well now.

Hmmm- it’s been a week or so since I charged this emate up – just gave me a battery warning – so that seems a good excuse to stop for now. I’m sure it would carry on, but a ‘thinking impasse’ & a good excuse….

All awake as I left this morning. Louise not impressed. It’s a shitty day – cold/wet/windy & Eve is up too early. She is probably going to be tired & shouty later.
Friday is a ‘big day’ with playgroup in the morning & ‘college’ in the afternoon. She gets over emotional & loud when she’s tired – Eve. She’s always been loud though. The prospect of this & dodging soakings can be a bit off-putting.
Still didn’t do any attic work last night. It was a little late by the time I got downstairs from getting the kids off to sleep. Jude was a little unsettled, & although tired, Jack & Eve seemed to have got it into their heads to keep each other awake that little bit longer. They did do quite well though. They were not antagonising each other. I bored them to sleep eventually reading “Paddington dines out”.
Had to take Jude downstairs again by then, as he was quite awake again. His eye was a lot better yesterday. Still a bit gunky, but it wasn’t getting stuck shut. Pirate Jude.
Ralphie sent me a copy of his latest comic “Giant Clam”. I’m in it – published cartooning work. The 1st since… uh… No, I’d rather not think about that too much.

Did no work in the attic last night – but I did finish off a delayed project that I promised someone – so one less niggling guilt to contend with now.

Jude has had a gummed up eye the past 2 days. As he cannot cry tears properly as yet, I think such things affect babies more. Mucus gunk keeping his eye closed. I’m sure Eve suffered similar at some point, & possibly even Jack, but I just can’t remember. As he went for his 1st inoculation jabs on Tuesday (polio/whooping etc etc) they gave us some eye drops to help him – which he naturally would rather we wouldn’t bother with. He is most resistant to having them applied, so has only ever had them once. The jabs do not seem to have left his legs bruised too much. Eve was with them at the doctors & whoever was giving Jude the injections was worried that Eve would be distressed. Louise says that Eve was not for being distracted & watched with interest as the injections were administered. Craning her neck – trying to view as closely as possible… hmmm… Eve has been less manic in general these last couple of days. If it was teething, it’s died down a bit. If it was flu, she’s recovering. Ate heartily yesterday, although… She had a new bowl, which she said was her ‘pudding bowl (a week ago she would not touch pudding & custard). She wanted her pudding bolw at tea, but was most distressed when her normal tea arrive in the pudding bolw!! She tipped her tea on the table & cried & cried & howled for a good 10 minutes. Not impressed. Perhaps she was expecting pudding (oops!). When Jack decided he had enough (not much into his meal) Eve elected to polish his off in grand fashion. She’s eating so well – perhaps she’s on a growing spurt.

It was Parent’s Evening yesterday. Went to see Jack’s teacher again (only the second time) & discussed how he was getting on. He is, on the whole, doing quite well. They like him a lot as he is well behaved, keen & interested. Whether it is a general point or not, we came away with the perception that he is feeling unconfident. Socially, Louise & I feel he seems to be confident, but in his school work maybe. He was quite perfectionist in his work & would scribble things out at home rather than live with an error. He has reduced that to crossing things out. His schoolwork has some crossings out in it, but on the whole, that’s fine. It seems that sometimes, when left alone, he will reach a little crisis of confidence & not be able to do something. At least he goes to ask a teacher, but still, you worry about such things – whether he is feeling ok in himself – whether he is happy? What does he have to measure these things to himself? He is only 4. Perhaps we worry too much/perhaps we don’t worry enough is one of those things we will always… um… worry about. The best ambition we could have for him is that he be happy.
Been guilty of neglecting attic work – must be better resolved.

Eve had a good day yesterday; much more her usual self. She even allowed herself a sleep during the day. She’s still apt to being a bit cheeky at the moment though. It’s her age, I guess; doing that bit of boundary testing.

I fine, cold crisp bright morning. Will they come to do the roof today? I doubt it – due for more miserable rain tomorrow. Gah!

Jack coughed himself to sleep last night, but he seemed to have a better night of it in general. Hopefully he’s getting better. I am feeling marginally better. Not over it yet, but better. I didn’t manage to get any attic work done last night (not managed any for a few nights!) as I just about got to sort some files out, & check some mail before I thought better of trying to remain awake.
Gosh! I found some time to sleep – what a novelty!

Train home.

Jack has quite a cough at the moment. It made him cough so hard he threw up the other night (Saturday?). Louise was upstairs at the time & guided him to the bathroom before he was actually ill – so that saved a lot of bother.
He’s basically OK during the day – it sits badly on him while he tries to sleep though. I got to sleep with him last night & he coughed loudly at me at what seemed like half hourly intervals. Suffering a bit today because of it. Probably have the same cough as he, as I have sinuses blocked. Leaning forward/looking down is uncomfortable for my face.
Shut yer whining!
Eve did a pooh in the bath (shared with Jack) on Sunday morning. Heh – that’ll embarrass her later in life! You wonder when she’s going to ‘get more control’ over this important part of life. I was not upstairs, but as the bath was bubble laden it would not have been immediately noticeable. Louise was upstairs & heard Jack saying, “urg – what’s that? …Eve’s done a pooh in the bath!!!!”. I had to nip upstairs to sort that one out. Yuk!
Jack’s been really well behaved of recent. He has not been reacting too badly to Eve, who has been more manic, shouty & attention seeking of recent (delayed reaction to Jude?). He has managed to shrug off some pretty annoying provocation from her. Of course there are the moments when he provokes her… but that’s a flipside. He is, on the whole, not retaliating against the weaker party – which is very good. Having said that – yesterday, for one reason or another was quite fraught. I think we’re all suffering something of this cough thing. Eve was in excruciatingly loud mode. Very fragile & apt to complain at everything. She did fall asleep at @16:15/30 & things all calmed down nicely & became a lot more manageable. She woke just as we were finishing tea. Jack asked to go to bed then, so it was into the night-time routine (about an hour or so earlier than usual). Eve joined in & actually fell off asleep @ an hour & a half later. Quite surprised at that. I think if it were Jack in the same circumstances (when he was younger) he would have run us ragged late into the night (as it was I did that on my own). She was in desperate need to catch up on sleep. She woke just as I was leaving this morning, & I got a big smile. She seemed in a lot better frame of mind. Whether that is how the day progressed, I guess I’ll find out…