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).

Watching the clouds this morning on the station platform. 
Mainly blue sky, with a smattering of mackerel clouds (scientific
names lost years ago).  When I looked out of the window as I
got up this morning, there was mist lurking up the valley. 
This had mostly dissipated when I set off for work.  There
were wisps of misty  cloud in the sky & I was watching it
turn so slowly into mackerel.
Shame, but it seems that the days are noticeably starting to
shrink… sigh.  Waking in the morning, & the sun is only
just starting to make it’s presence felt.  Never really knew
when sunrise was supposed to be, but it was light enough to see
everything, but dull enough indoors to warrant a light being put on
to accompany breakfast.  A light also has to be put on for
reading if the kids are slightly late off to bed at the moment as
well.
This morning waiting at the station, crisp cold air & warm
sunlight.  I don’t think I’m ready to relinquish this year
yet.
Busy weekend. 2 days off due to working the Saturday, but at least
Bank Holiday made up the day!
Started Sunday business quite early.  Caroline, our
neighbour, was making a start on her side of our hedge. 
Panged by the guilt that I had not yet managed to get the half of
our side done all year (looking a distinctly afro-privet) &
started on that.  Also, it spurred Jack into getting dressed
to come out & join me (there are time when he just does not
want to get out of his pajamas).  Jack enjoyed himself
helping.  Even got to have a few goes with the electric hedge
trimmer.  It was held by me at all times though.  All
done – took a bit longer than intended, but all done. 
Caroline took the trimmings off to the town dump for us as well –
which was very good of her.  She is very good to us like that
though.
Up to the attic next (with Jack helping again).  Cleared out
the dust & debris from one of the attic eaves.  A job
started previously, but not finished.  Eve stayed downstairs
with Louise pottering between Louise &  the garden.. 
Not such a good day for Louise, as she had intended to get out –
that we go to Hebden Bridge or something, but as the hedge had
already taken longer than intended, it seemed off.  I think
this disappointed her a little; as have had a long working week
just previous, she has also.  She was looking forward to
getting out from the usual routine, & there was me trapping her
for another day.
Jack ultimately got bored of my cleaning in the attic, as there
was not that much that he could do.  I reached the limit of
what I could move back under the eaves as well.  We were all
very grubby; Eve as well, as Louise & Eve came up & 
joined us after Jack went downstairs to complain how boring it all
was.
All got clean again & I went out to the garden again &
Jack helped to cut the grass.  He got the hang of the hover
mower quite well, even figuring out the safety button to press
before the ‘on’ handle would activate.  Tidied up the grass
& edges & did a little weeding, by which time, it was tea
time.  Lawks!  Mind you – it’s amazing how much tidier
the garden looks now.  A little bit of a sense of achievement
as I never usually manage such a concentration of work.  Also
aching limbs the next day.  I hope Jack doesn’t expect that I
do such every weekend now!
Monday – shopping in Leeds – a few things bought for Jack’s
forthcoming school days & I managed to sneak in a trip to the
comic shop & popped into a record shop & got Lorimer’s 1st single. All
went smoothly enough, although Jack seems a little fragile
yesterday & did not take disappointment or frustration very
well.  Signs were there when he was getting tearful that his
trains were not joining together like they should.

Here sitting at work, typing on the emate.
Yeah… At ‘work’.
I do not normally do the Saturday morning shift, but then I will
have Monday off, so… better than working Monday in my opinion as
that’s a Sunday Shift (being Bank Holiday) & although I would
be in later, but also not be able to get home until later… &
I don’t want to be doing that! Keith normally does this shift – but
he’s on hols.
Just a longer week.
It’s not as busy, by any stretch of the imagination…

Train home… Well, that wasn’t too bad. A bit like the old days
before we took on more work & lost some staff. Was able to
concentrate on things for more than 5 minutes, which was a bonus.
Not bad. Train home cancelled, but the next one is fine. Meeting
Louise from the train to go to the supermarket so that we can get
that weekly shop out of the way. Insignificant details creep into
‘diary writing’. I wish I could filter better.
Eve woke a couple of times in the night. She’s cutting teeth
again. Canines this time, & they can be a little torturous.
It’s thrown her equilibrium a bit. For instance she had had an
afternoon nap yesterday, & was still grumpy when I got home
from work; delicate & not at all happy. Gave her a little
Calpol, & she brightened after that started working, so they
must have been giving her gyp.
Louise called work this morning at @ 8:30, & Jack was still
asleep! Wow – that must be one of his longer lie-ins ever! Why can
he not do that on weekdays… Mind you, when it comes to impending
school days, then there will be none of that. It’s gong to be a
fundamental change in the families daily routine

Louise was chatting about what the kids had been doing the day
before as we were drifting off to sleep last night. The kids have
been real charming, by the sound of it… but can I remember a
single detail? Can I heck as like. Usual morning brain fog. No
thought swim in my head – just the surface activity of moving from
A to B & these words that pop to the ends of my fingers as I
type.
My typical dilemma of not being able to think; creatively or
otherwise. Or was that ‘concentrate’? Oh, never mind… Manchester
arrives at the train so I have to make me arrive at
work.

Was a good boy yesterday. I did not prat about on my computer all
night… I did not touch it even. From the kids going to sleep I
slapped polyfiller of our (to be the kids) bedroom. Attempting to
make the walls smoother before an application of lining paper.
There are also a few dodgy bits of plastering old & new) that
need smoothing out. While going over the new plastered area it
struck me that the previous owners of the house were happy to put
up with really slipshod work. Terrible plastering – no finish to it
at all. Our newly plastered attic room has lovely smooth plaster –
really nice, & I will eventually get around to decorating it
how we want – essentially just varnishing the plaster. Louise
thinks I’m too fussy with all this pollyfillering, & should
speed it all up. Not really in my nature to skimp on this bit &
I am making progresses at last. Just have to remain focussed n
getting it sorted as we don’t want the same situation as Jack’s
room which was not finished until well after he was born.
“focussss paaauuulllll”
“oooh pretty thing on the computer!”
“fo.o.o.cs………”
“Now then, what was I doing? Ah yes, I’ll just go & prat about
looking for something pointless on the Internet”
“doh”
The kids have been playing well together these last few days,
Louise reports. They have been in generally good moods while they have
been around as well. None of that pettiness that they can get up to
like snatching & brawling. When I got home yesterday Jack had
been decorating. He’d used old birthday/Xmas card & put them up
with pegs anywhere he could. The ones on the stair banister looked
particularly fetching.

Groggy morning. John Peel woke me last night playing something
between Techno & Gabba on the World Service (we tend to have
the radio on through the night). Not wholly unpleasant & there
was a good tune after that track, but I was not really conscious
enough to pay attention. I miss not listening to Peely music shows,
& that sort of rousing from slumber is often all I get. Hey
ho.
We cut Eve’s hair a little the other day. She’d already had her
fringe trimmed when Jack had his last cut, but the back was
starting to get a little flyaway, so we reduced it to a bob…
which has worked surprisingly well – neat & even. As she is not
one for keeping still we did fear we would make a pig’s ear of it,
but it’s cute… & sort of ‘Christopher Robin’, in the modes of
hairdo you see young Christopher illustrated with in the Whinnie
the Pooh books. We are not so confident in thinking that this is
something we might attempt to maintain. It may be the hairdressers
again next time. Louise managed to get her hair cut yesterday, as
she was starting to feel uncomfortable with it, so that’s all of us
done now – no mop head family.
Ug… Not particularly inclined to write this morning. Groggy –
brain not really picking up & going through any thought
processes.
I have had a few reviews in for ZUM! & have been busying
myself with a little site maintenance there, so at least I feel I’m
achieving a little at the moment. Not so much as being able to
concentrate to do reviews myself, but hope still lingers.
Thinking of putting a weekly music file up on my diary pages –
what I’m currently fixated on musically. Now I’ve mentioned it, I
guess I will have to implement it. Recently been downloading some
old JAMMs from way back – 87 I think. I rather wish there was a Mac
version of the audiogalaxy
satellite.

Did not get to tidy the attic later. The day slipped by too lazy
& I ended up even falling asleep on the sofa at one point for a
few minutes. It seems I am more likely to have a daytime sleep than
Eve at the moment, as although she was plainly jiggered yesterday,
she absolutely refused to snooze.
Got an email from my brother Neil on Friday night reminding us of
Jess & his engagement party in about 4 weeks. Guilt descends.
Louise & I are quite reticent about attending. It’s not like we
don’t want to go, it would be good to get away, but the factors of
travelling, accommodation, time off work, Jack starting school,
& the basic long & short of no money really look to be
precluding the decision. Bah.
Called Mum & Dad to talk it over & initially got through
to dad as he tidied up at the restaurant. He was basically full of
the common sense advice I would expect, & tempered the feelings
of guilt we had about our difficulties in attending, but did leave
the door open by noting, if we needed we could stay down with
them.
Dad called mum at home who called us. Neil, it appears, had asked
mum to see if she could persuade us to come (so he must have
guessed our procrastination). Well, perhaps it miiight have worked
if I had spoken to mum 1st instead of dad, as the guilt factor
might have swung it, but mum knows me well enough to know when
further discussion will only make me dig my heels in. Sigh, it
would be really good to go, but the all round logistics will leave
us, well, struggling for too long afterwards. I now have the
difficult task of replying to Neil.
At least we got the reply to the unreasonable fee the Emergency Plumber we had
back in May who managed to do precisely
nothing to help us. I say ‘we’, but Louise crafted the letter as she is a lot
more precise in writing such things than I. One less thing hanging over us. We
do not expect to pay nothing, but we don’t expect to pay for nothing.

Nice & lazy day thus far. Up earlier that I would have liked,
but then we have kids, so this is normal. I was grumpy at actually
having to be awake though… Ah, well.
It’s the Caption convention weekend & when we woke (even
earlier) yesterday we played with the idea of just hopping on a
train & going, but no; it was just play.
We did set out for a different location yesterday: Skipton. Never
been there before, possibly as it’s just outside West Yorkshire,
& thus travel there, although not much further than many places
we venture, is that little more expensive. Curious, as a town it
reminded me quite a bit of Wells, in Somerset. House & streets
seem familiar in aspect, if not layout. We had a very pleasant walk
on a wall between the castle moat & river that feeds it. It
leads up to the wood there, which seems a popular walk, but is
closed at the moment due to ‘Foot & Mouth’. Actually, that’s
the 1st time it’s had a direct affect on something we do. Not sure
if we would have ventured on anyway, as walking in woods with a
pushchair does not seem an ideal way of getting about. It was
closed to protect the deer in the woods.
Having been mildly disappointed by a curtailed walk we opted to
bite the bullet & actually pay to go into the castle itself.
The kids loved it – may steps to go up & down & rooms to
run around in. As there were no ornaments & foolish nic-nacs on
display there was no damage they could do, so apart from stopping
them doing patently foolish things, they were free to do what they
wanted, which they loved.
Jack was asking this morning if we could go again today. As there
was no chance today, he asked whether next week…
Have no aims today, perhaps a little tidying in the attic later.
Hamish, Amber, Jack & Eve are playing on the backstreet at the
moment, & as Jack has not realised I am typing I have got away
with it. I stop now though.

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’.