Antlers 

Lisa at 18:51
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We had a gorgeous day yesterday: headed into rural Wales to visit one of Cameron's colleagues who shares a couple of acres of hillside with his wife, dogs, quails, chickens and best of all a couple of hawks (falcons? Not sure.) We had a good bracing walk (my goodness, I am unfit. All my walking these days is done at toddler pace, which has not equipped me for stomping about an icy hill) followed by a delicious long lunch in the warm. Maggie loved playing with the dogs, who were as tall as she is and Very Interested in biscuits. We then went and had a look at the beautiful birds, by which point it was getting dark so we left (roads a bit scary in daylight never mind dark icy snowy sleet).
Today is wet and windy and generally a day for making soup and pies while Maggie tests all her Christmas crafty stuff: we've had paints, pens, chalks and playdough.
Lisa at 14:07
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Good things:
- House sale is back on, huzzah! What a nice Christmas present - we found out on the 23rd that the same old buyers have re-sold their house. Fingers crossed - again.
- Christmas: we had a lovely one. Lots of food (much cooked by people other than muself), some excellent presents, and a toddler to cheer us all along.
- Gorgeous freezing frosty blue-sky winter days. We walked at Walton Hall this morning and looked at their animals then had a nasty-but-warming coffee (where we were treated to a blow-by-blow account of Christmas at Skegness Butlins: we now know not to do that next year).
- Tomorrow we are venturing into deepest Wales to visit one of Cameron's colleagues on his country estate. Hawks and land and a fine cellar (apparently).
- The house smells delicious as I am making turkeylurkey soup.
Bad things:
- Maggie is a bit poorly and not eating or sleeping.
- Poxy estate agents appear to be shut (perhaps people don't buy houses at this time of year) so I can't tell our sellers that it is all back on.
- Lipstick removed from my handbag, gouged out and applied to the (cream) sofa. Arg.

More good than bad, so that's ok.
Lisa at 18:36
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Is it really only Tuesday? What a week. Sunday, water poured from my shower through the kitchen ceiling and then the washing machine broke mid-cycle. Yesterday, I nipped upstairs for all of three minutes, coming down to find M on the sofa juggling eggs she had removed from the fridge and the dishwasher detergent (undersink cupboard unlocked because of staring sadly at the washing machine). Fortunately the eggs didn't break and the detergent remained unswallowed, but it felt like a narrow escape.
Today, however, things are looking up. The machine is fixed (good timing, we're just out of nappies) although Cameron did crack the plinth underneath while removing it. Fortune smiled, however, and the screw that no longer goes in the cracked plinth was exactly the correct size to reattach the dishwasher door, which has been hanging for a fortnight. Now we just need to stumble across the screw that holds the seat bit onto M's highchair and we'll be all intact.
Maggie and I went to the NCT Christmas lunch which was lots of fun in a complete bedlam kind of way. And we have nearly got all the decorations up, which I have thoroughly enjoyed this year: I bought lots of special decs while we were in Japan that have never been used. We did decorate our Japanese house but never had a tree, so lots of lovely things didn't find a place.
I went to have my hair cut this afternoon, and for the first time ever was talked out of it by the hairdresser. How odd. I am assuming he wasnted a teabreak, but he reckoned I need to grow it before cutting it and it would just look daft if he tried. So I left. What else could I do?
Lisa at 19:20
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I'll play
Welcome to the 2005 edition of getting to know your friends. What you are supposed to do is copy this entire blog entry and paste it onto a new blog entry that you'll post. Change all the answers so they apply to you, and then publish! Leave a comment if you do this.The theory is that you will learn a lot of little (random) things about your friends, if you did not know them already.

What time did you get up this morning?
8.15 ish.

Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds. But small, tasteful ones.

What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Harry Potter

What is your favourite TV show?
The only thing we missed while away was University Challenge. I must confess to a sneaky love of Trinny and Susannah, and I am enjoying Bleak House.

What do you usually have for breakfast?
Usually toast; sometime cereal if there is no bread.

Favourite cuisine?
Japanese. Properly done.

What food do you dislike?
I like most things. Not keen on porridge, sprouts or swede.

What is your favourite CD at the moment?
Magic Numbers

Morning or night person?
Can I be a mid-morning person?

Favourite sandwich?
Tuna, mayo and red onion

What characteristic do you despise?
Big-headedness

Favourite item of clothing?
Jeans (I might *watch* T & S; I learn nothing.)

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be?
Costa Rica - I've had a fancy to go since I was about 14.

What colour is your bathroom?
Beigey.

Favourite brand of clothing?
Boden (I am such a middle-class mummy; just watch, I'll have the SUV before you know it)

Where would you retire to?
Cornwall

What was your most memorable birthday?
My 29th - swam in the sea and saw dolphins. Not usual for a January birthday.

Favourite sport to watch?
None.

Who did you least expect to complete this?
No idea. Most of my real-life friends don't have blogs, so they aren't likely to, are they.

Person you expect to complete it first?
I don't expect anyone to do it.

Person who is least busy?
What, in the whole world? Who wrote these questions?

When is your birthday?
January - get my presents in the sale!

What is your shoe size?
5

Pets?
Islay and Jura.

Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?
Not at the moment, but who knows? One day we might move house.

What did you want to be when you were little?
A teacher. No imagination.

What is your favourite flower?
I love flowers. It would be mean to choose.

What date on the calendar are you looking forward to?
What dates are not on the calendar? Sigh. Um...the date we move. No: the date a few weeks after we move when we start to feel unfrazzled again.

One word to describe the person who you snaffled this from?
It's a secret
Lisa at 09:08
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JCB song. Very cute - let's hope they get their Christmas number one - though some snow or glitter on the video, or some tinkly sleighbells, would have been even better. (Why don't people do proper Christmas songs any more? Meh.)
Lisa at 23:05
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I've been sampling life as a single mum recently (how do they keep their sanity?). Cameron was out on Friday night, here Saturday and Sunday, then went away to Sussex for some coursey meetingy* thing on Monday. He'll be back tomorrow, but only in time to go to another leaving dinner in the evening - so I won't see him as I am going to stay with my sister in a bid to use up some of my daily word allowance, which has been festering. I had a small chat at the till in Morrisons today: woohoo. Then when I come home on Friday he will already be out at his Christmas bash (we're like the weather people). We hope to be in the same place on Saturday afternoon. In fact, we hope to be in the cinema (I definitely get to choose the film after this week) while Maggie goes with her Aunty Sara to see Santa at the zoo.
I'm feeling very boasty and proud of Maggie (ridiculous, I know: just as ridiculous as those mummies who are proud when their baby sits or stands. But still.) She knows colours: red, orange, pink, purple, blue, black, white, green. She has some trouble with brown, which she assigns to either red or black, depending on the shade. Not very impressive, perhaps...I wasn't that impressed myself until I found this link, which says naming one colour is advanced for 30 months (she's not 21 months yet), and this one, from the Mayo clinic, which says that while most 3-year-olds can sort by colour, most children can't correctly name four colours until they are 5. She is just brilliant. And now I will shut up.
*He's been arranging flowers and folding napkins. Amongst, I assume, other more high-powered activities.
Lisa at 20:11
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Train 'em young, I say. I was reading this article in the Observer yesterday, Maggie on my knee. The print version was accompanied by pictures of Nicole Kidman and Victoria Beckham, so I pointed them out to Maggie, told her who they are and that they don't eat enough food. She then pointed at them both and said man! He he he.
Lisa at 13:36
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aaarrrrggghhhhhh!
Actually, "arg" doesn't even come close. But this is a family blog, so I'll let you supply your own profanities when I tell you we just lost our buyer. (Because she lost her buyer.)
Lisa at 09:29
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Very proud of Maggie this week at swimming: we were to put them under water if they didn't mind, and even - if they were ok with it - to let them go and see if they would turn themselves round. The teacher said that she expected Maggie to be the only one to do it! She is a clever underwater swimmer.
Other news: house, Christmas, Cameron out or away completely every night. Am grinding my teeth.
Lisa at 14:31
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Am feeling very perky: a manuscript has arrived by request of the author. Apparently I am his favourite editor, which is nice, isn't it. Doesn't stop it being dreadfully tedious though.
No blogging because we've been very busy with Cameron's parents visiting and getting the shower and dishwasher fixed. The boiler packed in overnight too, but mended itself. A relief, because who wants to buy a new boiler just before moving house? (I am feeling pangs of guilt at leaving it to them, but not sufficient to do anything about it.) I went and visited our belongings in Stoke: managed to excavate about halfway into the container and retrieve the Christmas decs, which is the main thing. No sign of cookbooks, however; they must be buried under furniture.
Manuscript.
Lisa at 12:44
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Mermaids 

Lisa at 13:37
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Miss Saigon was fantastic: what can I say? I like musicals. It might not be cool but there you are.
Lisa at 19:12
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Rebecca was pretty good, but I must re-read the book as it was quite unsatisfactory in parts - too much story to condense into a play without losing some explanation, and I was left wondering...she was what? And he did...huh? A lovely theatre (but very badly organised catering facilities: a bar that doesn't sell crisps - despite crisps being visible on the coffee-shop counter about 6 feet away - and a coffee 'area' without enough seats. Oddly, the service in the cafe was my big gripe on my only other visit to the Lowry, for an exhibition shortly after it opened.) Nigel Havers was quite good; the new Mrs de Winter was very good (oh so wet, but that was expected). The small parts were excellent and the sister-in-law was very funny, which I don't remember from the book or the classic old black-and-white film. Wasn't too struck with Mrs Danvers, though, she was Very Angry and unbalanced, but not creepy. The staging was clever, a seascape backdrop with a staircase behind. It was lovely to have an evening out being me not mummy: I even put on shoes with heels to celebrate!
I have to go into town this afternoon to pick up some copies of some mortgage forms which, despite being posted Friday morning, haven't yet arrived. I am turning into a mad old bat and am sorely tempted to lurk in the shrubbery tomorrow morning in order to leap out and harangue the posty (and give him back all the red elastic bands he leaves on my drive while I'm at it!) I don't know if it is just Warrington, but the post gets monthly less and less reliable. Did you know those elastic bands are the single biggest cause of complaints to the PO? Why can't they fashion a small bag around their waists and drop them in to re-use?
Just realised yesterday (how slow am I) that there were two friends I promised to see while I was home last weekend, who completely escaped my mind while I was there. I blame the vomiting but it is not good enough. So, Kavitha and Mia: I am truly sorry and will try harder next time.
Lisa at 13:43
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Funny isn't it - you don't go to the theatre for about 4 years (can't actually remember the last time I did, but I'm pretty sure it was before we went to Japan), then you go twice in a week. Rebecca at the Lowry tonight: Miss Saigon at the Palace on Wednesday. I am very excited.
Lisa at 17:00
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A most successful day: Maggie has really got the hang of clinging to my back as I swim now (anyone seen Whalerider?), and today we managed it under water! Tomorrow we are having some underwater photos taken (like these) so I am hoping she'll be feeling as cooperative. I do wonder if it related to her being born underwater: would be interesting to do a survey. The teacher's daughter was also born underwater and is also completely unfazed by being submerged (that's a survey of two, pretty conclusive I'd say). Many of the other babies in the group don't like it, or don't like it all the time.
Lots of jobs completed (haven't yet unpacked, but don't rush me). Reams and reams of forms filled in and taken to the solicitor. Phew. We even had pie, made by my own fair hands, for tea. Smug.
Maggie has also constructed her first unambiguous* two-word phrase. Mummy up. Mummy-up. Mummyup mummyupmummyupmummyup.
*She's been saying 'issa' before naming things for ages. Issa cat. Issa daddy. Issa door. It might be 'it's a'; it might be random babbling.
Lisa at 18:54
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Have been in Surrey for 6 days: can't cope with the dial-up slowness so no updates from there. Saturday we mooched; Sunday we dealt with a very sicky little girl (I won't give nasty details, but we are talking projectile vomiting all over my dad and spotty legs and all sorts. Poor thing.); Monday we went to Staines - nobody can say we don't know how to live - and visited the most excellent Christmas shop at a garden centre. M was not very keen on the moving, singing, 5-foot-tall Santa but otherwise enjoyed. Tuesday I abandoned the bairn with her granny for shopping in Guildford, to include a coffee All By Myself (hooray) and a most civilised lunch with two friends from Tokyo days. Am not sure there is anybody left in Japan any more.
Oh, and the owners of The House accepted our offer. Cameron was a bit miffed - he was prepared to haggle - and I am trying not to get very excited while mentally preparing lists of boxes to pack and things to throw away and what furniture fits where. All of which would be much easier if I could remember what furniture we own.
Lisa at 19:53
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Having done 200 miles in 2 days round sundry Cheshire villages, we think we might have found The House. Of course I am saying no more until anything happens but please get crossing those fingers again!
The only other news is that my plants have died. Those ones I have been looking at for 3 weeks, shaking my head and saying I really must bring them indoors before we get a frost. Too late.
Lisa at 19:27
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There might be something in this aromatherapy malarky. Poor Maggie is not feeling at all well - nasty cough and cold - so, to cheer her up, I gave her some body lotion after her bath. I picked up the wrong bottle: "playtime fun" mandarin and orange instead of "sleepy time" lavender and something else, and trying to get her into her pyjamas was like putting an octopus in a string bag, arms and legs everywhere and bounce bounce bounce. (An octopus on a pogo stick.)
Have just printed out all the potential houses (wish my stapler wasn't in storage). Arg. None is perfect. Why not?*
*Answer: because our budget is about £500K too low.
Lisa at 19:42
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Apparently it might actually have been a female sparrowhawk. What do I know about birds (I thought it was a kestrel anyway).
And ooh! who heard the Archers last night?!
Lisa at 12:57
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What a good weekend! Saturday, I was completely relieved of all childcare: as soon as Cameron and Maggie went to tumbletots (tots! tots!) I headed to Chester for a day's shopping with Sara. Very sensibly (and uncharacteristically) I managed to buy casual everyday clothes rather than going-out stuff - ie, I bought clothes that I will wear - and I even made a start on Christmas. Then Cameron brought Maggie over, and we left her with Sara and scarey uncle Ian, and actually went out for dinner. On our own. Just two of us. For the first time since she was born: not bad going.
The next morning, after S-U-Ian's special breakfast and a quick visit to Borders to take notes for Cameron's Christmas, poor C had to go to work (he is working terribly hard at the moment, poor boy) M and I had a very nice afternoon together*, which culminated in us accepting an offer on our house! Woohoo! Shh, shh, don't want to jinx anything. But woohoo all the same.
And then I spent a good 25 minutes watching a peregrine falcon devouring a pigeon on the driveway. How cool is that.
*Even if rather more of it than I would have liked was spent wiping felt-tip pen off furniture, books, toys, my shoes...am not sure M was entirely as supervised as she perhaps should have been on Saturday!
Lisa at 12:42
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Random musings -
It's normal to fall completely in love with your cleaner, right? She said, today, that she was a fast worker and thought it was a bit silly inventing jobs - that my windows (windows!) don't need doing every week - so could she do my ironing? How fantastic is that?!
Cameron is on a plane home, hoorah. My experiment in single mumming has not been a resounding success and I am so glad I don't have to do it all the time. It hasn't been a complete unmitigated disaster (it has actually gone very smoothly), I am just exhausted and haven't turned on the telly or picked up a book all week. Having a rotten manuscript in hasn't helped, I can't blame Maggie entirely. Am planning a big shopping spree, my first in several years, on Saturday, so the manuscript was very timely to ease my guilt. Have never quite adapted to spending "someone else's money", even if Cameron doesn't (always) see it as "his".
I cannot cope with Ocado mithering me to book my Christmas delivery slot already. I am foolishly, recklessly prepared to risk not having one if it means I don't have to decide now what sort of cheese, bread, etc we will eat in 7 weeks' time.
Lisa at 20:47
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Arrrggghhhhhhhh.
Arg.
Arg.

(We are never going to move.)
Lisa at 16:56
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Gosh, it's tiring being a single mum. Cameron left at 6 am on Saturday and I don't seem to have stopped since. I had my first "tumbletots" experience on Saturday (quite fun, though M is scared of one of the staff members. Would have been helpful if C had remembered to warn me - whichever piece of apparatus she was supervising was the one that Maggie refused to go near. Very strange.) then made the mistake of going to the supermarket. I never shop at the weekends and have now been reminded why. Was horrific and full of terribly stressed, terribly rude people ramming each other's trolleys, shoving them (mine) out of the way, and tutting at each other. In the evening we headed to Chester for the fireworks. Maybe a long way to go for a few sparklies but they do a special toddler's session with simple colours and no bangs, which was great. Luckily all this activity tired Maggie sufficiently that she slept through all the fireworky bangs and pops, while I lay awake grinding my teeth at my neighbours, who were still setting them off (having saved the noisiest to last) at 11.30. Much as I love a firework, I thought that was a bit off. How middle-aged am I.
Today, we went to the co-op for a paper, it being a Sunday. I have no idea why I thought that was important - when am I going to read it? Then my old chum Pete, who I haven't seen since May, came for lunch. Maggie was oddly shy again (he is quite tall but really not very scary). Then we headed to the blue planet to meet Eleanor, Jonathan (2 1/2) and Mark (10 weeks) for a couple of hours of fsh! fsh! (fish), shack! (shark) and up! (stairs). So sweet, Maggie really liked Jonathan and gave him a big smacker when we left.
Now she is in bed, I have a kitchen to tidy, laundry to organise, parcels to wrap, programmes to Sky+, a paper and two magazines (and a book for Thursday's book group) to read, bins to put out, toys to tidy and a random cat to deal with in my garage, which I can't put outside because of the bangs. I actually thought it was Islay when I spotted it in the garden earlier, and worried she was hurt because she wouldn't come to me. But having counted cats, it isn't actually one of mine. Why do all the strays end up here?
Last of all, we ayt lafskjdgh ksfhfskjh laksjsaljkf. That's me typing with all fingers crossed: we are expecting an offer on the house at the end of the week as long as we are prepared to move fast. Having been on our starting blocks since January, you bet we are. Eek!
Lisa at 19:28
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My tai chi teacher remarked out of the blue yesterday that he hates London because he hates southerners. Charming, I thought. I haven't encountered this for some years - I got it all the time when I first lived here; it sounds innocuous and amusing but can you imagine the impact if he put virtually any word other than southerners in there? Sigh. I just asked whether I should leave then class and was told I could be an honorary northerner. (I don't want to be an honorary northerner: it's grim up north*.)
*JOKE
Lisa at 13:11
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I've had blogs brewing (sounds nasty) all week but somehow they haven't materialised. Can't remember, now, what they were.
Our main piece of news is that Cameron, rather than being reorganised out of a job as we feared, got promoted (hurray) and has to go to Singapore at very short notice, ie Saturday (boo) - just for a few days. He seems a bit worried (about the job not about Singapore) but I reckon they wouldn't have given it to him if they didn't think he could do it. And I always know best.
One thing I intended writing a medium-length rant about, but find the energy has dissipated, is the spate of articles written by women considering having children. (Like this one for example). Every time I open a paper I seem to see someone making a list of pros and cons; what they are all missing, of course, is that when you actually have one their very existence becomes the most enormous pro and outweighs everything else. And you can't possibly comprehend that until you have done it - I certainly didn't, given that I don't actually like children. (I still don't. I went to a friend's house for coffee last week and her little girl is all smoochy kissy with me. Cute, I suppose, but I find it all a bit repulsive. I am just evil) But as I said, the energy has gone. They are all stupid; they don't know what they are missing; it is their choice whether they decide to find out (but please will they stop sounding so smug and in control of their biology about it); please write articles about something else now.
Lisa at 13:24
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Maggie is a punk rocker 

Lisa at 15:35
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Lots of short snippetty updates: a list.

We are now up to four potential buyers. One of them has even accepted an offer on her own house! From somebody (gah) who has yet to sell their house, so she is still not in a position to proceed. I am truly amazed that anybody ever manages to move; we just can't get a chain forged even though we are prepared to break it by moving out and renting, if necessary. Will we be here forever?

We have another viewer coming tomorrow: will we reach five?

Am considering mounting an expedition south to retrieve stuff from storage, ie Christmas decs and toys that were too old for M when we arrived in the country but are at risk of being outgrown. (Ahem. And perhaps we won't need to buy her anything for Christmas.)

Cameron is being reorganised and will find out next week what job he will do next, if any.

M is being an absolute horror this week, for no apparent reason. Am finding it all quite hard, especially today after just three 2-hour sleeps last night. Chocolate helps.

On the other hand, she ate the most enormous portion of shepherd's pie last night and even asked for more, which is completely unprecedented.

Cameron kindly bought me the Magic Numbers' CD and I *love* it. Haven't had new music for absolutely ages. Had been hankering after it ever since hearing them on Jonathan Ross doing there is a light that never goes out. Was fab. Is not on the album.

Lisa at 13:25
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I'm all for 'experts' coming on the radio, but you'd think they'd credit radio 4 listeners with a bit of intelligence: I can't be the only person to have wondered if they were just saying nice calming things this morning. Call me suspicious. One caller to you and yours asked about letting her son collect feathers, to be told that there was nothing to worry about, bird flu wasn't here yet and if and when it does arrive we will know almost immediately because of all the bird spotters in this country. The very next caller was suggesting that fluey birds perhaps wouldn't feel up to flying hundreds of miles to come here, and was told that actually many birds could be carrying with no symptoms. I am confused, but promise not to panic (I also promise hand on heart to not read the Daily Mail) if they promise to be straightforward.
Lisa at 12:38
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Managing 19 months before calling NHSDirect is pretty good, I think. M fell over and smacked her head off the door this morning - as she does most mornings, countless times. Only this time she went all weird, standing in the corner with her head bowed, then cuddling up to Cameron for ages. We weren't sure for a while if she was concussed (I did examine her pupils) or just being shy because Sara and Ian arrived just as she fell; then she fell asleep on my lap. Well, she hasn't done that since she was a teeny-tiny: these days it is more about trying to get her off than trying to keep her awake, so we telephoned. Cameron spoke to a whole variety of people: one wanted to send an ambulance; one made him look behind her ears then said to get a doctor out to look at her. By this point she had woken up and was bouncing about going daddy! phone! daddy! phone! so I was rather less worried. We then rang the doctor's out of hours number, where I spoke to a very nice, very faint, nurse who reckoned she was fine and to give calpol but to go to A&E if anything changed. Nice to get consistent advice (but actually the last one feels right to me). So I squirted some calpol in (which, as usual, she spat straight back out) and we are trying to 'keep her quiet' - clearly the nice nurse has never actually met a toddler, to give that advice, but she is perky as anything now, has eaten beans and cheese and a marmite sandwich and is dashing about downstairs. Big egg on the side of her head and all.
Friday's viewer doesn't want the house, she reckons it is too much work (I have no idea - maybe the garden?) But never fear, we have another coming tonight. Which is why I am upstairs 'tidying' (the computer keyboard does get quite messy if you leave it alone.)
Lisa at 14:59
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I have finally downloaded (and uploaded) my phone photos from Japan: here. You can hover to see what they are, if you like. Feeling quite nostalgic and sad now.
Lisa at 18:07
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It's finger-crossing time again: extra hard please as I am beginning to think we have missed the Autumn rush and will be here until Spring. We've a viewer coming tonight who doesn't have a house to sell. This is quite exciting. I am assuming it is the woman I spotted parked outside a couple of days ago; when I walked past she was sitting in her car with the local paper open at the houses, peering up my drive. I'd have stopped and spoken to her if I hadn't worried that I would have had to ask her in and known that the house was a complete tip. (I am just rubbish as a housewife and the cleaner was off sick this week. Actually she is going to be off sick every week and we have number three starting next week.) So I just kind of gesticulated and waved and kept going.
Lisa at 13:04
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Every Monday at playgroup, at the end, after we have put away all the toys, we sing for 10 minutes. When they bring out the box of instruments, Maggie dives straight in and always comes out with the same items: a cow-shaped tambourine, which she bangs with an elephant-shaped rattle. A creature of habit.
Lisa at 13:54
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We had a very pleasant weekend: Maggie had her first proper haircut and cut another tooth, and we spent much of Saturday afternoon chopping and squishing apples and pears ready for this year's bizarro apple-and-pear cider/perry/wine homebrewy stuff. Which is fermenting nicely in the hallway as I type. No idea whether mixing apples and pears will turn out to be completely bonkers, but we had a poor crop of eating apples (squirrels, we think) and Sara has a pear tree but thinks pears are the fruit of the devil, so we decided to give it a go. Fingers crossed!
Lisa at 16:03
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a walk in the woods 
>
Lisa at 17:59
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Last night's Buffy-fest got me to the end of season 5 but I have now learnt (until next time) that three episodes in a single evening does not lead to a good night's sleep. Very peculiar dreams. And yes, I agree it is perhaps a little sad and indicative of my lack of a life (Cameron was out having a lovely meal and a near punch-up with a taxi driver). But it was very exciting.
Tai chi again today: we learnt a whole three more moves. It is verrry sloooow. I can't decide if this is good (thorough) and if I should just learn to be more laid-back a la the karate kid (at least I am not polishing windows although it does feel a bit that way when we do random moves, copying the teacher, with never an explanation of what why how. I don't like to ask in case that is against the spirit of the thing.) or if it is plain frustrating. There are a lot of menopausal ladies in the class* and they don't pick it up very quickly.
Can we have a poll please? Am at long last going to get my own domain and of course I have to be turquoise. Is turquoise.me.uk or turquoi.se.net better? (If anyone leaps in and snaps them up to spite me I will be very very cross.) Votes in the comments box please.
*I am not being terribly rude and leaping to conclusions: they compare symptoms in the breaks. We have a lot of breaks.
Lisa at 13:06
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An unexpectedly long weekend away: having failed to properly read our email, we were looking forward to staying Friday-Sunday in a cabin in a forest in the peak district. Friday night, when we were discussing what we might do for the weekend, it became obvious that everyone else was intending to stay until Monday. Oops! But no problem: the cats were booked in for anoyher day and Cameron cancelled Monday's meetings (10 minutes after the first was due to start). I've spent the time since we got back playing catch-up and toddler-wrangling (we had our first full-blown in-a-public-car-park toddler tantrum on Friday. The joy.) Toddlers are tricky. Toddlers would rather not eat at all than sit in their highchairs to do so; pull their arms from the straps of the car seat when you are bombing along dual carriageways; want BISC! BISC! BISC! not yummy fruit or veg, then trample it into the carpet if you give in.
We had a very jolly time: we swam, soft-played, ate takeaway and drank wine, went up a hill in a cable car and down a mine, played perudo and squealed excitedly every time we saw a squirrel. Lovely to see people after such a long time.
Lisa at 12:23
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What is the matter with these people who come door to door? After last month's rudeness, I gave today's man 10 minutes of my precious time to answer inane questions about whether I had heard of BT and did I use the internet, only to have him say in complete incredulity you've got a PhD? (Interesting, isn't it. They send people door to door in the middle of a week day; surely they can't get answers from a true cross-section of the population? Doesn't that matter?) I don't know if I came across as unqualified and gormless - although I said I had heard of BT - or if it was the fact that I was home rather than off doing something clever. Both, perhaps.
I might soon be up to doing really intelligent things (like, I delude myself, I used to do) - we had another great night last night, not a peep until 4.45. I feel like a new woman. (And so does Cameron ha ha ha.) I fear I am not going to finish my book before tomorrow's reading group meeting, despite having had it for a month. But it is fab so I am going to hold on fast when the others think it is their turn to borrow it.
Lisa at 13:57
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I felt most peculiar all day yesterday and eventually realised what it was: I wasn't tired! Maggie slept right through from 8ish-4.40 am, meaning that I got about 5 hours straight. (Plus on and off until 8 am.) Unheard of. Back to the up-at-3 norm last night, though.
A busy weekend. Low point: scraping Cameron's car off the bumper of one of those monstrous 4x4 things (which was left completely untouched). High point: well, the sleep. And going to the zoo yesterday.
Bit freaked on Saturday: was helping on the till at the NCT nearly-new sale when I spotted an old colleague. Buying a buggy and some girls' clothes so I presume she has a child now. Even more freaked because she spotted me too, placed me immediately (while I was still going ooh I know her), said she'd email me, then, when I told her I didn't use my work email address any more, recited my yahoo address straight off. I think she must have used it occasionally when I was freelancing in Japan (we used both addresses for urgent jobs, as a safety net) but still. Very impressive and/or a bit scarey.
Lastly, lots of love and congratulations to Duncan and Katy who (despite not updating their blog!) are the very proud parents of a beautiful baby girl, Megan. Glad to see them continuing the "girls names begin with M" tradition and all I can say to Katy is: a nice easy quick labour, before your due date? You won't make any friends like that...(seriously, am thrilled and can't wait to head south to visit).
Lisa at 11:03
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While I am, of course, delighted to be the recipient of so many compliments on my new shoes, is it wrong to be worried that they have all, without exception, come from women who are well into their 50s?
Lisa at 14:22
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Eighteen months. Eighteen months! Happy one-and-a-half birthday, Maggie.
I had intended to mark today with her current vocabulary list, just for the record. Only it has exploded in the past week and I am failing to keep track. She's a right little chatterbox, but here's my attempt*:

baby kiss brush teeth clock ball clip clop (horse noise) (pig noise) bee teddy daddy mama eyes nose ears face hand Islay meat Piglet

pig toast bird baba (cucumber) door bana (banana) bisc (biscuit) hello no! cheese shoes sock horse car frog dog toes bear spoon tractor

woof woof meow cat duck quack quack bye bye book hiss (snake noise) owl twit-twoo flower tree wee-bee (rabbit) goose squeak (mouse noise) roar! house moon spi (spider)

push pull jump keys bath fish down pop! cup juice** boo! trousers bubble babble (apple) knee milk goat bobo (crayon***) whiskers tea

Plus the start of various songs (row row row (your boat); all day (long - the wheels on the bus) etc)
*You'll note these aren't all real words. I have included them if she uses them consistently and unprompted, and if we understand - meanings in brackets.
**No idea where this has come from - we don't say it to her, or give her it to drink. But drinks are juice, very clearly.
***Absolutely no idea.
I've had an awful lot of people telling me doesn't she speak well lately; often when they haven't as far as I can tell heard her say anything at all. Very odd. I might be mummy but I am not so rose-tinted that I don't realise that many of these 'words' are not obvious out of context, or to anyone other than us. I think it must be What One Says about toddlers once they are past isn't she alert/doesn't she sit/crawl/stand/walk well. How do people know these things?
Lisa at 12:13
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Gah. Must post on blog. Must complete website for veggy box people before dreamweaver free trial thingummy runs out this week. Must stop child screaming single-handed (Cameron in France). Must excavate kitchen from beneath heaps of dishes and run dishwasher, say 4 times, to clear. Must do something with leftovers filling fridge (say, put in bin).
Had a very jolly but busy weekend and am now playing catch-up. Cameron's uncle-from-NZ and cousin-thingy (second cousin?) came Friday for two nights which was very nice - they are excellent company and most helpfully stayed in the local hotel rather than at the house. Yummy chinese meal Friday ("don't they speak good English" - they are quite elderly); Cameron and Uncle went to the football on Saturday while the gals stayed home and played with the bairn. Oh, and showed last week's viewers-plus-family (six people!) round the house again. Is it usual to take your family to look round the house you would like to buy even before your own house is on the market?
Sunday we nipped to the Lake District to visit some friends from Tokyo (well, they are from the Lake District but we knew them in Japan). Total house envy, a smashing Sunday roast and a walk round the village.
Playgroup today, waved Cameron off to France (lucky lucky him) then caught up on my fave programmes clogging up the Sky+ box. Supernanny makes me laugh (actually makes me cry quite often too): these programmes are all the same. Family in Trouble; woman filmed coming towards the house, either striding purposefully in heels or (no waste like home) on a bicycle: pushes doorbell. Lurks around house looking shocked and distressed. Sorts them out, goes away. They cock up. She comes back. Bingo!
And Wife Swap. Well. I find it quite amusing but Cameron reckons it isn't nice to laugh at people who are sick - and today I think he perhaps has a point. Cleaning for 15 hours a day (hoovering 5 times a day!) had got to be verging on OCD. That could be me, you know. (Ha ha)
Lisa at 21:40
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I love my new cleaner, who reckons I look 20 or 22. (Of course she doesn't really given that we had a conversation about how long we had lived here - 7 years - but full marks for trying.)
Lisa at 12:04
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Fast asleep - does this look comfy to you?! 

Lisa at 12:41
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Things are looking up. Maggie seems to have got over her teething/cold/not eating/not sleeping thing and I "only" had to get up three times last night. I have got over my Royal Mail-induced rage (see below). Cameron thinks his toe is not in fact broken (and proved it by playing a left-footed game of football yesterday which he pronounced not too painful) and we have two families who want our house. Neither of whom can do anything until they sell their own: I can't decide if this is more or less annoying than having nobody who wants it.
After ringing to arrange redelivery of a parcel I had missed, I nearly posted a good old meh, it's better in Japan-style post but decided against it. We are in Britain now and must make the best of it. (Though I fail to see why I have to give 48 hours' notice and accept that they can't give any indication of time - not even morning or afternoon - when, in that other country, they can come back the same day, or any day of your choosing, and will come within a 2-hour time slot from 8 am to 10 pm. Oh look, I've done it anyway.) Anyway. I arranged for them to come Monday and duly waited in, missing playgroup and succumbing to a climb-the-walls case of cabin fever ("she won't stop whinging"). At 4 o'clock I decided enough was enough and phoned again, to be told that oh no, they couldn't come today after all, and would be coming Tuesday. Sigh. (Actually I didn't sigh, I got Very Cross and stamped about saying very bad words.)
After I had finished stamping about and slamming things, we whizzed up to the local park for some fresh air and exercise. M couldn't go on the slide because there was a couple sitting on it busy smoking and drinking beer while their small child ran amok, and I didn't want her to run too wildly on the grass because of broken glass and the dog that was playing with a group of pre-teens (I know I am being terribly Shocked of Tunbridge Wells, but who runs a dog off its lead in a kiddies' playground?) I want to go and live somewhere posh. Maggie's stalker turned up too, oddly.
I'll end on a soppy mummy note again. Maggie was playing with my purse yesterday (she likes to take all the cards out and leave them around the house so I don't have them when I need them. I suspect Cameron is bribing her to do so, especially the credit cards.) When she came across my gym membership card, with photo, she said Mama! and gave it a big kiss.
Lisa at 12:16
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A note to door-to-door salesmen who turn up out of the blue when I am having a Big Stress and demand to know what service provider we use. You are never going to get my business if, when I look momentarily befuddled (due to aforementioned out-of-the-blueness and Big-Stressicity) you say does hubby deal with it all?
Lisa at 12:27
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Another viewing tonight! Things are definitely picking up. Let's just hope that this one wants to buy the house - I know she has driven past and likes the look of it so we shouldn't have any nonsense about being put off by the viaduct (we love our viaduct) or being too close to the road*. I do know she hasn't yet sold her house, but am still hopeful. Even more so given that I buckled and viewed the Dream Home last week - and liked it so much I took Cameron back on Sunday. And he likes it too. The only fault I can possibly find is that you can hear the motorway (if I was being super-picky I would like a larger garden, larger master bedroom and perhaps an en-suite. But we are way past being super picky.)
*Just to put this in context, we live at the very bottom of a cul-de-sac, so quiet that kids play in the street. We are removed even from that quiet street by a drive that is long enough to park seven cars (yes, we have done so). There are million-pound country mansions that are closer to the road than us.**
**I admit I might be (deliberately) misunderstanding: there is a road that runs past the end of the garden. But it is very much a B-road, only running to the Spar and Thelwall.
Enormous congratulations to our friends Eiji and Yuko, in Japan, on the birth of their daughter Shoko-chan. Well done chaps!
We had a pleasant if uneventful weekend: trekked into deeper Cheshire on Saturday morning to investigate the farmers' market. It was smaller than I imagined (I think I had, like, Covent Garden in my head) but we came away with a good haul. Am slightly regretting passing up the chance to buy goat for an interesting stew so we might have to return next month. Saturday night we went for a curry and discovered that Maggie isn't very keen on biryani though she'll pick out the chicken chunks. Is hard work taking toddlers out for dinner.
Lisa at 10:30
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I am utterly utterly pathetic. I had to go and get my next-door neighbour to deal with a spider! It was approximately the size of a house-brick and sitting on my curtain. As if that wasn't humiliating enough, I then backed away whimpering when he tried to give it to me (all squashed up in a bit of kitchen roll) for disposal and made him put it in the outside bin. Which I will be unable to open now until the binmen have been and gone.
I am better than I used to be: small ones (say up to the size of a thumbnail) I can ignore (if I am allowed to define "ignore" as not actually dealing with it but staring fixedly at it in case it makes threatening advances. But I can be in the same room.) But this one...ew, it makes me shudder and feel physically sick even thinking about it. I really don't want Maggie to grow up afraid of spiders but am unequipped to pretend they are nothing. Eek!
My mother claims she hid her fears from us: it might have worked with thunderstorms (which don't trouble me in the least) but I have very clear memories of her standing squealing on the piano stool as dad removed a spider - so she didn't try that hard in my book. Of course, dad then trying to show it to us when he'd caught it wasn't terribly helpful either.
Anyway. Maggie was a messy monster this morning and made a lovely painting, which was lots of fun (am now all painty - next week, will wear old clothes myself not just put them on her.) There was a truly dreadful mummy there who was absolutely convinced her child was the most special and interesting toddler there has ever been. Of course we all think that but most are sensible enough to realise that and not try to convert everyone to their own way of thinking (Maggie is clearly so head and shoulders above the others I think it would be crass to point it out). She wanted me to admit that boys are better than girls because you don't have to worry about what they wear (right). Her son was running about wildly and she was obviously secretly proud of this and kept on about how it was because he was a boy. I wanted to point out that Maggie, despite being female, is quite capable of raising hell (when she has had some sleep) and that messing with paints at an art session was not necessarily a sign that she is dull. And that in fact they are just toddlers and all do their own thing, regardless of their Mummy's influence.
Lisa at 10:42
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Saw a lovely optician yesterday who tells me I can wear my 'fortnightly' lenses 14 times before throwing them away - in complete contrast to the previous optician who was adamant they were to be thrown after 2 weeks regardless. I like the former idea better as it will make one set of lenses last me about 6 weeks. Am unsure whether they are to be thrown for bacterial buildup (as I had assumed, and which would be a good reason to ditch them after the prescribed time) or lens deterioration (in which case I'll hang on to them). But am tight enough to give it a go. He also complimented me on the good state of my corneas; what a nice man. I haven't had my hair cut in months, makeup is a thing of my past and I usually have biscuit smeared on my clothes, but at least I have nice corneas.
Am dithering about whether to renew my gym membership, which expires at the end of the month. It seems a lot of money for 45 minutes a week, but on the other hand Maggie likes the creche, they like Maggie, it gets me an hour off...I think the trouble is I have to join for 6 months and I am very loath to admit to myself that we will still be here in 6 months' time. Similarly, I want to plant daffodils because I love them but I don't want to consider the fact that I might still be here to see them flower.
Actually I am going to the gym twice this week (I am such a fitness fanatic): I have signed up for a beginners' tai chi class. I quite fancy that whole wearing white and slowly waving limbs about in the park thing, and Saturday-morning yoga was just not happening (too early). Maybe I'll reconsider that when and if Maggie sleeps a whole night through, because I do enjoy yoga. Say in 17 years' time.
Lisa at 12:24
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I'm not sure it gets any better than having your face gently touched by a sleepy baby practising her words: ahs (eyes), nuz (nose), ehs (ears). (For some reason she has started with a deep south accent.) So sweet.
Feel all back-to-schoolish this week, with playgroups and a distinct autumnal snap to the air. We have harvested all the apples and my tomatoes have finally deigned to develop a hint of red. Is lovely. There are even a few courgettes developing - better late than never. I might have to have a quick chorus of we plough the fields and scatter or that one about blackberries in the hedgerows in honour of our own private harvest festival. Am determined to get to our local farmers' market this Saturday, and last Saturday I at long last made it to the Unicorn grocery, so we are all seasonal organic right-on yadda yadda yadda just now. Might have to have a backlash takeaway curry for tea.
However, don't mention the H word - Friday night's viewers hadn't even put their house on the market yet, though they seemed very enthusiastic about ours. What a waste of good tidying: I am not running an exhibition here. Still haven't been to visit the Dream House (too dangerous). Am feeling very despondant and wondering whether we will have to live here forever, my lovely belongings all rotting in storage.
Lisa at 08:29
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Very exciting news: remember I sacked my cleaner? I thought we had been forgotten about but the agency boss called yesterday to say she'd found me someone new if I still wanted her. Hooray! Have just cleaned the entire house (more viewers tonight) for hopefully the last time: will be back as a lady of (ha ha) leisure just doing the odd spot of light recreational dusting as of next week. Of course, if there was any justice in the world, the house would be sold by then. I feel it is our turn now.
My old lab partner from uni (complete with boob job, will have to try not to stare!) is coming to see us today en route to a party in Manchester (she leads such an exciting life). Looking forward to it but a bit puzzled about how to manage to feed Maggie, feed us, get Maggie to bed yet still have a sparkly house at 6.30 for the viewer. I clearly just don't have enough to worry about these days, but it has been on my mind for 2 days.
Not enough to worry about. Ha ha. Am editing a more-poxy-than-average manuscript and supposedly sorting out my veg suppliers' website (in exchange, I hope, for free veg). Am still doing fulltime childcare (all those people who say how lucky I am to work at home? Pffffft to you. Well, I mean, I do feel lucky to work from home - I was never much cop in an office as I expect Cath to verify - but simultaneously working and toddler-wrangling? Bit tricky.)
Took M for a swim this morning; we were sitting in the cafe afterwards when a child I have never seen before said hello Maggie! She has friends I don't know.
Lisa at 12:44
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Clearly the first week of school: the gym, which has been lovely and quiet all summer, was full of frantically exercising mummies; the creche was packed; the pool was virtually empty. All baby activities start again next week - we have one a day this term which I suspect is going to be way too much for my sanity (I need one day off in which to go to the bank, the post office, tidy up, sit on my bum drinking coffee).
No news on the house: this weekend's viewer (again) liked the house but wasn't sure about the location. I think it's in a great location and she should get a grip. But I knew she didn't like it, she was just way too effusive about how lovely it all was. A dead giveaway. Am a bit miffed because I have spotted my Dream House on the market (well, I think it is my DH. Of course I haven't been to look round - way too dangerous given that we can't afford it without selling this. But I have driven past the outside. Twice. And it is very lovely.)
Lisa at 12:49
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Hands up who knows where they were and what they were doing 7 years ago today? Now those of you who were mournfully marking one-year-since-Diana's-funeral can put their hands right back down and go to the bottom of the class. Those who (correctly) said 'at your wedding', take a gold star.
Seven years. Wow.
It rained then, too.
We spent much of our weekend trying to catch a mouse that Islay kindly released in the lounge. The cats took shifts staring fixedly behind the tansu; we periodically did the same (having spent until midnight on Friday hefting sofas and things and trying to grab it. Mice are significantly harder to catch than birds.) Finally, around 11 o'clock Saturday night after we had constructed a mouse-run from the dining table and some books but failed to persuade the mouse to run along it, Jura grabbed it and we managed to save it.
Last night, we staged an action replay (different mouse).
Lisa at 13:17
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I know it is the last day of the school holidays, which (sort of) explains the clowns, men on stilts, balloon sculpters, 6-foot-tall talking, moving remote control dragon and scary mimey people, but I have no idea why Warrington today is busier than I have ever seen it. The entire world and his wife, plus buggy and whinging tot, was in My cafe at lunchtime, My queue in the shops and returning items in My M&S. Feel very overstimulated and have come home where it is nice and quiet for a cup of tea and a sit down. Have got two enterprising pre-teens washing my car and Maggie is singing in her cot; I might just manage it.
Lisa at 13:13
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Things I wish I had but don't, even though I own them, because they are in Stoke-on-bloody-trent, in storage. Meh.

Rice cooker (plus transformer).

About 70% of my cook books, including Delia, most of my Nige collection, the domestic goddess, Jane's veggies, ie my most-used ones. And all my Japanese ones. And the hundred-ways-with-apples one, which would be particularly useful at the moment given the weight of apples on the trees.

Lots of lovely china.

Spare sheets (so I didn't have to wash-dry-put back on in one day.)

Dictionaries.

A green yukata which would look fantastic on the wall in the hall.

An umbrella stroller.
And we have just forked out for a new charger/lead set for the movie camera as it was getting a bit silly.

Lisa at 13:22
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Am feeling v smug now. Just got sent a new (poxy) manuscript, with a message to the effect that the author had requested that I do it because he was so pleased with my work on his previous (poxy) manuscript! Hurrah; how nice to be appreciated. Cameron reckons I should charge more in that case (but that is why he is a successful businessman and I a lowly editor).
Lisa at 11:40
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and counting...
Ten teeth. Halfway.
Lisa at 07:23
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Maggie thinks I am a camel. Or she thinks camels are me (which is not quite the same thing). Twice today - once on the 'kiddies' menu at lunch and then this evening in a book - she has pointed to a picture of a camel and said, quite clearly, Mama.
Cameron says he hasn't taught her, she's learnt it all by herself.
Lisa at 18:22
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No news is just that: no news. The viewers like our house best (apparently) and (apparently) have received an offer on their house...sounds good so far...only that offer is a bit low so they are trying to negotiate that before coming back to us with - we hope - an offer. So we remain in a state of limbo, albeit quite optimistic limbo. Not optimistic enough to have revived my interest in house viewing, however.
I intend to compensate for my long absence with a lovely long post today, though I warn you now it might be full of boring boasty mummy stuff. I never liked toddlers before but this is a great age: Maggie gets more and more fun by the day. We popped south to my mum and dad for a long weekend, in the course of which we ventured into deepest darkest Surrey to visit Helen and her truly gorgeous new daughter Charlotte. Was lovely to see them; I hope Charlotte is starting to distinguish night from day now as Helen was feeling rather frazzled.
Cameron joined us for Saturday's trip to a vineyard in Hampshire (who knew?) for Gail and Martin's silver wedding lunch. Maggie stayed home with Granny and Grandpa (lucky for the other guests I reckon) and we had a lovely time, reuniting with various other friends from Tokyo (all of whom, we agreed, would go back tomorrow) and drinking (hampshire) champagne. How very civilised. Sunday, Cameron came back home to cut the grass, etc, while I visited Katy and Duncan: not long to go now so much baby chat ensued. Maggie was most out of sorts and didn't even want to play with their huge red ball. We think teeth.
Maggie and I were sitting on the sofa the other day, Islay came to say hello. "Kiss Islay" I said, so she did. "Kiss mummy" (she did). She then pushed my face towards Islay and commanded "Diss" (it means kiss, k is a hard sound to make!) How cute is that.
Went into the porch to pick up the post this morning, to see my next-door neighbours, her in curlers (most unusual, she is generally very groomed), peering in horror over the fence. And pointing. With a sinking heart I remembered the small dead rat Jura brought in last night: it was pouring with rain so Cameron flung it out the front door rather than putting it in the bin. Where it landed on the lawn to do its rigor mortis thing. Of course I had to pretend to be shocked and surprised (I didn't like to say oh yes, we put it there last night), although I fear I was not convincing: I am no actress at the best of times let alone first thing in the morning. I refused her kind offer to have her husband move it for me (!) - one thing you learn very fast living with cats is to deal with small dead things. (I have more trouble with small dying things, being too soft to put them out of their misery, but that's another story.)
I have no work on today! For what feels like the first day in ages. Am celebrating by cleaning the bathroom: woohoo.
Lisa at 12:31
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Phew. Is really hot and muggy here today.
Have you all still got your fingers crossed? July's viewers came back last night for a second look. Which apparently they are doing to several houses and we can expect a decision by the weekend (playing with us, they are). Has got to be hopeful, but not too hopeful. I was delighted to see, 5 minutes before they were due, all the neighbourhood children take to the streets for a good amicable play: they couldn't have timed it better had I bribed them with icecream from the van.
Am editing a poxy manuscript and, bizarrely, rather enjoying it. The reason? It is the first one ever (in, um, a good few years of editing) that has been about something about which I know something. (Are you following?) They have used some techniques I used for my PhD: amazing. Better than bluffing my way through cancer and molecular biology as I usually have to. Is fun. (OK, fun might be a little strong. Is still poxy. But fun poxy.)
Maggie went to the creche this morning and did her first ever paintings! They were very good: she is brilliant. One looked a bit like a flower if you held it sideways and squinted; the other was more abstract. Clever, clever girl.
Lisa at 14:12
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I am sure I am well behind the times, but if any of you out there haven't found Kath & Kim yet, please watch. We love it. The web seems quite full of amusing quotes but my favourite to date was Kim musing on how difficult it is to be a wife...so many decisions...house, trophy, fish...
Heh.
It's true, we do nothing but watch television these days.
Lisa at 13:16
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Apparently the reason you are supposed to supervise children with crayons at all times is not merely wallpaper-related: who knew? Nipped to the kitchen yesterday just long enough to stir rice and poke beans; returned to find Maggie chewing a nice big lump of pink. Yummy.
Lisa at 12:20
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We're back. What news?
Did I mention we were going away? I am rubbish, aren't I. We went to Scotland, to Cameron's parents' ruby-wedding shebang, then to Forfar (really) for a holiday, then to Aberdeen overnight, then back to Forfar, back to Fife and home again. Phew! Am v proficient at packing the car now (less so at unpacking: despite arriving home Tuesday afternoon, my car remains full of toys, books and bottles of beer). Hol v pleasant, we did virtually nothing, as planned. Afternoon naps and long lie-ins and Cameron read what he claims to be his first book this year (surely it can't be true, though I can't recall another). Visited Glamis Castle (us and an awful lot of Americans), Crathes Castle (which has the temerity to charge EIGHT POUNDS to get into the gardens. They are nice but at the end of the day just a load of plants), ate butteries and bridies and nothing healthy whatsoever. Reckon I put on half a stone so am on salad and fruit this week (bad side-effect of getting older: never used to put on weight). Went to a lovely beach, walked round a loch, toured the Pittenweem art festival. Visited my ancestral seat of Stonehaven. Feel well rested and much refreshed (and fat).
The chap who owned the cottage we stayed in used to work at Daresbury, spookily, and his wife is about to head to Nottingham* to take up a readership at the university. Different department but we were all scientists together. And they had chickens who produced delicious eggs.
I see Helen had her baby (well, OK, I heard via text while away) so lots of congratulations are due in Kent for baby Charlotte. Don't think they are getting much sleep: would she believe me if I promised she'd have forgotten that this time next year? It is true.
Maggie slept jolly well on her hol, must be all that fresh air and exercise (and not being stuck with boring mummy all the time). And she even managed to produce a new tooth (how many more to go?)
*It's just occurred to me that I haven't actually been blogging forever so you are mostly going so? at this news. Although I did the work for my PhD at Daresbury, it was awarded by Nottingham University. See? Spooky.
Lisa at 11:44
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Having a thoroughly pleasant day today, it being the first in, ohh, ages when I haven't had a million jobs to do. The house is clean and tidy (we had viewers last night) and I have no work on. OK, I still have to pack (we're Off! tomorrow) and I really should have gone to the bank, but for once I had a lovely long bath when Maggie went to sleep (which took a trip through three local villages with classic FM, but that is another story) and I feel quite calm.
Made it to the gym yesterday too - the gym proper, not sauna-and-a-coffee (despite having been up SIX TIMES in the night, where's that halo). There was some very odd daytime television on (quite hard to run to): has anyone seen (oh I forget what it is called) something like Playing it straight? A load of men - some gay some straight - and one unfortunate woman who has to (I think) guess which is which. How odd. The men were all trying to kiss her, when they were not chatting each other up. And then I ran out of puff and had to go for that coffee after all, so I don't know how it ended. Speaking of trashy telly, we've been quite engrossed in the rebel billionaire: v exciting. We want them all to lose (apart from Heather, because I had a nice long chat with her on a plane last summer. Mind you, she took my address and promised to send me some of her DVDs, and never did, so perhaps her niceness was an act.)
Viewers seemed very keen but perhaps they were just polite. They have to sell their house before they can do anything so we are not holding our breath. Their little boy was called Cameron though, so perhaps that is an omen.
Anyone got any good ideas of what we can have for tea? I have broad beans, a packet of bacon, half a tub of cottage cheese and some bananas. (Did somebody say takeaway?)
Lisa at 14:31
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Having neglected childcare and paying work for a few days (hence am on the computer at 9 o'clock at night, finishing the Poxy Manuscript), have finished Harry 6. Much better - plus shorter - than Harry 5, I found myself thoroughly sucked in by about halfway through. Am left agog and gasping for the next one, which promises to have much less boarding school and even more adventure. Despite usual 2-D-ness of characters (I know I know, it is a children's book. All I can say is: Philip Pullman), JK successfully had me guessing about Snape. Is he good? Bad? Good! Bad! Very exciting. Ron and Hermione get flatter and flatter as time goes on, remaining in the plot purely to have the occasional fallout or insight (maybe it is a realistic portrayal of adolescence, though I like to think I am not so far removed that I don't remember the intensity of teenage friendships - if we had kept secrets as much as that lot, Best Friends would not have remained Best for very long. Though I suppose we were at home not away at school and, as such, reserved our secrecy and moodiness for our nearest and dearest. I don't know.) Anyway, a thumbs up from me, and Maggie is just relieved I have finished and will return to Mummy duties post-haste.
Lisa at 19:59
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Hooray! What a great night. I don't suppose those of you without sleepless children will appreciate, but honestly - asleep by 8.30, woke at 12.30 for half an hour only, woke at 4 for 10 minues, up at 6.30 briefly then asleep until 8.15 - is fan-bloody-tastic. Woohoo! We're going for a celebratory swim.
(Workwise, it never rains but it pours, so I am rushing about editing odd bits while cooking dinner, reading stories and building lego towers.)
Lisa at 08:13
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It is all my fault. I felt sorry for Maggie in her wintry leather shoes so went and bought some open-toed sandals. We won't see the sun again.
Lisa at 16:01
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Arg. Has it really been a week? And I've not done a thing of interest. Mainly due to the amazing wide-awake baby (how long have I to wait before she will understand that if mummy is knackered we don't get to do anything fun?) Was quite embarrassed on Saturday when we went to some friends for dinner: their well-behaved boy was in bed asleep before we arrived and not a peep was heard all evening. Our little monster would not go to bed (let's be fair, she was in a strange place and there were some really good toys) and ran about until we put her in the car to come home, at midnight. Thus ruining their child-free evening, I'm sure. But at least she was cheery.
Looking forward to the Tatton Park flower show on Friday. Must be getting old.
And today was the last playgroup until September (why? I have no idea.) What are we going to do all summer?
Lisa at 15:20
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Lay sweltering in bed last night debating whether we would prefer air-conditioning with cockroaches or no aircon, no disgusting enormous scuttly bugs. Cameron is firm: he says he didn't mind sharing our home with roaches (I think he has just forgotten). I am still on the fence but gosh it is warm.
Chester races on Saturday was lots of fun, but what are the chances of eight adults each selecting a horse for each of six races yet not one picking a winner. The best we did was one third place (Mark put £1 on and received 55p back. It's a mug's game.) - and the techniques used for horse selection ranged from being very keen on racing, following the form, knowing the trainers etc, to the colour the jockey wore via which horse has the most amusing name. Early on, Cameron nearly put a tenner on none of us picking a winner, but decided against.
Came home to find my grandmother has been taken to hospital with chest pains, where she is still (though nobody seems to know quite why). Can I ask you to divert the house selly/buy-y vibes I know you are all sending constantly, into get-well-granny vibes for a bit? Thanks. I'm sending vibes back in return you know: labour vibes, healthy vibes, house vibes and any others you like.
Lisa at 12:02
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Meh. The owners of 'my house' accepted an offer from somebody else, who had the temerity to offer nearly the asking price! How dare they. So back we go again...only we don't, because I am so thoroughly fed up with the whole thing (plus feeling almost entirely humourless from chronic lack of sleep - things are not improving) that we have decided to have a break. We are going to have a jolly week in Scotland at the end of the month (please, please let it not rain, else we will wish we had gone to Spain) and then start again. Unless, of course, something marvellous presents itself to me in the meantime. Or we sell this one.
Otherwise, have had quite a pleasant morning. Being up half the night provides the perfect excuse to not go to the gym while M is in the creche, but to pootle up and down the swimming pool a bit, sit in the sauna, discuss football (yes, really!) with some chap in the steam room then go to the cafe and read a paper/stare into space for half an hour. I even didn't feel guilty (well, only a little) at being the only under-50 in the pool without a child.
Lisa at 10:51
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Tenterhooks
here, as we at long last had some people viewing the house on Saturday! We were both convinced they weren't interested at the time, but, according to the estate agent, they really liked it - but hated the viaduct, which we can do little about. They have cancelled all other viewings and are deciding between this and another just around the corner. So please all cross your fingers and send me selly vibes.
We also found a house we really like...actually, we found two we really like but one is on a main road and needs a largish fortune spent on it, so we are sticking with the other. It's a wee bit beyond us unless we sell this, and we know the vendors have already rejected an offer higher than our cheeky low one (unless letting them play with our cute baby swings it for us), so I am feeling quite tense. It is still not absolutely ideal, but the compromises on this are quite small. It is older, which I like, but smaller than the last one (because it is in Cheshire not Wales, so the money doesn't go quite as far). I like the garden better but there is no garage for us to fill with junk. Two of the bedrooms are smallish and there is no separate study, but it is right in a fabulous village (and, as they say, location location location).
There is no other news due to my being awake with a certain young lady from 1 am last night; amazing really I can type at all. It just proved the I was right all along and she is not yet ready to drop her daytime nap.
Lisa at 16:26
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I'm not sure which is worse: a baby who doesn't sleep until 10, 11 at night (as we've had for the past couple of weeks) or, like last night, one who goes off beautifully at 8.15 (hurray!) but then gets up at 5 the next morning. I am beginning to wonder if she just doesn't need as much sleep as we think. Probably the latter is preferable, if only because she was in such a lovely mood when she woke - but it wasn't helped by our being so excited by a Maggie-free evening we sat up past our bedtimes. So now it is 9 am, Maggie is having her 'lunchtime' nap and I am ready for my elevenses. Goodness knows what will happen this afternoon.
Her vocabulary of animal noises continues to expand: we now have a lion's roar and an owl's twit-twoo. Somebody told me that Aled Jones started with animal noises, so perhaps she will be a singer.
House-hunting starts again today. Sigh.
Oh, and the people who were talking below about relocation, relocation...I have finally got around to watching the episode to which you were referring (I am very behind: blame Sky+) and I agree with Mia, I didn't find them envy-inducing and sweet but rather irritating and smug.
And speaking of Sky+, i don't know if it was the thunderstorms (which have affected it previously) or a certain young lady messing with the remote, but while we were away this weekend our box took it upon itself to record hours and hours of cricket, wiping a whole page of programmes I had taped and was saving. (Just saving. I like to record things and then not watch them.)
Lisa at 08:11
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Cooler today: let's hope my theory about Maggie's failure to sleep for the past 2 weeks is proved right and she goes off like a lamb tonight. The more so because Cameron is out playing cricket (yes really) so I am on bath and bed duty single-handed. One night last week I got so desperate I put her into the big bed, where she wanted to be (and where she dropped off in about 30 seconds) and got into the cot myself for a snooze! Amazing what seems like a good idea in the middle of the night. I am just pleased Cameron was too sleepy to get the camera.
Lisa at 12:48
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Swimming

Lisa at 11:00
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For the record
Cat
Duck (NB cat and duck both sound a bit like 'da')
Bye bye
Islay
Jura
Flower
Quack quack
Woof woof
Buzz
Shoes
Baa
Teddy
Ball
Armpits
Chicken (food not bird)
Lisa at 11:07
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Positive thinking...
We will probably still be here for the apple harvest, so will be able to make lovely crumbles and cider again.
I don't have to leave all my new friends and start again (yet)
Perhaps the next house we find will be even better (oh but I liked having 2 en-suites)
Actually there is a near-identical house for sale on the same estate. Not so well located, and no conservatory - but we might just consider it. Would it be too weird to have the evil witch as a neighbour?
And as house prices are falling there are some very nice houses around. I just can't be bothered to traipse back round them again just yet.
Lisa at 11:55
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Feeling quite glum today. Evil vendor witch woman has pulled out of the sale - decided not to move after all. Just goes to show you should trust your instincts about people: next time we find The House, no matter how ideal, we are not going ahead if we don't like the vendors. Looking back, we should have expected it, all that wittering about how she won't find anything else as nice, and she actually told me they had nearly sold once before then changed their minds...but what did we know, it was on the market. Bah. Sigh.
We had just decided to rent out this house until the market picks up, too.
Am trying very hard to believe that these things happen for a reason so we will find another that is even better - but am not quite there yet. Am much more in the evil witch frame of mind just now.
Perhaps the next one will have room for chickens and a vegetable patch (see, I said I wasn't quite there yet).
Have told Maggie she won't be able to go to the nice little village school, too.
On the (?!) bright side, it seems the surveyors cocked up and only did a valuation rather than the very expensive survey we paid for, so we should get a refund there. Even better (?), they lied to us about having done it, so I am pushing for a full refund.
Bah.
Lisa at 11:34
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Gosh, I'm feeling prolific today.
Anyone know about chillies? I've been given three plants marked with undefined acronyms for species...
RoF (I guess ring of fire?)
THD (thai dragon?)
FH (no idea)
Anyone?
Lisa at 12:29
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Arg. How long have I been married? Yet just today the bank has decided I can't pay in a cheque made out to my married name (and Cameron's name, and apparently he wouldn't be able to pay it in either) because I have my maiden name on the account.
What do people who don't have a joint account do when cheques to both arrive? They tell me that wouldn't be allowed either. They tell me I either have to change my name (and if I put both names on the account, ie Lisa Stewart Watson, all cheques will have to say that exactly not one or the other), open another account for such eventualities, contact the people writing the cheque and get it re-issued (it's a share dividend) or, as a special favour and just this once, take in my marriage certificate.
After seven years with no such problems.
Lisa at 12:20
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This whole cleaner thing is not working out very well - it was supposed to relieve stress, not increase it. Slapdash dusting (better than no dusting at all, but a bit irritating when you are paying) then last week she skipped off an hour early (I only know because I happened to be here; maybe she does it every week): this week she hasn't turned up at all and hasn't called in sick either. I am starting to think it might be better to have half a day's childcare, enabling me to blitz the house...except the whole point of me staying home and not returning to work is to allow me to be with Maggie not the vacuum cleaner. Feeling quite cross, having spent the morning mooching round the town centre to let her clean in peace. Incidentally, why do Fathers' Day cards all have pictures of football/cricket/beer/ties (yes, really?!) on? Somebody out there could make a fortune being more creative.
I haven't been posting much, mainly due to sheer exhaustion and lack of enthusiasm. I hope it is teeth but Madam is once again not sleeping well. Last night we gave up entirely and brought her back downstairs to watch relocation relocation until she got tired (9.45). It makes Cameron go to sleep faster than that! While we are on the subject: why do all modern programmes repeat and repeat and repeat? Drives me crazy when they tell you the whoooooolllleeee ploooooottttt verrrry sloooowly again after each and every commercial break (and also summarise before the breaks). Thank goodness for sky plus.
Ooh, here's something exciting: I won my first ebay auction! Could be dangerously addictive, but an answerphone for 99p is not to be sniffed at.
Lisa at 11:22
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There's a bit of a debate on one of my hippy-parent messageboards about the MMR jab. Many people there are very anti-vaccination, believing (I think - I have only skim-read as I am a vaccination fan) that herbs and a good diet work just as well. I'd be a little more sympathetic - I am such a scientist - if somebody could come up with some sort of properly referenced study to support their Needles Bad theory...but was completely flabbergasted yesterday to read I don't bother with refs unless I [...] disagree with what is being said [...] I think sometimes evidence can become distracting. Arg. You can't argue with that, can you. Anyway, Mag is having her MMR jab in 2 weeks' time (but I won't be telling the board because I am mostly just a lurker and don't want to be attacked). Then on the midwifery board - which I am still reading despite being quite a long way distant from my pregnancy because it is just so interesting - some madwoman, in reply to a post from a poor soul undergoing a missed miscarriage (ie her baby has died but not yet miscarried), started on about doctors who misdiagnose in order to abort then get paid for the fetus by research companies! I actually, for the first time in my life (and it doesn't even affect me), complained about that post. Next thing you know, I'll be writing why oh why oh why to points of view.
Other news - cats are still hunting, kindly bringing me a live ?goldfinch up to the bedroom when I was reaching the end of my get-Maggie-to-sleep tether yesterday. (Suzanne and Mia came over and we had a picnic: we missed the sleepy window so she was utterly hyper and would not lie down for a whole hour). I saved it, they caught it, I saved it, they caught it, I saved it, they caught it, I saved it! Poor traumatised thing - but it survived.
Survey is going ahead next week and as far as we know the house is not back on the market (phew). And tomorrow, Cameron and I are going to the cinema! First time since I was 8 months pregnant. Maggie is going to the zoo.
Lisa at 10:57
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The orange prize is announced tonight. I am not really one for taking any notice of such things, but have actually read half the shortlist so am quite intrigued to see who gets it (it's a reading group thing - we all read as many as we can then vote ourselves. Unfortunately I can't make it to the voting evening as it clashes with Cameron's football night and is in Widnes, so I would have to brave the bridge and no doubt get lost). Yes, that's right - I am reading again! Must try to remember what I have read so far this year and update my list - I am not quite back up to my old one-a-week average but it is nice to be getting some reading done. A short history of tractors in Ukrainian was amusing and very easy to read but I wasn't really sure what it was actually about. I suspect there was some message, but if so, it was so deep as to pass me by. (Let's face it, it needn't be terribly deep to do so.) Liars and saints I loved; it reminded me of a Kate Atkinson (for me, this is high praise). Not sure why the blurb harps on about the photographer's kiss - but a fantastic read. But my vote absolutely goes to We need to talk about Kevin: completely unputdownable and is still haunting me now - I can't stop thinking about it. I did guess the ending about halfway but then talked myself back out of it and I want you all to go out and read it now.
Other news: NCT coffee morning here today went very smoothly until one of the toddlers fell in the pond! Jura (who was being tempting on the far side) is no doubt very pleased with herself.
Lisa at 12:12
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The hunt continues: going out to shut the catflap before bed one evening last week, without my glasses on, I shrieked when something scary (a frog, as it turned out) leapt out of the cats' water dish where it had been sitting and across the floor. Eek!
Had a jolly pleasant weekend in Harrogate with Suzanne and the girls from home (apart from Caroline of course, who is otherwise engaged). Maggie decided 5 am was getting-up time so I was rather zombie-like but the others were on good form. Katy: I did make you a list of baby stuff but it is in Suzanne's lounge. Perhaps she will send it to you before Zadok arrives.
House stress today, as the vendor has decided if she doesn't hear from the surveyor TODAY she will put the house back on the market. Just goes to show you should trust your instincts about people - I said after my first viewing that I liked the house but not the owners (but fortunately they won't be there if we buy it). Have spent Maggie's nap ringing financial advisers and estate agents rather than the planned grand tomato (and courgette) plant-out that was scheduled. Mind you, I can't find the shed key anyway so that was always a bit of a non-starter (if you were Cameron, where would you have put the key?)
Lisa at 13:22
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And a very small, very sweet, very much still alive (hooray!) field mouse.
A poor dead bird, possibly a thrush.
I think the cats have remembered how to hunt. Must buy Jura a new bell (she cunningly lost her collar at the weekend - will be interesting for future archeologists when they read the Japanese address inside).
Lisa at 11:39
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BAD cats.
Two very small, very sweet, very dead baby bluetits.
Lisa at 18:20
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Blimey: sunshine on a bank holiday? How novel. How pleasant. Martyn, Rebecca and Amy came over for a picnic lunch (in the garden). Maggie slept through it so we had the bizarre experience of time in the garden without having to rush over and whirl her away from the pond every few minutes (why is it so fascinating?) Beer was drunk so we both then fell asleep in the afternoon while M played very nicely by herself; it was almost like a pre-child holiday. As far as I can tell she just moved things about at random as I spent the evening returning items. I woke up when she put Cameron's shoes on the sofa next to my face (nobody could sleep through that smell ha ha ha).
Buying house is being surveyed this week. Selling house has still not had a soul to view, sigh. I'm thinking of wearing a placard on the streets of Warrington; it is a nice house really.
Lisa at 14:07
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I have a friend - a very nice friend, I like her and always look forward to seeing her, apart from one thing. She is Competitive Mum. It's OK, I let it wash over me - her baby is never going to compare to Maggie anyway (plus is 2 months younger) but I do get a wee bit irritated when she cross-examines me about Maggie's latest tricks then tells me what she is 'supposed' to be doing. Anyway, all well and good and unfortunately common especially amongst the real go-getter former career success types (as she is). But last week she asked if I was potty training yet and said she was going to start. Now maybe I am being overly laid back but it hadn't even crossed my mind to think about it yet - and her baby can't even walk, how is she going to get to the potty? I don't get it.
Lisa at 18:01
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Is the sun over the yardarm yet? Or does the fact that it is cloudy so I can't see the sun mean that it is OK to hit the gin at 3.30? Because I honestly don't think I am going to cope until C gets home without. M has had no sleep today but has followed me about whinging instead. Apart from the hour we spent with Suzanne's mother-in-law, when she toddled about being all cute and smily and adorable.
Lisa at 14:29
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Maggie disgraced me today by spitting her half-chewed biscuit out into my hand just as the very smart, blonde-bobbed, pinstripe-suited solicitor came in. She didn't try to shake my hand.
All was forgiven on her sheer joy and excitement at playing with her new ball - by far the best new toy she has ever had. And it has fimbles on, which i don't think she has even noticed yet.
(Maggie, not the solicitor.)
Lisa at 18:33
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We're back. Got back last night, actually. Mag nipped south to spend a few days with granny, grandpa and great-granny, also taking in a great-uncle and -aunt and some family friends. I chauffeured. Visited a couple of garden centres, mainly to avail ourselves of their coffee facilities and view their fish and other pets: Maggie met some chickens, who she liked (good oh, I thought, more ammunition in my chicken campaign), and a parrot and some rabbits, who she liked too. Cameron stayed home and did busy house-buying stuff: things I try not to bother my pretty little head about like mortgages and whatnot. Unfortunately I do have to partake and am required to visit a solicitor and financial person tomorrow. Sigh.
Nearly had a viewing today! Ran about wildly tidying and decluttering only for them to cancel at the last minute. "Something came up." I suspect they were invented by the estate agent to persuade us that they have been doing something - time will tell.
All that nonsense in the paper about cloth nappies being just as bad as disposables...what do they suggest we do, put down plastic and let the babies run about bare? (Of course not, plastic is bad too.) Got very cross with the Times report that suggested - no, not suggested, actually came right out and said - that people using cloth nappies are smug. I'm not smug. I don't think I am smug. Am I smug?
The Nappy Lady has replied here pointing out (as I have been all weekend to anyone who will listen) that it's the landfill that is a real problem and that we don't all use fabric softener/boil wash/tumble dry (OK I do tumble dry unless the sun is really bright but that is because I am Bad and Lazy). Nobody yet has pointed out - because it is largely irrelevent I suppose when they are concentrating on environmental issues - that they work out enormously cheaper. And the annoying 'eco' lady in the Observer today (who is very green but just can't manage washable nappies because she found she had to spend all her time emptying buckets and washing machines) only made me wonder. I empty a bucket of nappies into the washing machine twice a week: I add detergent and turn it on, then I take them out and hang them out to dry or bung them in the drier. How long can that take?
Arg, is all I have to say on the matter.
(OK, not all I have to say. Probably my most coherent statement, however.)
Scary Doctor Who - I needed a cushion.
Random wibblings: must be time for bed. Boing.
Lisa at 21:44
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Eek!
They accepted our offer.
They want to exchange at the end of July.
(We want to go as slow as possible given that we haven't sold ours...)
Lisa at 16:06
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Good days and bad days. Actually it all mostly depends in the previous night: last night, Maggie decided not to sleep much, which made her sad so she cried. As a direct consequence, the alarm didn't go off this morning (for some odd reason it did go off around 2 am, so Cameron thumped it, so it didn't go off this morning), so Cameron got up late, so I didn't get a shower, so I don't want to leave the house today but am monging about in tracky bottoms. And Maggie spent the morning whinging and wailing, wanting to be picked up put down picked up put down picked up put down until she was finally persuaded to have a nap. Sufficiently late that she will probably not wake in time to go swimming (and I am not going to wake her). Gah! What was that about the best-laid plans? (The best-evolved routines.)
I haven't even put in my contact lenses, of which I am so proud. Having last owned a pair while pregnant, it is rather exciting not to see the world through baby fingerprints.
Our new estate agent already seems better than the old one: for starters, their signs are nicer. And their photographer must have stood in the shrubbery to take the photo, which disguises (de-emphasises) the viaduct rather well.
Lisa at 11:51
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More communication news: when leaving Kwikfit this morning I said to Maggie "get teddy, we don't want to leave him behind" - and she did - then "and put the duck down, that doesn't belong to us" - and she did! Amazing. Coincidence? Perhaps.
Lisa at 16:09
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Those who know me know I am given to wild, sometimes short-lived, enthusiasms. This is my latest; and I want two of these to live in it. I don't think it will be a short-lived fancy - watch this space.
Lisa at 15:19
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Maggie is definitely starting to communicate: in Sainsbury's yesterday she started quacking. Don't be silly, I said (humouring her), there are no ducks here, but then I looked around and saw a great big poster for the child trust fund with - you've guessed it - a rubber duck on. So she really was quacking not making random noises, and I had to apologise.
Lisa at 14:08
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Well, Friday was a resounding success. Apart from the fact that it seems a waste of good babysitting to go to a work do (which was really OK except I was nearly crying with tiredness: Cameron was (nominally) organiser so we had to stay to the bitter end). Sara begged us not to put Maggie to bed before leaving, as we had planned, threatening to poke her and wake her up to play if we did, so with mixed feelings (if it all went horribly wrong she might never babysit again) we waved bye bye to Maggie and Aunty Sara in the garden and went out. I had extremely mixed feelings of course, both of us simultaneously never having left her awake in the evening - and only having left her in bed twice before. I am a wimp. But it was great! They played in the garden until Uncle Ian got home then bath, story, bed, asleep by 9. One or two whimpers but apparently she went straight back off on Sara's shoulder (I think we might get her round to settle Maggie every evening: she won't do that for me). Then she woke for a good feed when we got home, well after 1. One! In the morning! Felt like death the next day, mind, and Maggie was too tired to tumble at tumbletots.
Friday afternoon, Maggie had her hearing tested. After all the palaver from last time, I was expecting the properly qualified tester to do something really fancy but no: she stood behind Maggie and dinged chimebars/shook rattles/whispered woowooowooo to see if she reacted. I could have done that.
Yesterday we had a super day of pottering: Archers omnibus then Maggie and I walked to the Spar (well, she walked about halfway, which was very good) while Daddy watched his Very Important Match. Luckily Celtic won so we had cheery Cameron not grumpy Cameron for the rest of the afternoon. I potted up my courgettes and marigolds and put out the sunflowers; Cameron mowed the lawn; Maggie played on her (assembled at long last) birthday climbing frame and made a break for the pond every now and again. Smashing sunshine.
Lisa at 12:53
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Had to clear out this morning to let the cleaner do her thing: decided to try Stockley Farm, as Maggie is into animals at the moment (she can baa, quack quack and woof woof. She won't say Mummy.) Unfortunately it was closed - it always pays to do some research before you leave the house - so we meandered across country (keeping the sun in my left eye and avoiding kamikaze pheasants) to find Marbury country park instead. It has a very nice carpark where I sat and read for half an hour while Maggie snored away in the back (what decadence!), then we had a smashing walk to a lake and back. We saw rabbits, dogs, ducks and squirrels, chatted with some nice friendly people, and found the play area for a run. Today has been a good day - it may not be Japan but Cheshire, especially in May, is very beautiful.
(It's all that rain, keeps it nice and green.)
In other news, we will be on the market with estate agent number 2 as of Tuesday: cross your fingers doubly hard as we have found a house we would like to buy. Eek!
Lisa at 13:16
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