TAKING CHARGE May 06

MIL is still in ICU, in critical "but stable" condition. We did have a glimmer of "not-so-bad" news yesterday....and aside from the fact that she is hanging-in...that has been the first ray of light since last Wednesday.

I spend the biggest part of the day by her side....she doesn't know I'm there...but it makes ME feel better to be close!

SIL is flying in tonight and I'm going to go ahead and work Thursday and Friday (I haven't taken any work this week at all) but maybe I'll have time for a post over the week-end.

Love to all

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

Hopefully your MIL will come round in the next couple of days - that's always the most worrying I think when someone's not conscious. Are the doctors particularly concerned, or is this roughly what they would expect? We were very worried with my FIL needing to have a second unexpected operation very close to the first, but he's pulled through. It wasn't a speedy recovery, but he has definitely recovered, so it isn't always bad news. With any luck you'll get some more 'not-so-bad' news in the next few days.

my day has been filled with warehouses and shipping. Here it is minight and I'm still sending stuff out to people, fiddling with photos and stuff. DH is a couple of feet away working even harder. I'm too old for nights shorter than 7hrs on a regular basis. Well I certainly feel that way when I get up at 7am to get the kids ready for school.

I'm going to bed now or DH will never move out of that chair all night. I leave him an extra 20mins in the morning while I get the kids washed up and myself ready. DH is now taking the kids to school in the morning so I get a 15min headstart on my morning pages which are getting done a bit more regularly now. I'm trying (as of today) to see if I'm comfortable doing 2 sides of foolscap instead of the usual 3, because it takes a fair chunk of time in the morning.

g'night all... I wish you a high note for the last part of your week! And me too. Need to make a couple of final decisions this week so we can move on - ARGH!

Kerri.

Glad you had some 'not so bad' news about your MIL Lenora, I hope things continue to improve.

You know, half the time I don't post here because everyone else seems to get so much more done than I do.....half my days seem to be spent faffing around and at the end of the day nothing got done. However, today I got some garden chores done, mainly sorting out the edges of the flowerbeds, my most hated job. You know when the grass grows over onto the earth and you have to neaten it all up again? Aargh. Also made some of the beds bigger. Tomorrow I am planting seeds

Another thing I have done this week is to open a bank account. Yes, I do realise I am the only person in the whole world who doesn't have a bank account. Well now I have one Not that I plan on using it - I'm just going to draw all the cash out and use cash as usual. Just call me a dinosaur.

Thass me

Today I was up bright and early as the postman knocked at some ungodly hour (alright then 7.45 am) with the mug I bought my Dad for Fathers' Day. Turns out I needn't have rushed so much to get the mug as Fathers' Day is not in fact this weekend. My Mum said it was, I don't know why I believed her when I know it's in June So I am now ahead of myself in the present buying department

Today's agenda involves planting those seeds, ironing, tidying the living room and taking the doggie for a walk. That doesn't sound much does it? Um... sorting and organising lists and paperwork too. Will that do? Will report back later.

Local elections today, I forgot.

Not that I have any idea who to vote for. My inclination is the UK Independence Party. This area is a Labour stronghold, but despite that this year the British National Party are gaining such a lot of support here it's very scary. Maybe I should vote Labour (ick) just to keep them out.

What a choice. I have absolutely no faith in any of them, but insist on exercising my right to vote

but I didn't take charge at all. I arranged a postal vote back last summer (after only 10yrs of being overseas!) but haven't a clue how it works and no time to find out. Isn't that sad. And I don't even know which party is in the majority either in my borough or county councils. My parents' area hasn't changed in about 30yrs and you couldn't imagine it being anything but what it is. I suspect my little enclave might be the opposite way, but the rest of the country probably isn't.

I've done grocery shopping today, taken my car for its service and (overdue) MOT!!! - oops! Also went to the school for my hour or so of volunteering while DH had a meeting about logistics. The other car gets serviced tomorrow.

Kerri.

...and will have the same set of classes tomorrow.

On the list for this evening is a visit to MIL (she's better! Still critical, still on the ventilator, but still better enough that the doctors have ventured to say that we've "turned a corner!" Of course possible complications are numerous and possibly life threatening, but if she continues progressing we're looking at total recovery (on THIS issue) by mid summer! This in contrast to Monday when they suggested that we needed to have SIL and BIL come quickly. )

I need to feed the family and get a jump on my Friday cleaning...since I'll be teaching reading (7th grade-two classes) and language arts (6th grade-4 classes) tomorrow!

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

a bit of sun yesterday and we turned into crazy animals. DH started with the lawn while I cleared the previous owners' junk out of the greenhouse. Half a bag of dried compost went onto my raised beds, rather than get wasted completely. Then we trimmed round the front garden and pulled tons of those velcro-sticking weeds out of the front hedge (Honey should know what I mean if nobody else does!). Then we headed into the garage since we'd been getting all this lot ready to go to the rubbish tip round the corner - loads of boxes and other junk went, so the garage looks almost tidy. Might have room for that lawnmower yet, though I haven't said anything to the kids (they'll get full use of the shed if the lawnmower goes in the garage!). I also dug at one of the beds in the back garden which used to contain herbs and then had a combination of oregano, marjoram, dandelion and bramble - got most of the bramble and dandelion out and left the herbs.

Then my parents came round on their way back from somewhere. We had drinks and cake, then Dad went out with DH to see the warehouses and take measurements and Mum and I sauntered out into the garden. By the time the guys came back half the garden had been hacked away and was filling the middle of the lawn, and the neighbour over our back fence had taken his long reach loppers to one of the overgrown monsters from our garden and was doing wonders with the bits we couldn't reach. He's also promised us cherries when his tree gets going!! A few spots of rain forced us to tidy up quick - the last lot of greenery got tossed into a huge tarpaulin bag and dragged into the greenhouse. We can't take it till the kids are in school because it will take two to empty it, but a whole car to get it there, and we're off somewhere on Monday so that means it'll have t wait till Tuesday.

All in all a fabulous day for getting stuff done. Inevitably we're paying for it today - I've got a headache that just won't shift and that's the least of my troubles! It's cooler and cloudier today though, so I'm glad we made the most of yesterday. I was in shorts and t-shirt. Enthusiasm's easier to find when the sun's shining. The queue at the rubbish tip was very long yesterday according to DH, who went three times!

I think I'm going to see if I can muster up a hot bath!

Kerri.

I think this is what you mean. Cleavers
I get it in my hedge too.

Today I want to get the garden furniture (plastic table and four chairs, and garden bench) washed. Well, actually I am planning to ask DS14 to do it I am also in the middle of the weekly house blessing (always call it that now, since Flylady. It sounds so much more appealing than housework). There's laundry on the go, and a big pile of ironing to do some time. I'll have to do it soon, as the pile contains almost all of our numerous pairs of jeans. Can't live without our jeans

Onwards and upwards.

we get to waste all day today driving to a distant office to get DH's driving licence exchanged (S'pore for GB - getting an SG licence from a GB one is easy because you take the theory test only and get to keep your GB one as well - that's what I did!). So nothing will get done. Oh, except that we're out of bread so we have to go grocery shopping with kids this evening which I avoid like the plague but they've got nothing for tomorrow's lunch. Today they're getting pork pie!

and I wasted all day yesterday with a stinking headache which is threatening a comeback this morning.

Kerri.

Today has passed by without much getting done. Wonder how that happened? We were supposed to be visiting a new local home educator, but she rang to say they were sick. I went to the post office and sent an application form off for a job My parents dropped by and my Dad put some stuff in the loft for me and then put up two new washing lines for me, which I am most excited about. My old washing line was so low I could practically hang the washing out without having to lower the line, so it didn't catch the wind very much and when I was in the (very small) garden, the washing was always in my way. Now I have two much higher lines Do I need to get a life, d'you think?

This afternoon DS14 and his friend have gone to the library to look for manga, so the house is nice and peaceful. I am going to tidy up the downstairs which is like a tip. This evening? More ironing.....

I was up till after midnight fiddlng with somebody's notes on a legal contract I put together, so I'd say that it really wasn't any more exciting than your life Honey. Except I hate ironing! Then I got up just before 4am to change DS' wet bed. He was back to being dry so we've not taken him out for a few nights. Better get back to that I reckon.

so this morning I woke up to that delightful 'hit by a bus' feeling. And still I had three miserable voices telling me how tired they were. DD9 2/3 slept from about 8:30pm solidly till I dragged her out of bed shortly after 7am.

we have meetings this morning (warehousing with contractors involved! ) but this afternoon I really must tackle payroll since neither DH nor I have been paid in a month or two and things are starting to get a little uncomfortable.

Kerri.

MIL still in ICU...
SIL still here...
I'm still subbing a bit (high school special-ed/math yesterday)...
Time still flying by with no sign of slowing!

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

I've been without a computer of my own for ages now and it's just been impossible to keep up regularly, but DH is trying to arrange things so he can leave his laptop for me to use during the day. Hopefully this might mean I can post a bit

Lenora, sorry to hear about your MIL's crisis, hope things continue to improve. Kerri, you sound so busy with work crazy-ness I can't believe you get time for anything else! Honey, good work on getting those applications in. That is taking charge!

I need to take charge of something - getting DD on a couple of playgroup/nursery lists so in 6 months time she can start doing a morning a week. I can't believe she's this old already!

Zillah

I'm glad you've noticed how busy I am - saves me embarrassing myself too much trying to explain why I haven't even emailed you in ages. I rarely email anyone spontaneously these days - I reply pretty quick, but a spontaneous email doesn't happen. Except to my mother! How're you doing with the next stage of house hunting?? - have you started looking yet or are you still on the saving up phase??

Lenora you must be so frustrated with all that. I hope you're having some little bursts of fun in between, although you have said you enjoy the teaching side... still it's not the same as 'real' fun!

Kerri.

Kerri, we're still saving, and waiting to know where DH is going to be next, as his latest contract runs out in the autumn. We hope he can carry on at the same place, but you never know.

I still haven't taken charge of the play group. But tomorrow. . .

Zillah

Hello friends! Not much to report here. SIL left on Wednesday. MIL is out of ICU and off the ventilator as of Thursday. She is still requiring an oxygen mask to keep her blood o2 levels acceptable. Other than that, physically she is improved but mentally she's just not "here." She is only responsive in the most limited way, which is heartbreaking for those of us who love her. The Dr.'s say that considering her experiences, the amounts and types of medication, and the length of time she was on the ventilator, she has just "checked-out" temporarily. They do think we will begin to see imporvement soon.

I worked Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week. I was offered a position for Friday, but turned it down.

I need to get out today to get a Mother's Day gift for my mom and to spend some time with MIL. I MUST do laundry today, too.

The house is hanging in...but only because my DDS have been terriffic about completing their work. On days when I teach, I go straight from school to the hospital and don't get home until about 6:00 pm. DH goes straight from work too, and that makes him 8:00 pm or later getting home.

We're all tired.

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

and try to make sure you're getting enough of the right foods to keep up your energy levels, especially iron and B vitamins (can you tell I'm getting low on B12 and starting to obsess!).

We need to do laundry too. I had hoped to have DH remind me about the Monday-Wednesday-Friday/Saturday plan, but it seems we're just doing a few loads on the weekend instead, which is a nuisance.

Nothing planned with the aged Ps this weekend because it's their anniversary tomorrow and they already had plans for today. 35yrs. I'm just glad it wasn't 40 years or I might have had to do something special, and this wasn't going to be the year for it. I can get away with nothing more than a late card for 35yrs!

At least this week I have felt that we've achieved things. The logistics company is settled, which buys us time on the warehousing (possibly a year or two, all being well!). We got some financial housekeeping done, got our driving licences sorted at long last, and DD did her first grading for judo and passed! Since she seems committed to it we've decided to add an extra external class so that she can really progress with it. She'll continue with the class in school (same judo school) but the external classes are more serious and disciplined. DS will also be able to start an external class - there's an age restriction in school which prevents him starting till September.

It's nice to be able to list down some real achievements at last.

Kerri.

I'm glad to hear that your MIL is out of ICU Lenora, I hope she continues to improve and is back 'with you' soon. As Kerri says, make sure you look after yourself. There is so much going on for you at the moment, don't forget yourself and end up ill.

Nice to see you popping in, Zillah

Well done on taking charge of a few things Kerri

Me? Well I got a letter yesterday to say I have been accepted on the Open University short course I want to study this summer. Not that it's much of an achievement - they accept anyone for OU study! The course is called 'Open to Change' and the idea is that by the end of it I will have an idea of where I've been, what I've got, what I want and where I'm going.
Or something like that
It is a 20 week course and after that I plan to study a year long course 'Introduction to the Humanities'. That one is more involved and will need about 16 hours of study a week. Unless I get a job in the meantime, then I don't know whether I'll do the course or not.

No other news from me really. The house is a wreck for some reason - I didn't really see it happening, but all of a sudden every room needs attention. I need my own personal flylady

Applying for it was the main thing, whether they 'accept anybody' or not. You'll need to be working a study area in when you tidy up... somehow!

we've been doing a bit of desk tidying this morning. Lightweight work rather than serious stuff. A bit of filing and filling in bank forms... just for fun!

scheduling of meetings is currently quite light for next week so I really have to get stuck in with tax stuff... I've got VAT and personal tax to work on, plus a ton of stuff for basic payroll. And phone calls to start the ball rolling properly on most of that, which is why it didn't get done when I was tied up in meetings all last week!

Kerri.

The weather is revolting here, no chance to get my washing out . But I have done the basic Monday clean, been to the supermarket and the farmer's market and fed DD and myself. Phew. I need a sit down, a cup of coffee, half a chelsea bun and a moment on the internet. Wow, and I've got them!

Lenora, you're having such a tough time. Give yourself a pat on the back for having raised such reliable daughters, it's so much easier if you know you can all pull together.

Honey, that is great about your course. Sounds like it sould be really interesting. I wish someone would tell me what I want and where I'm going

Kerri, you're grappling with some nasty admin there, I don't think you should beat yourself up over a slippage in the laundry routine

We've got a busy week this week, but I want to take charge of my desk. Again.

Zillah

I'm afraid I'm dangerously lax about stuff not getting done. I spent yesterday flat on my back in bed with what appears to have mostly been a 24hr bug, with only a running nose and a bit of a croak on either side of yesterday. Whenever I stood up yesterday I felt like I was going to be violently sick, so my solution was not to get up. I was beginning to feel mostly human by evening and today I'm back down to the snuffles. Just as well we had nothing must planned for yesterday, other than the small matter of payroll!

kids squabbling downstairs, so DD must be feeling mostly okay too - she had heavy sniffles yesterday so she was off school and not up to fighting with her brother. Today I shall be glad to be rid of both of them!

Kerri.

I've taken charge of a few financial things today, with more changes planned. All are aimed at saving me money and making bills etc easier to budget for.

I'm still looking for a job. I'm checking the papers and websites every week but not seeing many suitable vacancies. In the meantime I have been advertising for ironing/cleaning work locally to no avail

The house is still a wreck (I feel like I am always saying that! ). There is lots of organising and sorting out to do, particularly as I am planning to sell some stuff to raise some money so I can take DS14 away for a few days this summer.

I've taken charge of a load of boxes the last couple of days. In the home stretch of packing!

Did I miss something?? This is why I should poke my nose in on Flybabies more often.

Honey's 'few financial things' are a lot more impressive than they sound in her brief description, so definitely a round of applause well deserved in her direction. She's really kicking some major financial organisational butt!!

I can't remember much that's even remotely impressive. I'm still just struggling to stay afloat at the moment. I've bargained some time off today because tomorrow is DH's birthday and I haven't had a clue what to get him. Now I need to find a good shopping place and really find him something useful. Preferably interesting as well, but it really takes a poor second on the whole!

oh yes, I did do a bit of housekeeping on an old bank account that was previously only in my name. Now it's a joint account, has the correct address, has internet banking capability, I have a new PIN and we have a couple of tax-free savings accounts set up as well. For the day when I actually get the payroll moving! The lady in the bank quickly caught on to how long it takes me to get round to things when I pointed out that it took me about 6yrs before I changed the account into my married name! Well it wasn't like I've been using it, but now I have the government paying me some lovely unexpected money so it's going in there.

Kerri.

I have to do a little of that myself, nothing too impressive, but I need to find the card for our savings account.

I realise I said I'd take charge of my desk. Hmmmmm. That didn't really happen. But I did do a bedroom cupboard that needed rearranged to fit my BIL's cello in!

I'm going to spend the day in London tomorrow (waves to Honey!), so I think I'd better find some train times and think about tomorrow's supper.

Good luck with the move Becky

Zillah

More financial stuff accomplished today

Still a few things to sort out, but I am getting there.

Today I had actually accomplished everything on my to do list by 3pm, this is unheard of! It is fairly unheard of for me to do everything on the list, let alone by that time of day.

Better have a lie down to recover.

I am still working on the financial stuff, some of it is a long process, but I'll get there. I am also thinking about my 'things to do before I'm 40' list and trying to work towards most of those.

Still looking for a job, bought all the papers again this week and checked the websites, but nothing was suitable.

Got my new tv cabinet yesterday - well, new-to-me My parents have bought a new one so I've got the old one, which I like a lot more than the one I had before. So today I am planning to empty the old one of videos, dvds, cds etc and transfer things over. The new one is much smaller so that will be a challenge - hopefully it will make me keep it tidier I also plan to reorganise the living room.

Guess I'd better go and get dressed then and stop wasting time on here.....

Who knew?

SIL and her DH, and BIL are headed this way from SC. DMIL is really struggling to breathe (on a BiPap ventiltion machine/mask at 100% oxygen) and has multiple infections: lungs, throat, and intestine. She has refused re-intubation and we are supporting her wishes.
The only thing I'm taking charge of is holding MIL's hand and smiling when she opens her eyes...she doesn't smile back...in fact, I get the impression that she's pretty darn pi$$ed about the whole situation. That's my MIL!

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

oops extra post

there really isn't anything comforting to say at the moment except to be glad that your plucky MIL has her loved ones with her.

we did nothing more exciting today than get some overdue non-grocery shopping out of the way. I have a missing DLL file on my computer which is preventing me from using a vital tax CD, but I don't know which one it was because I thought we'd fixed the problem, but now this CD on't work so I don't think we could have. If we knew which one it was I could download it easily enough off the internet. Darn. Anyone know a way to check for missing DLL files?? Well, maybe not the right target audience!

Time I took charge of bedtime. Mine!

Kerri.

How are things with your MIL today? I hope she finds it a comfort to have her family around her.

Kerri - missing DLL files....um can you remember where you were the last time you had them?

Today I finally got around to emptying the old TV cabinet and setting things up on the new one. DS dealt with the technical stuff! The tv, vcr, digital tv box and xbox (which we use as CD and DVD player), had to be interconnected and I haven't a clue.

We have moved all the living room furniture around and we're much happier with the new arrangement All I have to do now is get around to painting it, I have the paint already so I haven't much of an excuse I just need to arrange for DS to get the dog out of the house while I do it.

This evening I still have to finish finding homes for things that were in the living room and shouldn't be. Then I want to 'bless' the house thoroughly (visitor this week!). I also have to type a CV for a friend who doesn't have a printer.

Isn't Sunday supposed to be a day of rest?

Now we're just covered in boxes. Someday, we might unpack them.

I've got about three medium boxes that are still not unpacked, and I think Honey said she has some from whenever it was she moved.

DH finally fixed the computer for me, and get this, the DLL files weren't the trouble (though I know something is missing and will come back to bit me in the a$$ some day) - it was just Shockwave had gone missing. Goodness knows why because I know I had all the add-ons before. Maybe it got corrupted by this other game the kids installed. Either way we're tring to figure out a cheap way to buy a computer for them in the next 6mths maybe, and also where on earth we'd put it. I'm in favour of the living room, but there's a chair in the way of where it might fit!

We had our credit card machine thing installed on Friday - you know the type you use in supermarkets. Haven't used it yet of course, but I think I understood the brief tutorial and I have a few places to go if I muck it up, plus I learned the value of the cancel button. The last time I took card sales we were still on manual!

DH has a big meeting next week with a rather exclusive and well-known store in central London, popular with tourists, green and gold livery... I'm sure you know the one I mean. Apparently they'd sort of been trying to make contact with him a while back, so fingers crossed they are still interested in our stuff and will offer us a deal that won't financially cripple us! Anyway, DH has a new bag which will carry a clean shirt, some toothpaste and clean undies as well as his laptop and brochures, so he's all set! Fingers crossed on that because as a first retail outlet that would be an absolute coup!

Since my tax CD is now working I have to get our payroll sorted next week as well as trying to figure out the webshop so that we can go live on that sometime soon. Won't help for me to give you the address unless you're living in the UK because there's an auto-divert to a local site. It's being partly handled by Singapore people and partly by ... me! Hey Honey... does DS need a job yet?? I might have one for him soon - light duties, easy hours, no references required! Not just yet though but conceivably I suppose it's not impossible. I'll keep him (and you) in mind.

the house was a wreck about an hour ago but with DH sorting out the dry laundry and doing the ironing and me yelling at the kids to clear up their cr@p things got sorted to a reasonable state. It has to be reasonable because we can never quite tell when we're going to need the dining table as an impromput boardroom for visitors!

need an early night tonight to cope with the 7am alarm and the chaos that follows. I've just discovered that this is the last week before half term too!!

Kerri.

I was up at 6.30 this morning, which is not my favourite time of day when it's as grey and drizzly as it is right now. I had an electric man coming (well actually a man from the electric company, not Robocop) and I was told any time from 7 onwards, so had to be up.

So far this morning I have finished typing my friend's CV (DS did most of it yesterday, I just had to add her latest employment info). I have sorted a huge pile of paperwork, though I am left with a large pile of 'pending' items I was going to do some laundry but I don't like the look of the weather so I am taking a raincheck (literally).

Becky, my mother recently unpacked a couple of boxes left over from her move circa 1988

Did he arrive yet Honey? In my experience they never do if you get out of bed specially

Kerri, I used to work round the corner from that store, that would be great to have. Fingers crossed!

Lenora, so sorry that your MIL is still not good. Thinking of all of you.

Becky, my Mum has a rule that if it hasn't been unpacked after six months, you don't need it and might as well throw it out! That said, when we moved to Oxford last year there were two boxes that I didn't need to pack, as they were still lurking under our bed from the last move

This week I have to be on top of the things that I usually do in DD's sleep time. DMIL is lecturing in Australia for three weeks, so I have no PhD day. My Mum is doing one, but the rest of the time has to be reclaimed from nap time. So I'm going to try and get all the admin stuff that needs doing without toddler help today, then the other sleep times I can get writing done in.

Oh, and we should be going to see the playgroup tomorrow.

Zillah

Kerri, remember the mysterious parcel that I had to arrange redelivery of? It arrived a while ago - my Open University materials! I am now experiencing my first problem with my studies.... I need to log on the website to get my tutors contact details and I can't remember my username and password! I am going to be so good at this...not

Yes, the electric man did come, Zillah - though he told me he doesn't even start work until 8am, so he doesn't know why the office persist in telling people 7 am! I wish I had an eye rolling smiley

Off to find my password and username....

I'm really glad I took advantage of the sun arriving yesterday afternoon because we're back to seriously wet and dreary (DD just realised she left her raincoat at school yesterday!). So I got a bit of planting and seed sowing done yesterday. Nothing strenuous because I don't think this garden really merits too much effort, and I don't have so much time really, so I'm aiming for instant colour - seeds that can be sown direct and grow easily, a (very) few bedding plants with something more permanent for when they're gone, and a couple of tomato plants or so. Today my grass is several inches underwater so even if the sun comes out before the weekend I won't be able to get the grass cut with the mower, so I think I might have to sort out the worst at the front with a pair of shears (which is insane, but there you have it).

I have to go out this morning too... still need a growbag for that poor solitary tomato, banking errands, quick grocery shop in my least favourite supermarket (because it's in the centre of town nearest the bank!), and look for a raincoat for myself and DS. Oh, and a simple sewing kit for the red tabs on DD's judo belt that she won at her grading (little brat had to win two at once instead of one like normal people! ) - I can't find my sewing kit and can't even remember whether I brought it with me from Singapore! Still, they're cheap and I only need red thread and a needle.

Better send some train times off to DH before I leave though so that maybe I'll know what time to collect him from the station.

Kerri.

Will it ever stop raining? I seriously need to take charge of the garden, but I'm thinking of converting it to a paddy field instead and grow some rice

We saw the playgroup yesterday, and liked the look of it. I've almost finished filling in the registration forms, so if we're still here in 6 months time DD might have a place.

I badly need to do some serious house tidying, and the laundry and the dratted PhD. What I really want is to do knitting

Zillah

Isn't it awful? For the past several days we've had numerous rainy spells on and off all day, coupled with freezing blustery winds.

You do realise, ladies, we have just played into the stereotype? You know everyone thinks Brits are obsessed with the weather

cricket anyone?!?

can't think of many other topics of conversation, but like Zillah I too need to do laundry (inc. DS' mud-soaked raincoat!).

Kerri.

If the weather was all rain, I'd be complaining, too!

I have been working on my Open University stuff since receiving it Monday, and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far. I wish I was doing more! I am a third of the way through the first workbook (I have three) and have reached a point now where I really shouldn't do any more until I have had my first telephone tutorial with my tutor. That's not even due until the beginning of June

We are loving our new reorganised living room, it has made such a difference moving things around and getting a very different, smaller tv cabinet. The whole room is so much more comfortable, even DS said so. he's spending more time in it and less in his bedroom, which is great

I have been catching up on laundry this week, and there is lots of ironing to do which I am behind with as ever. I took the decision to not iron our pjs this week (shock horror) which will save me some time I suppose.

This evening I am planning to curl up on the sofa with a book

either we're indoors working or we're outdoors trying to control our jungle. DH has taken charge of the washing it seems, and I'm just trying to get more and more sleep. Late nights and DS waking up wet at 3am are really messing with me, so I'm constantly tired in spite of my recent B12 shot.

both our kids are messed up at the moment: tantrums, tears, increased bedwetting from DS, getting in trouble at school (esp DS)... They aren't getting much less time with me though but I think they have understood that my whole existence no longer centres round them. I've continued the volunteering in their school, at least till the end of this academic year. I'm regularly having to sit them down for individual chats to sort out a variety of problems, and I've tried explaining to DDnearly10 until I'm blue in the face that she needs to find an alternative to tantrums, that she's just too old for them now. She started a diary and I encouraged her to write all her feelings down, but that went belly up very fast. I've suggested a gratitude journal - she's also very connected to the written word so I think that writing will be a good outlet for her if she lets it. But she's hard work and has always kept stuff to herself. She's complaining now that she 'just wants to be normal', that people are picking on her for a variety of reasons (her height, living in a different country, being half Chinese, being teacher's pet, wearing glasses). I think her teachers have also been unconsciously contributing to the problem too because they're just so excited to have someone 'interesting' in their classes that attention is regularly being drawn to DD and her country of origin. They had a food tasting thing on at school last week as part of a science week, and all the teachers brought in varius unusual foods, and DD was the only student asked to contribute because she'd offered one of her teachers a sweet that we get in Singapore. They're still happier to be here than in Singapore, sort of, but they aren't so comfortable about some things. DD has got herself emotionally invested in one single friend (a boy I might add, which is causing all kinds of teasing) and thinks that most of the girls she knows are just silly (she's not a girlie girl at all!). So it's all a bit of a rollercoaster here at the moment, which is exhausting. From the moment the kids come out of their classes they squabble and grizzle all the way home until they're asleep in the evening.

right, I have to go negotiate a grocery trip with the kids in return for maybe taking them to a canal festival in my parents' hometown after the Monaco Grand Prix!

Kerri.