Funny you should mention it....

As a few of you have observed in the comments, being offered more Monkey Music, means I won't have to apply for the Uni job. I've been thinking about it, making lists, working out money....

And I've decided (along with Rob) that I am going to take the Monkey Music jobs - childcare might be trickier and I won't earn as much...but I'll have more time with Oz - I'll still earn SOME money which will make a difference. I'll have to research paying my own NI contributions - I haven't had to do that before as my agent used to deduct it for my acting income...however I'll be responsible for it as a MM teacher and will need to get it right so I eventually qualify for maternity allowance if I get pregnant again in the future. I won't be able to take breaks except in the school holidays so holidays (if we ever have them) will be more expensive. I'll probably be less flexible about auditioning and acting jobs (not that I've had an audition in months)

I'm a bit worried that I'm letting the university down - they've been so good to me - however the job isn't being advertised till Monday and I won't apply so I haven't really messed them around too much. And I hope they'll understand.

It's better for me, better for Oscar that I have more time with him. And I love the teaching - it's the closest I can get to performing. And it gives me some mental non-mummy stimulation, enough money to have more fun with Oz, some time away from him for me but still time to hang out with him.

The pros outweigh the cons. I haven't officially told the Uni yet - will ring/email them on Monday - probably email cos I'm a coward! Then I'll talk to my MM boss. I also have big ideas for expansion with MM - Rob keeps saying the pre-school education is the next big thing - government's early years curriculum - museums keen to employ events for pre-schoolers - there's actually a lot of potential.

Plus I'll have time to develop the business idea that Julie and I were working on - the Uni job would have made that more difficult.

I keep justifying it don't I! I'm so crap at making decisions....

On a lighter note I had a lovely time today - Oscar and I went up to Wimbledon to meet Pearl and Sasha and Pippa - Sasha played my daughter in "Everything To Dance For" (which Pearl directed) and Pippa is her real life mummy. It was a very glam lunch - Oscar slept through it so I woke him up at the end so he could play with Sasha and Pippa who haven't seen him for a year. He wasn't too happy about it. But he cheered up eventually. He loved travelling by tram....

One thing I forgot to mention with all the Monkey Music nerves - Oz got his first black eye! I haven't taken any pictures as I'm not sure I want to commemorate it - I was at the gym and he was in the creche - he tripped up and hit his eye on a table. He was very brave though. But it's looking worse each day as the bruising comes out! I'm sure people think I've socked him one....

What else can I burble about. Ah yes - I'm being extra culinary this weekend - inspired by my friend Poppy - I'm marinating 2 lamb shanks in red wine, thyme and rosemary in the fridge overnight and will roast them tomorrow and will also prepare spinach pesto lasagne which Poppy made while I was in Detroit - Oscar ate a lot of it and was seriously impressed so I've bought spinach, ricotta, pesto and noodles and will attempt to follow in Poppy's footsteps - I'll let you know how it goes.

I also have decided to jump on the bandwagon and try and learn to knit. I'm going to buy some needles tomorrow and some wool and start small. I think it will help my weight. (bear with me here) I tend to snack a lot in front of the TV and late at night. On pretzels and biscuits and crap. And if my hands were busy knitting, they wouldn't be stuffing crap into my mouth - I hardly taste it - it's like an automatic pilot thing and I hate it. I've tried not buying any snacks but then I'll make toast or something. I'm a pathetic addict to snacking. So knitting might be something to do in stead. Again - I'll let you know how it goes.

Rob is downstairs watching Kill Bill 2 - I'm not interested. I do admit that I don't like Tarantino - and I know that makes me deeply unfashionable. But I don't. I can watch Pulp Fiction. Have never seen Reservoir Dogs, thought True Romance was ok (Moxie is shouting at her computer screen as she reads this I bet...). Not my kinda movie. Which is why I'm here waffling waffling waffling to the computer in a blah stream of consciousness. I'm going to go and snuggle in bed now with my new book. I get a lie in tomorrow (God I love Sunday mornings) and then we might go to Ikea to let Oscar climb on someone else's furniture and eat meatballs.

Goodnight all!