Tiring day

Oscar still isn't his normal self. Rob had yesterday off which was lovely - I went to the gym in the morning and came home to this...

That was what he was like most of the day (Oz not sleeping Rob) You can see he's awake on Rob's chest - very clingy, not active, not happy.

This morning he woke up at 6.30 very unhappy with quite a high temperature. He was miserable most of the morning, slept at lunchtime and was sleeping when I left him at the childminder's house. (I'm teaching today). When I went to get him he was miserable. He was quite miserable and easy to cry all afternoon. Been quite a tricky day really.

I'm not sure what's wrong but my gut instinct is teething. He's got his hands in his mouth all the time. He's eating but will start to eat a meal then stop after a few bites. He did eat a pancake though seeing as it's Shrove Tuesday and all. He's got a very runny nose - in fact his poor little face is chapped from having moisture on it and being wiped so much. He's coughing at night - I think it's a lot of saliva - he's grumpy and clingy and although I can't get near his mouth - he won't let me - he must be due some more teeth soon - he's still only got 4 on top and 4 on the bottom at the front...

I might be teaching Monkey Music tomorrow to cover another teacher's illness. Don't know how he (or Louise my amazing childminder) will take that! I'm shattered so am going to bed. I leave you with a photo of him yesterday (after being dosed up on Calpol so a bit cheerier) - he's obsessed with shoes!

Ok you wanted the meatloaf recipe....

This is courtesy of my stonecutter chums (actually it was Poppy that first made me want to make meatloaf after she made one in the shape of a house) This is a combination of a recipe by Tricia with a few adaptations and additions of my own

Warning - LOT of meat here - but you could halve the quantities - we've only eaten half the loaf by day 2 so I'm going to freeze some

1 ½ lbs lean ground beef (it's 2 for £3 on lean steak mince at Sainsbury's at the moment)
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs (2 slices worth)
1 medium chopped onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Beef oxo cube
Tomato ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded mature cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, onion, salt and pepper. Crumble the beef over mixture, mix well. Add a generous squirt or two of ketchup, worcestershire sauce and crumble the oxo cube into the mixture. Press half of the meat mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a greased 2lb loaf pan. Sprinkle about ¾ cup of the cheese over meat to within about a ½” of the sides. Put remaining beef mixture over the cheese. Bake uncovered at 350° (Gas Mark 4) for 50-55 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 5 more minutes. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

It was yummy. The thing all my stonecutter friends have told me is that meatloaf is a dish you can add anything to - some recipes use garlic, tinned tomatoes, oats instead of breadcrumbs, chili peppers, tabasco sauce - you can experiment and try whatever you like. Tricia's recipe is the only one I've found with cheese and I really liked it - other people put ketchup on the top mixed with brown sugar to form a caramelized crispy top. Have a go! See what you think.

Oscar had it for lunch with tomato rice (I had the leftovers and it was tasty) and Rob had a slice in a sandwich. It's a really tasty dish.

Tomorrow night I'm making another American classic - Tuna Noodle Casserole courtesy of Poppy's recipe. I'll post it if you like - if Poppy doesn't mind....

Weekend interrupted

So it's Sunday lunchtime. Oscar is still in his pjs - I'm in scruffy weekend clothes and really should wash my hair. Rob is the same. We're feeding Oscar - fish fingers, soup and instant noodles. Such nutrition.

Contemplating what to do after Oz has had his nap. Phone rings. It's Rob's work - the planetarium presenter for the afternoon has dropped out, they can't get hold of anyone, can he come in urgently and present 3 planetarium shows on Chinese astronomy.

Eek! Shove more food in child's mouth. Rob packs nappy bag while I dress child. (public transport in our area SUX on the weekend which is why I'm driving him in to work). He should be finished by 4.30 so my plan is - Oscar should fall asleep on the way - I can then go and sit in Starbucks for at least an hour, then take him to the park, wander round the museum and then drive Rob home.

We get to Greenwich with 20 minutes before Rob's first show - he dashes into the Museum - Oscar is asleep as planned - however as soon as I get him out of the car (gently so gently) he wakes up and is wide awake. I am determined and walk to Starbucks, then walk round and round trying to get him to go to sleep again. No joy. So we go to the park. Where for the next 2 hours he is inexhaustible. Chasing dogs and pigeons in the park. On the swings. On the slide. Kicking a can he found for ages....and it's really cold - 4 degrees which is cold in my book and no, don't ask me what it is in the other measurement, I don't know. (amended - ok I looked it up - 41 degrees fahrenheit for you foreigners reading)

FINALLY he falls asleep at 3.15 - I'm frozen. So is he. I get back to Starbucks - no seats. Crowded as all hell. I drink my skinny sugarfreevanillasyrup latte on the pavement. Walk back to the museum and wait for Rob.

Rock up to the planetarium as he's finishing and stroll in - all red faced and caffeine flushed- I've had a hat on so my hair looks atrocious. Only to meet - FOR THE FIRST TIME - Rob's boss. A lady called Liz - she's all in black, very stylish if slightly gothy, full makeup (serious bright purple lipstick) and she looks me up and down....eek! I've been wanting to meet her since Rob started work there 19 months ago. But I had the fantasy I'd be looking a bit more glamorous than today (wearing a fleece covered in baby snot, hat hair and red face). We both looked like the Slob Family. And Oz is fast asleep so he couldn't even cover for us and save family face by being adorable.

Ah well. Rob got MAJOR brownie points for saving the shows this afternoon. And he's got tomorrow off so it's not Monday tomorrow, it's Sunday Mark II.

Made meatloaf tonight for the first time ever. And it was rather yummy. There's a lot left over so I'm having meatloaf sandwiches for lunch tomorrow - i've been told it's a traditional american delicacy. Later this week we're having Chicken Parmesan and Tuna Noodle Casserole. I've gone all Americana cos I'm excited about my trip.

Poppy has tormented me with photos of IHOP dinners. Roll on May!

In defence of blogging

I've just had a chat with Wendy Lloyd on LBC (I'm becoming an addict to that radio station) who was very negative about blogging...so I rang in in defence! It was a good chat - her main point was that all bloggers are attention seeking saddos who blog for self-publicity in the hope of a book deal. Now i know of bloggers who are getting book deals from their work because they are amazingly talented writers. I even mentioned you Poppy! (but not your URL). But I think you'd have got a book anyway, blog or not, because you were a writer first and foremost. And had a magazine publish you already. That's not why you blog.

I also know of bloggers who, like me, blog for their own personal enjoyment. Or to keep family and friends who live a long way away up to date with their lives. I talked of how helpful some sites have been - especially about parenting. It's been refreshing and informative to read real life stories of being a parent. She made a sarcastic comment about "that's just what we need, more sites about motherhood" and then, when I challenged her, admitted she didn't have children so I told her she didn't know what she's talking about!

I don't think I changed her mind but I hope I gave a good impression that not all bloggers are fame seeking boring nerds. I wouldn't let her give out my URL on air so I proved I don't want the general public reading this. I love the people who read my blog - I know nearly all of them (or they know someone I know). The WWW is enormous. I can't imagine the general public finding this little corner of blogspot.

I think I'm going to have to join the LBC podcast for a month and download the show so I can check I didn't sound rubbish! My voice is very husky today after teaching 4 Monkey Music classes yesterday with a cold.....

18 months old

Today! Happy year and a half Oz! Can't quite believe it. He's so grown up you know....new words today include boobies, Frank and stinker.

Last night Rob taught him (accidentally) to say S H I T. He was giving him cough medicine and dropped the spoon....and Oscar parroted him perfectly.

Time to watch our language. Oz hasn't said it since (neither has Rob)

We got some new (ish) furniture today - some friends are letting their house and had to let it unfurnished - so we now have stylish 3 seater and 2 seater settees in place of the horrible sofa and armchair left behind by the previous owner of our house. We had to take our bannister down to get the old sofa out (which is why the previous owner had left it) but it's been worth it. Cost £100 for the removal men to pick up the settees and take away our old ones. But it looks so much nicer....I'll have to post some pics when I remember to buy some batteries.

Oz has horrendous nappy rash tonight - it's really nasty - he had diahorrea (sp?) and I didn't notice - it had dripped down his leg and formed a real sore - I feel so guilty (again) and he's not at all happy - we've left his pj bottoms off tonight - wish I could leave his nappy off as it's so sore - but if he did pee in the night as he usually does, it would make it worse. I've slathered him in sudocrem....poor little man. His cough is a bit better though.

Right - off to tidy up the living room - moving the old sofa out I found lots of interesting things - including an out of date cheque I'd never cashed for £57!....hopefully I can get it reissued from the University.