LONG time no speak!

Sorry....my life has been bonkers recently. The building work is now done apart from a few snagging things that they're coming back to fix....

My computer was possessed by a nasty virus which I managed to delete, but which also wiped out my display properties - not a huge deal but an annoying one - so I spent several evenings (when I could have been blogging) trying to fix it - everything from reinstalling windows to recovery points to downloaded security patches which crashed my machine. Still no joy - so if anyone out there has a degree in Windows, please let me know!!!

Also I've been working a lot in the evenings - the part time job for the University wasn't so part time in July - just logged my hours - 50! It was supposed to be a few hours a week!

So that's my excuses....I've also been out and about as usual with the boy. All our classes have broken up for the summer so I've been desperately trying to find things to do! Plus it's birthday season - most of Oscar's friends were born in August so we've been to lots of parties and have lots more to come - at least one every weekend until September.

And of course it's MY birthday tomorrow.....not sure what I'm doing yet but I've got a babysitter so Rob is hopefully taking me somewhere marvellous. He went shopping with Oz today - his first time out of the house with him totally on his own. (though I drove them to Bromley and picked them up so he only had him for a total of an hour and a half but still....) So I was in the house ALONE for the first time in....God...I don't know when.....

Course when my lovely sis arrives on the 9th, I'm going to send her out with him as much as possible and get some ME time!

As of September Oscar will be in Nursery 2 days a week - so I can do more work. But also have a little bit of time to myself. I really hadn't realised until today how different that is. Usually I have a bit of time in the day if I'm home, when Oscar sleeps, but I'm usually doing the washing or clearing up after him or getting stuff together for the rest of the day. Today for the first time in ages I just mooched around the house! Surfed the net a bit. Read a book in total silence.

It is strange. Those of you who know me well know I used to HATE being on my own. Couldn't bear it - when Rob used to work weekends, I'd go nuts and have to be out with friends. Now I think I might just get why most "normal" people actually relish their own company. Maybe I am a grown up now.....! NAAAAAAA

Well I'm ....gulp....34 tomorrow. Eek! I remember this time last year, seriously pregnant, with Gestational Diabetes. But Rob made me a cake from Soreen with lots of nuts in it and covered in in Green and Black's chocolate so it didn't blow my blood sugar. Bless him.

Oscar better have got me a present or I'll sulk!

I promise to be better at updating....now sing Happy Birthday to me as you read this....!

Another narrow escape

I should have been in town on Thursday - with Oscar -we were going up to work to meet some friends for lunch......"luckily" I have a chest infection - really nasty and wheezy - so I didn't go. And I'm glad I didn't - purely because it would have been a nightmare getting home.

Part of me wants to scream "leave us alone!". Part of me thinks that the people of Iraq probably screamed the same and did we listen?

Terrorism is never the answer. I've lived in countries where violence is commonplace. Belfast, Johannesburg. Where discrimination and religious hatred makes people hate each other and kill each other. And as long as I live I'll never understand it.

I'm really glad Oscar is too little to understand what's happening in his city. I don't know how I'm ever going to explain prejudice, violence and terrorism to him. And I know one day I will have to.

I hope his world is more peaceful when he's older. But I think that's naive and I don't think it will be.....

Colour change

Don't know why...just fancied a change of colour. Hope you like it. I wish I was clever enough to design my own template - I want a purple site....

Oscar still has an egg on his head but it's gone down a lot. He woke up a couple of times in the night but seems unaffected generally. He's been quite grumpy today but I think that's cos he didn't sleep well. Or nap well.

We spent the afternoon at a new soft play thingie but I've forgotten it's name - it was brilliant anyway - meant Oz could explore all he liked without adding to his bruise collection.

He was quite demanding today though so I'm off for an early night this evening. I want to watch America's Next Top Model though first cos supposedly Tyra (ego the size of a planet) loses it and yells.

The decorators made a start today - and with sanding down the walls, my kitchen is COVERED in dust - don't know if it's worth cleaning it as it'll be the same tomorrow. The extension is now pure white and looks lovely - it'll be blue tomorrow hopefully. And done by the end of the week if I'm lucky....I will take pics - I just can't find the camera again after last night....

Oscar bumped his head....

Ouch!

A huge lump has appeared on his forehead with a big blue stripe down the middle. I've put arnica on it and given him some arnica tablets....he seems fine - in fact at the moment he's laughing his ass off in the bath....but still - this is his first proper lump on his head! Someone call social services....

So - I haven't posted much - builders....which has meant we've been out all day again every day last week and again, it seems to have been in a mini heatwave - the temperature in the high 80's all week. Not much fun. I got sunburnt again - I always remember to put cream on the boy but forget my own pale skin....

The roof is done - plastered and all - the decorators are coming this week. The garden is also nearly done - a path is laid, we're just waiting for the turf to be laid. I'll take pictures and post them very soon.

So a hot and difficult week last week but hopefully the weather will cool a bit next week. I can't wait for the work to be done so I can rearrange furniture and sit in my garden!

Strange day....

Just a quick post as I'm exhausted....Oscar is definitely teething - he's been really hard work all week and last night was awake 5 times - I only got about 4 hours sleep - and today I had to go to work.

It was a difficult journey in - Euston and Charing Cross stations were closed due to alerts so we got kicked off a train at Waterloo and I had to get a bus but because of roads being closed, I ended up walking from Holborn. As I got closer to Russell Square, the police presence was noticeable. There were helicopters above and police on the ground. The whole square is still cordoned off - "police line do not cross" tape everywhere. I ended up having to cross it to get into my building but was allowed.

It's strange and a bit frightening. Walking along roads that are usually teeming with traffic but are deserted apart from police cars. Hearing sirens everywhere. London is very jumpy but determined to get on with our lives and not let the terrorists win.

A very long day - Oscar was with his Grandma and I think she found it hard going. I didn't get to pick him up till about 7.45 so he went to bed late. Hope he'll give his daddy a lie in tomorrow as I'm back at work......

Yawn. I'm so so exhausted. Off to bed.....

I'm fine

Just to let you all know in the light of the horrendous attacks on London this morning - that I'm fine, my family is all ok. I do work in Russell Square - the bus blew up just next to Senate House where my office is - but I wasn't in work today - I was due in tomorrow but god knows what is going on....

I'm really freaked out by this - as all Londoners are. Can't quite get my head around it. Yesterday we were a city full of joy - today we're a city full of smoke and fear and death.

Happy 4th of July everyone!!! 

Just for my hubby...

Thanks Poppy for the link!

More updates

Right - well - the building work - the builders had a week off this week but by the end of last week, the new roof was on - beams on the inside - new velux windows - and now they had to wait for the electrician to come back off holiday. He's back this week so he'll put the electrics in, they'll insulate it and plasterboard it and redecorate. They've dug out the pond and will put the lawn in. It's amazing - lovely space - they knocked a bigger arch between the dining room and the extension - it's really opened it up - given me lots of ideas about moving furniture. I think I'm going to put the dining table in the extension and make the dining room into a study so when one of us is on the puter and one is watching TV, at least we're only a room apart instead of a floor apart.

It was tough last week - having to be out all day every day. But I had great friends who kept me entertained. And I'll be calling on them next week too.

We've been out a lot this week too. Got a first birthday party tomorrow - the first one we've been to - and we're going to see War of the Worlds on Sunday - Rob is ecstatic.

I'm very tired - Oscar takes a lot more out of me these days -chasing round after him, trying to keep him entertained. But he's quite lovely - loves to blow raspberries and chuckle. His latest thing is bobbing up and down in his highchair and he squeals with laughter if you do it to - like some kind of Gangsta Rapper bobbing to the bass beat.....

The weather has been kinder - not so hot - thank goodness.

I went to Bluewater today and had very rich pasta for lunch - and a Krispy Kreme - and I've just had to take some Gaviscon - think I'm going to skip dinner - I'd have an early night but I HAVE to watch Big Bro tonight and see uber bitch Saskia get the boot (God I hope she goes)

I promise (Kirsti) I will take some more pictures soon - I can't find the camera in the chaos...