The Nanny Diaries

Yesterday I babysat my friend's baby while he went off to some appointment or other. He did leave me with bottles and a nappy bag, but no pram or sling. Baby (not pictured) is four months old and of a generally sunny disposition, so I was happy enough to have her for a few hours.

About 15 minutes after Dad left, Baby started howling inconsolably. She wouldn't take her bottle, which Dad had told me was due. At first walking round and round the house with her worked; then that stopped working too. Finally I gave up and put her on my bed and patted her for a few minutes. She went to sleep. I had to put Kid 2 in charge of watching her so I could go and have a calming cup of tea and rest my perforated left eardrum.

Then she woke up and started howling again.

Lordy, I was pleased when Dad returned.

He sent me a message later to assure me that she'd been horrid - well, unhappy, babies aren't really horrid - all afternoon and that it wasn't just me. I think I probably just put her in a bad mood ...

PS. Apologies for gratuitous Kid 2 shots. Putting together a photo-book of the Kids from 0-Now for my mother's Christmas present.

International Velvet

Who knew how hard it would be to find straight-legged black velvet pants/jeans? I have been looking for months. I can't afford Prada ones, and I don't want velvet leggings/jeggings/palazzo pants or flares, of which there seem to be an abundance. Happily, today I stumbled upon a pair of Paige skinnies, heavily reduced, in just one size ... MINE.

I expect they will arrive just as the weather finally decides to fine up. But that's OK, I'll have something to look forward to for next autumn/winter.

Can you tell I'm daring the weather?  Right now it's cold and wet, with wind and storm warnings. After 31 degrees last Friday (truth), spring has decidedly unsprung. Rotten weather for the kids' school holidays, but they don't seem especially disheartened yet. Kid 1 has found an abandoned undercover carpark in which to skate; Kid 2 likes to read, cook, sew and potter. Maybe it's just me who is dying for some sunshine.

Ocean's Eleven

We have tried, several times, to take Kid 2 camping for her birthday. It always rains. This time we decided to outsmart the weather and get cabins instead, about an hour's drive and a five-minute water taxi ride away. This pic is from when we went last winter.

The rain held off until Saturday night, when the heavens opened with a vengeance ... packing up and getting back late Sunday morning was a cold, wet affair. But we did have fun. Before the deluge I played ping pong with Kid 1. And badminton. He is outraged that there are sports at which I'm slightly better than him ... And I went fishing but didn't catch any fish, but that's not always the point.

Oh, it wasn't my party? I think Kid 2 had fun also, with her five friends. There was arguing and chaos and eating of marshmallows and chocolate and not enough sleeping. Girls on the cusp of adolescence are interesting creatures. Not always attractive, but definitely interesting. Kid 2 looks more like her brother every day. Note: short haircut entirely her choice.

Kid 1 had just returned from a week of cadets camp (36-hour exercises, no sleep, 'rat pack' food) so was shattered on Friday night but held it together with remarkable fortitude. My fabulous brother joined us to help balance the age and gender ratios also.

All in all, I think it was a good way to start the kids' school holidays. I had hoped to take a week's holiday myself, but the Work Gods will not have it. At least for two weeks I have no teaching, so I can try to catch up on all my other work (paid and non-paid).

Tonight we are having the actual birthday festivities (today being the official day of Eleven-ness) at my in-laws' place. I'm cooking (I know, unusual, isn't it?) as my MIL has just come out of hospital and finds the whole cooking for a crowd thing rather irksome. Kid 2 is a hard-core carnivore, so we're having barbecue ribs with homemade BBQ sauce, potato salad and corn, followed by Eton Mess. Her favourite dessert ever is creme brulee (good kid) but there wasn't time for it to set ...

And here she is in all her Birthday Maxi-dress Glory.

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

This morning our beloved old cat, Atticus, died. He had surgery on Thursday, came out of the anaesthetic fine, recognised us when we visited that evening, and came home on Friday afternoon. Then last night he had a massive seizure and we had to rush him to the ICU. They rang at 6.45 this morning to say that he had suffered such severe brain damage that he could no longer breathe unassisted and was unlikely ever to recover. We had to make the decision to have him put down.

We got him as an abandoned young cat when Kid 1 was 9 months old. Neither kid knows life without him. It's fair to say that we are a very sad household. 

Kid 2 has her first piano exam today, and
one of her pieces is called Lost Cat. She cannot play it without breaking down in tears. I hope they cut her some slack.

Kid 1 wouldn't get out of bed.


I can't hang washing on the line without remembering how he always used to follow me down to the back yard and keep me company.