Did I mention...

DH was in a car crash. Yes, he's ok, thank heavens. This actually happened 2 weeks ago...I woke up at 5am and realised DH hadn't arrived home from a supposed 3am finish of his night shift. I tried really hard to not think bad things, and just laid in bed, hoping he was just stuck in Custody with some scummo, or doing paperwork, or one of the 1001 things that keep a Police Officer away from those he loves. I hear the gate go at 0530, but DH doesn't arrive upstairs, so I toddle down, thankful that he's back.

Sorrowful, tired eyes look at me and he says 'go and look at the car'. Well, the back bumper is totalled - get this: only 5 days after we got it back from repairs from when the delightful idiot scraped the passenger doors an age ago!!! DH was ok, think he suffered a minor whiplash (debating persuing it legally) and shook up. I sent him to casualty to get checked out, and then he came in and slept for the day.

Some idiot had followed him too close and too fast and didn't bother braking for a sharp bend that DH did brake for. Slammed into the back of him. The only 'good' (?) news is the fact that this fool picked the wrong person to hit - DH was still on duty until he got home, did a few checks and it turns out the chap doesn't have insurance OR a licence. The car itself did have insurance on though (Thank God) so there is something to claim against. Scary to think if DH wasn't a policeman this bloke would've just gone on his merry way having given false details.

So, yet again we have a wrecked car, yet again it needs a week at the bodyshop. We're definitely NOT enjoying our new car so far, but with fuel rocketing the way it is here, just relieved we're not paying the guzzly costs of running the 4x4.

Our marriage isn't perfect by a long shot, but thank you Lord for keeping him as safe as you could.

A fab day

It really has been.

DH finally has a weekend off and we've really enjoyed being with the girls together, and re-connecting as a couple.

Shopping this morning, the girls were so well-behaved, Alice 'helpfully' selecting things, but quite happily replacing them (there's only so many parsnips Mummy can cook for a Sunday Lunch), and Florence sucking an entire satsuma to death.

We then went for a walk, and to feed some ducks. The ducks were lovely as usual, but suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by a huge crowd of HUGE geese. I am very scared of geese, but mummy instincts over-rode that, and within no time at all me and the girls were merrily hissing at them and trying to scare them away. The walk was along a beautiful trickling brook, bordered by very high grass and wildflowers. The girls looked like something from Swallows and Amazons, Florence brandishing a stick and whacking away at anything she could and Alice picking buttercups. DH and I wandered behind them holding hands in the sunshine.

After this we went to the little pub around the corner from us, there's a lovely play area for little ones and the food is really good. We all had huge doorstep sandwiches with some chippies. Home for a snooze for all, and then we played together all afternoon (as well as managing to get some cooking done for the next week!)

DH is out now, getting us a pizza, and I feel so relaxed, happy and content. Happy, happy, happy xxxxxx

AAAAAAACCCCKKK

You know what?

I am actually too annoyed to blog this.

Sufficient to say: men, can't live with them, can't bury them under a disused railway track and not chance being on a murder charge.

HMMMPPPPFFF.

There's a little girl called Florence...

underneath 1000's spots...poor, poor little thing. She's doing well with it, moodwise she's not bad at all, ate a little better today, some horrific nappies...but SO MANY SPOTS.

We're using calamine cream, piriton at nights and just picked up some homeopathic pills called 'Rhus Tox' on the advice of one of my friends. We always use homeopathic where we can, and to date have found it fab - esp. what we use for constipation. I will let you know how this one goes.

DH starts work as a fully-fledged police officer Saturday night - he's been a trainee up till now. I am a bit worried as his first shift is the wonderful 9pm-7am pub/club kickout the drunk idiots night. Hopefully he'll be ok.

Florrie has chicken pox

and she's covered, poor little mite. It really does hit siblings harder. She's quite restless tonight, has been off her food and is v clingy. I could weep looking at all the spots. I could almost watch them coming up earlier.

Poor Florence xxx

Totally wild

Oh, what a fab fab fab fab day!

We went to a Safari Park with the girls (of course!) Woburn Safari Park isn't too far from us, and today being the only predicted good weather for Bank Holiday weekend, we seized the day. We were a little worried, in case the girls got scared of the up-close-and-personal view of the animals (they live wild and you drive round in your car) but they (and we) loved it.

There weren't hundreds and hundreds of animals there, but what you did see lived beautifully naturally and behaved that way. Highlights were a Siberian tiger trotting towards us, the face was just amazing...2 black bears rolling and playing in the sun...a pride of lions sunning themselves on a little hill, with big daddy lion watching us very carefully a little behind them....and monkeys climbing all over the car!!!!! Oh, honestly, my face ached from smiling, I can't tell you how magical it all was. Florence has a wicked, deep tummy chuckle, and we were all in fits as these monkeys clambered over the windscreen and we could hear them scampering on the roof (we took my old shed car so if they started getting 'rippy' it wouldn't be as big an issue!)

Both girls later had their first go on a Bouncy Castle, Alice had to be dragged off, then a good hour in a toddler playground while we attempted to shove something other than crisps and snacks down their throats. I can wholeheartedly say it was the BEST day out, ever.

Oh!

For Gina...

...as she asked why I hadn't posted in so long. Well, we discussed that but here's some stuff been happening apart from that!

Alice has had chicken pox, albeit very mildly (lucky us) For once she was a google-perfect child and her first 'lesion' looked exactly like the one google gave me! She wasn't terribly poorly, although in the week before it showed up she was ill, and also didn't get too many spots, and they weren't v v itchy. What a little trooper!

I got promoted, temporarily at the moment, and frustratingly expected to maintain my other role at the same time. This is very stressful, and I am doing a lot of work/reports etc in the evenings to try to stay on top of things. Lovely pay rise, BUT the stress is obviously telling as have just been off for day and a half with a hideous migraine.

Florence dropped bottles!!!! yes, yes, I know at her age it's hardly a red letter moment, but she decided it herself and hoooow wonderful it is, especially as we had all Dr Brown bottles and their 500 components. Oh, and there is NO nighttime milk now either - I treat her like a gremlin, don't feed her after midnight. (I do allow her to get wet sometimes though, but thankfully that doesn't result in lots of little Florences popping off here and there - the world isn't ready for that yet)

DH is working ridiculous hours. He so dedicated, it scares me. We're trying really hardly to ensure he gets tons of good time with the girls, and attempting to make sure we two connect at some point too, but it's hard.

I broke a toe, for those of you who know me, this is kind of a hobby with me now - 3rd time. DH is more astounded how I manage it than sympathetic. It's one of the middle ones and wasn't jolted out of place this time so I didn't bother getting it checked out, and its buddies can keep it straight.

We took the girls to a beach for the first time. Florence adores the whole sand thing, whilst Alice is loving the sea, and I spent a jolly hour running down to the shore, little paddle, back up...down to the shore...It was curtailed because Alice allegedly saw a crab (I am not convinced), which despite scaring her out of the sea has made her laugh ever since.

So...there you have it. One of the things I spoke to Gina about was the pointlessness of blogging to a limited audience, seems silly when you talk to those people anyway...so I have opened up the blog again. If people want to read me wrong, that's their Karma and I can't change that. If something does bug you, be a grown-up, don't let it fester, talk to me, and if you don't want to...well don't. But I bet you read me wrong ;-)

Linds, my little flower, I have been a terrible friend the last few weeks, you know I adore you, and will be on to chat as soon as I can, and I will comment on your blog but to say it here: write from your heart hon, like you always do, I don't see a thing that needs changing, your blog is funny, creative, loving. living and NEVER boring. Your beautful soul shines through in your blog and you should be proud of it.