While I appreciate this might be too much information, it’s a question that has to be asked anyway. Is it possible to drown in one’s own snot?

Out of curiosity (and tight finances) I sat down yesterday to work out how much childcare would cost if I were to go back to work, and what salary I would need to get to make it worth the extra hassle and inflexibility. I had a vague inkling before I started that take home pay wouldn’t be that impressive given that I’d need to pay nursery fees for Li’l Bhaji and after school care for Akra Jr, but even I was shocked when I worked out that it would cost me over £12,000 a year to go back to work full time.

So how to people manage it? Certainly the jobs around here (given my qualifications) I’d be lucky to get anything above £14k p.a. – so after tax I’d be virtually paying for the privilege of working. Do people just carry on through regardless just to keep their career going? Do they just get much better pay then I could look to earn? Or are they lucky enough to have grandparents living nearby willing and able to look after the kids for free? The other option, of course, would be for me to work evenings and weekends – but then that leaves you with no downtime whatsoever which, given my current unimpressive immune system, probably isn’t ideal.

Either way, looks like we’re going to have to pootle on best we can at least until Li’l Bhaji starts school when it might actually be financially viable for me to be in the workplace.

Yes, erm. Sorry about the lack of updates recently. Certainly half of the blame must go towards my recent addiction to Oblivion – a very impressive computer role playing game that was released on Friday. Hence no updates over the weekend because every child-free moment was spent playing.

However, the last two days are due to me getting yet ANOTHER severe cold with chills, fever, aches, snots, hacking cough and the first signs of affecting my sinuses AGAIN. I think this means that, bar 3 days in the middle, I have been ill for the whole of March…

So where did my previously fairly workable immune system disappear to, eh?

Answer me this:

Why is it that my 22 month old knows the word for “quiche” but not for “Mummy”?!

*stomp stomp stomp* … it’s not FAIR!

Hmm, do you think it would be morally wrong to buy some new large kitchen appliances just because I’ve been inspired to be creative with the boxes they come in?

Actually, come to think of it, I think our fridge freezer just arrived in polystyrene and shrink wrap – what a waste!

“Mummy, I’ve got a secret and I’m not going to tell you it.”
“Oh. Is it a good secret, or a bad secret?”
“Oh, a good one. I can tell Daddy and I can tell [Li'l Bhaji], but I can’t tell you.”
“That’s fine, it’s nice to have good secrets.”

[pause]

“It’s for Mother’s Day, but I can’t tell you what it is. My teacher says I can’t…. that’s if it’s dry in time …. I can’t tell you my secret … not until Mother’s Day, then I can give it to you…”

Akra Jr continued on along the same vein for about ten minutes explaining why he couldn’t tell me his secret and giving me enough information that I could pretty much work out what it was he’s made, while Akra hid around the corner trying not to laugh too loudly.

… did not fall mainly on the plane, unfortunately. However, that didn’t seem to matter with sangria on tap, a sea breeze flowing through the house and so much delicious food there’s a fair chance I don’t really need to eat for the next month or so.

The occasion was an internet meet with around 30 buddies from the Britannic Lore guild taking over two villas (one of which is the home to a guild member) and a nearby hotel. The main villa is a geek’s dream with computer controlled shutters, motion sensor lights, and about 20 crates of beer (at least there were until we arrived) – what more could you ask for in a weekend away?!

We ate… we drank… we laughed… we played Munchkin… a few brave souls ventured into the swimming pool between torrential downpours. We suddenly realised that our first meetup was around six years ago, which made us feel very old. The only thing we didn’t get a lot of was sleep.

I think I need a weekend to recover from the weekend…

Grandparents in situ; Akra and I sodding off to sunny Spain for the weekend. Have a good one yourselves, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

See you again, Monday :)

I’ve been having fun with a clever little utility I’ve found called John’s Background Switcher. What it does is change your desktop background periodically (you can set it to change every hour, every day or whatever you fancy) from either a list of specific pictures, a folder on your computer or (best of all) from Flickr (by person, by tags, group or random – loads of different settings to ensure you’re not bored).

This is brilliant for someone like me who is so indecisive I change my background image frequently anyway – particularly fun when it pulls a photo out of my flickr archive that I’d completely forgotten about…

Yet another occasion to add to the “could do better” file of motherhood:

I had six billion and one things needing to be done, so was rushing around in headless chicken mode even more than usual this afternoon. I needed to get to Tesco before school pick up time, so got Li’l Bhaji up from his lunchtime nap 15 minutes early. He takes after his mother; he likes his sleep. So, as you can imagine, he wasn’t best pleased with this turn of events.

I got him downstairs, still groggy, and finally managed to get coat and shoes on him and put him in the pushchair. This is where I got a little distracted, and ran around collecting other stuff I needed to go out. Finally ready, I aimed for the door, opened it, started to get the pushchair down the front step when…

… SPLAT!

I’d only forgotten to strap Li’l Bhaji into the pushchair. Oops.

Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt. Just a little surprised and indignant to find himself on hard concrete. I’d better keep adding to that psychiatry fund of his…