Mon 14|6

Late train - it afforded me a little sketching time on the platform...
It is also a 'double' train (2 conjoined) which is just as well as it will be picking up the next trains passengers, being as late as it is.
Foggy brained - useless at resolving to get to bed sooner.
Friday? I went town bound - wandered round Manchester before going home. Picked up a few little bits & bobs for Jack's birthday & also a new sketchpad for me (the present one running low on its quota of blanks). Louise was home in good time from her outing to Halifax with her mum - so there was fortunately no panic about picking up the kids from school.
...blearg... no – I really am tired this morning...
Saturday was the day of the School Fair - Jack & Eve's school. Louise wanted to get a pair of sandals for Eve - so she set off earlier with her & into town to an established shop where they have some 'kickers' stock & alike. She is not going back there again. Fitting was cursory & attitude rude. Eve was put into an 'F' width & Louise assured they were alright, against her better judgement. On leaving the shop & crossing the road Eve complains that they are too tight & Louise takes them back for a 'G' width. Eve is happy then - but they have blistered her heel by the end of the day. So, you run a small shoe shop in a 'not especially large town' & you have another kiddies shoe shop open recently. So - treating your customers like shit is going to be an effective way of doing business? Ah, well.
...Heavy eyelids...
There was quite a good turn out at the fair & my initial money soon ran dry. I was not recruited for face painting or managing any other stall. The fella who runs the plate smashing stall (a neighbour) suggested that I might want to do it next year... but Jack hyped up on sugary sweets & begging for more money to use on this stall & his general hysteria... made me think not. I mean - he'd be a right liability. Yes Jack & Eve won sweeties in the 'choose a string attached to a jam jar of goodies' stall & immediately started stuffing their faces with them. Jack was very soon on a sugar high - what with all the excitement around him as well. On the whole though - we did not leave with a great deal of goodies... There was nothing in the way of brick-a-brack stalls & for some reason the prizes seemed to mainly consist of sweeties. They did win footballs - which was very good - on the roulette: Louise on her 1st go & Jack on his second. Later, on the back street, a lad called Bobby let us have a 3rd ball he found - so all the kids now officially 'have a ball' - which is dead handy.
It seemed the best way to get the kids from the fair (as i was starting to wind up) was to get them to the park. We played at the playground & then, Jack & his school friend Flo went to kick the ball about, & Jude followed, & I followed Jude. Louise thought this a good opportunity to go off to get some shopping done (groceries were needed) & she took Eve & the pushchair, promising to return laden with shopping. So, There we were kicking the ball about. I eventually got roped into Jack & Flo's game but still scampered about after Jude, who was having a great time & chucking a lot. Harvey, Flo's twin came along as well. I was ordered to kick the ball as high into the air as possible, which was a good game for a while. Harvey & Flo's mum then called for them to go, so it was just we 3. I realised after a while that Louise had been an age - so I called her on the mobile, to find that she had decided to just go home instead (!). Rounded off play & went home.
...Am I waking up yet...?
Sunday, off to Bradford - eeeeventually - the kids being difficult to round up. We were surprised to catch the train that we were aiming to get, as we thought that with all the dawdle & delay we would never manage it, but manage it we did. Very hot day (my glowing forehead & nose are testament to this) - glorious sunshine but just the right side of manageable heat for me (much more & I would have winged all day, no doubt).

2003 | 2002 | 2001

Tue 15|6

Louise was tired this morning. Eve also came up to our bed in the night... Jack cried out before I went to bed... but he didn't do it again in the night. Louise is suffering from a fractured sleep, I'm sure. I was late to bed again. I can't say that I think I'm achieving much at the moment - I look at the diary thing that I keep for ZUM! & I see scant activity... it doesn't help that I always forget to fill it in - but nonetheless.
Where were we? Sunday in Lister Park? We met up with Caroline & after strolling through the town we caught a bus up to the park. It's really nice there & Caroline is thinking of moving up Manningham way. She says that she's not seen such a used & enjoyed park since Regents Park - which is high praise. It is a good park... it used to be a little down at heel - but the council have spent time, energy & money on it - so that is now respectable & a lot of people are using it. The playground is good - the kids enjoy it there - the only down point for them being that they don't get to go on all the things that they want to, because it's crowded.
Jack pleaded to go on the boating lake & I said yes - so once at the café they were hopping about like mad things in anticipation; Jack Eve & Jude. Unfortunately I deemed Jude too small - & would not take him - which meant that we made a rush for a boat when he was distracted - which upset him. Louise said that he soon calmed down though. Caroline was game to gave a go at the paddle boats, but i reality - I need to pedal & Jack won't allow anyone else in the other front seat - so I don't think that's going to happen. I'm sort of keen to try the rowing boat... but then Jack would want to as well - & ... hm - maybe not... Eve stayed in the boat this time & even had a go at pedalling - but her feet do not reach from the sitting position - so she had to stand up to hold herself above them to push on the pedals. A few little tussles over the steering here & there as well - but we only crashed one. Jack thought that 'bumper boats' (rather than bumper cars, at a fairground) would be good... I'm not sure I agreed.
Louise & Carline promenaded around the lake pushing Jude in the chair & we followed for a while in the water. When it was time to get out of the boat (come in number 7, your time is up... no - they don't say that, actually) we could not find Louise & Caroline. I had seen them setting off up the hill, away from the lake, & I had a suspicion that they were on a wider circle of the park - so took the kids off in that direction, only to return to the café/boating launch so that Eve might go for a wee. The wanderers returned from the direction I suspected they would a moment or 2 later & we then sat by he lake, relax a moment... if you can call fretting about the kids running down the hill toward the bank relaxing. The atmosphere was improved by a fella in a boat playing a wooden flute (Indian instrument?). He was on his own in the boat when we set off on the lake. He had someone with him when we were leaving the lake, now he had a 3rd person in his boat as we sat on the hill rising up from the lake... One of them started singing along as well, intermittently. I dunno if they were doing it for the joy of it all, or what - but they added to the atmosphere.
Eventually Louise's nerves frayed too much with the thought of Jude gambolling down the hill & not being able to stop before the water - so we had to move on. Rounding back to the playground for a further short play & thence back into town - having to cajole the kids all the way (come ON, will you). We missed one bus back, but another one came along soon enough & we had plenty of time to catch the train in the end.
A most pleasant day.
We had Jack's pal William visiting for tea last night. We managed to arrange it last Saturday at the school fair. Jack was excited & unruly because of it when he came out of school (hm - I hope that he was OK in school). Much running about & inability to listen as this excitement rubbed off on Jude & Eve. As Jude was keen to run about & would have screeched & bucked if we tried to put him in the pushchair I decided to pick him up. I was going to put him on my shoulders, but he kicked at just the right moment & caught me in the mouth, so I hung him over one shoulder as we walked along so that I could regain my composure, & just carried him after that. When he tried to push me away & complain I muttered darkly about putting him in the pushchair, so he shut up. At the point where it was safe to let him go (bottom of the hill - no more roads to cross) I let him walk again. He had calmed down sufficiently through being carried as well. Wildness in the house - Jack & Will running about like mad things & Jude chasing them shouting, "Lilliam! Lilliam!"

2003 | 2002 | 2001

Wed 16|6

Jack was truculent coming home yesterday. Louise thinks that the day did not go well - mayhap, with William... Not quite sure, but William & Jack did not play cohesively. They played OK - but Jack was distracted... for instance he showed William some Lego games on the Internet, but Will bored of that quickly & joined Jude & I in the front room playing with cars. I was supposed to be distracting Jude so that they could play without he getting in the way & they getting him hyped up as they all ran about. Eve, of course, had gone off to play with Sammy. They did settle to playing, which seemed muted after the initial chaos & hilarity after they initially arrived. At tea, we forgot that he had a nut allergy, but didn't poison him, having home made pizza & Jelly & ice cream for afters. We were a little worried at the ice cream, when the realisation came, but there was nothing on the ingredients, nor any warnings after studying the packaging regarding nuts. Sooner that t!
hey realised, Will's mum turned up & he went without a great deal of fuss - & the 'goodbyes' were oddly quite & non committal. I was left wondering if they had had a disagreement while we weren't looking...
So, maybe yesterday at school, they did not get on? I dunno - maybe I am reading too much into things I know nothing of. It is likely Jack was tired & cranky. He was up early yesterday, (& today for that matter) & late to bed the night before (& took a while to settle last night as well).
Mowed the lawn last night, as in theory it will rain today. Jack had a go with the mower again, but did not hog it like last time... in fact I was left to do most of it - shucks! Didn't manage to finish it before teatime like I said I would. Jack was brought in from the backstreet after tea for lashing out at some girls there. He said that they were in his way & that he was fighting back - but really - that wasn't the point - it was more a manifestation of his general grumpiness. He was cross as cross at not being allowed out & complained bitterly that he had nothing to do... I made a few suggestions of play he could partake in, but he dismissed them all, "I hate Lego!" (This is a shame - I just bought him a Lego while in Manchester that day for his birthday in a few weeks.) I told him that it was only because he couldn't do something that he wanted to do (play on the backstreet) & he couldn't stop focussing on that that he was so grumpy. He got mad at that & kicked the plug for the mower hat I was putting away - so I shouted at him when he didn't stop when I told him to. This upset him & he eventually drifted off to Louise... He than managed to turn himself about - or at least put on a happy face for a little & get on with doing something. Louise caught him later, (when Jude was in the bath) sat downstairs on his own - miserable again & banging his hand on his head. She suggested that he do some drawing & he was up for it, but he wanted to use a brushpen... One of my toys, basically. They came upstairs to get one, but bedtime was too distracting & Jack drifted off to get his bike & have a ride about. Jude out of the bath & Eve in the bath, I went to get him. He was on the street at the end of our street looking into the tree that caught Eve's helium balloon the other day. He pointed the balloon out to me, all shrunken & dangling like a bizarre fruit among the leaves. Then I gave him a cuddle & we set off back inside for his bath (he may well have messed about with the shower unit while in the bath & Louise & I read to Eve & Jude - the shower didn't work when I came to turn it on this morning... I had to mess about with a screwdriver taking bits apart & putting them together for a few minutes before it worked. I must remember to have a word with him about not messing about with it in future).
Reading him The Hobbit at the moment - & read their journey through Mirkwood for about half an hour before it was deemed time to stop. As I say - it then took him a good while to settle to sleep. I have started being more open & not pretending to fall to sleep with him - I'm not sure that this didn't disturb his settling yesterday. Also - he's taken to sleeping on the floor... Granted his bed is a futon - so it's not exactly a spongy soft thing, but still, it goes does illustrate the nature of the boy.
Louise has said that she started to listen & respond more to Eve & Eve has calmed her shrieking & pleading a little - which is good.

2003 | 2002 | 2001

Fri 18|6

Think... turn the brain's crank handle & type...
Concerns at Jack again... He did not have a good day yesterday... Didn't get to play with William at playtime at school as he was playing with their friend Oscar (from reception)... Louise mentioned something about a game of tig where they all just tigged him - so that was no fun... he gets upset by this sort of thing - which is why, I suppose, they must do it. There was also Origami in class - making a yacht - & whole everyone was on 'move 9' or something (as he thought) he was only on 'move 2' & painfully aware of this fact. Then when we got home Louise had bought some planes... Jack had been playing with a slot together balsa wood plane that my brother Neil had got him a good while back & it had lasted a good 2 days of intensive play - but these things are not made to last. Jack had spotted some others in a shop in town, so Louise went back to get one (3 - one for each). They were all keen to have them flying when I got home & Eve had managed to snatch the bigger one & give it to me to make 1st... & there was some assembly required - folding, slotting pushing bits of plastic in place, & even some sticky tape - so it took a frustrating little while & they all lumping around me (& Sammy & Danny from over the road as well) didn't help my nerves or concentration. Eventually Eves was done & I tested it with the elastic band catapult thing that came with it &came back in to put it together again... ahem... 'design fault'. That done, turned attention to Jack's plane as he fair burst with excitement while at the same time trying to stop Jude wrecking his as he had had his packaging helpfully opened now. Louise was, in the meantime getting cross at the tone of my voice caused by my concern that things were going to end up in pieces. So - with general tension high - Jack's plane is complete... but he wants to use the catapult thing - but he finds it really hard - but he doesn't want help - but but but... Jack just gets cross in the end. Louise has a last ditch attempt to help him - but he's probably beyond wanting to try. He warned that he felt like breaking the stupid plane to bits & after a last attempt the plane is wrenched apart & stamped on. Louise is cross - at the tension she blames me for creating - at the petulance of Jack & at herself for buying something to try to please him & it just ending up making him upset & cross. I only just manage to finish Jude's plane & put it away before Louise has decided that she is clearing all the stupid things away.
Before we know it it's time to go swimming, so I take Jack off for this, but he doesn't have a good time - the chlorine hurts his eyes & they have to do a bit of fetching items from the pool floor, & he thinks it's a bit deep & he doesn't like diving & I get shampoo in his eyes... & ah well. He gets to walk through the park on the way home. They are setting up the Agricultural Show in the park for this weekend - thus the marquees are up & there are some funfair items sitting about (as yet unfolded from their packets transporting mode.
By bedtime he's a better way out. He's had a lot of hugs & feels a bit less insecure.
Ah... I could go on about Eve & Jude as well - but no - not today. Louise & I had a chat about the kids & the fact that Sammy &Danny across the way seems to just be all too much at times. They always seem to be there & in & out of the house & taking things out of the yard & house & soon... A bit of 'bitching'; I guess, but it would be nice to open the back door & not have them just come in... for Jude to have the freedom to play as he wanted rather than worry that someone is going to take what he considers to be his. Louise would like to be able to have the door open & not have to listen out for one of them complaining/screaming. Louise had Jude playing in the front garden yesterday afternoon so that they could both have some peace.

2003 | 2002 | 2001