Well I made it through the first week of work, although I only JUST made it, and had to leave early on Thursday with a migraine, which was pretty disappointing as I didn't want to come across as a slacker.  Hey ho, I think the stress of the week got to me, whilst we had a lovely time away for the weekend before, adding that to Ben's party and then all the organising of the kids etc, it was probably a bit much for me.  I return to the office tomorrow and I'm not too down about it, I think the job won't be brilliant, but it will be generally OK.  I am capable of the technical stuff, whilst it will take me a while to get to know the key ones I think I can work with the managers.  I just hope I manage to settle into the department OK.  I think it is only now that I am mourning the redundancy from the old job, as I realise how hard it is to leave a place when you don't really choose to.  Starting a new job is easier when you chose to leave the last one, because you aren't looking back with rose tinted glasses.

I have definitely enjoyed my time with the kids more, and today they were absolutely gorgeous.  It's full on getting them up and out of the house in the morning - and I know Paul finds it hard getting them home and sorted, but they seemed fine with things last week, Ben loved his extra time at nursery -helped by the fact that they went Christmas mad, so he was helping with decorating the place!  becca seemed fine too and was in the best mood she's been in.  So we just have to hope that continues.

Ah well, 2 weeks till Christmas break :-)

Time has flown past and the end is nigh.  Well not the end, more the beginning, but part of me also feels like it is the end.  Having been made redundant when I was pregnant with Ben I was relieved of that "returning to work from maternity leave" feeling.  Despite a brief foray into the world of work with a local posh hairdressing chain and the consultancy work, I've not really had to deal with the proper challenge of juggling a job and kids.  This all changes next week as I return to the coal face and start to attempt to juggle a 3 day a week job with 2 kids.  I've got mixed feelings if I'm honest.  I'm sad that I will be leaving my kids in childcare 3 days a week, until late when it's dark.  I'm terrified of having to get them up, fed, dressed and out of the house with a deadline, and I have NO IDEA how I will manage the house stuff without a bit of time to myself in the week to get things sorted.  That said, I am looking forward to having a mental challenge, adult company without the constant interruptions, not having to sweep under and clean the dinner table 3 times a day, and being able to listen to my choice of music in the car for 1 hour a day as I travel to and from work.
I'm lucky in that I only have 3 weeks of work before I get the Christmas break so hopefully it will be a gentler introduction.  We'll see,  wish me luck.....

well that was a bit of a shit week what with having an ill son, an ill husband, being ill myself and having a happy, bouncy little girl into the mix.  This was supposed to be my first week of freedom after having finished my work, and having 3 weeks before I start work.  I managed 2 hours in town on tuesday shopping but other than that it didn't quite happen.  Ben was clearly not well when I picked him up after nursery on Tuesday, by Wednesday he was grim and Paul was off ill.  Thursday saw Ben off nursery, but luckl=ily dispatched to grannies whilst Paul and I slept (separate beds!) - and today I had to call Paul to come home from work at lunchtime cos my head was pounding.  I'm hoping that the worst is over and we will have a nice weekend.  It's not a fat lot of fun being ill at the best of times, let alone when you have kids to look after :-(

that said, Rebecca has had us in stitches all week, she's a real chatterbox and never shuts up, god help us when she can actually say words......!

it's been a fair while since I last posted, partly because any real spare time is spent doing this consultancy work which was due in yesterday (yeah, well never mind eh) and in other areas of my life I have used up all energy, enthusiasm and commitment in persuading my son that pooing in his potty is preferable to doing it in his pants.  In which respect we seem to have finally got somewhere.  If I had written this 7 days ago it would have been one of slight despondency, but finally we seem to have cracked it and today was the first day that he finished the day in the same pair of trousers he started in.

I apologise if you are not a parent and reading this (in which case, why are you reading this and not out drinking and enjoying your social life....??!) -but if this kind of stuff makes you wince just be grateful that you are only reading about it and not living it.

I'm nearing the end of the policy updates I have to do, and the kids are getting nicely settled into their respective nurseries on a Tues and Thurs.  I start work in a month, so I can nearly taste those few days of freedom between finishing this work and 4th December.  Bring on Chapel Spa and an afternoon of lying on the sofa watching the last 8 episodes of X Factor USA..... (I love my son but it does my head in when he won't let me watch my choice of TV).

So November is upon me and it's my mum's 70th birthday next week - that's almost as scary as the fact that I am 40 next year.  She definitely doesn't look 70 that's for sure.  :-)

Interesting weekend, although not al easy. It swung from a lovely easy day yesterday when Paul took the kids up to his mum's which allowed me to go and spend a little money at a second hand baby clothes sale and then do some work, to a tougher day today where Paul was hungover/ill all day.  It started as a drunken hangover thing at 2am, but given that it is now 8.30pm Sunday night and he is still in bed, methinks it is not simply the result of drunken antics, poor thing.  However after being awake a lot of the night, up early and in charge of the kids all day I am knackered and appreciate even more how much he does (though obviously I won't tell him this and fully expect compensation in the form of lie-in's or nights out....)

On other thrilling news we are at the very end of the Killing 2 -one more episode to go.... arrrgh it has been brilliant, thank goodness they are just releasing a 3rd one at the moment in Denmark.

Oh, and ben and I saw Fireman Sam this morning, at the Literature Festival.  ok so not exactly cultural but it was the best I could manage given current circumstances.....

Just caught up on last night's Homeland - so good to have it back - quality tv :-)

....and Toby's travelling Circus gives me ten minutes of peace to write some drivel and drink a cuppa.  God bless Milkshake (apart from those bloody awful adverts of baby dolls who pee - ffs who wants a toy that wets the carpet, they'll sell one that poos and vomits all over you  next).
It's been a tough week with Rebecca full of cold and growing 3 teeth - poor thing.  but it looks like she may be on the mend, although her sleeping habits are still leaving a lot to be desired (I fear Paul didn't get much rest last night, sharing a bed with such a wriggler).

I'm feeling the pressure a little with the contract work I need to get done this month. With Rebecca missing nursery this week, and ben having half term in a few weeks time I don't have loads of time to spare, so will have to forego the Killing 2 viewings and possibly (shock horror) keeping up with the new series of Homeland  whilst I immerse myself in flexible working and sickness absence policies oh joy.  Still, it's cash, and thats what I need at the moment....

The prospect of starting work 3 days a week in December is increasingly daunting,  now the euphoria of actually getting a job has worn off I am simply fearful of the practicalities of being a working mum... But I guess every other working parent copes so I will simply have to as well.

Hey ho... Rebecca is about to spread her snot all over my laptop so better go for now....