What a day

This weekend just plain didn't happen. It was immensely stressful and tiring and difficult, including physical unpleasantnesses, and I'd like to forget about it now.

Except for certain highlights: On Friday we went to Rhyme Time and afterwards to the playground, where we saw an adult tricycle with two rear-facing child seats with safety belts. I was very impressed and I want one. On Saturday we went to a Swedish lesson at the Swedish Church near Paddington Station, then walked around London trying to get to Fenchurch Street, and we had a lovely interval of aircon and lemonade in a Starbucks, and then ducked into a jewellers where I bought a watch during a cloudburst.

Linnea enjoyed paddling in the pavement drains in her wellington boots.

On Sunday I fed her standing up on the Tube, because it was hot and she was cranky and there were no seats with enough room to feed a toddler without kicking other passengers or bashing her head against a glass partition.

On Sunday morning I collapsed when I tried to get up at first. On Monday I didn't get up. Today I just about managed it.

I'm dying to know if anyone has received my book yet. I know it's unlikely but it's possible, isn't it? I wasn't even able to print it out before sending it to the site, so I just realised last night that it probably has The Original Typos for Extra Authenticity. Perhaps not though. I haven't spotted any in the PDF, anyway, though obviously proofreading one's own material on a computer screen when either caring for or recovering from a toddler isn't optimal.

It was Rob's birthday on Saturday. It could have been worse, poor lad, and it could have been better. Linnea hand-stamped his card.

Lots and lots for us to do

Today, three loads of laundry hung out to dry, dinner cooked, games played, babies fed, laundry taken in and folded (not put away, alas), central heating man spoken to - we may yet get central heating installed! - and vast amounts of tea drunk.

My ears have been hurting, due to sinus issues, so I'm having lots and lots of fluids. Today I drank a pot of chamomile and peppermint, and then a pot of chamomile, fennel and aniseed. I'm enjoying mixing the various teas together. Someday I will walk all the way to the end of my garden and pick the mint and make tea with it - there's loads of mint and the garden is tiny, so I have no idea why I've not done this before. Mint and thyme tea might be nice. I probably have dried thyme in the herb rack.

Today, my main achievement was not breaking down, or hitting anyone, or screaming at Linnea. She was as good as gold, but I seem to be prone to fits of rage at the moment, which is reducing my tolerance for perfectly normal toddler behaviour, like tantrums and tearing the buttons off my expensive nursing dress while climbing me.

I like sausage casserole.