Stopit, stop it right now

Everyone is to stop killing babies right now this minute. ENOUGH. No more dead babies. STOP.

Please.

Bad, bad mama.

Today I have put clean laundry away, shouted at the children, taken soft toys posted through the catflap out of the mud, shouted at the children, taken damp laundry in out of the rain, shouted at the children, hung laundry over balustrades and chairs to dry, shouted at the children, fixed the toilet seat to the toilet bowl, shouted at the children, washed my hands so often the skin is flaking off, shouted at the children...

Finally I came to my senses and parked them in front of the TV and stopped this "going out to get things done" nonsense. We are not going to get anything "important" done today. So what?

And I realised that Linnea's hair is easier to comb if I brush it with a soft, soft baby brush first, and do it while she's eating or otherwise occupied. She doesn't like it, but I can't stand matted hair full of ick, either. I do wish they'd got Rob's hair instead of mine. His doesn't mat ever, as far as I can tell. Mine - and the girls' - mats if it's not brushed for two days. Longer than that and you get a sort of dread effect at the nape of the neck. Only not proper dreads, nasty little manky things.

I've wondered whether I should oil it, instead, but that seems odd on fair hair.

Playdough: It's the new television

Mary came and Emer took out a box of playdough cutters to play with and suddenly I realised that I could make playdough now, we don't have carpet anymore, so Linnea and I went into the kitchen and mixed up two cups of flour, two cups of water, a cup of salt, two tablespoons of oil, and some food colouring. I stirred over a low flame it until it was doughy and then we kneaded the colour through it properly and then they made things.

I should have thought of it months ago.

The rest of the afternoon went much better.

And now Maria and Louis and Phoebe are here.