ailbhe | Higgledy piggledy (Reply)

The week of no napping

Linnea pushed her nap farther and farther back, until she was napping 16:00 - 18:00 and not going to bed until 22:30 or later. So we cut it out forcibly, and she slept 20:00 - 08:00 or 21:00 - 09:00 for a few days. Um, that is, she wakes a good deal in the night still, but not for very long. It's tiring not getting a break in the middle of the day to clear up after lunch, wash, or do delicate tasks - but it's definitely better that she's going to sleep at a more reasonable hour, especially for Rob, who doesn't suffer much from the lack of Linnea's nap anyway.

This evening she went down shortly after 7 pm so we're hoping it will last until 7 am. But the other night she woke for three hours just after midnight - singing, dancing, playing games, the lot - so we really don't know what's going on.

She's nineteen months old.

Happy Birthday to Livi and to Pat

Whose ages I don't actually know, but they are fabulous people nonetheless.

Washed floors and other exciting domesticities

I finally washed the floors today, with a fantastic squeegee mop, but it's been so long that I'll have to do them again tomorrow. However, they are greatly improved.

We are catching up on laundry, but I have realised that I will almost certainly have to do laundry while we are in Malta for 12 days, as I do not own enough clothing to get through more than a week without washing some. Unless I wear underwear for two days running, and ew. The guidebook has addresses for laundrettes, though, so that's ok.

And we have found someone to feed our cats and check our mail while we're away, so that's good, and we are starting to set up a babysitting arrangement now, too. I hope it works, because it will be difficult to find a cheap teenager to look after a baby who isn't actually asleep much of the time. The reason they're cheap is that they expect to spend most of the time reading, watching TV, or SMSing their boyfriends. And a wakeful Linnea isn't conducive to those pastimes.

Library

Today we all three went to the library, where I learned that Now! this week only! I can get my books out for SIX WEEKS, which is astonishing and delightful. They had the books I'd ordered (Naomi Wolf and Jasper Fforde) and the one Rob had ordered (David Weber) and a few others we wanted, so we're all set to go on holiday now (we're not bringing one book per person per day any more, but we do still need to bring books, even with a baby).

My charming favourite assistant librarian (Hi Carol!) was there, with an unfamiliar other librarian to assist. He had brought in a Christmas tree to add joie de saison - it was made entirely of pink feathers and fibre-optic cable and was about as tasteful as a poodle grooming salon. Barbie would be proud.

The head librarian, the one who talks about "people like them," doesn't like Christmas decorations. I hope they keep it on the desk.

Bus

We all got the bus to town - no buggy, because buggies encourage napping - and rode upstairs so we could see out. It was very exciting, and we also met the woman who showed us our allotment in the local community garden.

Post Office

From the bus we went to the post office, where I queued up in a long hairpin-bend queue to buy stamps for (I think) seven different countries. Rob and Linnea played outside in puddles. Then they came in and as I stamped Christmas cards, Linnea brought them to the postbox and posted them. I think I got them all posted this time, but this year we found one to my sister which wasn't sent last year, so you never know. There could be one lurking somewhere.

Oxfam gifts

Oxfam yielded tiny toys for the toddlers we know and a few small books for Linnea's stocking. I bought a book of words to Christmas songs, too, since I don't know very many in English.

Hungry

I have been phenomenally hungry of late. I need to eat more protein, I am sure - but how? I may have to resort to having an egg for breakfast, which is tedious to remember. I keep craving cheese.

(We have put up fairy lights in the dining room. Linnea keeps telling us what the colours are. She apparently learned colours when we weren't watching. What next?)