storbarnsförälder

Rob left later than he will in future, because of starting later on his first day. So Emer was awake and crying before he left, and remained inconsolable for some time.

Rob's summary is that the commute inwards was restful and pleasant, as we anticipated, and homewards less so because more crowded and he interrupted it to go shopping and stuff. He will probably figure out ways to get a better homeward commute later. The food was fabulous, the working environment was good, the day was useful, he is in general happy and impressed. Though not sure about having meetings while sitting in deckchairs.

I got myself and Emer up and dressed and we had scones for breakfast. Linnea refused to get up until the last minute, so she didn't get her teeth done before we went out for her GP appointment. That went fine, and they were as usual impeccably behaved in the waiting room. We saw a child wearing a "Daddy's Little Princess" tshirt, which always makes me cross.

We went to the pharmacy afterwards and bought new toothbrushes and toothpaste for the children. Then we went home again, and we were going to go to the playground but instead there were two Biological Incidents and I spent the time before lunch cleaning both children, doing laundry, scrubbing the bathroom below countertop-level, and mopping up a large flood. Oh, and there was the whole thing with sticking soapy toilet paper to the mirror. So we didn't get to the playground. But I got two loads of laundry done, one of which hadn't needed doing until this morning.

I also happened to be in when my sister phoned for some formula-feeding advice, which always makes me feel a bit strange, but I did my best, so there you go. It might be partially because I sympathise with the extra work of formula-feeding, I suppose. She says my mother is on Aran with no landline and apparently no mobile, or no charger or something... which I hope Mum is enjoying, really. I'm not all that attached to my own phones, I must say; the urge to not be on the end of one makes a lot of sense to me. Easy for me to say, of course, since I'm not the one who wants to get a hold of her!

It was our first Midday Dinner style lunch; we had a defrosted frozen lasagne to reheat, and it took a bit longer than I'd anticipated, possibly because I was using the top oven instead of the main one. But it was delicious, and because Rob had cooked it and packed it for us, I felt that even though he was off having loads of fun without us sulk sulk he'd left the closest thing Rob will ever get to a love-note behind. Say it with Food, say I.

After lunch we went to the Oxford Road Community Garden and the children played, mainly with water, I think. A friend and her nearly-three-year-old came along and it was very pleasant for some time. The children found a bottle of black poster-paint, unfortunately, but my friend was able-bodied enough to pop around to Lidl for babywipes so we were able to clean the worst of that up. And then we all went home our separate ways.

I finished scrubbing the children and got them ready to head to the swimming pool. We arrived in good time and Linnea had a proper shower, including washing her grubby feet with soap, before going to her lesson. Crutches are useful for pushing the shower on above a child's head without getting wet oneself, by the way.

Linnea's lesson went well, and the time Emer and I spent doing not much while waiting went well, and then I helped a very happy Linnea to get dried and dressed. She has decided she likes someone in her class because she is going to "learn to lose, learn to win, learn to do your best," apparently. Whatever works for her. I think she feels she's making progress, these lessons - previous sessions mainly made her a less capable swimmer, because she was always age-filed with people who couldn't actually swim, whereas she didn't even start lessons until after her first swimming of a width. I haven't seen her swim a full width since she was 4, I think. It's kind of sad.

After the lesson we drank water and ate bananas and the children played very sweetly with a pre-verbal toddler who was waiting with his mum. That did wonders for my mood; cute toddlers who want to love everyone are practically medicine to me.

We got home about ten minutes after Linnea discovered a painfully desperate need to use the loo, so she was quite distressed by the time we opened the door. But as I was about to close it after us all, taimatsu arrived, and I was able to collapse a bit - she made me tea and got me biscuits and I sat on a low chair and things. Then we were able to being the teatime meal prep.

Rob got home at about the right time for that, all things considered, and we had a pleasant evening meal, which included a small amount of information-exchange conversation about our respective days. Time will tell, but I think Rob's working day is going to be sufficiently lovely that we need to do something about mine to bring us up to some sort of equal field. I may just be jealous that he had salmon and new potatoes and two kinds of veg and dessert, and didn't even have to clean up afterwards.

Rob arrived home SMILING though. That's amazing. He also seems less worn down and despondent, and more capable, than he usually did after the other job. I realise that this may wear off, but then again, it may not... you never know.

I'm in horrible pain, which is a bit of a bummer. The contractions aren't as bad as yesterday but are still coming, especially if I rest for a minute. My hips are overworked by the level of activity, which I knew they would be, I suppose, but it means standing is really hard, and sitting hurts - I'm sitting in bed in a complicated arrangement of pillows to write this, which is ok. If I knew of any painkillers that didn't upset my stomach, I'd take them. I'm also, of course, exhausted, because pain is exhausting.

But I expect that as the children grow accustomed to Rob just not being here so much, they will come to terms with it, and their behaviour will improve - especially since he's going to be much nicer to be around when he is here. They really, really want to visit him at work - Linnea because she wants to go to the museums, and Emer because she wants to work there with him.

He thinks we can probably come to lunch one day at Google; he saw a baby in a highchair in the restaurant today, anyway. So that might be nice.