Wet Monday

Having spent the weekend doing chores we had thought we might have a day out today – there was even talk of buying me a bike and T a baby seat and cycling somewhere for lunch but it has been wet and grey all day. We both did sessions in the gym this morning which is great now the projector is working so we have TV again, and abit of a diversion when sweating it out on the treadmill is always a bonus.

After some running, Teds morning nap and some paperwork we went out for lunch in Shepperton, which was lovely – Brubeckers – always a winner, tasty, good value, and excellent with kids. Teddy enjoyed it too as evidenced by the following

he will also eat anything – although the olives in this joint were a little on the strong side

he drinks like his father in terms of quantity – passion fruit cordial is his latest top tipple

The he sat on the table which is his latest tactic to make sure he is at the centre of everything

Ted did his devil child snorr=ting and grimacing expression which always goes down well with the laides

Home from Brubeckers and we had thought we might try and watch American Gangster if T would have a bottle and cosy down in the lazy boy for an afternoon nap – T had other ideas though and set about trashing the place in his usual style. He is standing alot now – especially now he has realised that when he stands without holding on to anything the crowd goes wild – he must think Mummy and Daddy are so easy to please. Bath and bed and he was out for the count. I am off shortly too having had few lie ins over the BH weekend – although on Sunday although he woke demanding his bottle and access to the parental bed at 0545 he did have the good grace to go back to sleep until 8 which is a good hour more than normal. Not so this morning – day started at -645 – boo hiss. Also weather forecasts are mixed for next Sunday – some saying rain from 1 til 7 – that will be the bullk of the party – fortuantely we have a big tent thing organised that Ry can brai under so even if we are all indoors the food will be good!! God forbid though with 50 plus men women and children coming over the course of the afternoon….. fingers crossed for sunshine – or I would even settle for overcast but dry!!

Daddy day care

Another day sorting out the property stuff as we need a new tenant in Wallington so it was off for viewings from 8am. Rather than go and take T with and have to try and manage it all I left him in Daddys more than capable hands for 5 hours while I met and gret the prospective tenants. We found one, she seems very nice, has two girls and the flat will suit her and her situation as she has family close by. Ry got on brilliantly with T although they totally trashed the place and the kitchen and playroom looked like the grand national had gone through when I got back to find them looking like this

clearly they had totally worn each other out.

It was good for them to have the time together though as it meant T was able to spend some quality time with Ry – who incidentally finally managed to earn his brown stripes having to deal with not only a grim nappy, but one which had breached the boundaries and gone up the back and down the trouser, requiring full clean up and change of clothes – I initially wondered why Ted was back in pyjama bottoms, it seems Ry couldn’t locate the regular trousers!! Still Ted obviously loved it as for the rest of the day Daddy was absolutely flavour of the month.

When Ry was fixing the new bell outside Ted wanted to be right there  with him – even when the brick dust was blowing into his face, he wanted to be part of the power tool action

It was like me, and my shadow … later when Ry was out back in the workshope T was trying every way he could to get out of the door into the garden to participate in the DIY

first he was up on tippy toes just trying to see what was going on

then he seemed to think perhaps he could go under the bar

then he tried waving to get daddys attention

and finally he tried opening the door himself – but he still can’t quite reach (thankfully)

After all the assistance he had provided Ry he was wiped out and crashed out – he was totally man down bless him

and when he woke up he had the worst case of crazy hair I have seen yet – hilarious though

After some more play it was off to bed after what had clearly been and enjoyable day for him and a productive day for us. Got the new tenant sorted. Painted the wall white in the gym so we can project onto it. I made a chilli and a cheesecake, got dsome groceries and picked up the dry cleaning. All the regular stuff.

Brighton valuation

Had a busy day as we were off to Brighton to get the flat valued – its worth a few bob. We may well sell it rather than keep renting – need to talk to the tenant tomorrow. It was a good trip as T slept on the way and on the way back making driving conditions less stressful and giving me a chance to chill and listen to the radio.  When we got home there was just time to do a few chores before popping round to see Liz and Yvie who were both looking well and in fine form. Yvie has a whole new raft of toys for T to investigate but most of all he liked the cat – notso sure the cat liked him though with the grabbing and tail pulling.

Yvie is a proper little sweetie

and Ted was being his usual smiley self too

Had a chiro appointment which was fine and T behaved himself brilliantly – cruising round the edge of the table while I got adjusted and not fussing at all which is always better as its hard to relax enough for the adjustments to be comfortable when he is shouting at me or crying in the foyer with Michelle who is lovely but on nursery days I think T thinks he is being left with her for more than the 5 mins it takes for me to be twisted and popped!!

Sushi and new shoes

Lovely day, lazy morning with Mr T, sorted out some bits and pieces – managed to persuade Virgin media to reconnect us because it was not our fault they had been charging somebody else bank account for our service! Laundry on, quick ten mins shut eye when Ted had his nap, then he and I got up and ready to go and see Antia and Nathan for Sushi in Kingston. Lovely slow chatty lunch followed by an iced coffee in Starbucks was a really good way to catch up on husbands, babies, working and getting into shape – all good solid staples of ‘girls stuff’. Antia had to get going so she could study for her diving exam (good luck A) so I decided to find some shoes for Gens wedding.

I bought some lovely cream monsoon trousers two years ago for Michelles wedding which were floor length with big heels but I shrank them on the first wash (idiot) – I thought that was £70 down the drain but they still fit round the waist I just need flats instead of heels as the legs are about 3 inches shorter!! I shopped for flats but could only find a middle sized heel so I bought them. Also got Ted a birthday present – the first of many Ry and I will proably get for him. I went round the shops looking for a weddingy top as well but found nothing – internet shopping on the weekend.

Got home and tried the shoes with the trousers – even with the midi heel they are too high so they really need to be flat flats. I shall keep the other shoes (of course) because they are g0rgeous and will go with lots of things Cream and two shades of brown slingback with a rounded court toe……. lovely.

So either its find some flats and a top to go with the trousers or maybe buy a new outfit that goes with some of my existing fancy shoes – I have plenty of pairs. In fact we have 2 weddings 2 weekends in a row so might need 2 outfits anyway … always nice to have choices too.

Off to bed as is 2235 and am breaking all my own rules – and last night stayed up late 2355 watching the football ??!!! and then the end of Under Siege 2 – what a waste of time, should have gone to bed, wished I had when T got up at 0615. Grim.

Dizzy day

Had abit of an up and down day today as it was marred with a couple of very brief but still disconcerting dizzy spells, one this morning as I left the nursery which was just before getting on a train to London which left me feeling pretty exposed – in case I had a major loss of balance on the train which would not only be embarassing but quite difficult to manage as well. Then again in a meeting at the office which I managed to hide but it was still more than a little uncomfortable as it takes ten minutes or so for the sensation to subside, then again on the train on the way home, so I just had to lean back, keep my head still and shut my eyes. Its been a while since I had several incidences of dizziness / vertigo in one day and I am abit baffled as to why as I have generally been feeling pretty good even running on the treadmill on the weekend. I am wondering if it has to do with my current frequent chiropractic treatments which are all neck adjustments, but that has worked wonders on my shoulder pain and I think improved my energy levels  and in the long run should help with the dizziness too if its vertiginous migraine as the nuerologist said. I ddid have abit of a headache on and off today – not a mega migraine but it was all on one side. Who knows – anyway its all the excuse I need to go to bed early with a magazine – not that I need much of an excuse these days!

Ted had a great day at nursery – although I had to sign the injury sheet again as he feel and scratched his forehead. He falls at home all day so am not worried about it. He is having a whale of a time apparently, although he slaps the little babies (he slaps everyone he can get his hands on) not in a hard malicious way but I think because he has just learned clapping, slapping is like making a clap with someone elses forehead. He also uses his head to push against other peoples head which I will try and capture on film as its very funny, but he does that to all the staff as well as Ry and I.

On the weekend we had a great time with Cliff, Antia, Nathan and Cliffs parents and Mark and Emma on Satuday – lunch in the pub and a good catch up. The Sunday was a family day where I actually managed to get some gardening done and we cooked a chicken on the BBQ on the rotisserie which is always a winner. Ted is still scared of grass and Ry took some very funny footage where we put him on the lawn and left him and he crawled but on his knees with his feet in the air so they weren’t touching the grass. He hates it, doesn’t even like to put his hands on it and at nursery he won’t go off the decking so we will have to continue exposure slowly and try not to tease him too much.

Right – could write more but given the screen is making my head spin I am just going to try and put on some pics and then off to bed

Rant: You would think the courts would be too busy prosecuting real criminals

But no – now you get taken to court over a £3.40 rail ticket. Ry has been summoned. Ages ago he had to leave really early to get a train to Waterloo to connect with Eurostar to get a train to Paris for a business meeting. Got to the station, office was closed, machine had a line, always does on Mondays as everyone gets their weekly ticket and the train arrived before he had a chance to get a ticket. So he got on, because otherwise he would have missed the Eurostar, and the meeting. The ticket guy came and didn’t offer for him to buy a ticket, didn’t offer for him to pay an on the spot fine, disregarded the fact he has an Oyster card and an out of date season ticket which expired the week before which would indicate to anyone with even the slightest element of a brain that he is not some fiendish regular fare dodger, but your common garden commuter who gets caught out on a Monday at the beginning of the month.

The guy took his details and told him he would recieve a summons to have it dealt with in court – apparently this is the deal now if you don’t get a ticket – straight to court – how F***ing stupid is that. So now he has the summons and has to decide whether to plead guilty and get hit with a fine – which – because thy have asked for salary details will no doubt be income related, or not guilty and challenge it and then probably end up paying even more at the end of the day when they say – well sorry but for all the mitigating circumstances you were on the train without a valid ticket so you are guilty.

It makes me furious that when they only provide one machine, the trains are so unreliable that they cost you money on a regular basis because they make you late and you have to use taxis to compensate, when they are dirty, when the staff are often rude, when the fares are so high for such poor service, and how do they spend their time. Probably putting more guards on trains on Mondays and at the beginning of the month to look to catch out the guys in suits who look like they earn good money who haven’t been able to get a ticket because they know its busy so they can impose massive fines and make lots of money for the company bigwigs to get as fat bonuses because lets face it they certainly don’t spend the money from fines on improving the service.

No wonder Ry is happier taking his bike now, having to put up with all the crap every morning and having to pay so much for it only to get done over on one of the few occasions you get caught short.

And what about the time its going to take dealing with it in court. For £3.40 – because his Oyster covered him from Clapham Junction anyway, so it wasn’t even the whole fare, I mean are you kidding? The court summins cost if he pleads guilty is £95, then the fine can be up to £1000. So this might cost us nearly £1100 – for a £3.40 fare. I bet if he had been looking abit shabby they wouldn’t have bothered. The whole situation is a total joke. Fines are less for speeding, driving without a livense are less – and in those cases he might actually be endangering someones life. If he was texting on his phone whilst driving it would be a £60 fine … need I go on

Meanwhile, as they prosecute Ry, dangerous criminal that he is in order to get back the £3.40 – which will of course have to be paid on top of whatever astronomical fine is imposed. There are kids in London being stabbed by people who will get a few years, a suspended sentance and some community service.

Its a farce

Monday morning and its back to business

Every morning, same routine, contents of my bag – scattered

Birthing pool in the Hackney garden

Lovely lazy Sunday BBQ in the sunshine…..

Irresponsible parenting

Hold the phone – The guy had seen him and I rescued him the minute after I took the photo

Lolabel and Ted get aquainted

highlights from Teds weekend at Grannys