Boy has become monster for halloween.

He's decided he's too old for a nap. Instead of doing what he used to do (up until friday) when he didn't want a nap - i.e. babble to himself - he now alternates screaming and whingeing the second I leave the room.

By bedtime he is so tired from not napping he is again crying as soon as we leave him (laughing when we go back in).

Because of the bloody clocks going back he has also decided his get up time is approximately 6am (5.45 this morning).

I'm so tired I'm falling asleep while he's playing in the same room.

The rash was gone this morning but seemed to come back while I was getting him ready for his nap.

I forgot to say, Benjamin is a grass! Good job we're not mitchells or we would have to beat it out of him. Yesterday we went for tea with Jenny and Alex. Alex got a bit tired and grumpy. He pulled a few fridge magnets down and threw them on the floor, then when Jenny told him not to, swept them all off the door, ran off, and hid in a kitchen cupboard. Ben (who was stood next to him watching the whole thing) ran to get Jenny with his eyes wide and shouted "HIDING! HIDING! HIDING!"

Ben woke up from his afternoon nap with a rash on his arms and legs. He was miserable when he woke up but cheered up within 10 mins. The rash faded but came back again when Ian gave him his bath before bed.

It's not menningitis (glass test), measles, mumps or rubella (mmr) and I'm ruling out chicken pox for now too cos he isn't scratching and it's flat rather than raised. He has had a low appetite and been slightly out of sorts since sunday, though getting better through the week. I'm wondering if it is a late symptom of some virus he has had. Will see if it is still there in the morning and if it is take him to the GP. Didn't see the point of sitting in A and E once I'd worked out from google that it probably wasn't anything serious.

Anyone seen anything similar?

Lots going on...

Allison won't be marking any more because she was apparently out by about 3 marks so I'm going to end up doing a bit more than I was planning. I suppose the money will be worth it but I'm knackered! Lots of drama and still not sure what I am doing with the papers after lots of crossed wires. Hope she is not too stressed, I would be guttet but suppose she is more confident generally so probably won't take it as personally.

Disappointing home visit from midwife today where I waited around for 2 hours. She was so out of time (not her fault, held up at a conference I think) I didn't get to hear the heartbeat so I have no idea if sammy seahorse is ok or not. Got my appointment for my next scan in the post though so only 3 and a half weeks more to wait.

Off to vote in a bit. Have no faith in any of the mainstream parties but we are a target area for the BNP and I do not want to be represented by a nazi.

Oh, hello unbearable acid in my throat - thought I had a few weeks yet till you turned up :(

Have marked 20 more scripts today. After yesterday's telly-fest I tried to get Ben to play in the room while I marked with the telly off. This led to a policy of non-cooperation, resulting in a tantrum over me not letting him climb into the bin (real tears, and distraught cries of BIN! BIIIIIN!"), 2 smashed picture frames (dropped over the fire grate), "creative additions" (i.e. blue biro, when the candidate has written in black) to the cover of one of the scripts, repeated attempts to shove the jungle book (still in it's box) into the video, and one photo ripped out of an album. I know it is my fault because if I was giving him my full attention and taking him out places and so on, at least half of it probably wouldn't have happened. I will be so glad when all this is out of the way.

I think the "bugger room" may become the "bugger cat piss" room. Ronnie has been spending hours in there lately, lounging on the bed, and last night when I went in to grab some bags of clothes for a charity collection he ran in and thumped his tail at me! He can be very proprietal and is known for his use of dirty protest so I am going to have to start shutting him out a couple of months before Ben moves in. The problem is the door doesn't shut properly, although Ian's dad is a carpenter so would probably know how to fix it if I asked.

Back from Cardiff after my exam marking moderation meeting, and super tired. Went last night (after having a meeting at work), got there about 8.30ish. Didn't sleep too well, not sure if it was being in a strange bed or being away from my family or what. Then 9.30 to 5.30 spent analysing candidate responses before Allison drove me home (2 hours-ish).

The bonus was staying in a hotel, lots of yummy freebie food (evening meal last night, breakfast and lunch buffets), super strong power shower compared to our crap one at home... it doesn't take much to please me.

So for the next 3 weeks I am going to be back in exam marking hell.

Don't know where the time is going, will soon be summer.

On friday, Ian properly did my car in. Did he crash it? No. He put 4 litres of engine oil, something like 3 times the right amount in, because he couldn't find the lid for the bottle and "didn't want to waste it". He didn't tell me he had done this till the exhaust started smoking on saturday. By sunday the car was DEAD. Dave has drained the excess oil out and is going to do something with a spanner or something later as a last ditch attempt to save it before it goes off to the mechanic. I am hoping it is just the started motor. I looked in the fiesta manual and all it said on the matter of engine oil was:

"NEVER fill the oil above MAX (shown on dipstick)"

It doesn't sound good.

I'm supposed to be driving myself and Allison to Cardiff next friday for the WJEC marking conference. Instead I am probably going to have to cadge a lift AGAIN after doing it last on the basis of separate car problems so I will look like a complete flake. Allison will probably be in a bad mood when I tell her too because Ofsted are in this week so she will be under loads of pressure.

This morning, rather less catastrophically, Ben somehow pulled one of the drawers out of his wardrobe. It took me ages to slide it onto the runner, and when I had he laughed and said "Well done!"

Oh, and the cats kept snoring like pigs while I was trying to type up my lesson plans.

Sooooooooooo tired.

Ben didn't have a nap again today. He was at my mum and dad's for the afternoon as I was at work. Result = he fell asleep in the car on the way home  (6pm-sh) for about 10 minutes, woke up angrily when we got home, and is now refusing to go to sleep. Ian is off out in a minute so looks like a fun night for me. He has been screaming for his juice and now he's had some is just doing some generic overtired howls.

Tomorrow  I think I get to 12 weeks - a milestone. I say think because I have had 3 different due dates so far (one from the dr, one from the midwife, and one from the computer) so I will have to wait till my US on friday to get a better idea. Supposedly I'm meant to stop throwing up about now. I haven't puked so far today, think overall it might be getting better. Last time I think I was sick till about week 25 so not counting on it.

Tomorrow I want to have one of those days where I get a lot done. We'll see.

Yesterday the boy decided he wasn't going to have an afternoon nap!!! Not too worried as he woke up an hour and a half later than normal and hadn't done much tiring stuff. But today I have tried to make sure he was properly tired out and it seems to have worked.

We had a great day today. We walked down to Stourbridge to meet Naomi at about 11 (took about 45 mins, lovely sunshine), pottered about the shops for a bit, then went to chilly kiddies (soft play) for a play and some lunch. It has been a long time since we last went, October I think, and I can't believe how far Benjamin has come in terms of how much stuff he can do now. It was lovely and chilled because the big kids are all back at school so he could just toddle about exploring without me having to follow him like a lioness waiting for some bigger child to knock him over. Maybe I have just relaxed more now he is older too.

Was great to see Naomi too. She has finished her placement (training to be a social worker) though still lots of assignments to do. Still, only a few months and it will all be done.

What do you do with a small boy who loves the washing machine soooo much he alternates screams and piteous cries of "machine" when you won't let him repeatedly open the door all day?

I also have a new obsession - taking the kids camping in France next year while I'm on maternity leave and we can afford it (working in a college means it is normally high season). I have been looking on the keycamp website and have found one campsite
 
www.keycamp.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseaction/campsites.resortoverview/mastercode/120/ver/2.cfm

that looks perfect as it is close to a port and is "ideal for young families". I think normandy is probably a good idea for a first trip as it means not that much time in the car - maybe 4 hours down to portsmouth and an hour the other end. It does mean a 6 hour ferry trip to get to the site I like but I figure 6 hours on a boat with a baby and a toddler is going to be a lot more manageable than 6 hours in a car!

Starting to feel more human again - still nauseous first thing last thing and when something smells strong but other than that the nausea is better.

On Sunday, we found out Ian's mum and dad had told the great-grandparents our news! We weren't planning on telling them till either 12 weeks or maybe even after the first scan. Ian's mum said to Ian "well if we left it to you you'd never get round to telling them"... I think maybe she was just a bit on the defensive. Knowing Ian he probably just said he hadn't told them each time she asked without saying why. I feel bad for him that it was somehow made into his fault though! Anyway, apparently Ian's Grandma's psychic told her it's a girl...

Last night we had our first book group. The book was the Gargoyle. It was pretty good, a bit graphically violent for me at the start and a bit slushy at the end but ok to read once you get into it. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and I felt proud of myself for pulling it off. The next book is the Kite Runner - I need to look on Amazon to see if I can get a cheap copy as it is not in the 2 for 1 at Smiths.

Today we went for a pub lunch with Dawn. Had a great time but seem to have left my purse in the pub, like a twonk. I rang Ian once I realised and he is cancelling the cards and calling the pub to check. There was a bit of a strange man sitting by us, but I don't think he was close enough to check it. The other possibility is that it has fallen out while I was walking round merry hill, in which case it is probably gone for ever. I don't feel as stressed about it as I normally would - too busy worrying about the baby. Ben fell asleep in the car for 5 mins on the way home and when I put him to bed he was under the impression he had had his sleep for the day and tried to talk to me about Makka Pakka. He seems to have finally given up and nodded off after three tuckings in.

Ian's littlest brother's girlfriend is pregnant, due at the end of November - so Sammy seahorse gets a little cousin almost exactly the same age as him/her.

It feels a bit strange though, as he was with his last girlfriend about 4 years, broke up with her last year sometime, and I've only met the new one once, coming out of the Lockley front door as I was going in. All of us girlfriends/wives have done this thing where it takes months /years before we properly mix with the rest of the Lockleys though. I suppose it's intimidating because there are so many.

Last christmas there were 3 grandchildren and this year there will be 6!

Today, we went to toddlers, and the naughty girl, Lily, pushed Ben onto his back 5 or 6 times! One time he hit his head of a bookshelf as he went down :( The little nana just doesn't get that she will keep doing it though and keeps going back up to her again and again. It doesn't help that her mum doesn't tell her off much, she only seemed to notice once and just threatened her with a smacked bum rather than taking her away to talk to her. So, on the way out, Ben gave Jasmine a tiny push, and then Sophie a teeny push on the way home (neither enough to make the other child look more than puzzled and slightly annoyed - they are both a couple of years older than him and I think he was doing it to try it out rather than to floor them). Both times I told him it was very naughty but it is a bit of a mixed message when he sees Lily keeping on getting away with doing it to him. It is very unusual for him to push, he has only done it once before. He's going through a copying phase at the moment though. So he has learnt some new bad behaviour.  grrrr

He's in bed sleeping at the mo - in a couple of hours we've got a date down the pub with beautiful Emily and baby Georgia. I can't wait to see them, it makes it feel much more like a friday!

More sickness today.

Been to the GPs and asked at reception if I could take a pregnancy test. I have to come back next week and see the GP to do it (earliest bookable appointment). Seems pretty much like a waste of the GPs time to me seeing as last time all he said pretty much was "here is a sample container, drop it in at reception." Oh well, whatever.

I need to go and wake the Benjamin in a minute - parents evening tonight plus a boring staff meeting so I have to go over to Halesowen for 4.30 and pass him over to Ian. I'd better get going.

Yesterday, we had an unplanned Day Out :)

Jenny rang me at 8:30 in the morning - normally long after I am up but we drugged the boy with calpol the night before because he kept waking up coughing and he had a lie-in - to suggest we go on a day out to the sea-life centre. We set off at about 10, caught the bus to stourbridge then the train to birmingham. The boys enjoyed their ride on the choo-choo. When we got to Brum we walked to Brindley Place and sat and had a lovely picnic that Jenny had brought for us all. We fed the geese our left over sandwiches, then went in. Ben spent a lot of time saying "fish", and seemed to like the rays best ("pri-tee!"). We saw puffer fish, sharks, seahorses, jellyfish, eels, anenomies, and some beautiful turtles. I bought Ben some rubber fish for the bath as a memento. Ben and Alex were both being really cute and even did some super-cute hugging, without it descending into wrestling.

Today, I had some major trauma coming out of playgroup! Just as I was changing Ben's nappy ready to leave one of the group leaders came to tell me were blocked in. There was a funeral on at the church and it wasn't due to finish for another half hour. Sooooo, we waited in the church hall. The cars blocking me in looked like they had just been abandonned - they were at weird angles as though the people had arrived late for the funeral, seen that the carpark was full and just leapt out of their cars anyway. Half an hour passed and we went out to find there was now the burial and so we waited for that a while longer. We then went to put the kids in the car. After a while a woman who had been stood near by watching us for a while came and moved one of the cars. I said to Tracey "there's still not much room for me to get out" - big mistake! A busy-body pensioner appeared as if from nowhere, that moment, and said "You can get out easy now, there's enough room" - and kept saying it the entire time I was strapping Ben into his seat. I didn't like the look of the manouver, baring in mind I have only been driving 8 months, and the audience of other people blocked in by the car was not helping! There then ensued a few minutes of me edging forwards and backwards trying to get the right swing while the pensioner waved his arms like a traffic cop and kept barking instructions which I attempted to ignore. At this point the woman in the car that was blocking me runs from the church, looking furious (thanks to the old dude, I am admittedly a hair's breadth from the bonnet. She gets in the car and gestures to me to move, I gesture to her to move back to give me more room, and the old man starts telling her not to move as I have plenty of room!

Finally we are free, me the colour of a beetroot and sweating like hell! I drive as far as the carpark entrance only to find it blocked by people from the funeral taking photos of each other outside the church on their phones (is it me or is that really weird?). Then finally out.

The whole time, Charley has been sat in the back, shaking her head, and saying "Muppets. Silly silly muppets.". .... :)

Ian has taken Ben to see his great-grandmas - Gran "Gan" and Grandma "Bugger" (please don't let him shout that as he runs in). So I am home alone, having a bit of a lazy morning. I'm going to go and have a bubble bath in a minute I think. 

At the moment, Benjamin is obsessed with the bin. The second you finish wiping your/his nose or unwrapping something or whatever he shouts "MIN! MIN!" , grabs the rubbish, and starts climbing the sofa to try and get to where I unsucessfully hid it.  I've found cds in there before now.

Don't know if I mentioned that last time we went to sainsbury's he kept calling the boy on the checkout a baby? Well this time it was a different boy but Ben kept manically laughing everytime he made eye-contact, shouting "BYE! BYE!" and waving. It's like he has a mission to unnerve them. We had to go past loads of tills on the way out once we'd paid and he shouted "BYE" and waved at each one we went past!