Bleedin 'eck I loathe computers, but I hate BT even more!
After roughly 800 million calls to BT the problem with our phone was finally resolved (it only took 3 months), only to find Broadband stopped working. Another zillion calls later to 'technical support, line fault, helpdesk, the AA the RAC' and Lord knows where else and a further six days later, Broadband came back!
Yippee I thought, but that very day the computer stopped working. Two days later a very clever man came and took the computer away under the cover of darkness, plugged it in at his home and called me to say it was working perfectly well at his house and could find nothing wrong, so he bought it back, reinstalled it into my lounge and left me a walloping bill! It is now 'kind of' working, VERY SLOWLY and I am going to accept that it takes ten minuetes and several attempts to connect to Broadband as I daren't phone Mr Clever or anyone else.

So, there is my puny excuse for not writing a blog more regularly. Sorry.

However, I have a question.

Mums out there (and Dads of course). Why is it that you cruise along with your little tadpoles tucked up for 12 hours a night for months on end, then suddenly they decide that 4.30am is morning time, EVERY MORNING?

Why?

Are they bored of sleeping? Do they think you're bored of sleeping and missing them? Or are they being devious and don't want you to be chipper and alert the next day? I try so hard to ignore him, but despite living in an old cottage the walls between our room and his seems to be made out of paper doillies, making it impossible to block out the high decibel screeching. So I am awake at 4.30am should anyone want a chat!!

My poor dog, Bob has suffered from my new found tiredness as on occasions, when it is raining stair rods or I have run out of time to walk him I put him in my landrover and take him 'off road' where they run along the side of the car, with me trying not to run them over.
So, last week I did just this, let Bob out at the beginning of the walk, trundled around the tracks for about 30-40 minuetes and finally came back to the beginning, got out of my car calling for him, opened the boot to find I had forgotton to let him out!! My shocked face met his annoyed face and as I had run out of time I had to just take him back home again where he shot daggers at me all evening from in front of the fire! I tried explaining but he didn't care that I had been awake since 4.30am.

So, if anyone out there has any tips to teach my son that 7am is morning time I would be very grateful!

This last week has rendered me a useless wreck. My husband would say that it's just a normal week, but coping with a vomiting toddler while trying not to be sick myself is not a pleasant experience. Also, having a four day headache and not enough energy to squeeze a spot has left me crawling around the house mumbling to myself. So, forgive me if this blog sends you on a downward spiral of despair just reading it. My husband was a trooper though, as he brought home a takeaway curry one night when I was feeling particularly nauseous, and was pleasantly surprised when I couldn't face any and found himself with double helpings! Fortunately I am now feeling much better and he is vomiting so I thought I might surprise him with some fish and chips with extra grease and see how he manages!

However, the week has not all been bad. After all, 'Strictly Come Dancing' has started! Hooray! If only I wasn't the only female in the house. My husband slunk off shaking his head with despair when it came on and took the dogs out around the field in the rain while I soaked up the sequins and snakehips - and thats just the men!! I'm not really a girly girl, but for some reason this programme makes me crave glittery things, feathers and high heeled shoes.
So, I will turn the TV on tonight and try and erase the memory of Louie hurling up pineapple, entire dinners, including foods I'm sure I'v never seen him eat, and enjoy a bit of much needed glamour.

Suggestions of things to do to keep your children busy and stimulated:

1) The childrens section in Salisbury library provide a great booklet called 'Pre-school education' which is updated regularly and it lists all of the Parent and Toddler groups, nurseries, creches, playgroups, pre-schools, day nurseries and special needs groups. It gives dates, times and contact phone numbers of the organisations, so if you are like me and are starting to get a mild panick on about what to do with your child each day, you will find dozens of groups in town and around the villages that you can go to. They may be noisy and at first you may not know anyone, but the children love them. It gives them freedom to go mad with other peoples' toys and you can actually squeeze a cup of tea in, and if you're really lucky, maybe even a short conversation with another Mum!

2) Also, the Five Rivers Leisure Centre in Salisbury and Durrington are giving all under 16 year olds FREE swimming sessions in the school holidays!! Yes FREE. I think its amazing and will definantly be using it. As Tisbury doesn't have a pool they are offering FREE play on their courts instead! How good is that!?

I'm a full time Mum with a 20 month old son. I gave up my job as a veterinary nurse thinking what a nice break it would make to be at home! However, I have never worked so hard in my life, particularly the first six months, where I found my eyes had adjusted to night time vision only, and I blinked with red, watery eyes in daylight hours.
My baby has morphed onto a toddler whose climbing skills are on a par with 'Alain Robert', the French man who can scale tower blocks with no safety ropes. I often find him standing on the windowsill, the dining table or the back of the sofa with little idea of how he got there.

In short, I'm sure most Mums out there may agree that having a child is the most amazing and wonderful experience to go through, but not every moment of every day is spent skipping through a field of wild flowers on a sunny day, so I would like to share some of the ups and downs, laughter and tears with you; how I fill my days or how I can sometimes be found rocking gently in the corner of a room, going slowly mad.

This week for example, I was woken up at 6am to the sound of a loud thump from next door. Running into the nursery, I found that Louie had mamaged to climb out of his cot. Luckily for him, he landed in his toy basket, so there were no tears, just the sound of his toys making annoying tunes on impact, and him in the middle with a startled look on his face like he couldn't believe play time had started already!

The same day he managed to climb into my car, and as I shut the doors he found my keys, pressed the fob and locked himself in. He sat there on the front seat with my house keys and mobile so I couldn't even get the spare key! We both looked at each other over the now deafening din of the car alarm in mute horror. After a couple of minutes of watching each others' crumbling faces he pressed the fob again and the locks sprung open! I leapt like a gazelle to open the door and he rolled out, smiling, so all was well.

Suggestions of things to do to keep your children busy and stimulated:

"Beneath the Waves" An aquatic adventure play for 3-7yr olds and their families to include music, puppetry and performance held at the Arts Center, Bedwin St, Salisbury.
Saturday 29th Sept at 11am and 2pm. Tickets £4.50 each. Tel 01722 321744

I'm a full time Mum with a 20 month old son. I gave up my job as a veterinary nurse thinking what a nice break it would make to be at home! However, I have never worked so hard in my life, particularly the first six months, where I found my eyes had adjusted to night time vision only, and I blinked with red, watery eyes in daylight hours.
My baby has morphed onto a toddler whose climbing skills are on a par with 'Alain Robert', the French man who can scale tower blocks with no safety ropes. I often find him standing on the windowsill, the dining table or the back of the sofa with little idea of how he got there.

In short, I'm sure most Mums out there may agree that having a child is the most amazing and wonderful experience to go through, but not every moment of every day is spent skipping through a field of wild flowers on a sunny day, so I would like to share some of the ups and downs, laughter and tears with you; how I fill my days or how I can sometimes be found rocking gently in the corner of a room, going slowly mad.

This week for example, I was woken up at 6am to the sound of a loud thump from next door. Running into the nursery, I found that Louie had mamaged to climb out of his cot. Luckily for him, he landed in his toy basket, so there were no tears, just the sound of his toys making annoying tunes on impact, and him in the middle with a startled look on his face like he couldn't believe play time had started already!

The same day he managed to climb into my car, and as I shut the doors he found my keys, pressed the fob and locked himself in. He sat there on the front seat with my house keys and mobile so I couldn't even get the spare key! We both looked at each other over the now deafening din of the car alarm in mute horror. After a couple of minutes of watching each others' crumbling faces he pressed the fob again and the locks sprung open! I leapt like a gazelle to open the door and he rolled out, smiling, so all was well.

Suggestions of things to do to keep your children busy and stimulated:

"Beneath the Waves" An aquatic adventure play for 3-7yr olds and their families to include music, puppetry and performance held at the Arts Center, Bedwin St, Salisbury.
Saturday 29th Sept at 11am and 2pm. Tickets £4.50 each. Tel 01722 321744