LiveBlog Thursday
1:00 am In the process of attempted conflict-resolution I have a stupid and ridiculous hissed fight with Z about what I said that he said that I said, whose main points are my irritation at his selective listening and the fact that I feel extra-cranky from the virus. I stalk off to the living room with my Kindle.
1:10 am Contemplate going back to kiss him and make conciliation noises but I'm tired and it's been a long time since I enjoyed a good sulk, so I sink sleep on the sofa, treaded on by cats.
7:00 am Z walks around the living room looking for keys and things. Words and gestures of conciliation are exchanged and accepted. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
7:10 am Matei wakes up and goes around the house calling out "Hello? Is anybody there?" until I take pity and call out. He high jumps onto the sofa, prods me in the kidneys with his icy feet and begins to relate some long and convoluted narrative about penguins which I do my best to tune out.
7:40 No longer satisfied with my lack of response Matei begins to set text comprehension questions and expresses his profound dissapointment with my respective replies of Gggnhhhgghh and Mmmmgh. "You must try harder, Mummy," he tells with a frown.
He announced his intent to visit the bathroom and I visit blissful silent dreamytime.
8:05 am I jolt awake with horrified realistion about school and uniforms and other responsibilities. Text my manager to affirm that I am still too sick to work, then chivvy my physical resources enough to sort out uniforms, issue a series of threats to Matei about stopping sailing boats and brushes in the sink and putting on clothes now.
8:10 am Helena wakes up and starts banging on the door to announce that she would like a piece of the action. The baby has apparently been amusing herself by trying to unbutton her sleeper and is now naked to the waist Miami-vice style. I lift her down from the crib and she totters off in search of things that she can decorate herself with (currently she is wearing several of my glittery headbands a necklaces). I resolve to sew her a tiny handbag for christmas because she enjoys carrying things around so much.
8:25am Locate Matei who is still not dressed and stand over him while he puts on his uniform. Get waylaid by my mother who regurgitates complex and angsty family histories. Postpone listening in the name of sorting out breakfasts. Matei weeps about the unfairness of it all. Helena arrives and tries to comfort him by fondly hitting him on the head.
8:35 I guide him into the final bits of his uniform and give her a bunch of bracelets. She amuses herself for a solid half hour putting them on herself and taking them off and clanking them together.
8:50 My mum takes him to school. Sofa and tea and blankets beckon. Cats purr. Helena totters around in an adorable outfit, with glittery headband necklace and this toy swinging briefcase-style from her hand. She roams around the house chattering in her language, looking like a tiny businesswoman with a full schedule of important meetings.
9:30 am My mum brings me tea and toast, and Helena goes into the care of others. My throat feels awful, I try to watch a Cary Grant film on iplayer (also awful) and fall asleep.
11 am - Wake feeling like my whole body has been sandpapered and then repeatedly run over. Read. Cough. Drink tea. Feel sorry for myself. The cat commiserates by sleeping on my head.
12:00 Finish Shit My Dad Says. It's not bad. Start reading The Constant Gardener. Doze off.
12:30 Wake up with a dull pain behind my eyes, complemented by sharp pain between my shoudlerblades. Baby coughs in a horrifying, raspy manner and tries to use a cat as a body pillow/hot water bottle.
1pm -Helena is dispatched to her bed for a nap. She screams and throws soft toys in her rage. When I leave the room there is a volley of shrieks which turn into an hour long monologue and then she finally falls asleep.
2:30pm My mum comes down with food poisoning. Begins to look and sounds worse than any other family member, which is impressive. I marshall sufficient resources to cook Chilli con Carne for dinner and rice for my mother.
4pm. Matei returns from school. Helena wakes up. She totters around the house in the manner of a ball in a pinball machine, in pursuit of cats and balloons. I rapidly lift the morning's threatened cartoon embargo and Matei settles into being happily hypnotised by the lovely moving pictures.
4:30 Helena sings songs to herself and claps to the rhythm. She wonders around the house looking for people to hug, CDs and books to pull off shelves and drawers to open. I start typing this. She petitions to be lifted onto my lap and sit with her feet on the computer desk, playing dodgems with the mouse and the keyboard. Good times.
1:10 am Contemplate going back to kiss him and make conciliation noises but I'm tired and it's been a long time since I enjoyed a good sulk, so I sink sleep on the sofa, treaded on by cats.
7:00 am Z walks around the living room looking for keys and things. Words and gestures of conciliation are exchanged and accepted. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
7:10 am Matei wakes up and goes around the house calling out "Hello? Is anybody there?" until I take pity and call out. He high jumps onto the sofa, prods me in the kidneys with his icy feet and begins to relate some long and convoluted narrative about penguins which I do my best to tune out.
7:40 No longer satisfied with my lack of response Matei begins to set text comprehension questions and expresses his profound dissapointment with my respective replies of Gggnhhhgghh and Mmmmgh. "You must try harder, Mummy," he tells with a frown.
He announced his intent to visit the bathroom and I visit blissful silent dreamytime.
8:05 am I jolt awake with horrified realistion about school and uniforms and other responsibilities. Text my manager to affirm that I am still too sick to work, then chivvy my physical resources enough to sort out uniforms, issue a series of threats to Matei about stopping sailing boats and brushes in the sink and putting on clothes now.
8:10 am Helena wakes up and starts banging on the door to announce that she would like a piece of the action. The baby has apparently been amusing herself by trying to unbutton her sleeper and is now naked to the waist Miami-vice style. I lift her down from the crib and she totters off in search of things that she can decorate herself with (currently she is wearing several of my glittery headbands a necklaces). I resolve to sew her a tiny handbag for christmas because she enjoys carrying things around so much.
8:25am Locate Matei who is still not dressed and stand over him while he puts on his uniform. Get waylaid by my mother who regurgitates complex and angsty family histories. Postpone listening in the name of sorting out breakfasts. Matei weeps about the unfairness of it all. Helena arrives and tries to comfort him by fondly hitting him on the head.
8:35 I guide him into the final bits of his uniform and give her a bunch of bracelets. She amuses herself for a solid half hour putting them on herself and taking them off and clanking them together.
8:50 My mum takes him to school. Sofa and tea and blankets beckon. Cats purr. Helena totters around in an adorable outfit, with glittery headband necklace and this toy swinging briefcase-style from her hand. She roams around the house chattering in her language, looking like a tiny businesswoman with a full schedule of important meetings.
9:30 am My mum brings me tea and toast, and Helena goes into the care of others. My throat feels awful, I try to watch a Cary Grant film on iplayer (also awful) and fall asleep.
11 am - Wake feeling like my whole body has been sandpapered and then repeatedly run over. Read. Cough. Drink tea. Feel sorry for myself. The cat commiserates by sleeping on my head.
12:00 Finish Shit My Dad Says. It's not bad. Start reading The Constant Gardener. Doze off.
12:30 Wake up with a dull pain behind my eyes, complemented by sharp pain between my shoudlerblades. Baby coughs in a horrifying, raspy manner and tries to use a cat as a body pillow/hot water bottle.
1pm -Helena is dispatched to her bed for a nap. She screams and throws soft toys in her rage. When I leave the room there is a volley of shrieks which turn into an hour long monologue and then she finally falls asleep.
2:30pm My mum comes down with food poisoning. Begins to look and sounds worse than any other family member, which is impressive. I marshall sufficient resources to cook Chilli con Carne for dinner and rice for my mother.
4pm. Matei returns from school. Helena wakes up. She totters around the house in the manner of a ball in a pinball machine, in pursuit of cats and balloons. I rapidly lift the morning's threatened cartoon embargo and Matei settles into being happily hypnotised by the lovely moving pictures.
4:30 Helena sings songs to herself and claps to the rhythm. She wonders around the house looking for people to hug, CDs and books to pull off shelves and drawers to open. I start typing this. She petitions to be lifted onto my lap and sit with her feet on the computer desk, playing dodgems with the mouse and the keyboard. Good times.