Making it up

“There will not be any questions regarding esoteric distinctions between keywords and manifest constants.”

Well, that’s good to know. Scratches head, wanders off with a bemused expression….

French troops arrive in Iraq (Windows Media)(Funny)

Q: They aren’t exactly dressed for “rebuilding”?

Both the kids were much better today - made me realise how quiet it’s really been this week

Another horrendous night with Small - he’s still got spots, but they don’t look to be getting any worse, and they certainly aren’t pox. I’m a bit flummoxed as to what they are tbh, but while they aren’t bothering him I’m tempted not to worry about it too much. I am wondering whether he’s got the side effects of the MMR, but I can’t see how that could affect Big one day later….hm.

Didn’t seem to put him off his stride today - he’s drawn on the farm animal box, and the swimming float. Had toys removed for hitting ppl and walls with them - I was incredibly cross when I caught him beating the top of the cold frame with his trowel! He appears to be at that glorious age of self-expression where a mindless act of destruction speaks a thousand words

Big, by contrast, has been absolutely lovely today. She found a cardboard weaving loom that we started a couple of months back at our puddlers group, and did a lot more of that. She played Set - took her 74 minutes, but she did break for lunch This afternoon we got out in the garden for a while, and I moved the greenhouse while she did some more weeding on our vegetable patch.

We had a break for a bit and made some pizza dough for tea, then went back out and planted carrots, peas, and beans (I’ve got the beans in containers in the cold frame, hoping that’ll be enough to get them started). Back in to get the pizza in the oven, back out to hang out the washing. Each time we came in she took Small to wash his hands, and she’s just been being ever so helpful all day. It’s been nice

Took them up for a nice long bath at about 10 to seven, came down to put the kettle on while they soaked, and there was a knock at the door. Thought it might be canvassers - was quite looking forward to opening the door and saying, it’s too late, I’ve already voted (Tim posted our votes today ) but it turned out to be my parents. At 7pm. Come to visit their grandchildren, who go to bed at 7.30. Smile, Jax, smile….

went and got the children out of the bath - Small flagging rather by this point. Big enjoyed getting her hair brushed by Grandma, and was then persuaded to show her a red nose reader (once she opened it she raced through it, but she was terribly worried to begin with!) Small had his hair brushed by Grandad, and that was good too. Took him to bed and he went off relatively well, Big went up at 8.30, looking a bit knackered.

Parents departed and I went out and watered the seeds in the dark. Once I get into it I sort of enjoy gardening, although it’s a bit like cooking for me - I know other ppl find it easy, and I don’t have a clue what I’m doing and why sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. I think of the two I’d prefer to be able to garden though. I can dream of my little self sufficient plot, with a lovely dome house in the middle, can’t I?

Right, off to squeeze in a bit of work before NCIS.

“Daddy what does “virgin” mean?”

Heart stops
Pause while go talk to mummy option dismissed
Contextual questions …. “VERSION” (thank God for that)…..

although a particularly horrendous night with Big, when she woke up crying because her duvet was spiky.

They’ve both had horrid temps, but not a lot else, off their food, sleep disturbed. Small now has spots, but they don’t appear to be developing into anything, so while I’m watching them carefully, I don’t think they are anything to worry about unduly. He’s much better today - came outside with me gardening, and has eaten several times. Big is a day behind I think, and has spent another day languishing on the sofa in front of children’s tv. She was momentarily distressed when I pointed out that I didn’t think she was up to her ballet class, but the tears disappeared when she realised that she hadn’t eaten a proper meal all day.

She did try to read a book - got as far as “a sh…” then ground to a halt. She did a tiny bit of her scoubidoo thing as well, so perhaps she’ll get into them. Small has learnt a new noise - now all his farm animals say “nay…” - as does his dinosaur! lol.

Me, I’m going quietly stir crazy - got out in the garden for a while this afternoon. Going to plant things tomorrow as long as I can find seeds that won’t just curl up and die - got enough bed dug out to be a square foot bed and then I’ll just keep digging down the side of it. Haven’t got underway with the gardening this year nearly as well as I did last year - still pondering whether to try to stick the plastic bag greenhouse together again, or whether to give up on it. A disposable greenhouse doesn’t seem to go with the rest of my desired lifestyle though

In other news, got an email from vision2learn today, saying that my enrolment pack is in the post. They didn’t say what this was an enrolment pack for though, ooh, the anticipation! I think it might be Wizard on the web, which should be a giggle.

And that’s me for the day. Blokey is in the kitchen cooking, cold case is on the tv, Small is still bumbling around the floor.

I have been playing with an election forecasting calculator thingy. This one, the BBC have one which yields very similar results.

I poked in some numbers…..

Let’s say New labour, Conservatives and the Lib Dems all got the same number of votes and the rest got the same number they did last time. Well, this is what you get:

THEN THEY CAME FOR THE CHILDREN - Yahoo! News

I will not say nothing. I have no idea what to say, or who to say it to, but I will not say nothing.

I’ve done nothing all day.

Turning machine off now in hope I can salvage some of the evening.

Scientists want to bring the kilogram into 21st century | The Register

Just because it made me laugh

and tbh, my fault rather than theirs.

Small had a very bad night, and has been off colour today, bit of a temp, slightly off his food, slept for a couple of hours this afternoon.

Correspondingly knackered, I’ve not been patience and light here at all - we staggered through some phonics practise, Big is trying to choose a History Project to do, she is very into the idea of building a house that one of her dolls can live in. I can see us working through several periods of history this way - add in clothing, food, transport, you’ve covered a lot more than I ever did.

And that’s about it. I managed at my aim of keeping one side in the kitchen clear, got a load of washing washed and is drying in the bathroom (the lot from two days ago is still on the line as it got rained on before I got round to bringing it in, and hasn’t dried yet ) and I still haven’t done any more studying for my rapidly approaching exam. Bleargh.

UK Election news and comment from The Times and The Sunday Times - Times Online

If you read to page two, you discover that our new candidate was against the war. Still don’t know what she looks like or what she believes otherwise, as we’ve had no literature from her at all. Pathetic.

Pumping water I want one.

This vid is a giggle (Quicktime)

after a hectic, ppl-full weekend was a quiet day.

What we had was a hectic ppl-full day Ah well. tomorrow can be quiet.

Took me a while to surface this morning, so when I did I was instantly stressed, needing to rush out to shop. Big was quietly watching tv, and in hindsight, I should have left her to it, but I didn’t. So I got to drag her whinging and unhappy around Netto, which really improves the whole budget shopping experience for me. Well, wouldn’t it for you?

Home to a hit and run lunch - had phoned Tim and the sarnies were ready and waiting. So bounced out of the house and off to our puddlers meet (nice to see another new family there today) - I had some idea of doing Earthday related green activities, but I hadn’t actually tried any of them out before hand, and they were rather less than successful. However, Barbara had brought along straws, and those cut up into quite nice beads, so various children made bead necklaces, and I’d picked up a pack of cheap scoobie strings (was hoping to link to Sarah’s blog as I’m sure she’s mentioned them recently, but can’t find the reference at all) and I think about half of the adults and two of the children ended up trying to do those. Then several of the girls decided to make them into hair plait things, so Sal was pressed into service doing that.

Back to Barbara’s for a cuppa, and then home for a late tea. Fell asleep putting Small to bed (without milk, no request for that, I’ll stop talking about it soon probably ) which I always hate as I’d loads to do tonight, and I can’t seem to get myself motivated now.

Hohum. Tomorrow is another day.

Update on Yahoo, I particularly like the last line of their message “New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - better than ever!”

But I have written and asked if they are just wasting my time or are admitting that their staff did rip off the account. Amazing that they have to have my email address sent to them on paper - they need it as they can only reply by email. Smile

What a bunch of tossers. Here ’tis…

Hello,

Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Account Services.

In order to assist you with the account in question, we ask that you provide the answers to all of the questions below. Yahoo! keeps detailed records of the information you provided during the registration of your account. Without an *exact* match we will be unable to assist you with your account. Fax or send via regular postal mail the information listed below. (We are sorry for the inconvenience, but in order to provide proper security for our member accounts, these steps are necessary.) Please send us all of the following:

* Your name

* An email address where we can contact you — at this time we are only able to reply via email.

* Copy of a photo ID (please copy on the lightest setting of your copier).

* Yahoo! ID

* Permission for Yahoo! to enter your account

* Birthdate on the account

* ZIP code and country

* Your alternate email address

* A description of the account (e.g.: names in the Address Book, folder names, emails in the in/out box, etc.). Try to describe everything about the account that makes it personal to you.

Please fax the information to:

(408) 349-7398
Attn: CC Account Security Team

or mail it to:

Yahoo!
attn: Customer Care/Account Security
701 First Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1019

For security reasons, if you are unable to supply us with the correct information in your next request, we will not be able to offer assistance with this account.

Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Customer Care.

Regards,

Floyd

Yahoo! Customer Care - Account Security

http://security.yahoo.com

New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - better than ever!

So, by popular request:

maybe not quite as weaned as we thought

As all the guests have gone

Small is sitting next to me drawing, and Big is working on a Hoobs book. I’ve caught up on the blogring, the washing is out although I’ve a pile of washing up to do.

The weekend didn’t really turn out according to plan. Not that there was all that much of a plan to start off with The portico were taking their van to be serviced on Friday - it was bought from a garage substantially nearer to us than them, so fitting in the service during a visit seemed a sensible plan. Unfortunately, on the way to the garage the van stopped, and that was the end of that it would appear. Which meant that although Alison was lent a courtesy car to get back here to her children (!), they had no means of getting home. Numerous phone calls later, and Chris (still down south at this point) arranged to come up with the previa on Sat afternoon, and we coordinated getting the courtesy car back to the garage, bit of assistance from Jonathan and the rest of us decamped off the path as it were

Much pizza-ing, playing, chatting and tea drinking later (think some ppl might even have had beer or wine!) we drifted back here to sleep. The van remains at the garage, with its full fate yet to be decided - seems very possible that the portico will be visiting again in the near future, so hopefully then we’ll actually plan an outing and get around to seeing everyone that we’d hoped to meet up with this time!

Kirsty dropped by briefly this afternoon, having deposited her other half somewhere up the road, and also dropped off the red nose reader books. Big promptly sat with me to read three of them. So that catches up on the reading we’ve missed over the last couple of days then There’s been lots of game playing - mastermind, cards, make and break, and loads of socialising - have been pleasantly surprised at how calm it’s been considering how many extra ppl we’ve had in this not so large house Given that Small is now weaned (sniff) even indulged in a bottle of wine the other night!

Do feel a bit pleasantly dazed and confused now though - must be the wine. So will go and catch up on the kitchen, and then see if I can spread the current tidyness (had to clear the floor in here so there was room for ppl to sleep!) any further through the house.

As we’ve most of the portico staying

Lovely day, spent quite a bit of it in the garden. Well, OK, some of it not so lovely from Alison’s point of view, but I’ll leave that to her and t’other half to relate.

Yesterday, went to Kelham Island Museum with sheffield home ed group, will blog with piccies when I’ve a mo. It was lovely Big made ballet as well - didn’t fall over til we were in the coop carpark this time

Portico arrived about 9ish - most children therefore awake until unearthly hours. Also heralded Small’s latest development - he forgot his night time feed last night, and wasn’t interested tonight either. My baby weaned…. bittersweet, can’t believe that I cried, but I did. He’s nearly 23 months, and most of it has been his lead (I did push the night weaning a little), tonight he climbed onto my knee, put his head on my shoulder and went to sleep. No more milk. Aww…

Sent today to Yahoo!

“A member of your staff has stolen the Yahoo user id marchant@yahoo.com which I have used since 1997.

Firstly if you you are going to steal ids back for your staff to use it would be polite to tell people, not just lock people out without warning.

Secondly, I am concerned that this person may have abused my identity or had access to my private information.

Can you please let me know what steps you are taking to ascertain to what extent Yahoo! has compromised my privacy.”