Parenting on auto pilot.

Do you know what isn’t a good idea?

Staying up until 3 am (accidentally) because the book you are reading is so good you can’t stop turning pages.

Kindles should have a bit luminous clock in the top corner. Or come with a warning. If I’d been reading the physical book I’d have known how much of it I actually had left and would have given up probably around 1.30.

But I didn’t. (Review and competition of the book coming very soon btw, you’ll want to keep your eyes open for that 😉 )

And once I’d stopped reading, I had all these images floating around in my head, and I couldn’t quieten down my brain, and then suddenly there was a small boy bouncing around and claiming it was morning. Ugh. Surely not. But he was convinced, so up we got, and although I wavered a little around midday, I’ve made it through. (He hasn’t. He fell asleep in his dinner. Hah, lightweight.)

And despite that, I’ve still managed two reviews over on Shinglestreet, which means I’ve read two more books to the small children. I also managed to get me and the little ones to the dentist, on time, *and* get Smallest to cooperate and open her mouth for him to count her teeth. This is remarkable – on every previous visit she’s hidden in a corner and refused to speak or look at him. She has absolutely no reason to be scared – a visiting relative suggested it’s a bit like how dogs know about vets 😉

I’ve also provided an unknown number of snacks, attempted unsuccessfully to offload some duplicate books for cash (webuybooks apparently doesn’t buy mine 🙁 ) and not done anything creative except think about a competition entry. That’s not really good enough. I might try to sketch it out in my sketch book when I make it into the bedroom. I’m still working on that poem I mentioned the other day, but I’m not producing much, and I think it’s the production of creative things that I need to focus on. I do plenty of dreaming, but not very much doing.

I’ve had some productive email exchanges in the last few days though. Look out for several competitions in the very near future, and some interesting brand activity, but all of it worth something to me as well as to you. I’m trying to not work for free any more, although I haven’t quite worked out where the line around doing technical favours for people lies. Hm. More work needed.

On me, that is. I am a work in progress. Slow progress at times, but hopefully progress nevertheless.