Hazy days.

Illness is still the name of the game here just now although things are improving slowly. There are so many things I want to talk about, but just now it's a case of getting through each day. If I can keep on top of the mess, keep us fed and clean, keep us from boredom, then thats enough for that day. I keep wording posts in my head during the settling to sleep times, the feeds, the cleaning up mess, but they are disjointed and rambling and by the time I sit down with the laptop they are gone from my mind, or other more pressing uses for the laptop are calling. So I'll post about sleep, and small person nursing, and thoughts on parenting, and other general things that make up our family on another day. Today I'll just share some pictures of how things are here.

Heather is doing a lot of this lately:


She is getting so frustrated that she can't do the things she wants to. How difficult it must be for her right now, knowing what she wants but having to wait for someone to pass it to her. Or managing to get hold of the elusive object but not having the strength to keep hold for long, or even the understanding of where it keeps going. So a lot of cuddling, a lot of conversation consisting of cooed replies, a lot of passing and dropping and re-passing and re-dropping.

Night time visitors:


We have a paved yard surround by eight foot walls with no way in apart from a small hole cut in the gate for Delilah to come and go, so I'm guessing thats how he arrived. Although where he came from is a mystery as the nearest large piece of open ground or hedgehog type habitat is at least 300 yards away. Delilah seems quite happy to share her food with him though doesn't she?

This has been the weather of late:


Cloudy, cold, raining by the bucket, howling winds and general greyness all around. But we still find chances to go out and play. A new park discovered by John and loved by Owen, Cain and Sophie:


And after all the running around sleep comes more easily:


Giving me time to clean and tidy, something that has taken a back seat since Heather arrived here with us but now I have my neat and tidy home almost back. I know, it's stupid to be obsessed with tidiness with so many children, and then HE'ing as well, but I just need neatness and order for at least some of the time. I have to tidy before I go to sleep because it affects my mood terribly if I come down to an untidy room in the morning. Thats just how I am.


And as the day ends its time for a cup of fruit tea, a piece of cake and a catch up:


OK the cake isn't real but it is kind of sweet don't you think? John came across a lady knitting them for charity at a car boot sale so bought a selection. Yes I could have done them myself but sometimes it's nice to admire anothers work. Very realistic don't you think?