« January 2008 | Main | March 2008 »
It's 24 hours since we last did a spot check. If there was the slightest of doubt last night, there can be no doubt whatsoever now. He's got the pox!
They're increasing rapidly in numbers!
Counting suspended, there are more spots than unspoiled ballot papers in a Scottish election.
Here I go, about to go off on one. For those who know my volatile temper this won't come as a big shock, but for those who don't - be warned. This post contains strong language and right-wing political views on law and order.
Although I started the post immediately after the event I have waited to post it over 3 weeks to see what the outcome was.
We headed South at the start of the month for a flying visit around some friends and family. A second run in that direction will be needed as it was not intended to catch everyone, those we missed this time we'll get next time.
We stayed in two budget hotels, one on Friday night and a different one Saturday night. Both chains we've used before, only Friday night's actual location we've used before.
We had no problems on Friday night, apart from being a little cold (hey, it was snowing heavily outside after all). Other than that, a stay on par with previous visits (plural) to that hotel.
Saturday night, and a move slightly North. This is where we have used the chain before (as lately as November) but not this particular location. Interesting night to say the least. I have to point out that neither the chain or the particular location had any any responsibility for the events that unfolded.
We'd had a disturbed night on Friday, we thought it was the cold keeping the wee fella awake, when in fact it was a canine tooth popping through (first tooth since October). Not too bad, considering. So we were rather tired on the Saturday night, and got all three heads down quite early.
01:30 What the...? Light on, the little guy's pushing himself into a sitting position, MOTS is wondering what's going on. That'll be the fire alarm then. In the coma from which I was awakening I tried to put on MOTS's jeans instead of my own. Pretty poor attempt given I stalled at the knee because (a) my thigh is considerably larger in girth and (b)
In the hurry to get dressed, Junior was aware of the hurry we were in, but not knowing what was going on. By the time I'd got my own jeans on (I didn't try Junior's) and a jacket, it was over to getting his coat on over his grobag. Time to leave...
What the hotel did well was to open up the pub next door (same owners) and get us in there out of the cold. What was even better was a member of staff who just happened to be passing seeing the fire brigade there and stopping to offer help - some guests getting drinks (including coffee requests at 01:30 - bing wide awake no thank you - what were they thinking?).
From being lifted out of the cot Junior got very anxious very quickly. I have never seen him so frightened, and despite being as calm as possibly his anxiety didn't lift for quite a while after we'd got into the pub. But, making us as proud as ever, he never cried. Not until he wanted to be down and running around with the mop in his hand, but that was a while later.
And here's my rant. Final warning, bad language about to start.
After about 40 minutes we were told that two break glass points had been smashed (later turned out to be upstairs). Nobody had passed through reception, the fire exits were closed, so it was a guest. Possibly someone in the pub with us right now. At check-out this morning I asked if they had any idea who'd done it, as I wanted to string the bastard up for it. On telling Snoopy this this afternoon, I got
If oor wee lad was scared, stringing up is too good for the sick ********!!!!. By the bollocks is was I'd omitted to mention to Snoopy.
If I catch the bastard who deliberately set off the fire alarm last night there are two things for certain - he'll never father another child (after being strung up by his bollocks) and if he survives that he'll spend the rest of his days knowing exactly what fire does to human flesh.
I followed this up at check-out (no offer of a refund under the Good Night Guarantee) and later with customer services. Even after a couple of weeks they had to let it go, as they could not figure out who had done it. What they did do, as there are no terms and conditions for the Good Night Guarantee in the glossy brochure or on their website, was give a full refund, including breakfasts.
Will I be using Premier Inn again? Yes, certainly. Even though we'd said we were bringing our own cot there was one made up, which saved lugging ours in and setting it up. When I say "ours" it's Nic's that we borrow frequently.
Shit happens - it's how you handle the situation that counts. I maintain that whenever anything goes wrong, and in this case they did everything they could to keep their guests warm and comfortable by opening that pub for us. The free night was just a Brucey Bonus.
Developing fast is today's main topic. It started out as simple check to look for the tell-tale signs for when to move from cot to bed, but ended up something entirely different. And all because of a virus!
We have started to wonder what the tell-tale signs are that show when Junior is ready to move from a cot to a bed, but a quick search on the old tinternet didn't thrown back any meaningful results. When I say a quick search, I mean I never get beyond the first page of results, and then only look at the small extracts and judge on them. I'm probably in the vast majority in that regard.
What I did find, however, was a development milestone chart at babycentre.co.uk for toddlers aged 13-18 months.
Before I start I have to say it was late in the evening when I found this, I was tired, so the first look wasn't through what I'd call a pair of normal eyes. So when I saw it again and felt the same confusion, then I had to admit I thought the milestones were a load of old tosh.
The chart there is obviously geared up so kids will move from left to right, ie easy on the left, difficult on the right. Either we have a freak of nature living with us, or this chart is way out west. Yes, it's only a "guide", but, and here it is, anyone who is taking it as gospel would be instantly worried. So what are we way behind on? Some of the "easy" stuff - 2 words at 13 months we didn't meet. Brushes teeth with help at 18months - sorry, he was doing it on his own from around 14 months, so way ahead there. 17 months a handful of words regularly (easy), again we're way behind, but out in front when it comes to the difficult ball throwing & taking things apart and putting back together.
So, confining this to the "take no notice" pile, the attention was distracted when he burst out with chickenpox on Monday. I had to pick him up from nursery, he'll be off until his "unclean" status passes. MOTS was out last night, hearing that he's a celebrity among nursery mums who all now know he has the pox. I'll make it clear he IS available for chickenpox parties, we have been asked and the rates are very reasonable!
At nursery I had it confirmed that lunch is sat at a table (the one he was at when I picked him up). Which given the short time he's been in there it's been great to see a change, even if it does mean retiring expensive products early. That being the high-chair. He will not entertain it now, he has to be a big boy and sit at the breakfast bar with us or on his own table (with us).
As I picked up him from nursery he was met with "show Daddy your tummy" to show me the spots. He pointed straight at it. He knows his tummy! Body part number 1! Our "bye byes" are starting, and we have a very definite "baw" for ball. And balloon, they are pretty much the same thing anyway.
The comprehension is so far ahead of the communication though. He's got some nice routines on the go, which really help in a morning. I have dressing duties, which have gradually got easier and easier - as a limp baby it was a doddle, then movement started and it was a struggle, now understanding is there it's easy peasy lemon squeezy again. Trousers were first some time ago, feet being lifted to step in. Arms followed for t-shirts and the like, now it's head down too. And when the socks don't go on after the trousers we know about it. And after socks it's shoes. This morning we were running slower because we didn't have to go out, so as I got his bottle ready he brought in his shoes for me - but my socks are on.... After shoes he points to his jacket (helps with arms too) and once on he's jangling the keys in the door to get out. Nice routine after this - "where do we go?" results in pointing to his car seat from the drive, once strapped in he'll give me a kiss. MOTS has seen very little of this, I now take it for granted. But then there's stuff I don't see which she sees regularly - the waiting at the chair for the morning bottle is one.
Our firm favourite at the moment is "where's xxxxx" and "where does it go". xxxxx being "puppy" or "ball", ball will get a "baw" in response along with a point and fetch, puppy, being his bed partner, is always locatable, no matter where he was left. "Where does it go" is for anything he has a hold of, and that's his cue to put it back. And it's almost always spot on, even if once it's back in its home it gets lifted again! Can't win them all I suppose.
Yeah, so, chickenpox. Not that he's noticed. Hasn't been troubled by the spots at all so far, but then they haven't scabbed over yet.
We never did find the tell-tale signs for bed readiness. I guess things developed so quickly this last week or so it got left behind.
I had an interesting day at work today, feeling rather sarcastic in a reply over what a particular error message meant. Then, as with the title of this post, the clue is in the message / title.
So we're talking about baby's first bath, right?
Wrong.
We've been wondering when he's going to be moved up a room at nursery. They have staged rooms with activities, play, learning etc all appropriate for the age group in that room. So far we've been in babies, next is toddlers and finally on to beenies & tweenies before going to school.
He's been held back a little bit from moving on up as toddlers have had a big influx of late and the progression has been staggered, with junior being one of the later ones to go. He's been up for visits, and from the look of him when he's in the big big room he's wanting to skip toddlers and head straight for beenies & tweenies. So we did casually ask a couple of weeks ago and it looked like the later part of this month.
On Monday he came home with a note. I hope this isn't a trend, I don't want notes from the head when he's 13 or anything. Anyway, the note said that he was moving up as of Monday 11th.
That makes his last day in babies today.
Baby's last...day in babies.
See, the clue was in the title after all - no tricks, no Derren Brown moments, just straight forward honesty.
Kisses all round this morning, bye-bye to Mummy & Daddy, one for Angela too. And again tonight, a big sloppy thank-you kiss to say goodbye to Anna.
It's a shame in a way because the only morning in living memory he's actually turned left to head down the corridor to babies was this morning - he usually carries straight on towards toddlers. Monday will be the test - who'll screw it up - him or us?
Oh, and if the HCC was still on the go, there would have been a chalk-up this morning! Predictable!
Just a quick moan... for once.
My energy supplier was the first to put their prices up this year (or month, week, today, whatever time frame suits best, it was almost every other month in 2006). My monthly payments are based on what I use, so why when my usage stays the same, the price per kWh goes up, but my monthly payments stay the same thus creating a debt until the next review? Anyway, I rang them to increase my monthly payments to keep up with their inflated prices. "We'll confirm that in writing" they said.
Yesterday: Letter arrives. Thank you for choosing to pay by direct debit. Yes, I do anyway, it's a condition of the tariff I'm on. No mention of the new payments, only the bank details they've been using for 2 years.
Today: TWO letters arrive. One confirming my new gas payment, the other my new electricity payment.
THREE SEPARATE LETTERS. Three envelopes, three sheets of A4, three trips through the postal system, triple the carbon footprint....
And that, dear energy user, is why they fleece you when you flick the switch - the hypocrites go on about US reducing waste, what about THEM?
MT 4.01