Childcare. Finding it in East Dulwich is kind of a nightmare. We are still hoping to do a nanny share - where you and another family jointly employ a nanny and split the cost between you. It's not cheap (but then, nothing else apart from getting a family member to look after the baby actually is), but it's not substantially more than daycare and ( Read more... )

Labour re-takes Bethnal Green and Bow. Au revoir, George Galloway. You were an anti-semitic SOB, and now you're out of office. May we never, ever see your hateful face again.

So, I voted in the local and national elections today. UK elections are... um... not technologically advanced. I had to tell them my name and address (but provide no form of ID), they gave me one yellow and one white sheet of paper with names photocopied on to it, and I had to draw a big X using a fat pencil next to the names I was voting for. ( Read more... )

I am reading a novel written by a friend's mother. It was probably published in the mid-eighties. I was quite enjoying it until we met the character who I believe will be the male lead (his name being in the title of the series and all ( Read more... )

So, we are officially a one-cat household as of yesterday. Fiachra, our cuddly little boy, reacted bady to pregnancy and hasn't settled for over a year now. His spraying reached a crescendo just before our vacation when he sprayed both his litter box and C's leg in quick succession. So he is now with a family that will always have a lap for him ( Read more... )

...my feet are cold. I really need some better weather (and some better slippers).

We have survived three trying weeks now - C was in Washington for a week, then Aisling was sick for a week, then I was sick for a week. Now, fingers crossed, we all seem to be in good health and it's Easter week, so C only has to go in to the office Mon - Wed! Hooray ( Read more... )

We decided to brave public transportation and the City to meet a friend for lunch on Friday. She was also accompanied by her daughter (who is a whopping seven months old and already eating solids!). We met at Leon in Spitalfields Market, which was busier than I have ever seen it. We were searching in vain for a place where we could both sit ( Read more... )

Yesterday Aisling had her first set of vaccinations. I think they were equally traumatic for both mom and baby. She was very outraged by the shots. I felt like the worst mother in the world though at one point. Aisling has a very distinct cry when she's really upset - it starts with a scream, then moves on to the "machine gun" (ah-ah-ah-ah), ( Read more... )

I was telling C what I would do if I got a good bonus this year (never fear, those of you who think it's morally wrong for people in banks to get big bonuses, this was purely a fantasy exercise and it just isn't going to happen). I was chagrined to see that the top fantasies were all house-related ( Read more... )