The feed of updates to Paul Davidson
Things said, things read, things heard. Oh, I’m a pathetic twerp . She’s so kind she makes people glow. Do you know, if you went to the Sahara Desert, you’d be absolutely… toasty! Drugs tonight. He’s been pulling that ear all day. The neighbours have just messaged to say the boys are watching me dance. I love school. It’s, it’s, it’s… my favourite. Daddy, this is the night you have a good dream! I…
I occasional bang on about Morning Pages and their role as an alternative to therapy for me. But they really are. Minor Monday Morning Misgivings™ in the shower nipped in the bud before they could bloom. Settled on four causes; holiday prep, lack of exercise, a new work role and over-tiredness. 1. Holiday Prep We’re out of practice sorting holidays, but we’ve slowly rediscovered our system. The…
The Week started with Piglet offering me one of her vitamins so that I could be nice and strong for a day of pseudo-pat leave with the Wee Free Man. The Chef was off to Wetherby for a spa day with Uni friends. If you thought that meant sticking on Braids while he napped and attempting to setup up a Linux server on top of a kitchen cupboard using an old netbook and a 4 TB hard-drive, you’d be…
The most saccharine moment of the week came right at the end when settling Piglet for bed. “ Daddy, my favourite bit of today was the big squishy cuddle off you” “When was that?” “Just now. Get over here.” D’awww. And day to the beginning of the week’s night. After a meltdown over being behind in a game of bingo (not losing, just being behind), she demanded no story or song before bed. I’m…
2024 started like 2023 ended—on holiday, ensconced in family and panda-like in our lounging. Albeit with different haircuts than we started the week with, but more on that later. Piglet got to play up to all her heroes on New Year’s Eve and was so pumped she had to be put to bed four times. More of an endurance feat for the adults. When we woke, Grandma stuck her head in and offered to take the…
Wee Free Man in his own room. Went more smoothly than could be hoped Catching up with everyone’s Christmas stories and we really did the right thing by being ill all of November and early December. Everyone else got it too late Expected laundry increase with kids because they’re filthy. Underestimated how much they’d transfer to us. If Wee Free Man doesn’t mind by himself soon, 2024 is going to be…
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I’m too ill to do weeknotes and revelling in how lucky I am to be looked after, so a throwback 100 words post. This time the Wee Free Man’s favourite things : Everyone, but especially blonde ladies Flinging himself upside down Being upside down in general TREES Melty sticks Hair by the handful Related; tassles Hammering his highchair with a cup Chin tickles Ibuprofen The owl cushion Sock off if…
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If ever you’ve hung something on a fence and wondered if it was futile, it’s not. Look at that bobby dazzler. We’re living in Schrodinger’s autumn. I needed to turn on the lights to shower on Monday morning and by Friday I needed the lights when getting Piglet up. Yet. There’s not even been a passing chat about turning the heating on and the trees are still verdant. Meep. Music recommendation this…
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Bank Holiday This week’s Bank Holiday means I didn’t work a Monday in August. I could get used to that if it wasn’t for that whole mortgage business. We spent the day careening about the nature reserve 1 . Without insect repellent. I took up my slot as official sacrifice, walking at the back for the freshly disturbed midges to feast on. I make it a 45 bite to 45 kill score draw. In happier…
More Mondays should start at half ten. I’d taken the day off for my birthday and my first present was a lie-in. When I woke the house was empty (they’d gone for pastries), so I made a pot of coffee and stuck on The Bear 1 . We spent the afternoon on the beach. I’d re-sited the tent three times, searching for a good spot for the Wee Free Man to nap without becoming a sand dune, and we were debating…
Started this week playing the “ is it food poisoning or a bug?” game. Not one I’d recommend. Maybe stick with Zelda. Upshot was that we had no visitors staying as they, “ don’t want to crap themselves on the motorway home.” Fair really. Grandma was drafted in for some last-minute childcare—may she never move away—while everyone considered their options. She had the misfortune of taking her turn to…
By this point of the holiday, I no longer know what day it is. We started the week with discounted tickets for Gibside and a sunny picnic, accompanied by a shy squirrel. They’ve added a play area to the gardens for the summer holidays and it’s well set-up with good spacing between the stuff to encourage relaxed family play and sharing between random kids. We decamped to the stage area to put on a…
Northumberland in the summer tests the adage, “ at least your skin’s waterproof.” Monday The place was superb; fields forever, stargazing balcony, bedroom skylight 1 and fresh bread made by the lovely owners. And a hedge full of free range chickens. On the drive over Piglet woke as we crested a hill and announced “ we’re so high! We’re on top of the world!” By the time we went past the thousandth…
“ You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips” is a banger of a lyric to start a song, but is dated as a go to reference for fading love. Most of the metaphors are from a male gaze of an era. Still a tune. I came home from work to find The Chef mildly broken on the first day of school holidays, with both kids near full whine. They’d been to a playout on the green where one kite was…
School’s out for summer. School’s out forever. School’s been blown to pieces. Etc, etc . I’ve not mentioned them much here, but they’re a lovely lot. Teachers, parents, kids. The lot of them. It’s lucky to be in the tiny catchment area . Piglet went in for water fight day wearing head-to-toe purple because she’s (still) a kraken . That evening was all about Mr Hulkman’s 1 30 minutes of fun.…
Piglet hobbled in for breakfast and announced “ My legs hurt going up and down stairs. Like my bones are trying to escape.” Last week’s Park Run gave her DOMS . Not severe enough to miss her first sports day in the sunshine. A herd of 3 and 4 year olds milling around being cute and confused. One of her friends has an A++ energy rating, drawing zero power when in standby mode. I got to play one of…
Parenting preschoolers is just holding it together. One (1) late night with some TV and beers and I’ve sinuses the size of cantaloupes. The late night capped a week of insufferable cheeriness. Piglet buttoned her school dress by herself and the excitement was so infectious I was singing and dancing around at breakfast. It got so OTT that I learned When the Saints Go Marching In on the ukulele for…