Went to Dad's all weekend. Took Euan with me. And Nicola, although I must say she was less demanding than sprog.

Drank a lot of interesting beers that were left over from the beer festival (well-timed visit, you say?), went for a walk or two, fed the red kites - except that no kites turned up, just a couple of buzzards, which were still quite impressive.

Euan was a star - friendly and well-behaved during the day, then slept through both evenings, in the calm of the Residents Lounge, so we could get quietly tipsy next door in the bar. Shocking behaviour, I think you'll agree.

Jason ate a Neuadd Phal. Dad's going to send him a medal through the post. Especially since Moyna's been getting steadily more heavy-handed with the spices in her curries - Nicola's Tikka Masala was apparently a struggle, and my Kashmiri was the hottest thing I'd ever eaten. The taste (through the pain) was nice though.

It was snowy when we got there on Friday, but melted quickly, so there were no snowmen built. Everyone's been asking me if we got snowed in, as it sounds like the weather reports had exaggerated the snowfall in mid Wales.

Had Monday off work.

Today was fairly standard in work. Then this evening Sue, her husband, and her friend dropped off a chest of drawers I'm buying from them. I quite liked it. It will be handy, anyway! Sue's friend was fascinated by the chickens - she's kept them herself, but always gets foxed. Omlet would be proud of the sales pitch I did about the Eglu.

Ian came round to help me manoeuvre my new furniture into the little room, and stayed for a cuppa. I don't mind him seeing the mess, but Sue's house is pristine. Ian's is better than mine, but messy in places, so that's OK.

Gave Ethan's present to Andrea on Monday, and she gave me a goodie bag for Euan, even though he didn't make it to the party. Very kind of her.

Dan had popped in to my house earlier today to rummage through the shed for me, so Mum gave me a lift home so she could swap one offspring for the other. They both stayed for beans on toast. Mum got stressed by all the budgies' noise, but I explained that they were hungry, and there were strange people in their house, so it wasn't surprising that they were making a lot of noise. And I couldn't refill their food and water because Mum was by the sink - very kindly doing my washing up. Dan had fed the cat, and I had seen to the chickens, but it was a bit loud and chaotic until I sorted out the cages.

Everyone getting naggy at everyone else. Great fun. It's what families are for.

They had some of the chocolate cake I'd made this week (with coffee icing and chocolate decoration), and I told Dan to take half of it home in a box because it would only go stale otherwise when I was away for the weekend.

Jason popped round on Wednesday night, for more DVD-watching and chats. Very pleasant evening. We got a takeaway.

On Thursday I went late-night shopping after work with Mum in Chester. It was busy, and tiring, and not much fun. I didn't get anything constructive done really. Must bear in mind that when considering late-night shopping, it actually means fighting your way through crowds at the time you're normally collapsing onto the sofa after a long day at work.

On Friday, it was Children in Need.

I dressed in my pyjamas, so did Louise, and we walked round the with a bucket. Our group were going out to the pub to say goodbye to Al (he'd moved downstairs) that lunchtime, and we said that if we raised £50, we would accompany them in our pyjamas.

It went rather too well. We made £141. Oops.

Between the cake sales, book stalls, raffles, quizzes and bottle stalls, we assumed people would have already given more than enough, and wouldn't bother with our collection. We underestimated their glee at seeing us further our humiliation.

So, we kept our word and wore our pink jim-jams into , complete with warm dressing gowns and fluffy slippers. A remark was made that it looked like we were on day release from somewhere. Fair comment. For £141 from just one trip round the office, I think my dignity was a reasonable trade. You know those frustrating dreams where you're stuck in a public place, and you know you're half naked, or not dressed yet, or something, but there's something stopping you from going and sorting it out? It was like that, but in real life. "I'm sure I've forgotten something... oh yes! To get dressed!"

So that was fun.

Chris came round on Friday, we watched a pirate copy of Pirates of the Caribbean, ironically enough. I'd seen it, but I like it anyway, and Euan loved it. "Pirate! Mummy, pirate? Pirate!"

Then yesterday I met up with Lou - not pyjama Lou, the other Lou. The one who got married in May, and moved to Cardiff with Adi. What is it about moving to Cardiff recently? Am I scaring everyone off? She's getting on just fine. We went for a browse in town, then picked up an Indian meal for two from Asda. I remembered my microwave had broken a couple of weeks previously (I'd just automatically adapted to cooking the old-fashioned way), so I bought a new microwave while I was there. Had a lovely evening, and Euan finally dozed off, having obstinately stayed awake all day.

Today I was supposed to be taking Euan to Ethan's 2nd birthday party, but he was awake early as usual, and then had a really long midday sleep to compensate for yesterday's craziness. I phoned Andrea at 3.30 to say he was still zonked. She said not to worry, as so was Ethan, and no-one had arrived yet. I said I'd phone back when he woke up.

I did. This time it was about 5pm and their house sounded chaotic. Aidan answered and said not to worry about it, as I explained that I now had a grouchy monster (Euan, timing perfect as always, then started crying). I apologised and said I'd bring in the present tomorrow.

To be honest, Euan wasn't being grumpy. He was in pain. It's what Karl and his family euphemistically refer to as "tummy trouble", when they mean constipation. The poor sprog has no qualms about announcing exactly what's wrong, and he will suddenly freeze in the middle of the room, say "I poo, mummy, poooo." Then he cries, or jumps with discomfort. There's nothing I can do to help him, and he doesn't want hugs of course, but occasionally he wants to hold a hand. This can happen up to about twenty times throughout the course of a Sunday afternoon before he finally achieves his objective, as it were, and until he does he can't sleep.

Karl and his mum have always had a strange obsession with Euan's bowels. They went though a phase of spooning Lactulose into him (an inert sugar). Why they couldn't just offer him more frequent drinks of water I don't know.

And it might help if they stopped giving him white bread, and stopped feeding him McDonalds.

(Every week, there is a new Happy Meal wrapper or toy in the bottom of the buggy. As Lou said yesterday, "I only see you every six months and even I know that would piss you off.")

So maybe there will be advantages to Euan coming to me more permanently. At least I'll feel like I'm more in control of his upbringing.

Rant over. Oops, I think I needed that!

The seem to be settling in well. I've decided which one's Britney (the smaller, reddish one) and which one's Christina (the taller, darker one), and they don't seem unnerved by me at all. I'm not a threat to them, just a minor distraction in between meals.

On Saturday it was Caroline and Lisa's joint celebration of their 30th birthdays, so we went out for an evening meal at the Sleepy Panda. The meal was nice, the wine was flowing. As people loosened up it got more entertaining. We didn't bother going into town - it was too much fun talking. As soon as you get to a busy place, all conversation dissolves and everyone just nods in time with the music. We stayed quite late, and I was still quite sober by the end of it. Good fun.




Karl wanted more talking about Euan arrangements, preferably with my mum and his parents involved, so Mum and I cancelled our plans for the evening (to go dancing), and went round to their house. Karl has now accepted that it's most practical for Euan to stay here. We discussed how everything would work. It was all rather surreal and strange.

I feel like I'm on a countdown to being a proper single mum, and I know that's no easy job, so it's quite scary.

I've got chickens!

I ordered my Eglu from Omlet on Sunday night, expecting the six week wait for delivery, hoping to get them by about Christmas. They phoned yesterday to say they would be in the area, and would today be OK? I got Dan to house-sit, and said yes. So last night, Ian gave me a lift home from work (he's been very nice to me recently, which is unnerving given his history of winding me up for fun) and I excitedly babbled about the imminent arrival of the chooks.

He asked where I was going to put them. I said on the patch of ground where the rockery used to be, which my friends helped me clear before the holiday. I just had to spread the bark chippings out. He asked when. I said, "Now. There's no other time I can do it." He pointed out the rain, cold and darkness. I said none of them should kill me in the time it takes to spread out some bark chippings. He offered help. I accepted.

He popped round an hour or so later, and between us it didn't take long to get the chippings sorted. Then he came in for tea - homemade pumpkin & carrot soup, as promised. He asked, "Did you make this yourself?" and I automatically went on the defensive, replying, "I can't guarantee it won't kill you, but you don't have to eat it." I didn't realise he'd already tasted it. He said it was really nice. Oops, overreaction... or maybe not, as he then made more typical sarcastic comments about domestic goddesses.

I think there were a couple of references to The Good Life too.

Normal boring week in work. Took a Hallowe'en cake into the office on Monday. Chocolate cake, orange (flavoured- and coloured-) icing. Chocolate piped in the shape of a web with a spider on it. That went down well.

Monday night I carved out my two pumpkins, one into a scary face, one into a spider. Then I made a creamy pumpkin soup, and a carrot & pumpkin soup. Both worked rather well.

Went out Friday night with Nicola and her friends . The last time I saw them was February. Turned into a really good night out. Lloyds to start, then Barracuda, then we tried Central Station. Hadn't been in there for ages - it kind of died when Liquid/Envy opened, which was a real shame.

The music was as good as ever, and we all (drunkenly by this point) sang along and danced to "our kind of music". I have no idea what songs were actually played, but it lingers in my memory as a pleasant indie haze. The drawback was that the place was quite empty. Spotted DJ, one of Karl's mates. He's not actually a DJ, those are just his initials. He's a drummer. I went and said hello. He said he'd split up with Natalie. I said, "Oh, I'm so sorry." He said, "No, it's OK, it's very good. She was a fucking nutter." So I said, "Oh, OK. Well... well done then. Congratulations?" I also recognised Morgan, but I don't really know him. I think my conversation with him consisted of "You live next door to my Grandma." "Yes I do."


Everyone came back to the house, and left in the early hours. I dozed off on the stairs. Hey, at least I didn't have my hair in a plateful of baked beans or something! At least I was trying to go to bed! Woke up and went to bed properly with a big glass of water.

Jason arrived mid-morning as planned, and I think I was quite coherent, considering. Grabbed a slice of toast before heading out for a drive across to Betws-y-Coed through light drizzle. Spent a lovely day browsing gifts and walked along the river until it got ridiculously muddy. I was, of course, in my silly boots. I always am. There are very few places that are inaccessible in high heels if you try hard enough.

I was then supposed to be going to see a firework display in Liverpool with Ian, but the rain squished that plan by turning from persistent to really yucky. Jason asked if I would mind him hanging around for the evening (silly question - would it really be like me to say "No, go home, I've finally had enough of spending quality time with my friends"?), and we came up with a new plan, involving picking Dan up, going for a nice meal in the Nags Head, and then driving around looking at fireworks. We were planning to find a nice display to attend, but there didn't seem to be many decent ones going on. The Roodee one is always good, but parking in Chester is not very easy. Also, the weather was still yuck. We probably saw more fireworks than anyone else though, as we drove around for a while before heading back to Coedpoeth. Ironically, there were enough huge fireworks going off over my little house in my little village that it was like daylight. We watched a DVD - well, actually, I dozed through bits of it. I'd had a very late night on Friday. Then we chatted for a while, then Jason headed home, kindly dropping Dan off in Marford on the way.

Euan came back to me today, so I've spent the day mooching with him. We played with sticklebricks and plasticine.