17/29 opposites

Well, Boy and Grandma arrived here a little before midnight last night. Ben wanted a booby cuddle almost immediately but I managed to persuade him to change into his pyjamas first. A big booby cuddle on the sofa while Charley was talking to his animals, and then I persuaded him to go upstairs (with me carrying a now slightly fractious baby) and climb into bed and cuddle up to daddy to go to sleep. "Oh-Kay" says Ben, and without ANY fuss at all he's asleep in bed. Ok so it's our bed but I didn't have to get in!! He appeared slightly underwhelmed by the glow-in-the-dark stars that Steve had rearranged on the ceiling but perhaps that was simply because he wasn't really awake. I wonder if he'll notice them at bedtime tonight.

I'm writing this first part of the journal in bed in the wee small hours with three different snorings going on around me. It's nice having my boy back, the snorings weren't complete without him!! Charley has fallen asleep with his hand proprietorially on my chest, it's the first time he's done that. And Ben wriggled over to give me a bit more room without waking and demanding a boob. A couple of nights away has done us both some good I think.

Our house is probably the tidiest it's ever been, at the moment. What I mean is that there's more of it that's sorted out than there isn't!! The kitchen feels like a proper kitchen, things are generally in the right place now. The front room/s are more organised, you can see how things are meant to be and I'm actually feeling able to attack corners of clutter and deal with it. I even had a completely out of character attack on the kitchen table last night and discovered areas of table not seen in months among the treasures. The main bedrooms are in order, the hallway is clear of flatpack and only has a door in there now which is still awaiting its fate. We don't know whether to use it or not, basically.

So even though there are still lots of boxes needing dealing with, and LOTS of dust, it feels like we're living rather than surviving in this house at last.


So .

This picture. Represents the polar opposite of yesterday in our house. Yesterday: calm, quiet, peaceful. Today: full on tornado of a boy on full homecoming excitement..... This is him in his monster claw gloves roaring at me!

Survival. It's now evening and it's like a whirlwind has hit. This is the collapse after the storm. I resorted to coffee this morning. Three days I've not had coffee and not felt like I needed it either. This morning I needed it! My goodness but Ben was boingy this morning. I could not keep up. Mum had to go out for food for lunch as we had nothing suitable left in, and then it was time to head out to the dentist. Charley was not impressed at all because his milk time had had to be cut short but we got to the dentist on time and mum even found free parking for an hour as I directed her the wrong way to the carpark after being dropped off. Dentist was quick, efficient and painless and I can now eat on one side! Watched Ben demolish a chocolate brownie and him and mum attack a bowl of the best smelling chips ever while I fed Charley, and then headed home. There's only so much boinging I can cope with on an empty stomach.

Here's an incredible observation from Ben today. Apparently, according to Ben, if Grandma said hooray hooray hooray louder and louder and louder it would make mummy grumpy. (It's good job in that case that grandma knows better than to do that...)

Ben had a pork pie and some crisps when we got home, after almost going to bed really early because he was tired. Turned out he was mainly hungry! Demolished that pork pie. Drunk all his juice, too. He's skin and bones though :( This past week has taken its toll on him. He looks like he's lost a lot of weight anyway. Got to see if we can get him to eat properly this week, and to encourage consumption of protein! The pork pie has had an astonishing effect though, he's back to bouncing off the walls....

Mum has gone home now. She's been amazing this week, here and back to Manchester twice in a week - that's over 1000 miles in just one week. Poor grandad, so recently having had to give up caffeine, and then having a Ben for a full two days too.

I'm SO glad it's Saturday tomorrow and I don't have to deal with both boys on my own so soon!!