D: April 2004

THURSDAY 1ST


Spent the whole day throwing up.


Andy may not be able to become a driving instructor - yet. He
only renewed his license two years ago, it has to be four years before
you qualify. Apparently.



FRIDAY 2ND


Saw the doctor, he's sending me for some blood
tests.


Bought the Amy Winehouse CD - she is
fabulous.



SATURDAY 3RD


Maggie has gone deaf in one ear. She has ringing in her ear
and headache. She went into hospital this afternoon and is going back
on Monday.



SUNDAY 4TH


Lewis is like a mini tornado. He's not walking on his own
yet, but can stand when holding onto things and can reach anything -
the sideboard, my desk etc - leaving a trail of destruction behind
him.



WEDNESDAY 7TH


Watched 'Home Town Story', an early Marilyn Monroe movie -
she's the eye candy.



FRIDAY 9TH


My dad has come up for a couple of days. Went to Matlock,
lovely sunny day. This evening watched 'Pirates Of The Caribbean',
which was good fun - especially when Johnny Depp was in
it.



SATURDAY 10TH


Lewis climbed halfway up the stairs this
morning.


Went to the park, had a ride on a steam train. It's been a
good visit - my dad is so much more relaxed and easygoing than my mum
(who's in Ireland).


SUNDAY 11TH


Joe is stroppy today - maybe it's all the Easter eggs, or
else he's missing playgroup.


Maggie's hearing has returned.



TUESDAY 13TH


Feeling bloated though I haven't put on weight. Maybe it's
pre-menstrual.


Things are going from bad to worse in Iraq - civil unrest,
kidnappings of foreign citizens.



WEDNESDAY 14TH


The tyre pressure gauges have been stolen from our car. Andy
thinks it might be a kid from down the road, but we can't prove
it.


Lewis climbed the whole staircase today.



SATURDAY 17TH


Went to Maggie and Peter's. A nice day, the boys loved
playing in the garden.


I find myself wanting very badly to win the lottery, so that
I too can have a house in the country and a big garden ? I mean, our
house is nice and the area is not too bad. I just sort of wonder, where
do we go from here?



MONDAY 19TH


Got my period, two days late. Was quite nervous about it. I
don't want any more children - not now, anyway. But I don't know what
I'd do if it came to it.



THURSDAY 22ND


Joe has had an offer to join the nursery class at Oakwood in
September. Oakwood is in our catchment area, but I preferred Alvaston
Infants. We haven't heard from them yet.



FRIDAY 23RD


Saw the doctor. Some of my tests came up a bit high. He
thinks I might have recurrent pancreatitis, possibly caused by
gallstones. I don't think he knows for sure though, so I have to redo
the tests, and he's booking me in for an ultrasound.


Went to the park - Lewis was bombing it up and down the
hill.



SATURDAY 24TH


Lewis has an upset stomach - he's been vomiting and has a
fever.



SUNDAY 25TH


Lewis is still poorly - it's tough because we can't give him
much to eat and he doesn't understand why.


Great weather lately - it has really lifted my
spirits.


Thinking again about self-publishing 'Wicked Baby'. The
publishing mainstream is a closed world unless you're very lucky, so
you might as well do it yourself. I'm undecided though. I'm enjoying
writing my new book, which is about a quarter through. The prospect of
looking for a publisher stresses me out.



MONDAY 26TH


I have written to Christine Keeler's agent, about 'Wicked
Baby'. If I were to self-publish, maybe I should tell her
first.


Lewis is much better and noisily demanding
food.



TUESDAY 27TH


Lewis has diarrhoea but is OK otherwise.


Read 'The North Of England Home Service', by Gordon Burn.
Sort of 'Phoenix Nights' meets 'Waiting For Godot'; it's about
nostalgia and made me think of all the different selves we become in
the course of just one lifetime. There was no action to speak of, the
drama was all in the past. That might be a problem for some readers.
The blend of real people into the fiction was also very interesting to
me.



WEDNESDAY 28TH


Saw a consultant at the hospital about the tag on Joe's ear.
He's had it since birth, and, although it's harmless, he's becoming
more self-conscious about it. So we think it would be a good idea to
get it removed. The consultant was very rude and patronising. He has
booked the operation for June though. Joe will have a general
anaesthetic, which I'm not happy about, but it will only be for a short
time.



THURSDAY 29TH


Got an email from Louise - she has left Lex. She seems very
bitter about it, which is sad.