Paintings and exhaustion

This was the image I was trying to take this evening. It ended up being the last image I took, as Ben came downstairs midway through me getting light levels and tripods set up. He helped me take pictures. Ok, I tell a whopping great lie. He didn't help at all. He took my toys away, told me he was "just painting," and generally made things very difficult. I don't blame him, he had not had a nap again today, and had been pretty active all day, and was very tired and not very cooperative as a result. And when I got fed up and shouted it was HIM that started crying - midway through his usual retort of "don't SHOUT at me, mummy" his little voice wobbled and went quiet and he burst into tears and made me feel awful!! Anyway I got some OK shots, and I managed to get pictures of the paintings we did yesterday, before I chop some of them up to use as cards and whatnot.


Today was ok up until lunchtime. We'd been out to tots, Ben rode his bike there and we weren't too late. He had a lovely time, went off and played immediately and I got TWO pieces of cake all to myself which was quite a novelty! And a lovely lady was there offering manicures and pedicures which I've been excited about all week since I found out she was coming last week. I had a hand and arm massage and my fingernails done. I was going to get a mini pedicure but I actually managed to do my feet and toenails myself a couple of days ago so thought it wouldn't be worth it. I've booked myself in for a pedicure in time for my birthday next month though, I imagine by then there'll be no way I can reach my toes myself!

Hayley was at tots this morning and Ben found her near the end. When I went off to the loo before it was time to head home he obviously had found her and talked to her, because when we came out Hayley reported that Ben had decided we were going in her car!! Suited us fine, we decided to make a lunch date out of it and get a few jobs done in town while we were there.

Loaded him and his bike into her car and set off. We got all our jobs done (including passport type photos done for me, which makes me laugh. "Must be a true likeness." So I have to take my glasses off and tuck my hair behind my ears. The pictures don't look much like me really!! Annoying that these kind of pictures end up being your main source of ID. At least my form is now completed and sent off to get my photo renewed on my driving licence.) and headed for a cafe we'd decided to try out. It's in what used to be a big catholic church (at least, I think it must have been catholic), and it's just so beautiful! Very child-friendly, lots of space for Ben to run around in and not get under ANYbody's feet, decent food at very reasonable prices. I think I might go again!!

Sadly for me the tummyache hit me while we were eating. It's an exhaustion tummyache, the kind I normally get a couple of days after doing a late evening drive from Manchester to Worthing. I think I'm going to have to blame yesterday's messy painting - at least, the bit where I was holding Ben up by his arms while he swung his feet around to create his masterpieces! Evidently too much strain on my tummy and back. It's been a painful afternoon. A good night's sleep will cure the tummyache. And my cold is not being too bad, the months of consuming vitamin-C-packed fruit seems to be paying off in that my immune system is actually functioning pretty well and fighting this infection off a LOT better than usual!

And Steve came home with the beginnings of a cold which has developed fully over the evening. Likewise for Ben. So they are both dosed up on paracetamol and are in bed and I will be joining them very very soon!


G'night blippers, see you tomorrow.

And I will one day be a better blip-commenter again......!