Hopefully I'll post in my own name this time!

Just wanted to upload a pic giving a flavour of Philip's tough (not) afternoon at school today. The school joined with 3 other primary schools for an afternoon of dressing up, games and mini-presentations at the local park, with parents welcome to come and watch. The sun came out after a freezing morning and it was all very pleasant.

Charlie's first day at school today. He's been very excited and even managed to get mixed up at the end of last term and get as far as the classroom thinking it was his first day. Was very upset when he found out he'd made a mistake.

But today all went smoothly. We were there in plenty of time and he knew exactly where he was going from taking Philip last year. It took me a long time to find the peg with his name on it during which he hung onto my hand wishing I'd hurry up and hoping it was realy there and not all a big mistake. Then we found it (with its accompanying dog picture) and were able to go and settle him in the classroom. We hopped from this to that - home corner, farm ... and when I decided he was settled enough and left he was playing with the russian dolls.

Hope he has a good day and has lots to tell me about tonight.

Philip's first post

hello]wot?]too-day i been thinking about mony
now you can get $5.45]bye

Long time between posts again - been happily busy. But this evening the kids are taking time to settle and Ed has bought himself a new laptop so I've got time free on the computer.

The big event recently has been Philip starting school. I was pretty worried how it was going to go - he'd had his ups and downs at the nursery behaviour wise and some concern about lack of engagement.

And it's gone brillantly (so far at least!). Hats off to those reception teachers, they somehow manage to keep 30 kids enough on task to feel like they're really achieving as well as having a fun time (mostly).

Can't believe how long it's been since I wrote on here - have some posts got lost?!

Have been busy tidying so our house is now finally in a state to put on the market. Now it's keeping it tidy which is the challenge.

Philip has had some wobbles settling into full time nursery school - stropping at teachers and getting into ruts and not engaging with other children - but that all seems resolved now.

Wish Charlie would sleep better, or at least let me do so - our bed is just so much more attractive than his!!

Liked this article about how perhaps a simpler life would be easier...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/richard_morrison/article6844624.ece

Have had a complicated couple of weeks with both children getting bugs and needing keeping away from the rest of the world. Nice spending time with them but rather thwarts what semblance of order I was just bringing to my work. We'll see what next week brings.

Have now got my new work laptop so I am working towards working from a mobile office based on the bike. I've played this game before with a car when I used to do site work, but there you have lots more space for drawings, reports etc. as well as heating and the ability to nip off to the supermarket or cafe when you feel like it.

The current bike is the office folding one, a Brompton. When I arrive at meetings the first impression is partly made by my appearance and what I say, but also to the cycling fraternity by the bike I arrive on, and the cycling accesories I choose. Is it a 5 gear model? I was asked today. Must find out the answer to that one.

So over the next few months I'll be building up my cycling work image. I need clothes that cope with cycling a few miles and then don't look too scruffy in a meeting. Bags that unhitch from the bike easily and can carry relevant papers and the computer as well as lunch. I need greater fitness so I don't let the side down on site visits, and better skill at going up escalators, folding my bike smoothly and leaping onto trains at the last minute. Lycra is out, this is about the anyone can do this, casually effortless urban look. Watch this space!

Am loving my new job so far. Why didn't I change earlier? (apart from the stress and it's better to get a redundancy package ...) Much more in tune with what I want to be doing with such skills as I have. Sure there'll be ups and downs along the way but for now it's great. Get cycling and walking everyone!

Charlie's at that stage where he's gaining loads of words every day. Very rewarding. It sort of began around Easter but now he's got a big enough vocabulary to be able to say something vaguely relevant in most situations. Animals and attempts at colours (best established by reference to the Bob the Builder characters), "naughty", "no dark yet", recognising his favourite numbers (3 and 8) all come out and sometimes jumble together. It'll be his 2nd birthday next month.

Philip absolutely loves nursery school. It's all so exciting he needs lots of space to wind down through playing at home at the weekends. Which is a bit tricky to juggle with Charlie wanting to be on the go all the time, but makes for relaxing Saturday mornings when Ed takes C shopping while I "look after" Philip. He just gets on and entertains himself. And would probably do so for most of the weekend if it weren't for his little brother crashing into his train of thought.

Just have to share another of Philip's great uses of the English language ... (refering to pushing a CD into the slot) ... Mummy, I'll put it wrong in and then you put it right in.

Not much else to report on the job hunting front as everyone still on holiday so not had much time. Did do a Birkman analysis last night though - loads of questions (nearly 300 multiple choice). By the end you just don't care what answers you're putting any more.

The redundancy process has moved forward and I'm now on the "at risk" list. My first response was one of relief that at least I now knew - others had to wait the whole week whilst colleagues were called in not knowing who was next. And that knowing, the ball was now in my court to act. I had a few things I wanted to get finished off and not let colleagues down on, so I returned to my desk and tried to juggle making progress with digesting the news and talking to collegues about it.

I've now lost motivation to finish things off and just have 2 aims: 1) To have a meeting with HR and my director (planned for this pm) to understand what "pool" of people I was in and how the scoring process worked for my situation. 2) To do everything I can to get my professional exams paperwork signed off and submitted.

All rubbish stuff. Will be glad when its over. At least I've got a lot to keep me positive.