midwife's muse

Balancing

The sounds of 'Wind the bobbin up, wind the bobbin up', accompanied by frenetic splashing, are filtering down the stairs. Jack and Amy are in the bath, it's the end of another long day in Midwifemuse's house. Amy and her parents are still staying with us, 3 weeks so far, rumour has it that they may well still be here at Christmas. Years ago I used to love Little House on the Prairie, I am now beginning to feel as if I have been relocated to live the life of Mamma Walton, only I can't be as amazing as she was. I used to think I was pretty good at multi-tasking but I think I may have reached overload. Every hour, of every day, is taken up with toddlers, housework, laundry, cooking, shopping and/or work, I am having to write myself memo's so that I don't forget something. The singing has stopped and instead I can hear Jack plodding down the stairs calling 'Nanny, Jack coming'. Please just half an hours respite, I have shut myself away with the light off so hopefully he won't track me down. My Mother phoned on Thursday evening just as I was trying to give Amy her dinner, put the shopping away, tidy up the toys, and get ready for my work Christmas function. She announced that she was coming over the following morning, when I told her I would be at work she sounded put-out. Normally I would have explained why it would be impossible to stay at home, instead she had a verbal slapping. As it was I summoned the clan so she had all the Grandchildren, even son, and the Great-grandchildren to listen to her latest triumphs over the plebs that inhabit her locale (her viewpoint on anyone who has a different opinion to hers).

Hubby is really down at the moment. He has his own company which has been going for 24 years now, there have been down times and up times, but recently he has been having more difficulty getting work in, we've been there before though so we were just waiting for the tide to turn. Since September he has been owed £35 thousand for a job on which he has paid out for the labour and all the materials, so the real cost to the company would be thousands more. The company he carried out the works for have been coming up with excuses as to why payment hasn't been forthcoming, and he has just discovered that the M.D is basically a conman who has has pulled this before. When someone finally serves him with legal proceedings he just folds up the company and starts all over again under a different name. For our business it could just mean the end, there is no way that the business, or us personally, could recover from that sort of loss so, understandably, there is worry ++.

On a happier note it is Hubby's birthday on Tuesday so tomorrow we have the command performance of a family meal, no excuses accepted. Roast beef and all the trimmings, Apple Strudel, an extensive cheese board and a couple of bottles of wine to help it down, and our spirits up!   

9.12.06 20:04