Tis the season to be snotty

This week have finally succumbed to the winter cold thing that has been going around school. In the usual joyous manner of things, it coincided with my first week at a new part-time job. My youngest daughter [“I’m not a baby, mummy. I’m a toddler”] got sick the night before the new job started. The same night we had had parents’ evening for the other two and had to hang around the school for hours as all three of the teachers we had to see were running late. All are settling in well in the new school and I have to admit that we were slightly stunned when the first thing the teacher of bonkers daughter said was “she is very quiet and studious”. Would that be in between painting her entire body with face paints and getting into the bath fully clothed [“it means the clothes get washed as well, mummy” – have to say, was quite drawn by this argument as hate washing clothes]? Anyway, back to the toddler. She was spraying snot in all directions as only toddlers can. She looked really not very well and was clinging onto me. I managed to get her to bed with the help of the blessed Calpol and had about half an hour to read several strategy papers in preparation for the new job [job is temporary, but had interview for permanent position the first day].

Then toddler girl woke up again and we both decided to call it a day. In the morning she was still very snotty, but had no temperature. She only goes to nursery for three hours. It was the old quandary – she obviously wants to be with mummy, but colds are ten a penny and if you took time off for every cold, with three children, you’d never get to work. I dosed her up and took my chances. Bad Mother. It was also icy that morning so in addition to the usual pandemonium of getting everyone ready, I had to scrape the car. The new job is miles away. I am not sure I want to go back to commuting. My other part-time job is nearby, but the new job is more in keeping with what I really want to do. As it involves driving up the M11 and back at night and I am not the world’s most confident driver [I love the slow lane, but I need to get to work on time so, against my better judgement, am forced to overtake], I am doubly unsure about it. If I don’t get all the illnesses mothers are supposed to get, I am sure I will be finished off by an articulated lorry on the M11.

Had the interview and was asked about a news item the night before. If I had seen the news I would have answered well, but it’s hard to focus on the news when you are covered in snot. I rarely last to the end of the news anyway…Does that make me a bad journalist? Probably. I was also asked the usual question about managing priorities. I said I have three children. I spend my entire life managing priorities. Not sure if that was the answer they were looking for. They asked what I least prioritised. I said housework. They said does that mean your desk is a mess. I said I thrive on creative chaos [my life is one big creative chaos]. Feel have done so many interviews in my time that I can’t quite be bothered to jump through all the hoops any more. Am thinking retirement. Early retirement. As in tomorrow.

Had to rush back for toddler’s parents’ evening – when I say rush, I was, of course, in the slow lane and got stuck behind useless ******* veering all over the road and alternating between 40 and 60 miles per hour. Toddler is doing very well, but won’t eat pudding. The only pudding she likes is ice lollies, which are not generally served in mid-winter. Her cold is getting better now, but last night I felt absolutely awful. My whole body was shivering and nothing would get me warm. Had to move around with duvet wrapped around me and was still shivering non-stop. Trouble was girls still expected me to do the whole bedtime routine, including cuddling up, which means they will be sick by the end of the week. I threw myself on their mercy and they all were very good, looking after mummy. Toddler was so good she actually woke up on purpose and came into the bed with me to offer personal 24-hour care. This involved the usual sleeping draped over upper half of my body with elbow in my neck. At least it kept me warm.

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