So I haven't had another 4.5 hour stretch of sleep since I last posted. Poor Titus came down with brochilitius (sp?) and has been pretty miserable for the last week. But he must be getting better because this is the first night in ages Ive been able to just lay him down in his bed once he's fallen asleep. (*fingers crossed*) I've been having to rock him/hold him/lie him next to me for the last week for him to sleep. Poor bubba. I do feel a bit under house arrest after 7/8pm when he's so tired and miserable and clingy, but on the other hand, how long will he stay a baby and need this?
But so much for the excuses for the lack of blog posts!
I do wish I had been blogging because the last several days have been so fast and sweet. Simon has these two weeks for Christmas off work and in between dealing with sick kiddos, etc., it's been so special. This Christmas felt like a real Christmas - we had cinnamon rolls and finished the cut-out manger scene in the morning and talked about 'why were there Kings? Who told the shepherds? Is it normal to find a baby in the manger?...' etc., etc. Our coffee machine (bean to cup, mutual Christmas present to eachother) is *brilliant* and I had about 3 lattes yesterday alone. Felicity was excited about opening her presents here, but not so 'gimmee, gimmee' that she wasn't just as excited about exploring and playing and opening each toy as she unwrapped it. I felt like we had a good balance of crafting stuff (the 'consumable' stuff that is always useful and you can't have too much of), clothes (dress up Frozen Elsa costume, anyone?) and games/books. I guess gift-wise, I would rather be given something I know I have a place for - because if you have to invent a new place for something, chances are you don't probably need it! I was delighted when my stocking was full of *stationary* - pens, highlighters, pencils, pencil case, sharpener, post-it notes, etc.! (Yes, I did ask for stationary.) It is always useful and you can't have too much of it (especially the way that I lose pencils and pens at work.)
We had a lovely cosy time in the morning in our pajamas with a fire in the fireplace and coffee and happy kids.
In the afternoon we went over to Si's parents' house and the highlight was opening all the train set. Simon and I decided to buy Felicity some Brio railway things when we saw how much she liked it at Sophie's house. Simon's parents bought her a couple of supplementary tracks/trains. She had a great time making a huge track around the livingroom, while Titus bounced and watched the train go round and round and round. She was asking for the train again today and has done another really good job of putting it all together her way and linking up all the train carriages. (Hours of fun!)
She and Titus have been super sweet the last few days. It's nice to have Simon around at home. I have a to-do list as long as my arm, but it's been good to have a break the last couple of days.
I've been reading some good books lately. Robin Hobb's Assassin's Trilogy based around her fantasy world of the 6 Duchies. They are really captivating books - better than watching a film. I finished the second book today - it was 740 some-odd pages - I think I've been reading it for 3/4 days (but I took a break yesterday for Christmas). I am looking forward to reading the third - Assassin's Quest. It links up with 2 other trilogies she has written about the same characters - I have read those recently and it is fascinating to go back and read the 'prequel' about the characters I have grown to love. I feel like I know them. I read that Robin Hobb lives in the north of Alaska (?) worked on fishing boats and raised her family before writing the internationally best-selling Farseer books. She sounds like she would be a fun next-door neighbor.
The other, completely different, book I've been dipping into is called 'What Color is your Parachute?' and it's all about job-searching and career-finding. As I've been reading it, I've thought of easily 4-5 people who would benefit from his advice on the job-hunt. I'm reading a copy from 2005 I borrowed from the library, but I saw that he updates the advice yearly. I might look into finding the most current version as a reference guide after I skim a few more of the chapters in the book I am in.
The other book that's been sitting splayed-out, spine up, pages down on the side table next to my livingroom chair is 'A Poem A Day.' Also borrowed (and renewed about twice already!) from the library. I think I've made it to April 6th or something. Some of the poems are very well known and I've read them many times before, but there's a good variety of new finds. I like it because the editor has added some interesting tid-bits about each poet's life or work, as well as their dates, which helps frame the poetry in a historical context. I love how a good poem makes you *see* things, especially in ordinary subjects you can relate to. I have a new appreciation for the music in Gerard Manly Hopkins' work having read a few interspersed poems. I have almost memorized Jabberwocky thanks to this book ('Come to My Arms, my Beamish Boy!') and Shakespeare takes my breath away. While Felicity plays on the livingroom floor and I'm 'stuck' nursing Titus, I've been occasionally reading the poems out loud to appreciate the flow of the words. I think I've caught Felicity listening a time or two as well......(I hope!)
I've been making a 'bucket list' of things I'd like to do in Edinburgh/Scotland that I haven't yet. So far, I've come up with:
Holyrood Palace (! yes, I know!)
Afternoon tea or dinner at The Dome
Frequenting live music (esp fiddling?) in a pub, say
The International Harp Festival (heads up, I think it's every April?)
Starfish harps workshop
Visit Skye again (in summer, obviously)
The Islands of Aaron, Mull, Iona, Staffa (Fingal's Cave)
Scottish Seabird Centre
..... to be continued.......
I need to high-jack Simon's phone as he got most of the good pictures from yesterday.....
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