Chickens in a box

Little JimBob is rolling all over the place! This morning for the first time, after listening to him chuntering away to himself for 15 minutes or so we decided to heave ourselves out of bed only to find him lying quite happily on his front. It's a first, and a milestone. I wonder if this'll be his new thing from now on? Breakfast was even more acrobatic with James actually working his way off the playmat and down the little step that takes you into the hall. The screams were deafening but I scooped him up and think he was more frightened than hurt. Poor Will didn't know what to make of it, just looked very worried and kept saying 'it's alright Raines, it's alright'. Squeaks from the nursery so had better go and head off to this morning's Waterbabies lesson. Here's hoping I don't have another half hour of screaming to deal with.

What with keeping Will out of nursery for two weeks, then the holiday and finally James I feel I've hardly seen a soul for over a month. It's time to regroup. To this end I have a packed agenda this week; taking Will and James swimming and finally getting myself into a regular gym routine. I cannot stagnate at home for another second - I'll pop.

Poor James is still struggling with The Pox, so we've been putting scratch-mits on him at night as there are tonnes of spots on his face. We couldn't work out why he was suddenly waking up at 4.30am in the morning, at first we thought it was hunger, so we've been feeding him and then the rest of the day's been all at sixes and sevens (!) Until last night when he was screeching at 2am and clearly not hungry but desperate for his thumb. We gave it back to him and had a full night's sleep for the first time in 3 days.

If I never see Calamine Lotion again it'll be too soon, for it appears that while James was having a ball in Baby Club while we were away, he was also happily incubating his own clutch of pustules, which have subsequently appeared on every possible patch of available skin and scalp. Must keep reminding myself that on the positive front, by this time next week it'll all be over and we won't have to fight this particular virus again. In the meantime I KNOW Impetigo waits in the wings.....

All my worst fears about the travelling proved totally unfounded - it was no problem at all, James was an angel and slept most of the way and my fabulous pre-sterilized/recyclable bottles did the job perfectly. We arrived safe and sound, unpacked all set for 2 weeks of R&R when we suddenly noticed a rogue spot on Will's chest. Two hearts sank like stones as we realised that all this time Will had been incubating chicken pox, only to unleash it on Day I of the holiday. We nearly turned tail and came home, but eventually decided to brave it out and in the end it was absolutely fine, Will was thrilled to spend every waking hour with Mummy and Daddy while James spent his days at Baby Club, adored by a gaggle of smitten nannies - even the lads at the Surf Club had a cuddle! Eventually Will recovered (thank God we packed the Calpol) and was finally admitted to Kids Club, leaving Eddie and I 5 precious days to spend doing our own thing; snorkelling out on the reef, reading, swimming a...