Hello all my chickens and bunnies. It's been such a long time!

Harried Mum has no excuses.  I am a lazy cow at heart.  I am reminded of this every time Fun Daddy goes out for the evening.  Tonight I put the kids to bed, and then I ate a stale bagel and canned soup for dinner.  There was a perfectly nice meal I could have cooked for myself, but I have realized over the years that if  lived alone, I would be doing things like eating cereal with wine.  I'm just that slothful.  It lives just beneath the surface and manifests itself in things like my indifferent housekeeping and woeful track record on birthday cards, thank you cards and RSVPs.

What else has been happening?  Well.  Lots of things!  Exciting things!  Harried Mum went back to work!  (Ages ago now).  I am working for a Japanese company.  It is all very interesting, and one wonders where all the women are.  The patriarchy lives.  I'm oppressed I tell you.  Oppressed.  Seriously, it's a bit weird and the Japanese culture and language barrier throws me for a loop sometimes.  I feel as if I am a decent communicator.  I am doing my utmost to explain complex issues in simple language.  I will send an email or speak in a meeting.  And I will feel good about all the nodding and agreeing happening.  Then, a week later, someone will say something, and I will think, "Oh f*ckety, f*ck, you did not understand me AT ALL.  You were just PRETENDING".  And then I will have to explain it all over again.  Now, I speak no Japanese, and so I'm certainly not pointing fingers.  I would not want to do business in a second language, but man, it is hard.

Lunatic Child has just gone back to his second year of nursery school.  In a repeat of last year's performance, on the first day, while we were waiting for the school doors to open, Lunatic Child:

1.  ran around the side of the building and started banging on the windows of his classroom demanding to be let in

2.  climbed to the top of the stairs and started panting at everyone (he's REALLY into pretending that he's a puppy)

3.  stuffed leaves in the school's mailbox.

Meanwhile, ALL the other children, without fail, were standing nicely holding their parents' hands. 

When the doors opened, Lunatic Child flung himself down the stairs, pushing all the other Nice Children out of the way, blew by the teachers without saying hello and waded into the toys.  I foresee some interesting years ahead.

Psycho Cat, who is currently stalking and occasionally attacking my elbow and generally annoying the snot out of me, is under house arrest this week.  She got into a fight of some kind, and I've had to take her to have 2 abcesses on her face drained.  She's on antibiotics and pain meds.  She's clearly feeling better and is obviously bored as crap in the house, but the vet was very strict on the no outdoors thing, so we're going to try and tough it out.  I've also had to ban her from the bathroom this evening, as she pries open the medicine cabinet and starts knocking all the stuff off the shelves into the sink.

Trouble, my sweet Trouble, is turning into a proper little toddler.  If he doesn't get what he wants, he throws himself on the floor in a puddle of despair and wails until he's beet red.  He's earnestly trying to walk, and is proudly marching around pushing his walker.  He still hasn't really figured out that you have to bend your knees, so it's all a bit awkward, but I think he will join the ranks of the bipedal sooner rather than later.  He's currently satisfied to communicate through wailing and pointing, although in my Completely Unbiased view he said 'kitty' tonight and 'doggy' whilst we were visiting Fun Daddy's parents.  We haven't been able to replicate the results in a lab, but I'm still going to give him the win on first spoken words.  Also, he is SO into Fun Daddy.  If Fun Daddy leaves the room, he is DESPONDENT.  He could give a rat's arse about Harried Mum.  Poor Harried Mum.

Speaking of Fun Daddy.  He went out with his mates in London recently, trying to re-live the glory days, and almost got himself arrested.  Harried Mum was not amused.  He's also perfecting his Embarrassing Dad Dancing and Slightly Age Inappropriate Dressing.  We just need the kids to be old enough to be humiliated by it all. 

Anyway, we miss all our far flung friends and family.  Hope you're all well.

Oodles of love to you all.

Harried Mum, Fun Daddy, Lunatic Child, Trouble and Psycho Cat.