Bought a new paddling pool today. What with it being really hot and all. The idea being, and perhaps I'm unreasonable here, that the kids would play in it. After spending ages blowing it up ("electric pump recommended" oops.) and filling it up (this pool holds serious amounts of water - luckily, all the pot plants (that's "potted plants to you Yanks - I am not growing dope in my back garden...) need watering anyway, so emptying it won't be a problem.) - so anyway, after all that, and inviting their friend Thalia around to paddle as well, Thalia won't go near the pool because she might get wet (ya think?) and the other two, of course, want to play inside because Thalia is playing inside. Plus Sarah, who would never let anyone put hot water in her bath because it was "too warm" says that she doesn't want to go in the pool because she only likes it when the water is warm, not when it's cold. The Unbelievable Perversity of Children.

Down to just a few days of work - today, tomorrow & four days next week. Hard to believe it's that soon until I stop working. I don't think I've spent more than a few weeks not working (except for maternity leave - and I was still employed then) since I was about 15, which is a long time. Like almost 20 years. Yikes. It's going to be a bit of a change - though as I've said to a few friends, it won't really be all that different - days filled with petty squabbles, people yelling at one another & everyone demanding I do stuff for them right this second, regardless of what I'm doing already. Just like the office.

I don't even have the luxury of sleeping late the first week I'm off (not that little kids sleep late anyway) as Sarah's got swimming lessons at 8.30 am all week that week. She's looking forward to them, but I'm not entirely sure she's aware that she'll probably be expected to get her face wet. What is it with kids and getting their faces wet, anyway? Olivia will probably throw a fit when she realises that she won't be allowed in the pool, too. But there's a playground behind the Centre, so unless it's pissing rain (in the summer in London - what are the chances...) we'll be sorted.

Everyone I know who stays at home with their kids says you're about 20 times busier than if you actually have a paid job out of the house, and I can see what they mean. I haven't even left yet, and already we have something planned for almost every day in August. Maybe only for a small part of the day, but nonetheless. Perhaps by September I'll be longing for that whole get up/work/go to bed routine. Or not.