It was inevitable that Bethany would come down with the flu bug as well and it, or the drugs we're filling her with, are making her very sleepy until of course we try to put her to bed. She has her brighter moments and these are increasing as she is over the worst but she still looks to the comfort of cuddles.
   Yesterday was Nathan's first birthday and as usual she did enjoy herself running around Louise and Paul's but still had moments when toys were not enough to placate her. Putting her to bed when we got back home Bethany slept for about half an hour before waking and not settling back down and staying up until we went to bed and she slept with us.

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   Left unchecked the few radios at work tend to migrate to the kind of stations that must think Radio 2 is cutting edge and have inane interchangeable names that some focus group has been paid a lot of money to come up with and mean nothing like Smooth, Magic, Easy and Dull. This must be why apparently taxi drivers always have their radios tuned in to such stations to provide nothing more confrontational than background music. They tend to be national stations syndicated to former local stations so that you find former national DJs presenting programmes with local news and travel reports on the hour giving it a feel of Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse as Smashie and Nicey after being demoted to Quiet FM. This was amplified by trails heard on what I think is Smooth (like I say they are all pretty interchangeable and I wasn't particularly listening but I can't turn them all off) that Simon Bates was joining the station. Given that Pat Sharp was presenting at the time it seems another 80s revival is underway. For the duration of my coffee he managed the breathtaking feat of taking his own nonsense bit of fluff phone in seriously when commenting on some ridiculous survey that claimed Sandra Bullock came top of a poll of people we would most like as a neighbour. Asking his listeners for their favourites he dismissed one woman's suggestion of George Clooney as too fanciful and that she was out of luck as he had a new girlfriend. Considering that the whole item was fanciful this seemed churlish and at no point did the lady's response indicate that she was looking for a relationship and this had not been asked - perhaps she simply believed that he may be more willing to lend some milk or he would not start territorial disputes over fencing. Presumably those people who wanted to live next door to Sandra Bullock believe that she would be a valuable asset to the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.

What was to be our first family Christmas dinner alone was somewhat spoiled by both Alison and myself having flu. I spent Christmas Eve feeling feverish and Alison awoke during the night with sickness and diarrhoea and had to phone in sick at work - something that she was loathe to do as she felt that they wouldn't believe her. Rather than feeling self pity we gathered ourselves enough to ensure Bethany enjoyed herself although she seemed a little confused by all the proceedings and was as happy to play with the wrapping paper or the bows on other peoples presents. The sore throat and achey joints I can cope with but what is really annoying is being off my food and most things that I do manage to eat tasting of cardboard. The fridge appears to be tormenting me by still being stuffed to bursting with rich goodies that give me indigestion just looking at them.
   Bethany seemed to enjoy visiting other people more than anything else as it allowed her free rein to run around in newish surroundings as we were able to pop out to exchange presents and she particularly enjoyed playing with Joshua again although Nathan is a bit more wary of her. This may be due to her running around without due care and occasionally falling into him and him not able to get out her path in time.
   When we got home and put Bethany to bed I thought I would brave alcohol and got a beer which was fine but the medicinal whiskey afterwards proved a bit much and was still there when I woke up on the couch a couple of hours later whilst listening to the cricket. I might try wine after beer tonight.
   The mistake I made when ordering presents online worked out well in the end. Alison said that she would like some charms for her bracelet and I ordered a couple from Amazon - a seasonal snowman was fine and would thread through her Pandora bracelet nicely, however the fairy was a clip on type and after cursing myself and thinking how to send it back I thought of buying Alison the appropriate bracelet for that charm. My logic that her other bracelet was fairly full and this would offer some variety proved successful although I did confess the real reason behind the purchase and of some other charms so that the fairy did not look out of place on its own.

Well I think everything is just about sorted for Christmas now: wrapping done - check; got booze - check; the big grocery shop - check. Sainsbury's wasn't quite as manic as I was expecting (the other year I spent three quarters of an hour trying to get out of their car park on Christmas Eve) so I now have the worry that I've forgotten something. Too late now for when I return from work tomorrow afternoon we shall be dashing around visiting with presents and again on Christmas Day. Alison's working Christmas morning so I'll pop to my folks then get back to put the dinner on, after which we'll be calling on Louise and Paul who will be entertaining Anna. Yet another Xmas when I won't get a drink before 7pm - it's now traditional. Anyway panic over after Alison rang me when I was doing the shopping and I had to break the bad news that they had ran out of sprouts. Thankfully Anna was going down town and picked some up for us despite fears that there maybe a national sprout shortage. This simple procedure required several phone calls and military style planning as I was to ring to ensure that the sprouts had been successfully purchased or whether I would be needed to call into the 24 hour Tesco opposite work when my shift finished. As it was I only had to call at Anna's to collect the goods.
  I will enjoy myself.

Everybody still seems obsessed with the weather and while it is freezing cold we have yet to see any snow in Darlington although there has been a little in Hartlepool. That little bit came in quite useful today as my screen wash has frozen after I topped it up a few weeks ago mixing it 50/50. I called in to Tesco before starting work to spend our Christmas vouchers and I was able to use the snow in the car park to wash my windscreen. Not ideal but it worked. The media will get bored of snow once it leaves the South and we may spend the next six weeks having to build igloos but as long as Gatwick and the M25 are clear you would not think there was a problem. I don't seem to recall this much fuss being made when we spent a couple of weeks under two feet of snow a fortnight ago

I feel like I've achieved things today managing to wrap Alison's presents whilst she's at work and before taking Bethany for her 1 year immunisations. She was due them a fortnight ago but she was not feeling well and it was decided best to leave it until Tuesday. Alison could not get to the community centre and rang to let them know thus taking her to the drop in centre this evening. She wasn't impressed and unsurprisingly cried and I wondered whether it was worth getting her weighed but was keen to after she lost a bit last time. We quickly popped her on the scales still in her playsuit and saw that she had put a bit on and is now 22lbs. Thankfully she calmed down by the time I got back to the car and was happy to have a biscuit and some juice when we got home before running around as if nothing had happened.

Alison was worried last night after next door was burgled yesterday evening for the second time since we've been here. Four or five lads ran down his drive and past me when I went round the cornershop but after initially thinking it was kids fetching a ball I thought they may have ran away from elsewhere and cut through his garden as his property is at the end of the back lane behind our street before it gets to our house as they all had their hoods up and weren't carrying anything so I didn't think that they had actually been in his house. Another bloke was stood at the other side of the street carrying two carrier bags who actually looked more suspicious but he remained where he was whilst the other lads ran off. Returning from the shop he was still stood there and he got out his phone and loudly muttered "Where's the fucking taxi at? the twat." This actually made me more suspicious as it's not the place you would pick a taxi up from as if you weren't in your home you would not usually arrange for a taxi to collect you from the end of a residential cul-de-sac. Once inside I went upstairs thinking I would take a photo of him but, whether he saw me or got fed up waiting for his taxi, he threw a couple of snowballs and sauntered away before I could find the camera on my phone. The upshot of this is that Alison has moved the presents upstairs leaving a spartan looking tree in the living room.
   We're also slowly getting more organized for Christmas - the cards are all posted and I've a few stocking fillers left to buy with (Alison's aside) most presents wrapped. Hopefully after this weekend there will only the be the shopping left to do allowing a little relaxation time before Santa calls - a man of taste as he enjoyed a glass of my Singleton single malt last year. Despite this being the 2nd call he will be making to us Alison still bought a couple of Christmas outfits for Bethany with "My first Christmas" emblazoned on them with the logic that she was too young to know what was happening last December. The pedant in me agrees but points out that she is still unfamiliar with the concept of Christmas at 13 months and it still is technically her 2nd Christmas. It appears that I am in the minority, however, as no outfits with "My 2nd Christmas" were available and the sleepsuits that Alison bought were for the age range 12 - 18 months.

I have been rather busy of late with overtime at work eating into my days such that I have been neglecting my blogs of late. Add to that Christmas preparations and birthdays and I am struggling to keep things upto date (the hill of ironing will soon need reclassifying as a mountain) but luckily that should be an end to the overtime for the time being. The local shopkeeper just informed me that I looked tired this evening which is worrying, especially as I'm off to work in ten minutes for a night shift.
   Anyway yesterday was Louise's birthday and we went round to theirs on the Saturday for a buffet along with Anna trying to take things easy. Joshua has always enjoyed being around Bethany and this time she reciprocated and had a whale of a time running around a house that she is quite unfamiliar with playing with Joshua. There were also a couple of touching moments when she tried to include Nathan in the games, passing him (his own) toys and giving him his drink. He appeared tired early on put picked up as the afternoon progressed whilst Bethany went the other way and tired herself out playing.
   I have had every intention of making a few notes here and there but not found the time and in the case of my News Blog http://richmarshallnews.blogspot.com/ I was going to comment on a story I heard on the radio going into work but on trying to research it could find no mention of it. Whether I misheard some details or because one of the principle names was, I believe, Emma Hamilton thus rendering any searches full of results for Nelson's mistress I'm not sure - suffice to say I wasted more time I don't have.

Anna was released from hospital today and looked quite well when we visited yesterday if rather tired, understandably. She is going to find it hard to relax and since returning home she has already rearranged her social life, phoning all her friends to announce that she would be unable to attend certain festive parties as well as updating them with her news. She is also worrying herself over her medication as they have taken her off the tablets she was taking for her arthritis in case of any complications and she is naturally worried about how this will affect her mobility. Probably not the rest that the staff were envisioning.
   Today is also Joshua's ninth birthday and we had a pub meal in the Brinkburn minus Anna, which upset Joshua a little as he pointed out that it was the first birthday he had celebrated without his Granny. He managed to console himself by opening presents and playing with his new DS game.
   I was a little startled the other morning when I got up and passed Bethany's room en route to the bathroom to hear her say "Dadadadadad". A not uncommon phrase for her to express and one that filled me with joy the first time I heard her say it until she then addressed the headboard in a like manner and has become a catch all utterance she makes usually when happy or wanting something. Much to Alison's chagrin her other favourite is "Mamamamamam" but this tends to be when she is upset or about to cry. Recently it sounds like she is trying to copy what you say but the only other distinct(ish) words we heard previously were, enigmatically "Barbara" and "Derek". We have yet to establish who these people are. Anyway the other morning - fearing that she had woken up I gingerly peeked in to see that she was still fast asleep and had taken to talking in her sleep. She can be noisy enough when awake, now she is not even going to let us have any respite when she sleeps.

An unpleasant and worrying day after Alison phoned me at 6:30 this morning at work upset but with the wherewithal to tell me first up that there was nothing wrong with Bethany. Her mother had been taken to hospital with chest pains and lack of any further information was increasing her concern. Allowing me to go home I left work and Alison called Helen and she went round to comfort her before I got home. After taking Bethany to nursery Louise and Paul picked her up after dropping Joshua at school and Paul took them to James Cook before returning with Nathan. When they phoned me they told me that Anna had suffered a heart attack but was stable now after having already been in theatre. Tired but strong enough to organize her daughters to cancel tomorrow's hair appointment they took the time she spent napping to visit old friends on the wards they had worked on before I collected them later in the afternoon. Anna's strength of character is well illustrated by the example Alison recounted how after suffering chest pains early this morning after apparently being unwell over the weekend she debated as to whether to call for help. Eventually compromising to ring 111 they sent an ambulance and she climbed upstairs to change into clean pyjamas and wait outside for them. Joking that given time she would have run round with the hoover to ensure her house was presentable to the paramedics was probably not that far from the truth.

A bit of exercise for a change today whilst Good Samaritanning helping free two cars stuck in the snow. The first one even resorted to another pusher and myself fetching shovels from our cars. Both incidents were just after I had parked up in town for the dreaded Christmas shopping and that should have provided enough warning as to how frustrating an afternoon it was to be. Saying that I knew beforehand I was not going to be rolling around in thralls of ecstasy as I trudged through the slush and when Alison invited herself along to make it a family day I knew that this year was not going to be a one visit trip. Even though we split up and gave ourselves an hour before meeting back up I felt hamstrung to get Ali's presents. Added to the fact that I couldn't remember what I had already bought online for people I ended up getting some cards, paper and bows and vowing to check my e-mails when we got home to see what I had ordered. I did manage to smuggle a couple of little things in Bethany's pushchair which thoughtfully came in see through bags and despaired at the knowledge that I would have to return down town and once again suffer my hatred of crowds.

Well I managed to venture out in the snow today after digging my car out from two feet of snow. The dead end in our street ensures we don't get much through traffic so the snow was still banked up and quite deep around the kerb but once I got out of our street the drive to work was not to bad. I had more trouble pushing Bethany in her pram to the nursery this morning as the pavement was very bobbly with piles of snow intermittently blocking the path where people had cleared their drives and dumped it in the way making it easier to push her on the road itself and having to reverse up and down the kerb.
   It's reminded me to look for my gloves and when clearing my car I squeezed into Alison's (fashion being a low priority at that moment in time) and when I got back I was looking forward to a restful couple of hours before setting off for work. That was before the sink overflowed and flooded the kitchen. Believing that the snow may have compacted over he drain I went to clear it to no avail and after checking that the U-bend was clear started boiling the kettle to pour over the external pipe which had frozen solid. It finally cleared about half an hour before I left giving me enough time to make my bait (half the cause of he problem in the first place as I had left some boiled eggs to cool under running water in the sink whilst the washing machine was running) and get changed. After setting off earlier it did not take that much longer to get to work so I could have had a bit longer at home after all but unsure what condition the roads were in after using up my holidays earlier this week I thought it best not to take any chances.

Another sign of my ageing as I put Children's TV on to distract Bethany whilst I prepared tea and found myself narrating to her "Ooh look it's Makka Pakka" and realized that I can name every character from "In the Night Garden" but was not fully au fait with the England Rugby team in the recent autumn internationals. It's one more of those youthful tests that I can no longer pass like Who is number one in the single charts? I long ago stopped even caring about that and I suspect that the chart compilers aren't too bothered either now that you can make the top 10 by selling about 50 records. I was still vaguely aware of who was in the charts as I would listen to Radio 1 for a couple of shows that still had some merit but that stopped when John Peel died and 6music started.
   I had an earlier portent that my life as an individual was over when we were on holiday in Ilfracombe the other month and some children came over in the pool to fuss over Bethany and I realized that I am no longer Richard but Bethany's dad. I quite like that actually.
   Bethany has taken her attempts to tidy up after herself to another level today after previously replacing toys in the box (before taking them back out) by helping me with the laundry. Pulling the wet clothes out of the washer I started carrying them to the clothes horse to find Bethany copying me and walking back and forth with Alison's underwear and placing it on the one rung she could reach - it's about time she started puling her weight!