Me and my evil twin

Look at these two photos. The top one is me on a typical day in London. No makeup, hair shoved back in a clip, looking disheveled and often slightly crazy. The bottom one was taken in Texas. See the difference? Makeup, hair actually blow dried that morning, even my toenails were perfect. OK, yes I was on vacation in the second photo but I can guarantee that I didn't look like that at Woolley Grange. I've been sorting through the photos and thought that these two made a funny comparison. I'm not saying one is better than the other but I do think it's interesting that they're so different. Now, which one is the evil twin??

Good weekend and good friends

Finally found the USB cable for the camera and I've downloaded all of the photos. I just need to get them onto shutterfly now but here's a couple to liven up the blog. Getting very bare here.

Great weekend. I met up with Jenny in town on Saturday. We had brunch at the National Portrait Gallery restaurant overlooking Trafalgar Square. It was very nice but they do that thing where they pile all the food into a little tower which I do find a bit poncey when it's plain old egg and bacon. Afterwards we walked around the gallery then went over to Covent Garden to do a little shopping.

Went in Neal's Yard Dairy and bought some cheese. I love this place. You can smell it a block away but I love smelly cheese so it's like heaven to me. I got a really unusual cheese called Ardrahan and some quince paste to go with it. I bought some lovely Staffordshire oatcakes too and had them for lunch today. Fantastic.

Then we wandered around, popped into Mac and window shopped. I bought some really cute silver ballerinas that look like toe shoes and a T-shirt for Tobes that says "Sowf London". Jenny splurged on some Mac lip glosses and brushes and a really cute fairy top for Kate. We had a quick lunch and decided to walk back to Charing Cross. Somehow we got turned around and ended up at the British Museum. Not sure how we managed that. Look at a map of London and you'll see what I mean.

Sunday morning J left for a business trip to India and the kids and I headed out to Bluewater. The children have both had growth spurts recently and look like little orphans with their sleeves halfway up their arms and highwater trousers. Rosie's tops barely cover her belly so I finally had a big shop and bought them a bunch of new clothes. I guaranteed Toby's good behaviour by taking them to see Charlotte's Web once the shopping was done (and yes I cried my eyes out when Charlotte died). I even bought some new Converse for me since my old ones are embarrassingly tatty.

Now we're into our week and we've got the usual stuff plus some coffees with other mums and a swimming date with one of Rosie's little friends. Elizabeth is a single mum this week too so we're all getting together tomorrow night for sausage and mash and general jollity. Looking forward to it.

New addicton

I joined myspace.com a few days ago and have thought about little else ever since. It is totally addictive. I've reconnected with people from school that I haven't seen in almost twenty years. It's crazy and amazing. If you're on myspace then do come and see me!

Had the TV interview today and I have no idea how it went. They start filming at the end of March and it sounds like it would be a fun show with no humiliation, thank goodness. They should call me within a couple of weeks but I'm not going to get my hopes up.

The studio was in Soho Square and I decided to walk back to Charing Cross. So nice walking through London at night. I went down Carnaby Street. I had heard that it had become popular again and there were a lot more mainstream stores like Diesel and Miss Sixty there now. Gone are the Doc Marten wholesalers and grubby tattoo parlors. I can't decide if that's good or bad. I cut across Leicester Square just as the Swiss clock was striking six and all of the little mechanical people were coming out to dance. I'm always amazed at how many tourists actually video the whole performance. I enjoy seeing it but I can't imagine ever sitting down to watch it on tape.

Saw all kinds of people, which is one of the things I really love about London. Two Dita von Teese wanabees, one blonde and one with black hair. A Jewish punk rocker. How do I know he was Jewish? Because he was wearing a yarmulke over his mohawk. Lots of tourists and lots of children. What a city.

Stopped in Uniqlo to stock up on tshirts and underwear and got a huge, cozy argyle sweater in the sale. Got to the train early enough to get a seat and made it home in time to put the kids to bed.

Various things

Very nice weekend doing lots of nothing. I went to pilates on Saturday morning and J took the children into the village then we all met back at home for lunch and had a lazy afternoon. Sunday morning J and Tobes went swimming and Rosie and I went into the village. It was a grey, dingy morning but as we left the flat I could hear the church bells at St Margaret's calling people into prayer. Such a lovely sound. Heathen that I am, I headed to my own place of worship - Costa Coffee.

We pottered around the village, went to the farmer's market, had coffee and then met J and Tobes for lunch at Cafe Rouge. Very nice.

Tobes was back at school this morning after his week off for half-term. You could see the teachers dragging themselves into the building and the parents virtually skipping out. I bumped into the parents of one of the boys at Toby's school when I went to Costa and there was a real party atmosphere. So nice to have the children home but soooo nice when they go back to school and things get back to normal. Rosie had a long morning nap after Monkey Music and I was able to sit, read my book and drink my coffee for over an hour. Heaven.

AND, you'll never guess what I'm doing on Wednesday... auditioning for a TV programme! It's a cooking show that teaches people to cook healthy food. I do feel some trepidation after seeing some of the reality shows on now. I'm slightly concerned that I might be stripped down to my underwear and have parts of my body pointed at to show where I need to lose weight. Or be seriously told off for my current diet and then forced to eat nothing but algae for a week. It's all through my mums group and, after some initial emailing and photo sending, they think that I would be 'perfect' for the show. Not sure what that means and if I have the slightest inkling of discomfort on Wednesday then I won't do it. The interview alone should be an interesting experience though. How do I get myself into these situations?

And I've been contacted to contribute to another parenting article. No glam photo session or anything this time but it is nice to be asked.

I am honestly completely not pregnant

Can you tell we've been watching a lot of Charlie & Lola over half-term? Rosie loves Lola.

Well, woke up this morning absolutely certain that I don't have a baby in my tummy. Two more tests were undeniably negative. So that settles that. Mostly feeling relieved but also a little sad as I was already thinking of names (Arthur or Maud), bedding (the lovely new stuff at Gap) and the joy of having a tiny baby fall asleep on my chest like a warm little pudding. Oh well, that's not to say that it will never happen, just not in the next nine months which is really for the best. Rosie is still a baby herself even though she's more of a knee-high whirlwind rather than a warm pudding at this stage. I have my hands full.

Met up with Philippa for coffee this morning. We usually meet while Tobes is at school but it's half-term so I had both children with me. I knew it was time to leave when Tobes almost broke the whole bar off the wall by swinging on it while people were trying to drink their coffee. Everyone had to grab their cups or they would've fallen off. While this was happening Rosie tried to throw herself down the stairs. I ended up shouting and sprinting across the coffee shop, pushing a barista out of the way in order to grab Rosie before she tumbled headfirst down to the basement. As I say, I certainly have my hands full.

Ok, it's like this

Someone forgot to pack the birth control for Woolley Grange then someone else suggested that we just be "really careful". So now I've spent the last 24 hours carrying a stick which I've peed upon from room to room, looking at it under every light and at every window of the house. Funny how patterns repeat themselves.

It's very early, but I've always tested very early as longtime readers will know, and I'm almost certain that the test is negative... but there is a very faint line. Almost not there but still there. Probably one of those evaporation lines that I've read about. But still.

I said to Elizabeth earlier that I keep swinging from one certainty to the other - I'm definitely pregnant. No, I'm definitely not pregnant. The funny thing is that when I think I am I feel almost sick with fear but when I think I'm not I feel so disappointed. Nothing to do but wait and see. Aaarrrgh!

Futers House 4.36pm

Typical scene. Tobes climbing on the furniture, Rosie running around either eating or drinking something. Me looking knackered and bemused by it all.

Not much to report here. Had a wonderful time at Woolley Grange. Photos to come as soon as I either find the camera lead or give up and buy a new one. We ate loads, hit the trampoline, spent a lot of time in the Woolley Bears' Den and had endless cups of tea. Wore wellies every day, stomped around the grounds, played with the house dog, Peanut, and I even managed two naps with Rosie. I also ate three scones in one day and at least half my bodyweight in their incredible butter. Heaven.

We've jumped right into normality with Toby back at school and Rosie at Sing and Sign yesterday. Next week will be different though since Tobes is out of school for the half-term week. We're planning lots of museum trips, they always have fun half-term activities, lunch at the Wharf with Elizabeth and MC, lunch with J and at least one trip to the cinema. Should be a good week.