Elspeth was playing

In the kitchen today with the letters of her name and she spelled the word "help"... I wonder if there's something subconscious we cannot fathom out....

Against the old firm

No, not a Glasweigan encounter, today was the first [no doubt of many] trials against the old firm for one of the files I had taken over. It was with a great deal of hesitancy that I had handled these files, I had emailed the Law Society Ethics helpline to clarify the point [believe it or not lawyers di have ethics!] turned out that as long as I had not personally dealt with the matter it was fine for me to handle...

Anyway I had read the papers and briefed counsel, even spoken to the ex-colleague who I would be up against only to have the claim taken from my grasp by my boss as she didn't think it was fair... and to check out the barrister we'd instructed. It was his first job for us, so I suppose part curiousity on the management's part.. oh yes the result, the judge kicked out the Claimant's claim, so we won. Wonder if I'm black balled there now!

Congratulations - New Parents

There's clearly something in the water... New parents in the park today, very proud showing off their offspring - congratulations to the Black Swans

It's a mad house....

One visitor leaves and another or that's the way it seems... a procession of family, as if one interloper to the daily routine isn't enough [me]...

Jemima has only been here 4 days but the sleep pattern is as if she's been on a long haul flight, she tends to lie blissfully asleep -waking only to snack from the hostess until about 4pm when she perks up and just will not rest, last night was better than the night before, I think I got 4 hours sleep...

Elspeth has coped admirably with the new arrival and the guests, she really has enjoyed her sister, especially the funny noises she makes - although there was an episode in the bath last night that is best left, although I must say that if the reaction of Elspeth to the incident can be a guage for the future I'll put her down for the high jump and the sprints as she jumped high and moved very fast. Perhaps a joint bath was a bit optimistic so soon.

The joint bath idea was purely to get them both into bed in good order so that we could have an early night... I'm sure we'll crack it soon...

We are now four

In the middle of the night Sarah woke with stomach ache... it'll pass.. I'm just going to walk around... minutes later "Mark can you get dressed and take me to the Hospital?" Barely 20 minutes on the Maternity suite and three became four. Jemima Grace weighing in at a healthy 7lb 14oz 13 days earlier than [meticulously*] planned and at a semi dignified 1.40 a.m.... just so long as she doesn't become accustomed to such times of the night as she enters the mid and latter teens it'll be fine!!

*by Sarah

The last week of

1) individuals as client’s rather than corporations

2)haggling for a few pence more to help offset the interest the Claimant will be paying on the interest on their legal expenses insurance loan
3)driving claims forward and being proactive rather than reactive

4)objecting to so called experts who always come down on the side of the Defendant

5)fighting the injustice of the system

6)nagging clients pestering me for their money

I might be proved wrong of course…

Eureka

Not an exclamation of revelation but a children's museum in Halifax. Travelling on the clearest day for a while the views down the valleys from the M62 were stunning.

Wow, fun galore, a little over priced, although perhaps this impression was only formed after Elspeth was muscled out of doing a lot of the activities by some boisterous and frankly rude, beavers, cubs and brownies. 1st Cottam somewhere in Lancashire, so much for “Akela we’ll do our best”….

What little Elspeth could do before the swarm of light blue jumper brigade squeezed, pushed and bullied their way en masse like a plague of locusts through each zone she enjoyed. Multiple pictures of her and Michael playing in the garage area, sat in cars merrily turning the steering wheel on stationary vehicles.

I don’t recall being so badly behaved as a cub…

Snow in the Garden

It’s been a while since blogging… it snowed on Friday evening and so on Saturday we tried to fashion a snow man in the garden. I’m not a snow expert but the snow wouldn’t stick together. Elspeth suggested using sellotape and glue, she accepted that it wouldn’t work so we just made a few small snowballs and threw them at Sarah and played on the slippery climbing frame.

The birds can now eat their fill as the feeder is refilled.