Feeling better

This headline sums up this week's top accomplishment: everyone is feeling a lot better than this time a week ago. Most importantly, Parker turned a corner on Sunday afternoon (as usually happens not long after I take him in to the doc) and by mid-week was back to his old self. Actually quite a bit better than his old self as he seems to be learning at last, at the ripe age of 17 months, to sleep more solidly and consistently than before. This may simply be because Karen & I were so knackered last week that we dusted off the 'cry it out' Ferber method, turned of the baby monitor and just let him holler -- and it seems to have worked.  Hallelujah, may it endure. Sadie's also healthy again, back in school, ballet, etc. Only Karen's not 100% there, still battling a sinus infection, but she's close.

Thus mostly restored we've spent some of our newfound energy trying to get a little more moved into our flat. This meant some purchases from Ikea and eBay, quite a bit of flatpack assembly work for Andrew and Parker (not always the most efficient team), and discussions about curtains and a faux fireplace. So far we have a new TV to show for it --which does not yet work -- as well as new dining room chairs and some toy storage. I wouldn't call it a total transformation but it's feeling a little more lived in.

We even got out a bit over the weekend -- to ballet; two teas with friends (on Saturday, Big Parker and Anna and their 3 daughters; on Sunday, my colleague and neighbor Igor, his wife and 2 kids); and this morning a visit to the Science Museum and walk through Hyde Park in sunny, almost spring-like weather.