hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work he goes...

With the current economic climate, job-seeking isn’t easy, and we weren’t particularly surprised when Marc found it hard to find work. Fortunately we still have some savings left, and we have been using them to contribute to household bills and expenses at my parents’. We have also been able to claim Child Tax Credits, which took a long time to be processed, but were paid into our bank account this week.

However, Marc had signed up to a recruitment agency and a supply teaching agency, and tomorrow he (at last!) has his first day of work. It’s in a Middle School, this being one of the last regions in the country where middle schools still exist. They teach children from 9 to 14 years old (I think!) and he is doing general supply work, so not necessarily his own subject, Science. He’s a bit nervous about it, so if anyone sees this before tomorrow, please do say a prayer for him! You can think of Simon too, who isn’t used to his dad disappearing off to work in the morning – it’s been a long time since that was the case!

from here to paternity...

On one parenting website you can read a blog written by a new father. Usually it's very funny, this week's was quite thoughtful. My favourite quote about new parents was the following:

"We know the frustrations and guilt of trying to do what you're SUPPOSED to do and doing the opposite because that is the only thing that works." Oh so true!!

I also feel the same way as him about the bond to your own child being felt in your gut, not your head.

The rest of the blog post can be found here.

Simonese

There are lots of words which Simon pronounces like us, but here are a few others which make me smile:

"tripesy" for "stripey"

"pum out!" for "come out!" (at the end of a meal when he wants to get down from his chair)

"boy-ding" for Bob the Builder

"fanky much" or just "much" for "thank you very much"

And after "fleeping" all night, he gets up in the morning and helps Papa to make "polledge"

He also makes a classic mistake for a child learning French as a mother tongue, which is that because his Papa asks him "Tu veux que je t'aide?", if he wants help he says, "T'aide!" ... but also being an English-speaking Postman Pat fan, he then makes a different link and says, "Ted Glen!" the name of the handy-man in PP.

He also does a very good impression of Iggle Piggle from In The Night Garden ... but don't most two year olds?!

gone in sixty seconds...

The last three weeks have flown by in a blur of feeding, changing nappies and putting loads of washing through! Benjy is growing well and the midwife was very impressed by how much weight he'd put on when she saw him on Tuesday. Nights are a bit chaotic, and I am re-discovering the sinking feeling you get at 4am when after changing a baby who has managed to wet himself, his clothes and the changing mat, he is finally clean and dry ... and fills the new nappy, taking us back to square one! At least with a second child you know that this phase really doesn't last forever!

Simon is enjoying life. His language is coming on very well (in both French and English). He loves verbs, and telling people what to do, so we get lots of "Sit down!" "Close it!" "Catch it!" and of course the very independent "Simon do it!" We can have more coherent conversations with him now, exchanges where his side of things show real understanding, rather than seeming to be random replies to our comments. He likes to tell (and re-tell) stories about things that have happened to him, or books that he has had read to him. He is also a big Postman Pat and In The Night Garden fan, and does a good impression of Iggle Piggle (for those in the know!). He loves jumping in puddles, and we did well to buy him a pair of waterproof dungarees recently, although once his wellies have started filling up with water it isn't long before it rises up to his trousers anyway!

oh dear...

... Bedfordshire only has 5 days of grit left (maybe 4 by now!).

Our garden yesterday:

credit crunch

An interesting article from the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity about a Christian response to the current economic crisis:

Read it here

Benjamin Thomas Deneufchâtel

… was born at 4am on Sunday 25th January, weighing 7 lb 2 oz (3.25kg).

I am very thankful to God that my back stayed well right up to the end of the pregnancy, that labour did eventually start naturally so that I didn’t have to be induced, that I was able to stay active throughout labour and didn’t need pain relief … and most of all we are very thankful for the privilege of being parents to this gorgeous little boy!

Simon is fascinated by Benjy, and loves to stroke his head (“tout doux”) and give him kisses and cuddles. He was a bit unsettled by this huge change in our lives (an intruder in his little kingdom!) and was naughtier than usual last week, but he already seems to be adjusting to things.