Paul Davidson
Weeknotes 048: I can’t remember how to disintegrate anymore
I’ve had an inexplicable grump running for the duration of this week. I’m not ruling out the cricket as the cause. But otherwise, an unidentified churl is a precursor to me working out what’s actually bothering me.
Sunday was supposed to be my lie-in and I wasted it with an inability to sleep. Knackered, we set out. Everyone in Newcastle had the same idea. About once every 15 minutes we bumped into someone else we knew. Piglet did well with the many cuddle requests from—in her eyes—strangers.
Her reward was to play on the Quayside summer see-saws and the Baltic’s senso room. She all but popped with delight at the interactive LED wall before claiming a toy car as her own and trying to do off with it.
Bank Holiday Monday meant I could join the girls for tumbles along with every other dad who was off for the day. Piglet’s nursery cold was developing nicely and there was liberal need for the hanky before the ball pit. As befits August, it was too mizzly to stay out and we headed home for the girls to nap while I caught up on these.
We managed to get back out to Seven Stories in the afternoon. Which included an unexpected interactive story time. A determined, if sheepish, Piglet went to the front to get her finger snapped by a crocodile hand puppet. She’s getting better at interacting with the other kids too. Covid’s high tide receding.
By that night her snots had reached critical mass and her nostrils were no longer useful. Overnight comforting was back. We’re out of practice. How did we / will we cope with the bad nights?
We’ve read her books to her enough times that she can “read” them to herself. With the right sentences for the page. It’s like those old magic tricks where horse could “count”.
It’s official. I’m going back to the office. They want their stuff back by the 20th or they’re sending round the heavies1. I’m ambivalent at the moment, but we’ll see how I readjust. Friday Night Steak Night softened the news.
By Saturday Piglet’s nose was clear and she was up at 5.45 to let me know the good news. Hey Duggee helped me by babysitting while I nailed coffee and whimpered. Caffeine is a wonderful mind-altering substance though, and we were down playing with the blocks not long after. She’s playing with them now too. Not just smiting towers for upsetting her love of a horizon. An afternoon was notionally spent in shops. But was actually spent on the escalators.
Emailing me with my manger on cc.↩︎