July 2006

The first draft of this BLOG (the one before this one, as you see it now), was written at 12.15 am. (Yes, that's am not pm!) and even though my contracted hours are through the day, sometimes it feels as though I am always on duty - so to speak.

Last night I had the joys of a maddened rush from my children's school to home, via a fellow Apprentice's house for a caffeine fix, to spend 30 frantic minutes making tea, emptying smelly lunchboxes and getting changed, whilst listening to three different accounts of a school day.

This is a normal 'after school routine' for me but it is usually stretched out over about an hour and a half. However, I have just started a new course "An Introduction to Youth and Community Work", and so from now on, I can usually be seen power walking from Laycock to Braithwaite, in under 15 minutes, with protesting children in tow.

Anyway, after I had returned from my first session of the aforementioned course (which incidentally, went well), I then spent approximately 12 minutes in my living room getting a full report from my children's babysitter, before one of my neighbours called at my house asking if I would take a look at his one year old son, as he had fallen and banged his head. Going into "I've attended a first aid course" mode, I went to have a look (more for reassurance I felt). Lo and behold, when I arrived, the child in question was clearly undisturbed by his wrestle with the wooden arm of the couch and was doing laps around their front room, leaving a trail of dribble and clearly in no need of medical attention. I felt there was nothing I could do other than give reassurance that he was fine and suggested ringing NHS Direct, if anything should occur through the night. I thought that that was that but it didn't stop here, but for the second instalment you will have to wait until next month!!!!