Waiting..

So I'm waiting for a new washing machine to arrive. Our old machine has done us proud for the last 6 years or so only breaking down at Christmas (grrr...) but we decided not to renew the insurance in October and that when it broke again, that would be it. Goodbye Margherita.

Last week, she stopped mid-cycle still full of water. So it's byebye Ariston, hello Bosch! Should be arriving fairly soon.

Had a great Christmas and New Year - had a few bugs and coughs and colds leading up to the season but during the festive fortnight itself we all managed to remain fairly well. Started Playgroups again after new year and Zachary immediately picked up a cold! It's those other children!!

Zachary has now discovered how doors work which is great but also means we have finally had to child-proof all the kitchen cupboards we don't want him in - like the ones containing the bleach...plates and bowls... It came to a head last week when I was trying to cook with Zachary crawling round the kitchen. I was stopping him opening the cupboard I was stood by, had the bin in front of another couple, a chair in front of the sink cupboard and a random stepladder in front of another. Now all he can explore are the cupboard with the baking trays, the one with his plastic bowls and cups in and the cupboard containing a myriad of dried goods.

Last night Zachary's explorations included emptying the plastics cupboard, finding and then trying to kiss his reflection in the patio doors and fishing a potato out of the vegetable basket and trying to eat it!

I'm in the kitchen now..sadly I thought I'd sellotaped up the stuffing box well enough, but FAIL. Just seen Z pouring stuffing in a little pool around him and then swish it across the kitchen floor...

Washing machine just arrived - it's this one. Hurrah! We can be clean again.