The boiler is in pain..

It happened again. The heating has died, just in time for the predicted cold snap, so we are all freezing. It was working fine this morning, woke up toasty, fed Lal in a nice warm kitchen. And then there was a noise. A loud screech. For some reason, I decided that Lal was obviously having trouble pooing, and the extraordinarily loud screech had come from him. When it happened the second time, I decided it was the cooker that was about to explode, so turned it off at the plug. Third time.. heating.. ran upstairs, the boiler (that was serviced yesterday) was making odd labouring type noises and emitting the screech every 25 seconds or so. Not one to worry about sparks igniting possible leaking gas, I got the portable phone and rang the Homecare people. The number was helpfully stuck on the front of the boiler otherwise I'd never have found it, and I'd be writing from smoking rubble. The ever so helpful operator told me to turn off the boiler (and explained how) and said that the engineer would come back tomorrow between 8-1. So we have been very cold all day, and all night, we have half a tank of hot water, so we all smell, and I can't do the washing up. I am obviously very sad about that.

Lal took possession of his brand new, well second hand ebay Teletubbys today. He's not quite sure what they are, and can't understand how they can possibly be in his hand and also on the television. I'm pretty sure he thinks they are part of an elaborate dream, so keeps hiding them. I've located Po in the washing basket, Dipsy under the sofa, La-La in the hole in the grandfather clock.. Tinky Winky is playing the hide and seek game very well, and I've no idea when he'll turn up.

He is now walking fairly well, but still only to me.. I am still having to crawl backwards on my knees so he can try to catch me. It's not doing the old bones much good.

What else? Ah yes. He escaped again this morning. G's fault for leaving the prison doors open. He did an entire rampage that took me an hour to clean up. Top effort went to the tub of sudocrem.. it's everywhere, and due to its water resistant qualities is impossible to clean off. I've ignored it in the hope that it'll have magically gone when I wake up tomorrow.

I think that has to be it for tonight, I'm off back to Church for an hour again - it's the true meaning of Easter you know, but I promise not to lecture! We are taking both the children tomorrow, it'll be Lal's first solemn Mass, I'm thinking of getting some tranquillisers for him.. It's also G's first "fast" day, she is allowed to eat plain food, but no deserts, crisps, juice drinks etc. She's looking forward to it, no idea why. It's hard!

One final thought.. why is it schools never change? She came home yesterday with marks all over her blazer.. leaning back on a radiator and got chewing gum stuck all over it. Marvellous. For some reason I thought that freezing the offending item would unglue the gum. It didn't. We ended up with a very cold, very solid blazer, with chewing gum stains that refused to budge. It took 2 hours and a metal nail file to get it all off. I hate all chewing gum, blazers and schools. And radiators. Especially ones that don't work..

K x x