Marie's Web Log

As I write this, it is 11 pm and the wind is howling through the line of poplar trees that run along the little paved area at the end of our driveway and down the street that runs parallel to our house. (You can see from the photo in the previous post below that the house is in the middle of a group of three. As you're standing looking at the house, there are six or seven garages to your left that belong to our neighbours and other houses on the estate. To the right is a small brick wall with an opening to drive through, leading to the road with the poplars on one side and a longer row of terraced houses on the other. Apparently the whole area use to be a playing field.) The wind often roars through those trees, and in the morning we find the front of the house littered with quite large bits of sticks and branches and many, many leaves.

We took Amelia to the doctor today because we thought she had an ear infection, though it turned out she didn't. Then she fell over and hit her head on the pavement. She can run quite fast now, but is still not that surefooted when the ground is uneven, as it often is here. In two weeks the health visitor from the doctor's surgery at which we are registered is coming to see us. I like the concept of health visitors - when a new child moves into the area, they come to your house and explain all the services available and discuss any concerns you might have.

Amelia will soon start going to the University of Exeter Family Care Centre two days a week. It's basically a day care centre - I took Amelia up on Tuesday to have a look around. They have quite strict government inspections and regulations for childcare in the UK, and the whole routine they have established at this centre and the learning opportunities arising from it seem very good. And the staff were lovely. Amelia seemed to like it - I had changed her diaper and was busy packing up, and when I looked around she had sat herself down at the little table with the other children who were getting ready to have their snacks.

Still not sure what to do about Halloween. There was an article in the local paper tonight about a new "no go" area being put in place within the city, just in time for Halloween and Bonfire Night, to combat potential vandalism and thuggery. This will be an area in which the police will have the authority to move along any "group of two or more people" who look like they might be getting ready to cause trouble. Apparently the police give them maps marked with the area to which they are not allowed to return. I don't know whether to laugh or cry! The most, er, interesting part is that the area shown in the paper is just across the main road from here - I hope the groups of two or more people don't decide to come over here instead. (This is all related to the ASBO thing I mentioned in an earlier post.)

Greetings to all.