Saturday morning, 3.41 am.

Strange time to be up. I can't get back to sleep. Got to say I'm tired, tired, tired of Daniel waking up all night. And lately Peter can do nothing for him in the middle of the night. Also, I collapsed in various places around the house between 8pm and 10pm before finally giving up and going to bed, so my sleep clock's probably a bit confused by the early night.

I'm very glad this week is over. It was the first full week of the kids' July holiday and we were going to go away. With some family complications on the home front (all resolved now), we couldn't. So, despite the fact that it's sheer madness from a work point of view, I'm taking next week off. I feel pulled between work and the kids. But now that Robyn is at school (Grade R, anyway), we can't just take a week off any time it suits the work situation. We pretty much have to take a week in July, and three in December/January. In terms of school holidays, that still leaves a few weeks of school holidays where we both have to work, but what with a few sleepovers with grandparents, and a couple of holiday-club-type things (I'm so glad I'm mornings-only now), we get by ok. But no way can I let the kids' July vac go by without some uninterrupted time with me.

Peter may or may not join us for part of the week. He had things well organised to take this week off, but had about four projects for which he was needed next week. So it looked like it would just be me and the kids.

Then tonight he came skipping in the door and announced that his projects are fast disappearing off the immediate horizon. Owing to deadlines changing, and other people being on leave, three of the four have temporarily vapourised! Yay! He's cautiously optimistic about being able to join us after Monday! Personally, I'm not getting my hopes up. From past experience, it's unlikely to happen. I've waited for Peter to get away from work and join the family holiday more often than I'd care to remember. He'd love to join us. Somehow it often doesn't work out though. It'll be lovely if it works out, in which case instead of day trips with me and the kids, we'll try and get away somewhere.