Babyhood

So, at last I actually put my bum on the chair and write again! Can you guess what this month's lateness excuse is? No, I haven't been entertaining guests; the school fair and baking frenzy was over quite a while ago; no illness or act of God has prevented me from sharing the most scintillating details of my star-studded life with you. Quite simply, it has been extremely hot in the last few weeks, and as my computer is in a tiny room just under the roof, every time I came upstairs to check my e-mails I could only bear stay for five minutes until the sweat started pouring off me. Then had to run back down and put my head in a bucket of cold water! However the temperature has dropped to a pleasant 24°C today, which is much more bearable.

Now for some really big news... I'm going back to work in ten days time! I'm half-delighted and half-terrified. I've been offered the position of marketing manager (well, trainee, at first!) in a very small research company. There are only 4 others in the company and they publish a monthly report in French and English for the international cereal and grain industry. I was shocked they were willing to take on someone with absolutely no marketing experience, but they really need a native English speaker and my German will be useful too. Also, they will send me to Paris for a training course in marketing. I will have to spend a lot of time researching potential clients in the US, UK, and all over Europe and contacting them by phone. This will be a real challenge and a complete change of career for me, so I'm really excited about it.

The children don't seem to realise yet what it will mean for them, but hopefully it won't disrupt their little lives too much, as I will be working just four eight-hour days every week, and will be at home with them on Wednesdays when there is no school. I am going to work just two weeks in July, to learn about the company, while the office will be fairly quiet. P. and his parents will take turns to look after the children.

Then we leave for our two-week family holiday in Brittany. In August I'll go back to work, Pauline will go to a child-minder for four days a week, and Kevin is enrolled in a holiday sports and activities programme. Also, my father is coming to visit us for two weeks in August, so I'm really in for an exciting summer! I hadn't really intended go back to work until Pauline starts primary school in two years' time, but this was too good an opportunity to refuse. The main attraction of the job, apart from the salary of course, is that the office is very close to our house, so on fine days I will be able to bike or walk there. Also, the hours are very flexible, so I can still take the children to school in the mornings, and their daily routine won't be changing very much at all. At lunchtimes Pauline will go to her childminder's house and Kevin will eat at the school canteen. I have signed up for a three-month trial period, so if it doesn't work out, if the children are unhappy, I can easily quit. But I'm feeling very optimistic... I haven't told P. yet that he will be in charge of all the housework and cooking from now on!!