Saturday was trip day for the Jumps, and we went to Chirk Castle, which is in Wales. It’s National Trust which means we get in for free, and we don’t pay for parking. It also means you can buy tea-towels with maps on them, walking sticks and flat caps.

Chirk Castle is the last Edward I castle still lived in today (as you will know if you followed the link above).

[Historians look away now!] Edward I was the King who built loads of castles in North Wales - he spent £80,000 on castles in the 1280’s that’s a lot of money. The Main aim of the castles was to keep the Welsh quiet. They didn’t really think England was all tat great thanks, and much preferred the hilliness of snowdonia and the wild coast that was to become scouse-wales. Edward I (who was the fourth King to be called Edward) was recently voted 94th Greatest Briton - maybe because he conquered Wales, or maybe because he did quite a lot of law reforming.

None of that really tells you about Chirk Castle, except why it was built. As it is the only castle of that time still lived in, it doesn’t really resemble a 700 year old Castle it’s more of a stately home squeezed into a castle. It’s still very interesting and warm. unlike those ruined 700 year old castles. the Café is nice, and there where chickens in the car park.

New Camera

Really for us it was an opportunity for me to try out my new camera. The weather wasn’t great, but still we got some good shots. The zoom is cool; We have some fab shots of animals, the type you think you are going to take with your camera, only to discover you have a dot in the middle of a field of grass; well on my camera you get a full picture of the animal.

The Colours are really good to. It’s not until you get a decent camera do you realise just how over saturated some cameras can make photographs - of course this means I will have to start taking pictures of everything again. for one it’s 8 mega pixel which means good shots can be blown up real big and stuck on the wall.

I am a bit ranty at the moment, and for that I apologise. It’s getting less as the weekend goes on, but the weekend is coming to a close: maybe next week I won’t rant as much; I will at least try not to anyway.

We don’t actually shop much in the real ASDA. Daisy is at that age, where keeping her under control in the shops is more that it’s worth; so we do most of the shopping on-line. This week, through the usual reasons of busyness and tiredness, we hadn’t done an on-line shop. So I did a quick ASDA blast yesterday morning.

Now It wasn’t that long ago that we use to take bags to ASDA when we shopped. Trying to persuade the checkout assistant to let you use your own bags took some doing, there was no where to recycle the bags you did use and they would be positively throwing the bags at you as you packed.

Yesterday: Either the policy has totally shifted, or I got a fascist checkout woman. But when I refused to by the 5p bags-for-life, I nearly got thrown out the shop. I didn’t really see the point, we only do a real ASDA shop once every three months, and you can’t use them on-line (where they will happily use a bag per yoghurt).

Then I got told off for not filling a plastic bag enough. I rather foolishly thought it wise not to put fruit and veg in the same bag as raw meat. but apparently if I do insist on destroying the planet I should at least do it with ripped plastic bags and cross contamination of foodstuffs.

Going Green

The world does appare to be changing; where a few years ago we were collecting all our tins in boxes, driving to the back of an empty car-park and resolutely sorting out our glass colours, we can now get the council to do it for us. ASDA (and the others) are reducing the number of bags they use; which can only be seen as a good thing. It’s just we where somewhat bullied out of the recycling habit.

I suppose I should be happy, stop moaning and remember how hard it use to be - It’s my in-built dislike for being told what to do that’s making me upset. Next time I might just unpack all the food on the conveyor belt and carry it back to the car in my hemp ruck sack.

I know it’s beginning to sound like we rush our children to hospital at the slightest provocation, but Ruth has just taken Henry to Alder Hey with Croup.

I suppose once you’ve gotten one child who is susceptible you’re next isn’t going to have much luck either. Henry woke up about 20 minutes ago. with the same wheezy sound, We had a (very short) go at ignoring it - but it was obvious really. the hospital probably won’t call it croup. If only because he’s under 1. but hopefully they will give him the drug that calms it all right down.

I think if you don’t live 6 minutes from a specialist children’s hospital your doctor would tell you that if it happened in the night to do the steam in the bathroom / take them outdoors thing and limp on through, but - and I do feel a bit like I am defending it a bit; our Doctor and the ones in the hospital have made it quite clear you bring them in if they’re having breathing problems.

I just hope Ruth is as lucky as I was, and they will be home by 3am, but It is Friday night and while not many 3 year olds go out on the tiles. I wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t change the nature of A&E.

I’m going to see if i can get some rest, because It could be a long Saturday for some.

More nocturnal child problems. It was surprisingly short when you consider what happened:

Daisy woke up at 1am last night with nasty croup - it was fairly obvious right away it was a nasty bout. so by 1:05 Daisy and I where in the car.

1:15: In Alder Hey, trying to find £1.50 to park!

1:30: Daisy had the Steroid to ease her throat, it then takes approx two hours to work. they check the blood oxygen levels and then let you go.

2:45: Nurse is happy Daisy is now OK to go. I had to bribe Daisy to leave the hospital, we where in the middle of The Enormous Crocodile and Daisy was sad we didn’t have time to finish it. So I may have promised to buy it for her today.

3:02: Back Home, Daisy in bed.

All in all quite amazed at how quick it was: we’re getting old hat at it now, so we knew what was going on - that makes it a bit easier, but I think We still lucked out on turning up at A&E at the right time.

Our Daisy is a fickle thing.

Yesterday: “I love Aiden”

Today: “I don’t like Aiden, he wouldn’t let me play with his train set”