Separation anxiety

Today is the Squirmle's first full day at Day Nursery. As this comes straight after his first two nights sleeping in a cot in his own room (instead of in a crib in our room), he is having a momentous time at the moment: not helped by his failure to shake off an annoying cough (which occasionally precipitates a monumental spew). The Squirmle seemed delighted on arrival at nursery; Mummy's separation anxieties were muted by the discovery that she could go back to bed again!

I hugely enjoyed reading G. G. Kay's The Summer Tree, and will try to review it on Library Thing before I have got too far through The Wandering Fire.

Recent LT position peaked at No. 393 (3,102 books).

I'll stop obsessing now

We have broken into the Top 400 largest libraries on LibraryThing, coming in this morning at No. 397 with 3,084 books catalogued. However, with other users frantically adding their books too, it has been like climbing a moving escalator. I shall therefore stop worrying about it now, and just accept that this may be the highest position we ever attain.

Dentation

The offspring is no longer edentulous. The lower right incisor has made its appearance, and (as I found out while attempting to get the blighter to sleep) is quite sharp. Trying to establish good habits, we have already introduced the little blue toothbrush. The Squirmle's diet has now been boosted by almost atomically small amounts of apple, banana, carrot, cauliflower, and pear, rasped or sucked off a large lump with apparent enthusiasm (and some gagging). Oh, and part of a till receipt that Mummy left in the pram by mistake.

First visit to the day-nursery today went well: only a few tears, rapidly quelled by the application of food and a familiar muslin.

Licking apples

Most people probably have their first encounter with solid food while sitting in a high chair in the kitchen. The Squirmle is not most people: he decided to make his bid for Mummy's apple while we were visiting Castlerigg stone circle. He had a good lick. We tried him with a whole piece the other day, and he sucked it for a while before getting cross and spitting it out. He's mouthed a bit of cauliflower too.

The week at the in-laws was actually fine, and he went in a big cot for the first time without apparently noticing the difference. But he's waking a lot now, and we think he's got teeth on the way. Oh joy!

Spurts of growth and action

I got through a whole shelf of SF and fantasy last night, and we're up to No. 423 (2,922 books).

TinyBookworm seems to be having a "growth spurt": grumpy much of the time, refusing to nap (no change there), very unsettled last night, and today feeding like a sumo wrestler in training. Next week at the in-laws is not going to be a time of unalloyed joy and relaxation!

Many Dimensions

Finished Charles Williams's Many Dimensions last night. A most curious book, in which echoes of Chesterton struck me strongly, as well as what seems to me the clear influence of Williams's conversations with Owen Barfield on his character of Lord Arglay (who is interested in the parallels of law and poetic diction!). But Arglay is also, in his bizarre intimate yet non-sexual relationship with his much younger secretary, also very much Williams himself: aloof, hieratic, paternal to the point of patronizing like Ransom in That Hideous Strength. Lewis is surely also in debt to Williams's Sir Giles Tumulty for many aspects of the suavely villainous Devine.

Rating on the Zeitgeist peaked at No. 443 (2,880 books), but will now slip until I get a chance to finish the bookcases in the back room. Last weekend was given over mostly to gardening: took out the less successful forsythia (too shaded) and moved the unhappy mahonia (not shaded enough) into its place, adding a stinking hellebore for good measure. Also stuck in some crocus and allium bulbs: fingers crossed for the spring.

...and counting!

No. 476 (2,717)

Bought two books this lunchtime at the Oxfam shop, and added them immediately!