Noises off

So it has been - and is still being - half term this week. Half term and school holidays can be the nightmare scenario for small businesses with child juggling thrown into the mix of keeping the business on a steady course.

This week has lived down to expectations with one animal crisis, one sleepless night - and numerous interruptions just when clients are getting to the crucial bit of a phone call.

Jac had taken the girls away to her parents for the weekend and wasn't coming back until Monday evening, so it was my turn to feed the rabbits and open up their run first thing on Monday morning before starting work.

Now it had been down to minus 6 centigrade on Sunday night and the garden looked lovely, white and frosty. Unfortunately it had proven a little too much for one of our rabbits and so the week got off to a pretty horrible start with me finding Billie dead in the bottom of the hutch with her sister Millie jumping around and sniffing and poking away at her.

It wasn't a total surprise - Billie has been losing weight for a couple of months and has had a couple of trips to the vet for different treatments. She just wasn't a very strong rabbit and it seems the freezing night and her own weak state did for her in the end.

The rest of the day set the tone for the week with the sound of Rory and his mates playing cricket (in February!!) just outside the window - alternating with Wii sports played to much mirth and at high volume.

Tuesday was a day away from the office so not a problem, and I just gave up early on Wednesday and took the kids to the Tower of London instead - great fun, but no money earned!

I spent much of yesterday and this morning on various interview calls - interrupted every so often by Sophie with an urgent question or piece of information....well, urgent for her. She seven, bored when I'm working and can't understand that when the office door is shut it means I'm working and not to be disturbed. it's not an ideal situation - and somehow she thinks that half-term means my holiday too.

This morning's had the double complication of the morning after the sleepover before - I think it was about 2.15am when L-B and her friend finally quietened down a bit. at least it meant two of the four kids in the house stayed quietly asleep until noon today!

Anyway, I suspect good working time will be scarce this afternoon - so I'm just going to go with the flow and be Dad first, and the writer and editor way down the list of priorities.