Eurgh. How did I let my office space become such a mess? It's already taken me about 5 hours to sort it out, I'm not done yet and I still have the rest of the flat to tackle. How it'll ever look good enough to sell is anyone's guess.

That said, I've just had a quick peek at some of the property web sites for our area and there is nothing available. I'm being chased by estate agents already (word gets out quickly when you've got a property to sell in this area) but there's no point selling this without having somewhere to go to. I'm so desperate to move somewhere bigger that I don't want to entertain the idea that things won't go according to plan again. I crave a bigger kitchen - preferably one with room for a breakfast table; I'd love Miles to have his own bedroom; and most of all I want our kids to have proper space to play in (before M begins to crawl or walk). It'll happen one day but it was so tantalisingly close last year that I could almost taste it. I don't want to go through the whole rigmarole again and have it come to nothing.

In more exciting news, I can finally mention that Roj is about to move to a new job, since he handed in notice at Ernst and Young today. He'll essentially be doing a similar thing at a much better company (dynamic boutique bank rather than big mushy accounting firm) but he's looking forward to an increase in challenge, kudos and bonus payments. EY has been disappointing for the last many years so I'm looking forward to see him enjoy work again. We don't know whether he'll be made to work out his 3 month notice period, or whether he'll be put on gardening leave for all or some of that period, but to have the promise of something new and stimulating on the horizon is very cool.

What a fantastic holiday! Way better than I expected in almost every respect. Courchevel is an enormous resort but it was still pretty busy (to be avoided in peak season methinks). The only real negative about the snowboarding was that the last snowfall had been on the 17th January and by midway through our week, all vestige of fresh powder had been compacted making falls a little more uncomfortable. Certainly it's disappointing to see that one of the major European resorts now gets only one or two snowfalls a month. It makes us turn our minds to North America for next year.

Snow aside though, the resort had excellent pistes (if a little skier-centric with the number of flat track traverses) with hardly a lift-queue in sight. We had a guided day on the Monday which took us all around the Trois Vallées area but otherwise it was enough to stay within the Courchevel valley. Our lesson on Tuesday took us right back to basics - changing our stance to back foot negative to enable us to engage the heel edge better. Unfortunately back to basics also meant back to bruises for me (Roj grasped the whole concept with much more finesse) and I grappled with the new instructions right up until the last day. I certainly enjoyed being back on the board though, for the first time since early 2002, and after I tackled my technical rustiness and resulting aches and pains, felt truly liberated screaming down those reds.

The service in the chalet was absolutely amazing. Mike and Barb our chalet hosts, gave us perpetual VIP treatment: Cooked breakfasts every morning; tea and cake left out for our return from the slopes mid-afternoon; kids meals at 6; canapés and champagne at 7:30 and a 3 course dinner at restaurant standard, wine inclusive, followed by port and cheeses. On their one night off, the nursery nannies came over to babysit and we went out for a fabulous dinner at one of the local restaurants specialising in fois gras (let's not talk about goose care).

Jody and Miles were in their element. At no point did I feel guilty or anxious for their welfare. They both seemed to enjoy nursery as much as we enjoyed being out on the slopes and came back with heaps of art projects and mucky clothes as testament to their enjoyment. Jody got to build snowmen and go bum-boarding and Miles got a proper initiation into the world of solid food which means I can finally abandon the smooth fruit purées and start feeding him mushed-up versions of what we eat. Hooray!

Sleep was unfortunately not improved while we were away. The bed was uncomfortable and Miles was as hungry at night as he always has been so my energy levels were not at their peak. It was a little disappointing actually, to find how little I was able to do (in contrast to previous, fitter years) but most of the party took a half day off here and there, so at least I wasn't the only one feeling the burn.

One of the most enjoyable activities on just such a morning off was a tournament on Courchevel's 2km banked turn luge run. First we tried with the toddlers (which was met with tears from most and cries of "Again, again!" from Jody), and the following day the adults (minus pregnant Anoushka) donned helmets and goggles and threw caution and braking to the wind in attempts to be first to the bottom. After several 360s and one close encounter with a precipice from Sonia, we emerged sodden and iced-over and decided to return to the more serious game of snowboarding. As Indy said, it was the most fun to be had in the snow while not boarding. Very highly recommended.

Unfortunately Jody and the third 2-year-old, Kira, became sworn enemies just days into the trip. We think it all hinged around Kira's possession of Caitlin as best friend since she started the animosity by pushing Jody, which was withstood for about two days before Jody decided to get her own back. Exasperated (and somewhat amused) parents looked on as Kira and Jody would approach within an inch of each other and claim ownership over some irrelevant object: "It's my shoe!" "It's my shoe!" "It's my shoe!" on and on until a parent stepped in. Luckily it didn't often turn physical.

All in all I really enjoyed the break. I would have liked to make more snowboarding progress and I would have enjoyed feeling fitter and more capable on the slopes. I needed more fresh powder to cushion my bum when I tripped that toe-edge, but generally speaking I enjoyed it all. The group was great - Indy and Anoushka (who we hadn't met) are a lovely couple and I always enjoy spending time with Sonia and Martin (I will truly miss them when they disappear to Italy and then back to Australia in a number of weeks). The kids clearly had a ball now the oldest are at an age to prefer company their own age. And I have come back to London if not regenerated, certainly invigorated and with renewed enthusiasm for the tasks ahead; primarly getting this flat ready for a speedy sale (fingers crossed) this spring, but also more Ebay sales (after the boots sold at a very reasonable £43) and my Open University French course which starts this Saturday. Bring it on.

Keep me away from outdoor shops; they are dangerous places! We haven't had cause to go in any for a while, with the outdoor pursuits having been on hold, but this last weekend we took a trip to the outdoor heaven that is Kensington High Street and managed to spend a small fortune. In the follow up (finding the right snowboarding helmet in the right colour and the right size) I went down to Fulham yesterday to visit 47°, another shop with, as it turns out, a rather good line in extremely expensive fleeces (that I didn't strictly need but couldn't possibly resist). Oh dear. I have discovered that some of the new brands that have infiltrated the market in the last few years hail from Scandinavia and as such provide a much better fit for me with my medium body and silly long arms. Which is fab for everybody except my bank manager.

We also did another family swim trip on Saturday to keep the kids occupied and exercised. Unfortunately both have now picked up a nasty cold just in time for our holiday this weekend. I have high hopes that Jody will have mostly recovered by then but Miles has only just caught it and spent 2 hours of last night whingeing loudly (and eventually watching early morning TV with me) before he caved to sleep, so I expect his will be in full flow just as I'm aiming to get rested for the next day's snowboarding. I'm keeping them in this morning in the hope of a miraculous recovery.

Before the cold I did have a couple of reasonable nights with Miles though, where he went 4.5 or even 5 hours between feeds. Unfortunately once he's had one long break he usually follows it up with frequent feeding for the rest of the night but it's certainly a step in the right direction. I was even noticing an altogether less haggard face looking back at me in the mirror early this week although prematurely-aged Lara has returned with vigour.

Roj is away these next couple of nights and returns on Friday evening in the hope of finding everything organised for our trip. The whole packing thing is a bit of a challenge though, since we're aiming to get all our gear into two bags (not including the snowboard bag, buggy or hand luggage). I hardly want to try.

Very much looking forward to it though. Roj reports on the state of the weather in Courchevel about four times a day, and has diligently printed out all the piste maps and recommended routes for the area. Including all the scary black runs ('Ski-ing for Very Good Skiers') which I will be giving a wide berth for the first couple of days at least. It'll be great though. I can't wait for the exhilaration of travelling down scrunchy snow slopes at speed.

I am now into the last 9.5 hours of my Ebay boots sale. I messed it up the first time round and listed them at the wrong size, so I had to end the auction and re-list them. So far I only have one bid at my starting price (a meagre £15), but there are a few people watching them so I hope they'll sell at around double that. Which is a very small part of what I paid for them but much more than if I let them fester in our loft for any longer. It's fun but a little too engrossing. We're already compiling a list of other things to sell on our return. This will be my new day job, it seems.

Sleep deprivation continues apace. If you call a night good when you only have to get up 4 times to feed, you know things are deteriorating. This week has been exhausting. On the one hand a 9-month-old should be getting out of such frequent feeding and I'm wondering if it'll ever happen. On the other I know things can change in an instant and I'm very much the sort of mum who wants to let things run their course, rather than forcing a zero-tolerance regime to suit. Get on with it though, Miles!

He is almost slightly closer to crawling though, in a vague sort of way. For the first time this week I've seen him able to lift his tummy and upper thighs off the floor. He isn't bending his knees yet but once he tries that he won't be too far away. Also for the first time at toddler group today he clapped his hands. Progress indeed. Even the feeding is getting better. He's quite enjoying his Cheerios and little cubes of cheese, potato and banana but he's still adamant that all his spoon food is the smoothest of purées. I was hoping to break him of the habit before our Courchevel trip but it looks like I'll be packing the Braun Multimix after all. And a million pots of Heinz Simply jars. I don't mind this slow progression at all - there's no real rush - but watching all the other 8- and 9-month-olds at toddler group this morning consuming mouthfuls of orange, I was reminded that the convenience factor really does increase once you can pick and choose your consistency.

Jody is really enjoying her new class at nursery. She's still a little shy when being dropped off, but when asked whether she wants to go back to baby class she says "No, I'm a big girl now!" Roj took her over there for the first time yesterday and she spent the whole afternoon talking about it. A big thing in her little world obviously.

Another first this week was a visit to the Science Museum on Wednesday with Sonia and the girls. What a fantastic place! We spent about two hours in The Garden downstairs which is geared specifically at toddlers. Oversized foamy lego, pulley systems for beanbags and a very elaborate water play complex were favourites. And the whole experience was free! To be repeated often, we hope.

In adult news we are once again turning our thoughts to the sale of this flat. Spring is nearly here and the housing market picks up (or so they say) from early February. Much as I'd like to postpone the inevitable indefinitely, I'm aiming at a mid-February deadline to get the place in some sort of order. Which means once again hiding all the toys and finding new and unmessy ways to amuse ourselves (preferably far from the flat). What an attractive prospect.

Swimming again this weekend and possibly also some shopping. I have a growing desire to waste a lot of money on a pair of designer jeans instead of living in Gap jeans all my life. Not that there's anything wrong with Gap jeans, but it'd be nice to have a different pair for a change. I need to burst the bubble somehow, either by forking out or by trying on 10 different pairs and discovering that none fit, but my preference is definitely the former. Selfridges here we come.

Finally got the Airport Express sorted out on Friday (thanks for the tips Guru Dave) so we can begin the task of setting up inumberable playlists to cover every possible change in mood. Now there's a challenge.

Went for a family swim session on Saturday down at Queen Mother, Victoria. It's the best pool ever - really warm and shallow with clutchable sides and expansive steps. Jody can now touch the bottom on tippy toes, which she happily did (and refused a hand to hold) while the 5 and 6 year olds in arm bands clung to their polystyrene floats. Miles it seems is also a water baby. This was his first proper water session (not including the daily bath) and he was more than happy to kick, splash, giggle and even dive underwater. I might be right about Thorpe mark II.

The rest of the weekend was a rather aimless one. I got through a few minor chores and bought the last of our snowboarding gear. Roj allowed me a good lie-in on Sunday and made me feel bad with his situp and pressup routine as we gear up for Courchevel. If only my stomach muscles existed.

Having got all the gear we need, we are now just faced with the challenge of how on earth to pack and carry it all (along with two small people). I'm starting to get excited though, as well as nervous about snowboarding (the last/only 2 times I've been before I've done serious damage to my left wrist - am just hoping the new wrist supports will sort that this time) and about leaving Miles for whole days in the creche.

Meanwhile I'm trying my hand at Ebay selling for the first time in a while, as a prelude to (hopefully) sticking a whole lot of stuff up there in the next couple of months as part of the clear-up exercise we're obliged to face before my parents move house (and close down our free storage space) in the next 12-18 months. For now it's my second attempt with my first pair of snowboarding boots so keep fingers crossed that I can make my fortune. I'm doubtful.

I'm also awaiting delivery of our 5th buggy. Before we had kids I would smirk at the possibility that people could invest in more than one. Please feel free to smirk at me at will. On the bright side the acquisition of a Maclaren Techno XT should mean that I can bin the Maclaren Global (now almost in pieces), flog the Marco Sky L (tandem) and store away the Maclaren Volo (super lightweight). Which means that technically we will only have one in regular use (not including the Kelty 3-wheeler we use at my parents' house) and that the landing outside our flat will not be quite so much of a liability.

It's Jody's first day back at nursery today and she is now in the 'big class'. She had rare lack of confidence this morning as she went down there to meet her new classmates, but 10 minutes spent enthusing over the wooden jigsaws enabled her to relax. I then took Miles for his 8-month clinic checkup and was surprised to find a boy there of about his size. And we thought we were unique! All is well though. It seems that his leg oblivion is perfectly normal and he'll get round to using them eventually. When he isn't walking by 18 months, they said, they will start to check him out. Plenty of time to sit and chill then, my boy.

Grr. So much for the fuss about Apple tools. I mean I appreciate the lovely design and the job they're intended to do but having spent the best part of a day (and night) trying and failing to add our new Airport Express to our wireless network, the bubble has pretty much burst. I can stream iTunes to our speakers (as I'm supposed to be able to do) but only by creating a whole new wireless network with the AX (which can only be seen by my laptop, which doesn't contain my iTunes library) rather than adding it to our existing network as a client. Yes I'm a novice and maybe I'm missing something obvious but it should be easier than this, shouldn't it?

I'm all jungle-gymed out this week. Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday have all been spent at various softplay centres around the city, with or without other toddler friends for company. Wednesday was spent up at the Talacre Leisure Centre in Camden which also has a proper gym session for kids where they can try their hand at trampolining, balance bars and generally jumping from unfeasible heights into large pools of cut up foam. Very much fun, particularly when the latter has to be led by example!

Happy New Year! We saw it in at Sonia & Martin's with a handful of their other friends while the babes were sleeping peacefully in their guest bedroom. Fortunately I decided to start the drinking resolution early this year (after a rather indulgent Christmas) and had only a couple of glasses due to driving home, otherwise I would be feeling as tender as Roj today. Getting to bed at 2am (for the first time - due to partying anyway - in very many years) doesn't help but I got a lie-in this morning which has made me feel nearly human.

Miles is trying to crawl today. OK maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself there, but after several weeks being comfortable lying on his stomach for short periods, he is now eager to move around (to chase Jody or to reach for interesting toys). He only manages (by pulling or pushing himself) to cover an area of about 3 foot square and he hasn't worked out that he can get his knees under his bum yet, but it's a start. And it's the enthusiasm that counts.

I am ripping the majority of our CD collection today, having received an iPod Nano for Christmas. Our collection is miniscule but it's still no small task. I certainly don't envy people like Dave who has a mammoth collection of music (as well as a pretty new website). I am very much enjoying finally entering the world of Apple music tools though, and am beginning to see what all the fuss is about.