Momentous day today. The keys for our Montagu Square flat passed into our hands. The sale is complete. Sadly we have to wait another 2.5 months before we can move in, but being landlords is the next best thing. It's quite exciting to think that the process can now exclude the agents and solicitors. Although I will not rest completely easy until the former-vendor-now-tenant moves out in January, not given her flaky history anyway.

Yesterday was momentous too. I stroked a tarantula. To be fair this wasn't a brave and adrenalin-ridden moment. As mentioned, I have a phobia only for leggy speedy house spiders above a certain size and a tarantula is much more reminiscent of a lazy hamster. It was amazing to feel how warm and soft it was though; I almost felt affection for the thing, lounging in its keeper's palm. Almost, I said.

Finally decided to spend a few days in Shropshire last week and am glad I did. It was good to visit Oldemor and Nanna (though both visits were fleeting) and spend some time with my folks and Sven & Charlotte. I was annoyed to sleep badly because of an irrational fear of spiders. I'm okay in the cold light of day, and below a certain size they don't bother me at all, but the monsters that roam around my parents' house I would prefer never to set eyes on, yet in the space of 3 days I met 4. All in my bedroom. So somewhere between sleep and wakefulness I would shiver awake, covered in sweat, wondering what had just brushed over my face. This led to exhaustion and a frustrated feeling of being like a 10-year-old.

I got a few little breaks from the kids but still find myself fighting the age-old expectation that being at my parents' house will be a big relaxing break, when constant surveillance is still required. It's a big treat not to have to deal with the kids' meals though, and to have help with the bedtime routine, and also a treat to watch some cross-generational bonding. I was a bit shocked to find Jody quite badly behaved for the duration, given how good she is when she's at home. I have to put it down to over-stimulation and too many sources of attention, and hope she'll grow out of it soon.

Very much enjoyed seeing progress on my parents' new house which has now reached foundation level. Surprising how small it appears when the only thing visible is the footprint. Very hard to believe that the next step is the wooden frame. It's been thought about and talked about for so long that it's amazing to see the plans made real. Can't wait for progress over the coming months.

Got caught in post-accident traffic on the return trip which stretched the normally 3-hour trip by 45 minutes. It's fine for the kids since they spend the whole time snoozing in their seats, but my sciatica kicks in after about 2 hours and makes the last half excruciating. I'm sounding old again.

Miles is definitely on the verge of walking now. He's toddling around quite confidently and resorts to crawling only for long distances. He even ventured onto his feet in the playground for the first time on Friday, which is progress where it's needed most. My fears for winter-time muddy knees might yet be unfounded.

Had a nice corporate lunch (ahem) with Suzie and her kids at Wagamamas on Friday. Jody and Miles loved the noodles and were perfectly behaved for the hour or so we were there. The only real problem is that by the time I've got the kids set up with their food, my yaki soba is stone cold. Good to see Suze though, who I haven't spent time with since the end of summer.

Went to a kids' halloween party on Saturday at Jane's. They'd gone to great lengths with the house decoration, with shiny spiders hanging from the ceiling and spooky music and lighting. We struggled temporarily to keep Miles from escaping out onto the mews, but eventually confronted with a plateful of party food, he settled down and both kids had a ball in their Woolworths outfits. Lovely to see Teresa there for the first time since her exit to Wandsworth. The twins are obviously thriving in suburbia though I'm not so sure that she is.

And then yesterday I finally bought another pair of jeans. Not the same style but almost as good. I'm already monitoring a suspicious patch on the mid-thigh even though I haven't worn them yet. I'll be almost tempted to patch them up though, if they develop a proper hole. The returning thing is wearing a bit thin, if you'll forgive the pun.

I've done loads of catching up this week, and not just with my sleep and equilibrium since Saturday night. Rowan visited on Monday, Bern on Wednesday and on Thursday night I met up with Rose, Sam and Jen G at the Golden Hind in honour of the latter's brief interlude in London. Sadly I cancelled my visit to Jerome and Miranda's on Thursday because I didn't want to be held responsible for passing on any germs. Jody and Miles both have snotty noses and I have a nasty sore throat, neither of which would be well received, I think, by the mum of a 2-month-old. It's really lovely to see old friends though, and something I don't really get the chance to do much in this new[ish] world of being a mum to young children. I see loads of people every day but they're mostly recent friends who have kids of their own. We meet for play-dates in the park. We sit on the bench by the sandpit talking about new teeth and sleep patterns. We see each other at weekends for brunch or childrens' parties and, if we're really lucky, our husbands will look after the kids while we go for a run together, or we'll get the chance for a really good chat while the kids get distracted by new toys at each others' houses. Meeting pre-children friends is a rare event, partly because we're so busy prioritising the kids themselves (and can't easily - or cheaply - get rid of them for a few hours), and partly because we're so exhausted in those free moments that the prospect of going out and partying with people who clearly have a whole heap more energy and less responsibility is not all that appealing. Better to flop in front of a DVD and get an early night ready for the demands of the next day. I've been shocked over the last week to discover that it's been 2 years - often more - since I've seen people who I regard as good friends. 2 years. It's been amazing to catch up and I've had some lovely afternoons and evenings this week, but it makes me sad now, that although I'd like to make the effort to do it more often, I know that in reality finding the time and energy to do so is going to be difficult.

Maybe I'm just getting old. I feel old, when it takes me a week to recover from a good party. It doesn't help that Miles woke at 5 this morning (having already been brought into bed with us at 3:30, 4 hours after I made it to bed). It doesn't help either that I'm fighting this throat thing. But it still amazes me how wiped out I feel after a handful of routine-breakers.

We've decided not to go up to Shropshire until Sunday night because of one thing and another. We were going to spend the weekend doing a lot of driving and mostly rattling around in an empty house, so we thought we'd better stick around here and relax a bit. I'll drive up on Sunday night with the kids instead, and stay till Tuesday, which will give me just enough opportunity to see Sven & Charlotte, visit Mormor and let the kids do some grandparent bonding, but not enough time to get under anyone's feet, I hope.

Miles needs to show off his new trick anyway. He can finally point at his nose when you ask him where it is. He points at his nose when you ask him where your own nose is too, but at least he's getting familiar with anatomy. He said 'car' yesterday too, when showing me his new blue VW. It doesn't cease to amaze me how natural his desire is to play with toy helicopters, trains, trucks, diggers and cars, when his sister was interested in bracelets and dressing up and stickers and dolls. Luckily Jody balances her girlish tendencies with a healthy interest in worms and muck, and an impressive aptitude on the vertiginous playground equipment.

I'm getting too old to feel the way I felt on Sunday. My stomach was still doing somersaults at 4pm. It was the single shot of tequila that did it, for sure, not the barrel load of red wine. Tequila is always a bad idea and I protested my hardest but was successfully coerced into it by the 10 other people partaking. Error of judgement that.

I was so drunk I spent a lot of time dancing (I can't dance) and singing (even though I didn't know all the lyrics). Yes I'm one of those drunks. Better than running up the hill barefoot I suppose (less subsequent thorn-pulling, anyway). And to be fair it was a fantastic evening. Loads of lovely people to catch up with (many of whom I haven't seen for 2 years or more), some new acquiantances to make, and a very happy couple to congratulate. What better reason to celebrate?

Before the merry-making we had opportunity to go along to our old flat for a cuppa with the new owner. He had recommended the kitchen designers I met with last week, and wanted us to see the fruits of their labour. It wasn't to our taste at all, and seemed to make an already small kitchen appear miniscule, but the build quality was reassuringly high and I am doubly motivated to follow up the company once we receive their quote. I also managed to drag Roj to the shoe shop to help me choose a pair of black boots. I walked away with brown ones which was good enough for me. And then we had a very nice couple of hours with Will and Pippa and their girls in Regent's Park, where Pippa talked enticingly of the millinery course she's going on later this year at the London College of Fashion. If I thought it was possible to be happy with a week of full-time childcare I might be tempted but it's something that fills me with dread so I don't think I'll be making any hats this year, sadly.

Off to Shropshire this weekend. A couple of days (hopefully) with Nanna followed by a couple with my parents and Sven & Charlotte, who are visiting and who we don't often see more than once a year. Meanwhile both Bern and JenG are in town so I'll be doing some catching up with them, as well as getting shot of all Miles's baby clothes to Jerome & Miranda's new baby boy. I don't like to admit to how emotional it was this morning going through all the bags in storage. The further I progress beyond baby days, the easier it is to forget how special they are, but the well-worn mini clothes serve as a pretty potent reminder.

The designer jeans saga continues: On Friday I swapped the second holey pair (and 3rd overall) for a 4th (without trying them on since I had both kids with me), but didn't really like the fit when I got them back home so decided to go and exchange them again on Sunday. There was only one pair left on the pile in my size so I took them into the changing room and discovered on trying them on that although they fit perfectly they had a suspicious hole in the knee. Yes, Selfridges had (by accident they claimed) returned Pair #3 to the shelves. To be fair, the manager to whom I explained the situation was visibly embarassed and very helpful but with no more suitable jeans in the stockroom I was forced to get a refund. The worst part of it all is that I'm back to the staple Gap jeans which fit apallingly in comparison, and just hoping that Selfridges restock quickly or that Roj's [& my] potential trip to New York happens soonish.

The weekend was ok otherwise, despite Miles developing a nasty cold and Roj being away on a non-competitive teambuilding exercise or some such nonsense until the early hours of Sunday. We went to a party on Saturday which was all about stopping Miles from launching himself down the stairs or playing in the restaurant's kitchen (my only 5 minutes of calm occurred when both kids hid themselves under the low tablecloths; it was only upon closer suspicion/inspection that I realised that Miles had found a dried-up trodden-in food morsel to pick at (and eat), and Jody had emptied a sachet of artificial sweetener onto the floor and was dipping her licked finger into it and eating it. Lovely).

Miles was then so troubled in the evening with his cold that he spent most of it on the sofa with me (sharing my pasta) and I subsequently got so involved with the 3D kitchen design tool from Alno that I stayed up until about 12:30 mocking up our future kitchen so was only just brushing my teeth as Roj got back home. I paid for it later in the weekend with a great big burden of tiredness.

We went to another kids' party on Sunday in a garden square where Jody got some butterfly face painting and was able to run riot without anyone really noticing. Miles managed to shove a whole chocolate truffle cake the size of a large tomato into his mouth in one go and spent a good five minutes with rivulets of dark brown all over his chin and hands. Delightful. I followed the party up with a good 3.5-hour stint in town the upshot of which was the credit for my jeans and a bagful of kids' clothes. Big wow.

I skipped swimming yesterday because of Miles's cold and was glad to do so particularly since he spent 2.5 hours asleep while I continued my kitchen planning. I've discovered with saddness that the choice of eco-friendly floorboards available is ridiculously slim due to a shortage of suppliers. Some retailers are clearly more concerned with making an attempt to achieve high eco standards, but even Kährs can't offer more than 6 options with the FSC certification, only one of which is wide and none of which are bevelled. Having already dismissed an original kitchen design which incorporated the tropical wood wenge, I was quite keen to continue the quest for a more environmentally sound solution and was disappointed to find the derth. Try harder, wood people.

I have two big appointments with kitchen designers on Thursday to discuss my plans and get quotes. One is fairly mainstream off-the-shelf and the other is a local company which source most of their stuff from Germany. I have no idea what it's all going to cost or where the issues are going to lie but will be fascinated to find out. I can't wait to get some input from someone other than me on this project and start feeling like it's all a reality. Just hope our flooring samples get here in time to make an impact on the decision-making.

On Monday Miles pointed at the window in the bathroom and said 'wimwo'. It was too obvious to ignore. He's been saying 'hello' for ages, and 'up' when we go up the stairs, but I still feel that he's not really talking, since these things come and go. He's getting very good at using a fork or spoon with his food, although the spoon turns as it goes in his mouth and often ends up spilling its contents down his front. Yesterday he very helpfully stuck his feet over his head while lying on his back so that I could get his nappy under his bum, then put his bum down again for me to do the nappy up. Soon I'll be getting him to do it alone! He's such a sweet-natured little guy, which is just as well because his size would mean that he otherwise might be seen as a thug. He'll pucker up for kisses all day long and often just climbs on top of you for a cuddle. Jody was always too busy to be affectionate at this age so it's a stark contrast. He's 18 months now and still not choosing to walk. Each day he takes more and more tentative steps around the sitting room but as a mode of transport he thinks it's overrated. Mind you, he certainly enjoyed pushing little pink dolls' pushchairs around the church square yesterday while we waited for Jody to finish her ballet lesson (this time decked out in the correct spangly blue lycra outfit). It's good practise because the pushchairs aren't heavy enough to be much support. Proof that he can do it if he puts his mind to it.

Designer jeans? Forget it. I returned the replacements for the pair which got the hole, because they were definitely too tight. Clearly I've put on weight in the last 4 months - hooray (not). I got a nice new pair which I really like and which have, this morning, developed a hole in the knee. While it is in a slightly more expected place, 4 days after buying them is altogether too early. I'm starting to wish I'd just fixed the original pair so I didn't feel so much like a Selfridges yoyo. Back this afternoon for a 4th pair, methinks.

Jody went to her first ballet lesson on Tuesday. On the way over I was having an internal battle about how unnecessary a thing it was to put her into ballet classes and almost convinced myself not to continue with it even before we started. But seeing how absolutely transfixed she was throughout the whole session, and watching her listen intently to every instruction and get stuck in put a little smirk on my face for the entire half hour. I'm used to Jody being a bit manic and flighty so to watch her absolute concentration (mouth wide open, tongue hanging out) on the art of running around the room on tiptoes and flapping her fairy wings, was charming. She was even one of the few to get a good-behaviour sticker at the end of the class and a couple of mentions during it, which made the parent in me very proud. She didn't stop talking about it all the way home either and has asked me each subsequent day whether it's ballet today. I don't think I'd get away with cancelling even if I wanted to but my opinion has been completely reversed anyway. If only the uniform wasn't so dayglo blue and lurexy.

Miles didn't have so much fun this week since he went in for his measles jab yesterday (I'm doing separate ones for him because I've done them with Jody and don't see a reason to do it differently. I don't think there's any real issue with the mmr, but I do think it's an awful lot of vaccine for a little body to take all at once so spreading the jabs out over 3 years makes more sense to me). He didn't even flinch when the needle went in but today he's very floppy and limp and crying a lot and has, perhaps, a small temperature. He's not supposed to suffer the effects of the vaccine for another 5 to 10 days but it's got to be the reason. I'm just hoping he manages to sleep it off and that it's not the prelude to a week of fever.

I'm trying to make progress on the kitchen design but am finding it quite hard. I'm enjoying looking through catalogues, but finding a definitive design to go for is impossible. There's too much to choose from and too many layout options. I've done plenty of Which? research to find the right appliances but I'm still struggling with colour schemes and unit styles. It doesn't help that Roj and I are disagreeing on every single tiny decision. It feels like I'm wading through mud at times and yet I have to make my mind up as quickly as humanly possible (as I am frequently reminded), given that we will want the work done in January. I find it amazing that you buy a house (probably the biggest investment you ever make) on the basis of a couple of 10-minute visits and it's almost as bad to choose a kitchen based on a few little 10cm by 10cm catalogue pictures, hardly a visit to the space it's going into, and your mind's eye. I thought it would be a pleasure but it's certainly tainted with the weight of responsibility.