Bobbins @RobF@mastodon.social

So yeah, might get some help after all here now. Signs are good.

Just an incredible turn around with folk fighting our side and reassuring the worker that we put the graft in and then some, and letting me know they had our backs.

I'm not going to pretend it's necessarily going to be less stressful from here on in but I'm hopeful now at least. It seems to have got things on track.

Was saying to the eldest yesterday we'd probably have to hold out to the first round table when all the people we've got involved would be in the same place. Figured there was no way whatever yesterday's nonsense was could survive how much work we've put in but I've learned never to underestimate how much 1 person can unravel with some determination.

Anyway. Didn't get that far, it seems.

That and saying the school had no evidence of the youngest being on the spectrum which is odd given I've been talking to the head about it for a year now and the head's been educating the teachers on what to do during a major meltdown. Aside from that, I suppose.

Wake me up next year or something.

First alarm bells came when chatting about the youngest having nightmares in the run up to the one year mark - perfectly normal stuff, considering - and they're like "...so I told them maybe go to bed without your tech" and yes, that'll fix it. If we take away all the stuff that works to keep the kid chill, everything will be fine. Not that the youngest is going to take any notice of that anyway, they're not daft.

Eurgh. Step down meeting earlier, not getting the best vibes from it. They had no idea about my health as an opener and it just went from there, really. Can feel this one isn't going to do what the social worker had hoped to arrange - red flags for trouble ahead agogo.

Hopefully when we get the first full meeting it'll course correct but first vibes are "here we go again"

Aside from being tired (and I can't pretend I'm not worried about everything going to shit thanks to the thieves who make up our government too) - I am surprisingly okay myself. Obv. I miss Em but I'm just focussing on the kids and doing what needs doing, being there when I need to be etc... Tiring but that's kinda the point of being a parent so, it gets done.

Moaning a bit now just to get it out tbh.

Everything has been so unrelenting for so long now, I'm perpetually tired. Up most of the night for when I'm needed and napping when the youngest is at school so no wonder. Just trying to be there for the kids and whilst the social are out of our hair, we've got the team we agreed to as a step down starting this week.

I don't mind them being involved but the timing is really bad for the kids! Lots of associations and that to set them off.

Coming up to a year since Em died.

I'm doing fairly okay with it but the kids are having it rough - youngest has been having nightmares, the eldest has a lot going on anyway and they're doing their best to stay chipper but, basically, they're dealing with a lot beside this so it only goes so far.

I've ended up spuffing a few hundred I shouldn't really have spent on distractions for them because tbh, how the fuck do you deal with this? Have a fluffy toy or whatever.

Watching a video of someone flicking through a magazine. This is what I do now.

Hah, Jason Kingsley's just turned up with a chariot.

Really enjoyed watching that again, it's just nice. Lovely sets, quarry shots when needed, all the good stuffs.

The final third does struggle to hold it all together on occasions but considering the budget this would have been made on, it's a great job regardless. Less good than fantastic isn't so bad!

I would watch an entire series of the adventures of Arthur Cavor and chum in a heartbeat.

Part the reason I treasure this so is because it's all shot through with such a deep love, not just for the story but for gentle British SF that only seems to exist in Who on occasions now.

Obviously it looks nicer than a sixties production but everything is so obviously a set and deliberately so. It's magical.

The magnetic boots gag that keeps going is ace.

Rory Kinnear makes such a great straight man, whether it's here with Gatiss or alongside Steve Delaney in Count Arthur Strong. Almost a bit too good at it!

Lovely in this though, Gatiss gets to do his best film pastiche routine and needs someone around them to ground things or things would get kinda farcical. Instead it all ends up wonderfully sweet natured.

Oh yay, didn't know the Gatiss First Men In The Moon is on Britbox. Probably because I can't find anything on there unless I search, admittedly.

Still! That'll do me tonight.