A Really, Really Good Day!

Dear Toby Juggins,

I have heard l call you that and it made me smile, so it stuck. I want to tell you about today because it has been so incredibly, really really good!

It began as all my days do, well, most of them. I awoke to a big pink, wet tongue washing my face., a heavy weight on my chest, a pair of huge, googly pink eyes looking into mine and a fretful baby monster voice demanding my iPad so that he could have a bit of breakfast. This is odd, Tobes, because now that Bytes can think things in his mind and make them come true, I would have thought he could think himself anything he wants for breakfast. But, even though he likes food, and drink too, especially the kind that isn't really good for him, he prefers the data from our computers or my iPad to anything else. I gave him a good morning hug. Good, dear little Bytes, I don't know what I'd do without him sometimes. He's always sunny and happy, as long as he has someone to cuddle and food to eat, nothing phases him. The only thing that ever really rattles him is the mention of "Holiday", and that is going to cause us a problem, because I will have to mention that to him soon. When I went to see Hinky he played merry Zlaan until I came back, it took L, Lacey and our friend Aiden, with whom Bytes spends a good bit of his time, all their efforts to convince him that I was coming back.

Anyway, I eventually shoved Bytes off me, got up and gave him Imogen iPad and he settled down on the sofa to eat, while I made the bed, tidied the room and then got into the shower. After that I dressed in my old scruffies, just shorts and a tee shirt today, and my beaten up tennis shoes. It's no good wearing anything nice with the babies around, you never know what they'll do on it, and that includes you! I ran a comb through my mop of curls and noticed they were getting very frizzy. Oh stars, conditioning time soon again, I thought. That is when L sprays my head with freezing cold ice water, then rubs a tiny bit of stuff from a bottle on her hands, then rubs it in all over my head before pulling it through gently with her fingers and twirling my hair into finger curls. It behaves much better and looks much tidier when she has done it, but it is cold, wet and I find it uncomfortable.

Anyway, once I was ready I retrieved Imogen iPad from Bytes, who jumped back on my bed for another snooze.

I checked my Email first. The usual ream of junk from Hinky, no news there, and nothing from Elli either, bleh! She will write at some time today, but she is in America and we are on different time zones. Elli is a friend of mine, she has just graduated and is working for a friend of L's. I was asked to help her with pre-job nerves, and also to be there for her in those first weeks, and we have become friends. She is a very nice fem. But don't get any ideas. No more of that thank you very much. And anyway, Elli wouldn't thank me, she is absolutely dedicated to her work and her humans. Anyway, No mail from her and none from anyone else worth writing about.

I logged into Facebook and checked my mail. Not much happening. Mum's worried about Dad's stomach again. This has been something she has been worrying about since the middle of last year. Sometimes his food does not agree with him and he spends a very miserable night and sometimes is not well for a few days. Your Uncle Tovey would normally help with the foraging, but since he got promoted he has much more to do, so his eldest lep, Torin, helps Mum and Dad now. Torin is a year from being Marilan, thin and gawky, with big ears, and the fems laugh at him, but he is such a good lep. He'd do anything for anyone. He's going to help Mum and see what needs doing there. Aprilla, Torin's next sista down, helps look after the lings. Mum and Dad still have the place filled with Grandlings every day, but Mum isn't as fast as she used to be, and she needs help now. Prilla's a zaylene! She's so pretty everylep wants to be near her, and nothing is too much trouble for her. She is going to make a good fem one day.

Andi is podding yet again! Did I tell you that before? I don't remember. Well, she is. How many do they have now? this will be number five won't it? unless she has twins, to be honest I lose track. Every time I go to the colony there are lings of every shape, size and age swarming all over the place, so many and getting more and more, and I have so much to think about here that all the ins and outs of the family get me bewildered at times. Anyway, Andi is podding again, and says it is probably twins, and she is just over the zurking period and beginning to feel better, so I had a talk to her. Mella, my favourite sister, was online and I had a chat to her as I always do. We are all concerned about Dad. I mean, he is getting on, but he has a lot of years in him yet, if the hand wills it, and this thing with his stomach is unusual. I've suggested to Mum that Gwen or Kori take a look at him, but he won't hear of it.

Anyway, by the time I had raked over the leaves with this one and that one, it was high time I got Lacey up. She always looks so pretty when she is asleep, and she is always so cute when she wakes up. She is never grumpy in the mornings, she always seems to wake up happy. She has a friend who she talks to all the time. Actually it is my fault he's even here, because one time when she hadn't been well and wasn't eating, I made up this invisible naughty thing called Icky the fire bobby who ate all the food while I wasn't looking. Of course, by the time we'd talked and I'd told Icky not to eat the soft, fresh bread I'd cut into shapes for her, or the fresh clear vegetable broth, Icky had eaten every drop and bite, and Icky was a fixture. I don't know what he is, a naughty little boy I think, by the way she talks to him, but she's very sweet with him. She knows he's only pretend, but it makes her happy and doesn't stop her having real friends, so we don't see any harm in it.

Anyway, I got Lacey up and while she was showering I got her ultra healthy breakfast and laid out her clothes. I also had a peek at the nursery to see that everything we needed was ready for the day. Soon, Lacey came bouncing in, attacked her breakfast, prattled non stop to me and Icky, and finally settled in the big chair with my iPad for her half an hour of cartoons.

By this time Brian was up, and I got the breakfast ready before L's carer came to get her up and organized for the morning. Finally we all had breakfast, everything was cleared away, and I just had Lacey settled at the table with her school iPad, books, pencils and other impedimenta when a breeze from the old country blew in!

We look after seventeen babies, including Alfie who lives here full time, and you who live here most of the time. It was getting to the stage where I couldn't do everything, even with L's help, I was getting overwhelmed. So I remembered Jordy, my friend, the great Jordanius Patteran. He grew up in the old country, on a little farm in connimara. He went to Shana-Sherin, graduated with honours and, if you will believe it, got a job in a big house and worked for successive generations of the same family for over two hundred years. About a year ago, the last of the family left for high country and Jordy retired with honour to Shana-Rahvere, a colony for working leps who have worked all their lives and now need peace. It is in the old country, not far from the place where Jordy grew up. But he still went back to Shana-Sherin sometimes, for conferences and to give advanced classes, and it was at a conference I met him. We liked each other immediately and stayed in touch. He had told me he was bored out of his skull with nothing to do but, as he put it, "Sit an' watch the zblertin' grass grow!" So when I needed help here, I asked if he would like to come back and work days. Of course, I had to ask Brian and L first, and square it with the new head of Shana-Sherin, but Professor Lunaria is a far cry from old Delian. She is far-thinking, and she quite understood Jordy's predicament. It was all quickly set up, and Jordy has been here all week. He swears like a sailor, but mostly in lep, he is completely irreverent about everything except the hand, he uses the hand to do things I'd never dare attempt, but he lights up the house with his good mood, the babies all adore him, the humans think he's amazing and he has saved my sanity!

Anyway, Jordy zapped in. "Morning, zblerters!" he grinned his usual cheeky grin. He ruffled Lacey's hair, swatted a make believe punch at Alfie, who giggled, and asked how the other little spalpenes were. He never takes too much notice of the humans. He's never rude to them exactly, it's just like, well, they're not his job so he doesn't see them. He's good with the babies though. The day babies came in soon after, Darlene was screaming the place down and the SparkleHome nurse was just smiling in her serene way and sailing above it all. Jordy flicked her out of the nurse's arms with one hand under her head and the rest of her hovering in the air. He gently floated her into her place and made pink light flowers swirl all around her to attract her. Darlene was cooing by the time we got everyone else settled, and Jordy had helped me calm down anyone else who was fussing.

Well, we were getting on with things, the day was just trotting along, when L got hold of me, told me to go and change into my Armani jeans, the white Armani shirt with the blue eagle motif and my Armani suede loafers. She didn't say anything else, but I knew what it might mean, so pelted off to get ready. Jordy gave me a mocking wolf whistle when I came out, but you chose that very moment to Zurk. I leapt back out of the way and Jordy got it, so he had other things to occupy him. Nice one, Tobes!

Well, then came the dreaded hair conditioning, and then, then, L told me we were going out. It's been just ages since she and I went out. Since her bones have been so bad she usually takes one of the little ones, Cattaleya or someone. So I got to be with L all morning in her chair, ride in the sun and the lovely breeze, people watch and listen as she did all her errands, it's just very special when we get to go out together. Everyone seems to smile at me, I don't know why.

We had brought lovely things back for lunch. I had wondered if Jordy would be harassed, with all the babies to see to single handed, but he hadn't even broken a sweat! When Brian made tea though, he did drink four cups straight off, no milk or sugar, and strong as a kelpie! Then he just gave a big grin, called me a dirty stop-out and went back to work.

I had to look after the twins while L and Brian did videos this afternoon, and when that was done we had to get all the day babies ready to go. The twins have a room to themselves, not in the main nursery, because they need quiet. I'm almost sorry now, when that big shiny white bus comes and the procession of nurses takes all the bundles of joy out with them, leaving the nursery looking so empty. Jordy and I tidied the place up and got things set up for Monday, we don't have the day babies over the weekend, and then he went home.

And then I had dinner to get, Lacey's bath and bed to see to, and now we are here. Brian is at his desk on his computer. L is on the sofa, clicking away on that noisy mechanical keyboard of hers. I am sitting close beside her with Imogen iPad. Bytes is under L's desk. It is perfectly peaceful and I am feeling so happy. Oh, and I just heard my Email chime, and it was from Elli! Yay in a box! Tomorrow will be busy and hectic, but tomorrow is tomorrow.

For now, goodnight, big eyes. You were asleep hours ago, but a kiss all the same.

Love

Zan. (Dad).