@Chocolatetrifle glad you got seen and got antibiotics, hope your DS is feeling better soon.
Thank you for the welcome @Motherofmonsters ! Good luck for the MOT. My car is also a bin on wheels although funnily enough my father in law has just shouted up to me asking where my keys are, I've a suspicion he's going to do something with the tyres but occasionally he will wash it when I'm here. God love him.
I'm trying to work upstairs at the in laws. I've started freelancing since DD was about 1, not full time just equivalent of about 2 to 3 days a week, we currently only have one day a week with childminder though increasing it to 2 in September, and the rest I squeeze in evenings/ weekends/ when in-laws are available and offer to have her which is usually Mondays about 11-4ish (so I shouldn't really be using the time on mumsnet but brain is fried so taking 5 mins). DD was a bit out of sorts this morning but seems perky enough now, can here her babbling on about raspberries downstairs.
Before DD I was an early years teacher (maybe to return one day?? Not decided) For a brief spell it looked like I would channel all that knowledge, enthusiasm and ideas into DD, we had a tuffspot tray, I made treasure baskets, we did messy play. It lasted a little while and peaked when she was about 11 months, been a steady decline since then and can't remember when I did anything with the tuffspot other than pour her hand me down and mismatched megablocks into it occasionally.
Wanted to take her to a 'baby splash' swimming session this week but can't make the times due to a smear test one day and waiting for someone to look at the washing machine the next. Oh what a fun week haha.
When it was really hot a few weeks ago I did have an inspired moment of making lots of different coloured and shaped ice cubes, froze flowers and leaves and stuff in some of them. Tipped them into her tuff tray with scoops and stuff. She glanced briefly at them before demanding to go inside and watch Puffin Rock and they kind of just melted unobserved in the corner of the garden. I might try freezing some toys or something in there next time. What really is a big hit at the moment is sticker books, I'm forever looking out for cheap ones of those.
We also have quite a few cheap bubble wands which were reduced in Asda, but that basically ends up being her screaming that she wants to hold it, me giving in and her pouring it all over the floor then crying that 'bubbas gone now'. So they weren't quite the investment I'd hoped.