Thanks both. The role is a carer at a home for adults with learning disabilities aged 36-70, from Monday 8pm-Tues 8am so 12 hr busy overnight shift with extra if I want it. They are going to put me on a staggering number of courses and if I want, I can work towards an NVQ2 in care. Lovely friendly place, residents are lovely and staff seem very nice. Best of all, I can fit it around Joe-dh is going to be able to take half day on Tues so I can sleep. It means I can get the 300 hours work/voluntary experience to apply for the social work degree (and be paid for it 
) and I should be able to carry on working there throughout the course-they know what I want to do and are very supportive. I'm nervous-first time I'll have worked with women in 10 years(!)but looking forward to it. It's totally different from anything I've ever done but such a perfect step in the right direction.
Fidelma and littlepea I am alternating between loving J at this age and despairing of him. He is having massive tantrumy meltdowns-hitting, slapping, biting, scratching us. 
Inside it's ok, he gets a sharp no, time out on the big beanbag and ignored for a few minutes (which he hates) while we take a breather/check how bad the damage is (dh has some really bad bite marks). Outside it's hell, always ages from home and trying to keep him from harming me (because dh cops out and takes the car) while trying to walk home is not fun. I may start taking the buggy out again. How do you cope with outdorr meltdowns?
He made me laugh the other day - currently going through a challenging "I hate my bed, I don't want to sleep in it" stage. So I was there, putting him back in when he got out, over and over. He went really quiet at one point and I couldn't see him anymore. I moved the night light to look and he said "woooh, ghosty" - little monkey had worked his way UNDER the sheet! I got the giggles so bad, he is just so funny sometimes. His favourite thing at the moment is an empty squash bottle in which he's stuck a furry bookmark with a teddy bear head on the end-it pokes out of the top and he chatters away to it. It goes everywhere with us-we don't half get some strange looks. Today it and bottle went down the slide on their own 8 times, had a swing all of it's own and got to choose a dvd(Happy Feet)at the library.
Calypso Hope the feeding is improving and you are managing to get some sleep.
HC Don't worry too much about the speech. I have given up stressing about it, family seem to be doing enough for all of us. They'll go at their own pace.
Scout Have you left us again or just out there enjoying the wonderful sunny weather?!
Gotta go-dh in court tomorrow(immigration appeal work thingy) and I have to be at my new place of work at 8am to fill in all the crb forms. But dh is home at 6 so we'll actually have an evening together!