Just for future reference and baby's first year books: Cubling decided to reach three milestones in one day, today that is. Her interest in ripping apart newspaper made her pull herself up to standing, after starting the day by sitting up herself for the first time. I was very surprised about the standing bit, because she still tiptoes and I thought it would take her a good while yet. She's also discovered the skill of dropping items intentionally.   more »

O-Tone of Ryanair attendants: "Now sit back, relax and enjoy your flight."

Lol. Hysterically.

Admittedly, an insider joke for parents of 8 months old babies... So for everyone else, suffice to say that the flight only took 90 minutes, but it seemed an eternity. Cubling bounced incessantly, stretched herself like a starfish, pulled my left neighbours hair with such dexterity that it was beyond my abilities to prevent it, ripped the newspaper my neighbour behind me was reading, and generally managed to have a party on my lap which resulted in a severe backache the following day. Just upon one of those bumpyclosetocrashingRyanairtype landings, Cubling succumbed to sleep. I stared in disbelief, and woke her five minutes later when there was no further delaying possible and we had to leave the aircraft.

Other than that I felt strangely at home on the no leg-room, no-frills airline. I even almost enjoyed the ellbowing for a place in the queue so that we could sit together as a family. There was much frolicking when we discovered various well-known faces of other Kraut-Weegies who had also yet again given in to low price and convenience. All the while humming going home for Christmas and the wheels on the plane go round and round...

Now here's a riddle.

Cubling and I are in Germany. It seems it's fallen to me to cook Christmas dinner but only found this out today. Why has the honour fallen to me? Possibly due to Cubling being too young to cook, her granddad not being able to cook and her dad, well, likewise, apart from delicious stir frys I should like to add. By the way, I'm not exactly the greatest cook either, remember those raw goose drumsticks three years ago??? How did we not get ill? And what chances does Cubling have given those genes... . Anyway, where was I... Christmas dinner, which, in Germany, is in fact Christmas Eve dinner because the Christkind comes on the 24th and that's the way things are done here.

There is no traditional German Christmas dinner, and I can't think of making one up which would fit the qualifiers of cheese free, red meat free, and yummy. The traditional British Christmas dinner would fit the above qualifiers.

Turkeys, even if small, take 2 days to defrost. If very small, 24 hours may just about do the job.

We visited friends today, all day, two days before Christmas Eve. Tomorrow is Sunday and shops are closed on Sundays in Germany. The first shopping opportunity will be 8-11 hours before dinner is to be served.

Cartside is panicking and browsing the internet for inspiration and recipes. Maybe I should start a campaign for Sunday shopping in Germany. Maybe I should cook lots of Gluehwein and hope we all get drunk before anyone notices the lack of Christmas dinner. I can't possibly try goose drumsticks again, I'm sure my family would rather starve.

Help!

On the eve of our Christmas trip to faraway lands of Christkind rather than Santa, the Blog From a Baby as well as Cubling's attempts to feed mummy and daddy have made me review the whole weaning adventure so far.   more »

Now that Cubling is getting daily more proficient in mastering the first gear, even occasionally switching to second, night times are a new challenge. Mind you we had one night where she slept until 4am, not a cry or a whimper, just like that. Needless to say I woke up every 2 hours, sick with worry and needed to check she was still breathing. It was a one off though and we're back to teething and frequent night wakings accompanied by the pain version of crying. Poor soul. Now that she can crawl, she'll crawl as soon as she wakes, bumping into the bars of the cot. While before, she would often go back to sleep by herself after a minute of two of sleepy crying, now she wakes herself up properly, or rather, she gets stuck in a not so sleep inducing position which needs parental repositioning abilities to be remedied.

I can't wait until she can pull herself up and will spend the night standing.

When travelling, she now doesn't necessarily sleep in the car. She now sleeps when it's nap time. Which is nice, because it's predictable and allows planning each day. But it also means she won't sleep if it isn't naptime, and car journeys aren't exactly the stuff of excitement, so what does the bored baby do? Grind teeth. Hm.

My relief about the cancellation of Rahila's deportation was premature. She is still in the UK, but has been moved from Dungavel Detention Centre to Yarls Wood - which is in England, near Bedford. She was moved without prior notification, so she could not tell her friends that this was happening, She was woken up and simply taken to a van, at 7am in the morning, and they arrived 12 hours later in Yarls Wood. Her case, in the meantime, is awaiting judicial review, which may take about a month. This means she cannot be deported in the next month, but may be deported if the judicial review is rejected/fails. During this time, she and her 4 children under 7 could be released on bail, if two guarantors are found who present at the detention centre and have a significant amount of money as a security.   more »

When I was pregners sitting in the day care centre for monitoring (as they do with heavily overdue mums to be), I was forced to stare at a "babies don't come with a manual" advert. Daft I thought, of course they don't. Nine months on, yes, the length of pregnancy (except for me that is...) and I'm still bewildered by how often I need to ask really simple questions, because, frankly, I don't know.   more »

As you can see, I loooove being online again so here's a second post for today. I forgot to say that Cubling delights in taking off her socks. It was bad enough before she discovered this skill, now it's virtually impossible to keep her socks on. Unless I spend all day putting socks on baby which isn't really an option. I can see a winter of tiny cold feet.

And, just in time for the weekend, I've just had the most amazing good news I could have wished for. Rahila is not going to be deported on Monday. Manic work from her solicitor (she's lucky to have a good one), the Unity Centre, Positive Action in Housing and Save the Children has paid off. For now that is, it's not all over by all means. For now though, a massive rock has fallen off my heart and I just don't want to imagine what it means to her and her four children.

Cubling is all smiles too, seriously. Oh better put her dinner on before she notices it's teatime...

Hey, I'm back online at home, so can finally resume blogging and surfing and all that. I hope anyway, still waiting for an unexpected glitch. I don't know where to start surfing after having been without home access for about 3 weeks. You see, I'm good like that, don't do private internet stuff at work really. A much needed Cubling update, much shorter than I like, but time is tight before Xmas, and she develops at the speed of light: We've found the first gear.   more »

This is urgent, and I can only ask everyone who reads this to copy the text of the letter below, change it if you like, and fax it to the Home Secretary. I know Rahila, she is a victim of the asylum process. Her claim should never have been refused. If ever someone needs protection, she does, and I fear for her life if she is to be returned to Pakistan on Monday.

Please please help.

 

The Secretary to the Borders and Immigration Agency Board

Rt Hon Jacqui Smith
Borders and Immigration Agency
Apollo House
36 Wellesley Road
Croydon
CR9 3RR

-by fax: 0207035 4745-

 

URGENT

06^th December 2007

 

Re: Rahila Azam and her 4 children, Home Office reference number: A1346141

 

Dear Home Secretary,

 

Please allow me to bring to your attention this urgent matter. Rahila Azam and her four children (6 years, and three under 5) have been refused asylum on grounds of credibility and are scheduled to be removed to Pakistan on Monday, 10^th December, at 21:00 hrs, flight PK786.

 

I strongly urge you not to let this removal go ahead as I am severely concerned for her safety if she is to be returned to Pakistan. She has suffered severe forms of domestic violence and neither her own family nor the government of her country was able to provide protection. If she is returned, she and her children are most certainly going to be subjected to severe bodily harm or worse.

 

I understand that her claim was refused on grounds of credibility. It is always difficult to evidence domestic violence and the lack of protection in one’s own country, however, Rahila Azam is a very quiet, humble and extremely shy person who rather understates the suffering she has experienced. She would never have chosen to leave her family and country, leaving behind another two children, if there was any way she could have been adequately protected in her own country.

 

Both she and her six year old daughter suffer from serious medical conditions which are currently treated in the UK. A removal at this point would harm both their health.

 

Rahila Azam and her four children are in urgent need of protection. Please do not remove her to Pakistan.

 

Yours faithfully