By Thursday I was clinging on to sanity with the thought of, 'its Friday-my-day tomorrow', no work, 2 children safe at school .... mmmm....
A well planned out Friday-my-day starts well. Children deposited at the required schools. Off into the 'village' to do the fruit & veg shop, and most importantly purchase the flowers for the week ahead. How I love buying my flowers....
Zoe who runs the flower shop told me the proper name for these, but I cannot remember it. To me they are always known as little rude boys, a name given to them by another florist I used to frequent years ago....
Here are the cheeky little chappies greeting everyone in the hall ....
And Lily's. I love lily's in the Dining room. There is little risk of pollen damage because of all the wood, and they always look stunning against the dark grey wall.
Then I popped into town, to pick up a few art & craft supplies, and some gifts. A dear friend is having a birthday soon, and whilst we don't usually buy for each other, its been such a long time since we have had a get together, I wanted to give a little gift to let her know her friendship is still valued. So it was off to the handmade chocolate shop for champagne based chocolates with a lovely lip balm for her, and some manly chilli chocolates for G for fathers day. Utter joy/torture depending if its a day when I am 'dieting'....
Tired from my retail therapy I pottered home, wrote out the supermarket list ready to do with little Miss, whilst the 8 year old was at cubs later; sat down with a cup of tea, and shut my eyes....
To be awoken with a phone call from G (still in the Alps). The 8 year old has bumped his head. Would I go & collect him from school? Pants I thought (or words to that effect), its 2.15pm -he finishes school at 3.30....
Dutifully I go up to school, expecting one of his legendary lumps/bumps/full face grazes. To find a lump no bigger than a squashed pea. A 'touch of the dramatics' his teacher pronounces to me (& I am quite sure I saw her roll her eyes) - 'oh no ' says the 8 year old ' I keep getting a flashing pain across my eyes' ....
Here lies the problem. If I say ' your fine, you can stay at school' & something truly horrible arises, then they will not only say 'bad mummy, but also '& she's a nurse too...' If I say come home, I am I being too soft, and letting the 8 year old get away with dramatics (in the teacher eyes)?
Using my mummy assessment skills (rather than nursing ones) I decided to test the severity of head injury by saying ' well it doesn't look to bad to me, but if you are feeling really bad, come home with me now but if you do there's no cubs tonight'. My rational? not well enough for school - not well enough for cubs, (& the 8 year old loves cubs).
I was outfoxed. 'I'll come home' said the 8 year old. Who promptly recovered the minute he was through the front door & wanted to go on the DS. 'No', I said, 'DS's are bad for head trauma's - mummy's a nurse, I know all about these things' & glared, just in case he decided to point out that it wasn't really the sort of nursing I did....
3.15pm pick up Little Miss from the infant school. Go to Sainsbury's with two children. Keep calm whilst Little Miss starts the 'I'm not looking at the chocolate mummy' (said repetitively) routine in the chocolate biscuit isle. I am not going to give in to a 5 year old chocolate terrorist.
Try hard not too laugh when she says loudly 'the winkies are winking a me' & give in & buy a packet of winkies.
Winkies - Chocolate teacakes - a named set in family stone - so called as years ago my dad consumed far to many whilst doing a DIY job for my Nana. His explanation was, that they kept winking at him to be eaten ....
Saturday saw a trip to MeadowHall (known locally as MeadowHell) in Sheffield to try on bridesmaid dresses for the 5 year old. Grandma came along for moral support. I am proud to say I winged more than the 2 little ones put together, it was far to busy, big & vast for me. This was until I spotted Paperchase. Instant recovery (now you know where the 8 year old gets it from).
Oooh look, yummy frivolous things to show G, who was finally home ....
And these, lovely cheery, happy bright pink cake stands for a little less than £12 pounds. Unfortunately G doesn't share my enthusiasm for them....
But they were put to quick use as the neighbours decided that Saturday night would be a good time to have a communal Chinese Takeaway - so out came the Winkies & Angel cake, to be admired by fellow female neighbours on the pink stands....
With G back, a relaxed social evening in the front of the houses, neighbours all together, small children playing without scratting, harmony was finally restored....
& G got to enjoy breakfast in bed this morning.... (Sailboat napkin by the 8 year old)
Love Lydia xx
Love Lydia xx
I try and shop with just one child, or none, if possible, so much less temptation that way!
ReplyDeleteI see we both managed to buy cake stands this weekend that our partners weren't keen on, yours are fab by the way. I think cake stands just aren't a man thing!
Lisa x
I did have to have a little laugh when I read the bit about your 8yr old. It sounds just like something that would happen in our house! I got called to the school a couple of weeks ago as little one had been sick. It was 2pm so I asked if I could take the older one blah blah. He wasn't happy as he was missing PE, and the younger one who had been sick got in the car (I had laid towels down, had the bowl ready) and he declared he was hungry!
ReplyDeleteGosh, it's all go up there!!
ReplyDeleteI used to love neighbourly get togethers, of course that was many years ago when my 2 were young!! Wedding plans are moving along very well. My daughter seems quite calm about the whole thing, thank goodness.
Take care
x
I can remember getting a phone call from the school with my eldest (he was about 15 at the time). "Ben has hurt his leg, can you come and pick him up". Me: "not really, can you not just send him home?" "No, not really". Lot's of huffing and puffing from me, I don't drive and it was one hell of a walk. It turned out he'd dislocated his knee, now that's what you call a bad Mum lol!
ReplyDeleteHope you're well
((hugs))
Beki xxx
Such a lovely post, great to catch up with you. I'm glad all is going well.
ReplyDeleteI think we all have a child who instantly recovers once taken home from school and/or is ill at home, has to have the day off and is as bright as a button from then on. Such is life.
I LOVE the cake stands...yummy.
Have a great week xx
My daughter used to collect "bump notes" when she first started school - she was very proud of her collection. One time I had to fetch the young man home as he felt sick. He lay on the setee expecting to watch his favorite dvd's, but I made him watch Changing Rooms and all the day time garbage that was on. Next day he was desperate to get back to school - he said that being at home was far more boring! We call in "Murder Hell" and I hate it if I ever have to go on a weekend, I love the cake stands and I wish I had your sociable neighbors - ours are a right dull bunch, apart from one lot, and they are a bit toooooo lively!!
ReplyDeleteAh now but winkies are good Scottish fare so it's compulsorary that you eat them in my honour ;)
ReplyDelete