Categories: uncategorized
Date: 01 January 1970 00:59:59
until I had kids!
Now I not only need someone to remind me to look at the calendar, I need someone to remind me to write things on it. And when I've written the things on it, I need someone to remind me just precisely where I've put it.
Well, it was a nice surprise on Saturday evening to realise I had arranged to make a trip to the mainland the following day, and not the week after as I had firmly established in my mind. Hmmm... no tickets booked for the ferry, no food in the house to make a picnic, I was supposed to be doing the reading at church and... horror of horrors.. I would miss the Tesco man. Can you believe it?
We made it though, and it was lovely. Beautiful ferry crossing - I so love living on an island and I still get excited going on the ferry after 14 years of it! And the drive through the New Forest was spectacular, with the gorse bushes in full bloom and the young horses and cows cavorting merrily in the sunshine. I was tempted to take a photo until I remembered a friend's definition of a Grockle in the New Forest! We had fun driving over the cattle grids, though, and having our false teeth shaken out...... and singing "She'll be coming round the mountain" at the tops of our voices.
Great fun was had once we got there. We visited a lovely park for the meeting, had a meal in the restaurant, explored the visitor centre, played on the grass, and went for a lovely walk through the forest. Both boys climbed trees. I am so proud of Tiddles - he's now finally climbing fairly high and not quite so nervous. Not bad for a lad who was terrified of heights when I had him. Smudgelet has no such qualms - this time it was me, standing on tiptoe with my hand under his bottom, willing him to climb no higher as I couldn't reach to support him. Not that I wanted to stop him, particularly, but I didn't want him to end up in a mainland hospital - we'll try the falling out of trees trick when we're in the local forest, thank you very much.
Most magical moment was when Tiddles was collecting bark and sticks to make a woodland nature display at home. He went to pick up one rather attractive looking stick, and suddenly it moved. Yes, it was a snake. The boys were entranced as we watched him make his way calmly through the undergrowth. They were also fascinated by the anthills and the busyness of the massive ants there, until they started to run up their trouser legs!
Today has been another tantrum day - inevitable I suppose after the lovely day yesterday. My crime? I asked them both to do their homework in the morning (while I wrote reports) with the promise that as a reward for us all, we'd go to a mediaeval archery display at the castle in the afternoon. How could I be so cruel? Four hours later and he was still screaming and kicking and hurling abuse. I think the classic moment was when he shouted "You don't love me so I'll go to someone who does"...stormed out... slammed the door... strode over to my dad's... tried the door... found it locked.... and came back again! Luckily my friend was willing to take the little one off to the park for the afternoon so he didn't totally lose out. And T eventually calmed down, thanks to the wonderful old lady next door who took him off and gave him a drink and babied him a bit when I was just too emotionally drained to do it.
Reports got finished, though. Loud music played full blast through the headphones (thanks Chris) was enough to drown out the noise while I worked. Typical, I have run out of ink printing them off, but they are all finished. I must admit I have really enjoyed doing them this year. Partly because I had such nice things to say about the kids I teach, but mostly because I had so few to write. It was even nicer than having none - really emphasised the difference from two years ago when I was writing 360 !
Now for some Green and Blacks. Well, I reckon I need pampering :D