Categories: uncategorized
Date: 01 January 1970 00:59:59
Well, it's been quite a weekend. Quite a weekend. I survived it OK (will I survive the next?)
Santa didn't survive it, though, poor chap. He's a crumpled wreck. He's travelled about in the boot of my car since Christmas. A chap at Dad's church loaned him to the boys - a huge polystyrene Father Christmas -against my wishes. (He finds it hard to take no for an answer where the boys are concerned, this chap, and seems oblivious to my rather heavy hints that he should be a little less OTT towards the kids - I may need to be blunt soon). And to top it all, he asked the boys to really look after it because he wanted it back. So, it sat there, untouched, for five months, me working round the blasted thing so's not to damage it and hoping to bump into its owner so I could give it back. Then I ask the boys to tidy the back of the car and they, without thinking, throw the booster seat and a pile of books into the boot, straight on top of poor Santa. I must do something about these non-Christian thoughts I have from time to time.
The Easter Bunny did OK though. The boys carried out what has now become a family tradition, instigated by Tiddles four years ago. They build a tent in the bedroom using my clotheshorse and blankets and towels. They did a beautiful one with a sign saying "Welcome Easter Bunny". Mind you, the poor bunny has to wait until midnight when they're both fast asleep, negotiate the books and toys on the floor, get the door of the tent open, place the basket in without demolishing the whole structure, close the flap and leave, all in pitch darkness, without waking the boys. Good job it's the Easter Bunny who does it and not Mummy because she really wanted an early night.
Easter Day dawned bright and early - well, it hadn't even dawned if I am honest. We got up and donned two of everything and set off to the recreation ground for a sunrise service. And lovely it was too, apart from the bitter weather. Hats, Gloves, Scarves - to no avail - we were frozen. I had to play the accordion as the musical accompaniment to the singing and my poor fingers were like icicles. It was only as we were driving off back down the hill that I realised I hadn't even noticed the sun!
On down to church for breakfast. And a veritable feast it was too. Mind you, I was in the kitchen working my passage - serving cooked breakfasts and then washing up and washing up and washing up. Still, at least I didn't have the breakfast dishes to do at home but somehow it was small consolation. It was fun, though, as we have a good little team. Most memorable moment has to be when we lost the sausages. A tray of forty hot sizzling sausages and they were nowhere to be found!
Home for a nap - well, the boys managed a nap, but I was a bit busy because nobody had remembered to tell us we needed to take a small posy of flowers each to church with us. Then off we went back to church for a super Easter Morning service. Tiddles did his first REAL Bible reading - spot the mummy with a lump in her throat! He read beautifully and was so pleased to have been asked to do it.
After lunch came Dad's baptism. Hmmm.... it's difficult to describe how I felt or how it went. In some ways it was difficult, in others lovely. I am still unsure of his motivation, and feel very uncomfortable in the company of this group. But Dad is old enough to make up his own mind and I went to support him, not them. The best moment was when he came out of the water and I enveloped him in the towel and was able to dry him tenderly, like drying the Smudgelet - to sit at his feet and dry them and dress him - the sense of saying by my actions "You are my Dad and I love you and I'm here for you". The worst moment was when I was cornered for a "chat". I am not knocking their beliefs, but I can't cope with their way of talking - a sickly sweet voice like a tellytubby talking in Christianese, not listening to what I say or actually conversing. It was nice to sit and watch the children have a swim in the pool afterwards but I was not heartbroken when the bbq started too late for me to stay with the Smudgelets.
I had yet another potentially embarrassing encounter with the Tesco man. I cannot believe this! I was so tired, I sat down and Tiddles offered to massage my back. I slipped my top of so he could use the oil, and what happens? The doorbell rings and Smudgelet shouts "It's the Tesco Man". He'd only arrived early, hadn't he??? Wriggling high-speed into your sweatshirt with an oily back is NOT the easiest of activities!
Today has been work, work, work. I have achieved so much, mainly due to a beloved friend who took the boys off for the day, leaving me to get on unhindered. It is so wonderful to see my home starting to look how I like it to look. Still cluttered, still "full", not pristine, still "lived-in", but clean and relatively tidy, with surfaces visible and carpets hoovered and... my pride and joy... my wooden floor polished. Half the windows are clean, too, and I can actually see out! There's still a veritable Mount Everest of ironing to do, and I have still to finish clearing my bedroom in the morning, and tidying the veranda on Wednesday, but I no longer feel oppressed by the state of the place. It is doable! :D Yippee!
Thought for the day: Four day to the WightMeet. Scary!!!