Categories: uncategorized
Date: 08 December 2004 21:15:34
It's that time of year again, when schools collapse into a chaos of rehearsals and concerts and trips and nobody knowing quite what is happening. Like normal, really, only more so. And especially in our school, where communication is a four letter word.
Our school concert was last night (I was unable to go) and then a performance for the school today. There were interesting comments from those who had seen the extravaganza of talent last night.. mainly along the lines of "there were highlights and ... er... not so high lights" and today I got to discover the meaning of those words. However once in a while you get to witness some true blossoming talent amongst the er... enthusiastic. And today was one such occasion. We have a band of twelve/thirteen year olds who are really quite amazing. Their music is, well, let's say it wouldn't be my first choice of sing-along song for the car CD player (if indeed I had one) but then this is the woman who this morning found herself humming a vegetales song as she drove along. But I recognise talent when I see it, and they will certainly go far. You heard it here first!
Meanwhile back at the ranch, Smudgelet has decided that he doesn't approve of the class choice of Mary Poppins as their contribution to the school Christmas show and so, despite having been chosen for a major part (Mr Banks), has undertaken to undermine the rehearsals with tantrums, lost words, and talking all through rehearsals until yesterday, oh the ignominy of it, he was sent to sit with Year Four! Serves him jolly well right, that's all I can say. I emphasised to him this evening that I was not in any way suggesting that, if he let me down in the rehearsals and performance, he might find he wasn't going to the school Christmas party. Oh no, I wouldn't suggest that at all ;) Strange how he came and told me he'd decided to pull his weight from now on, isn't it? And what do you know, he's suddenly able to remember all his words.
Tiddles is having memory problems as well, as I discovered when he came to do his maths homework this evening. He can't remember how to do maths. How can he be expected to do his homework when he can't remember how to count? My word, these teachers do expect a lot! I am giving him a tiny bit of leeway, though, as he claims he is having difficulty seeing properly, and I have made another appointment at the optician this weekend. This time I shall leave Smudgelet outside.... last time he kept whispering the answers to Tiddles before he had chance to answer! And by the time it came to be his turn to take the chair, he'd memorised all the letters on the chart already.
Dad is miserable as sin at the moment - understandably as he's in a lot of pain and discomfort (as I have to keep reminding myself when I run out of sympathetic noises to make). He really has little quality of life at the moment with a chest infection and a bladder infection simultaneously. I think someone's in for a rocketing, though. Not particularly for putting the catheter in incorrectly (turns out tonight that the tube was kinked and blocked) but for failing to react when he rang two days ago to say he thought there was something wrong. He can sometimes be difficult and doesn't always put across clearly what he wants to say, but sometimes I am surprised they're not better trained at working with the elderly. That said, most of the nurses we come into contact with are brilliant, so I won't complain too bitterly.
I am now going to make myself a lemsip (I have caught Dad's cold... but not as severely as him, of course ;) )
and snuggle in my duvet with a good book. I am on the sofa again at the moment due to the inconsiderate nature of the advent season. Well, I had to go in the attic to retrieve all the boxes of Christmas stuff and palaver in urgent search of the advent candle I bought in the January sales last year. And having got it all down, it seemed ridiculous to stuff it all back up there again when I knew I would be needing the tree and decorations etc within the next fortnight or so. So, I'm off to sofa. Sleep well.