Categories: uncategorized
Date: 16 July 2004 08:27:35
What a busy day that was!
I was up early yesterday, cleaning before the cleaner arrived. I hate it when she comes to a dirty house!
8.30 sees me rounding up Smudgelet and Dad ready to drive up to the school and take Dad into town, leaving the cleaner hard at work in the kitchen. Drop off Smudgelet (letting him walk a bit of the way unaccompanied, much to his delight) and race into town to collect Dad's glasses once and for all. We decided against walking along to Superbuys - Dad's legs are definitely giving up more and more quickly - but spent a large amount of money and a small amount of time in the tiny little cafe that's just opened up and which serves beautiful (if rather costly) coffee.
Race home to take Dad for his first "training drive" on his new mobility scooter. We scooted up the hill to the school. By the time we got there, Dad was getting quite daring and even tried negotiating a kerb... which sent shock waves right through his body and persuaded him that in future he'd go a little further and find where the drop wasn't so sudden! He sped up the hill, wondering why I was puffing and panting as I struggled to keep up with him. Luckily for me, he's also discovered that he quite likes walking steadily behind and using the scooter for support while I drive it! :D
We watched Smudgelet's school sports together. That was wonderful - probably the only time I'll get to watch it. There were all the standard things to watch - very small child in very large sack race; spot the pupil with the plimpsols on the wrong feet competition; match the stray plimpsol to the limping child challenge; the running into the person in front race and involuntarily somersaulting down the track; the running off the track to give mummy a hug race... it was all there. Half of the entertainment for me was, of course, provided by Smudgelet. He got into his sack with the same degree of concentration he uses when getting dressed - i.e. none whatsoever! He tried to cheat on getting through the hoop and ended up spending longer cheating than he would have done just lifting the hoop over his head. He came third instead of second in the running race as he turned round to make sure I was watching how well he was doing. And in the bucket race he tried to get his team to cheat by passing the bucket from the first person straight to the last person without it going along the line, but the second person argued with him about the rules for so long that the rest of the teams had finished their race while BLUE team still stood arguing! But he did me proud. He didn't give up. He was really sportsmanlike (apart from the cheating, of course!) and enjoyed himself thoroughly despite coming last.
Raced Dad home in the scooter.. he'd have won, of course, but all the ladies on the way stopped him for a little chat.
Aquafit was an ordeal. My foot still isn't right. M declared that she wasn't going to speak to me again unless I went straight to A and E - and she would pick up the boys and feed them. So, weighed down by a wealth of nagging friends, off I went to Casualty where they declared that the tendons are all inflamed and I should be resting it and taking anti-inflamatories. Hmmmm. No crutches, though.
From there I decided to rest my foot by driving across the Island to pay my debts at the opticians, order some reading glasses, and buy a new torch for Tiddles' camping expedition tonight. It was rather nice knowing that M would have tea ready for me when I got back to her house. I like being pampered.
Now, do I upset my small Smudgelet by saying I won't take him out for the Beavers' Fun Day at the Scout Camp on Saturday or do I upset my "seeking independence" Tiddles by turning up at his camp for the day. He really wants his brother there but really does NOT want his mummy there! ;)
I'll make that decision in a minute when I've cleaned my teeth for half an hour. I HATE going to the dentist.