Categories: uncategorized
Date: 15 May 2004 20:40:43
Yes, living with my family is just like herding cats. For example, we came home after going out for tea with M. I said to the Smudgelets "Go straight in and take your shoes off while I just say goodbye to Auntie M". We've been working hard on 'Do as you're told STRAIGHT AWAY' for some time now, so of course I was confident that the boys would go straight in and take their shoes off. So why, I wonder, did one end up in the garage and the other in my Dad's house?
This, however, was nothing in comparison with lunchtime. We went out for a family day at the local Schools' Farm. It was wonderful. Naturally half the Island was there, enjoying seeing the animals, watching the demonstrations and eating. I decided we should get lunch early to avoid the queues and the fight over the available tables, knowing that Dad needed to sit down properly to eat, so I told my three menfolk to organise getting a table and washing hands while I went to join the queue. I sent the message to each of them at least three times each..... and all three of them disappeared off in different directions! In fact, I ended up sending my father a message which said "Mummy says you're to wash your hands NOW!" But looking at the ducklings was so much more interesting!
It was fantastic going round the farm. I think my favourites were the piglets, just one day old. And the little calf who was born two days ago. But the piglets were so so tiny, clambering to reach the mother's teats for a drink, little tails whirring round like clockwork keys. There was a band playing, and a demonstration of maypole dancing by a local primary school, reminiscent of when Tiddles' school took part in just such a demonstration and ended up with macrame! And watching the sheep shearing was fantastic.
Classic moment - Tiddles decided to spend his spending money on an icecream and disappeared off to join the great long queue. A little later I was going to join the queue to get icecreams for the rest of us, but noticing Tiddles at the front of the queue, just called to him to get four instead of one and sent Smudgelet to him with the money. Instead of saying to the lady "Could you make that four, please?", he paid for his one and brought it over for me to hold for him while he went back and joined the back of the queue! What a wally! But then you know what he did without me saying it, don't you? He waited and waited until he got to the front of the queue and then asked for four icecreams! So we ended up with one spare. A random child alongside us got a surprise treat!
We had a fantastic day at the farm (a wonderful resource for the Island), even if most of my day was spent saying "Now where's Dad got to?" or "What's happened to Tiddles?" and "Oh no, we've lost Smudgelet" and even "Oh good, all three of them have wandered off, now I get chance to look at the craft stalls!" I had been torn between taking them there and taking them to the airport at Sandown for the D-Day celebrations, but as it was I made the right choice because all the planes from the airport actually flew over the farm as we sat and ate our lunch. Two for the price of one - and as the farm open day was free, that was a pretty good bargain all in all!
A pleasant end to the day was dropping off at M's house to help her collect in her Christian Aid envelopes (while persuading Smudgelet that it was NOT politic to comment on how much money the people had put in).
(A less pleasant end to the day was coping with the repercussions of Smudgelet being desperate for the loo while Tiddles was sitting in there reading his book! )