Categories: uncategorized
Date: 03 May 2004 11:01:32
Well, that wedding was a disaster!
I mean, how am I ever going to explain to the Smudgelets that weddings aren't normally like that? How am I going to get them to sit patiently through all the other weddings we're going to this year when they've got the impression that weddings are supposed to be fun, with lots to see and do? And more to the point, how am I ever going to stop them singing "If I ever needed the Lord before"? It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and I hope that the couple themselves gained as many lasting memories of the event as we did. It was a real shame to have to leave early to get the boys to bed (as well as being wasted effort - I should have KNOWN our hotel would be built over a nightclub!!!)
We've had a wonderful weekend. Despite having to leave my piano behind. Still, I cleaned all the keys before we left, and arranged for the piano tuner to come in a couple of weeks' time, so it couldn't feel totally neglected. We skived off school early to catch the afternoon ferry, which meant we arrived in London early enough to go to Burger King for tea. Why do they put such good toys in the children's meals and then give the adults funny looks when they play with them? I think kids are spoilt. Still, I was the VERY FIRST to catch the bowl and goldfish in the Cat's Hat. Beat that, kiddo!
The hotel was rather lovely.... apart from the nightclub! The boys enjoyed the chance to ride in a lift, and Smudgelet enchanted the receptionists. We had an exciting view of some London backstreets, a skip, a pile of bin bags and... to our delight, in the distance.... The Gherkin! And as for the breakfasts, well, we had enough to last us all day - and the other inhabitants were astounded to see just how much my little lads could put away! Nighttime was a little boring, however, lying in the darkened bedroom with the telly on barely loud enough to hear over the sound of the nightclub and the children tossing and turning alongside. So much for being able to read my book. Still, I've been introduced to some interesting non-western music!
So what did we do? Well, at my very cultured youngest son's request, top of the list was a visit to the National Gallery to see Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Monet's Water-Lily Pond. A great success. The boys enjoyed seeing the pictures, apart from a rather overpowering number of pictures of people with their heads chopped off. No, actually it was Emma and I who were overwhelmed by the predominance of morbid pictures, the boys quite liked them. We played "hunt the small detail in a picture" to keep them amused - a sort of thinking person's Where's Wally. I was quite proud of how enjoyable it was to take them to an art gallery.
We hunted high and low through London for a pudding to take to the wedding. We'd promised a pudding, and a pudding we fully intended to take, but where on earth do you get one? Emma ended up asking a policeman for advice. Well, they like to feel useful, don't they? And we ended up gracing the wedding banquet with a plate of fancy doughnuts from Sainsbury's !
It was a real treat to see people from here and the Ship at the wedding, as well as meeting some new people who were also good company. The only disadvantage, I found, of being a single mother is that I ended up having to sit between the children, who talked at me non-stop, which made it difficult to join in the adult conversation with the others at my table. But I again had to be proud of how well behaved and relaxed the boys both were in polite company and how able to chat with the people around them sensibly. It makes it all worthwhile. And they were delighted to be invited to throw confetti and to present the flowers to the bride and groom's mothers.
Sunday was great fun... apart from the fact (or maybe even because of the fact) that we had to change our plans somewhat as the underground routes we needed to use were closed for the day. Instead we used shanks' pony down to Tower Hill and bought a ticket for the hop-on,hop-off bus and boat trip. Yippee... that was fun! I must admit I cramped poor Smudgelet's style a little by banning him from moaning all day, which deprived him of his chief source of pleasure, poor lamb. Tiddles was brave, though, insisting on shouldering one of the rucksacks despite having a massive and painful graze the size of a ten pence piece on his shoulder. Tiddles and I saw loads of famous buildings and sights which had us excitedly pointing "Look, look there, look at that! Quick where's the camera?" and Smudgelet saw lots of cars and buses and cranes and speedboats which had him shouting the same! He was desperate to see Buckingham Palace, though, and every time the bus stopped, he said "There it is, Mummy, there it is!" The look of total awe on his face when we finally got there, though, was worth every penny of the cost of the weekend.
We left London with a long list of things we want to go back and do. I'd better start saving!