Sunday 9th October 11
Take dogs for walk round village. Enjoyment slightly marred
by having to remove succession of dead frogs from Angus’s mouth. First frog is
pancake flat and dried out like piece of beef jerky. Second frog is bloated
like frog balloon. Manage to extract it from his jaws before one of his sharp
puppy teeth pierces skin thereby preventing explosion of decaying frog slime.
Phew!
Monday 10th October 11
Alarm fails to go off and finally wake up at 7.15am. Amy very
grumpy and declares ‘ I have to shower!’
Tom able and willing to get ready for school in 20 minutes but don’t have
energy to persuade Amy that she could do the same if she tried. Drive children
to school.
Tuesday 11th October 11
Tom gets up and dresses without washing. Understand now how
he can get ready for school in 20 minutes. Insist he undresses and has a shower
which makes him very bad tempered. Is it too much to hope for some kind of
balance in children’s washing habits? Currently have;
- One
obsessively hygienic child who becomes neurotic at prospect of not being
able to wash hair daily and takes dry shampoo on Duke of Edinburgh Award
expeditions
- One child not inclined to wash as all.
Angus and I walk to the bus stop with the children. Angus
smiles doggily and wags his tail all the way there. The children and I agree
that if we could read his thoughts they would say ‘Happy, happy, happy I’m so
happy’. What a little ray of sunshine he is. Fondness for Angus dims slightly
when he does a sloppy impromptu poo on the pavement opposite the bus stop.
Wednesday 12th October 11
Have long chat with Emily on the phone who tells me that Tom
talked nicely to her Mum for several minutes at the bus stop yesterday. Pass on
positive feedback to Tom as trying to be good parent dishing out praise and
bollockings in equal measure. Tom says ‘ Well, I am a very good child, you
should be very pleased.’
Thursday 13th October 11
Parents staying. Take them to Shaftesbury and again have
large cakes in café on Gold Hill followed by visit to Antique shop. My life is
turning into Groundhog Day. Tell lady in shop that am looking for smallish
button backed chair. She says she has one. Hoorah! Wish the children were with
me to help me carry it round town. Ha! Sadly, chair is at her house but she
promises to email me a photo. In café
Dad reveals that he doesn’t like the new boyfriend of a friend but can’t put
his finger on exactly why, but then says ‘ I don’t like his teeth’ and bares
his own teeth to make the point or perhaps just to make sure I know what teeth
are? Ask what on earth could be so offensive about someone’s teeth but both
parents become vague.
After large cakes, Mum announces ‘ “The time has come” the Walrus said’, which makes me laugh a lot
and which apparently is ‘mother speak’ for ‘I have decided to lose weight by
eating sensibly in future’ . Like I haven’t heard this before. Wonder if
parents have been smoking weed in the spare room.
Saturday 15th October 11
In morning help out at BWS Christmas Fair, on cake stall.
Yum. Tom plays rugby against Millfield. Fear massacre but actually although
defeated, scores much more even (32 – 21) than in previous match against
Sherbourne (55 – 5). Tom pleased despite stamped on thigh covered in bruises
and stud marks. At bed time he asks if he can have a new gum shield as old one
has bits coming off it. Tell him he is supposed to wear it not eat it. Worried
about brutishness of rugby and that he will end up with flattened and bent nose
like Mike Tindall or even worse with cauliflower ears. Mustn’t be neurotic mother but would prefer
it if he stuck to non contact sports like tennis and tiddlywinks.