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Thursday 4 October 2012

WEEK 25 - 3rd - 10th September 2011

Sunday 4th September 11
Rob and I collect Amy and friends from Pugshole festival all looking rather post-Apocalyptic. Apparently music continued until 5am. Rob and I tell her what a good nights sleep we had in our comfortable bed. Get my suede pumps caked in mud and straw. Camping in field very unappealing. Have definitely turned into old fart.  
Monday 5th September 11
Leave house at 7.45. Drive Rob to train station. Drop Amy and then Tom at schools for first day of term and then drive cat to vet for annual booster. Cat frightened and wide eyed. Situation made worse when man arrives with Staffordshire bull terrier straining on lead. Sad to see normally confident and independent cat diminished by fear and imprisonment in cat basket. Turn it round so she doesn’t have to look at scary dog. Finally get home and release cat into garden. House very quiet. Won’t see Rob until his return from Canada at half term. Eat large quantity of biscuits to cheer myself up.
In evening get call from Val and Tim asking me to join them for dinner this Saturday and asking if I eat pork. Wonder out loud whether they heard ‘Bar Mitzvah’ comment over garden fence at weekend. 
Tuesday 6th September 11
 Think am in need of makeover for body and wardrobe. Amy accidentally touches my leg in car and says ’ Are you wearing leather trousers? Oh, no it’s just your skin.’ Tom then asks me why I am wearing my scruffy painting T-shirt. I’m not. Am actually wearing what I consider to be one of smarter T-shirts.  So, I am both weather beaten and dowdy.  Great. Unable to stay cross with children for long as;
  1. Amy has tonsillitis
  2. Tom’s school bag has gone missing from bag rack outside canteen at school. Contains EVERYTHING. Aaaggghhh.
Wednesday 7th September 11
Still no sign of Tom’s bag. Surely if some idiot had taken wrong bag they would have realised by now?? Phone school in morning and speak to deputy head of lower school. Express frustration and concern about missing bag in fairly forthright manner and ask if she thinks someone has nicked it. She responds in soothing tones she clearly thinks appropriate for calming a dangerous lunatic (me).
Get text from Tom in afternoon to say bag and all contents found – buried under pile of old P.E. kit in corner of Gym changing room. So not stolen?
Friday 9th September
Feel slightly guilty as take day off from Interior Design course to go to Ikea in Southampton with Emily. Actually this is bonkers as have legitimate professional interest in seeing what Ikea is selling. Pah!  Prevented from going in July due to child sickness (me) and falling Oak tree (Emily). I love Ikea ! We each fill a trolley and visit the cafĂ© where I eat my own body weight in almond croissants. Trip a big success. Agree must go again before Christmas.

WEEK 24 - 27th August-2nd September 2011

Saturday 27th August 11
Starting to feel like Autumn already! Rob asks me if I will help him measure up the new dog for a Barbour jacket. Good grief. How come I shop at H and M but the dog gets a Barbour? Go to Bowerchalke village fete on bikes, with Pepper trotting alongside. Overhear Tom telling friends that ‘Pepper used to belong to Gypsies which is why she steals things’. Take him to one side and explain that the reason the dog is a thief is that;
1. She is a dog
2. She is a greedy dog
and that it is not politically correct to suggest otherwise.
Tuesday 30th August 11
Take Tom to doctors as Rob and I have noticed that he walks with right foot put pointing out like ballet dancer. Female Doctor tells Tom she wants to examine his hip and knee and that he will have to take his jeans off. She then asks him if he is wearing any pants. I try hard not to laugh at outraged expression on Tom’s face. Strange question though. Don’t know many people who don’t wear pants. Especially under jeans. ‘Pants’ theme of day continues when return home and point out to Amy that she is wearing harem pants so low that red, white and blue knickers are showing at the front. She looks down , gives them a tug, brushes something off said pants and says ‘ That wasn’t a weirdly long pubic hair, it was one of Hector’s’. Say that I hadn’t actually noticed weirdly long hair but that I am sure ( and indeed hope) that it was one of Hector’s. They do seem to get everywhere including in the fridge. Yuk. Later am preparing supper when hear Tom squawking loudly in sitting room. Ask Amy, as she passes by, what the matter is with him. She says ‘ Nothing. I just wiped an onion leaf on his face.’. Think it is time the children returned to school.
Wednesday 31st August 11
Rather sad day as have made family decision to return Pepper to Dogs Trust as behaviour is out of control. Main reason is bullying of Hector who is too old and doddery to cope. Tom particularly affected as she was his dog. In afternoon have tea with friend who tells me about litter of yellow lab puppies in nearby village. Offspring of two gundogs.
On the plus side this means well behaved, intelligent, smallish Labradors. On the downside all puppies pee everywhere and chew the furniture. For many years have ruled out ever having another puppy in much the same way as have ruled out having another baby. Later speak to Rob who is surprisingly keen! (On puppy NOT third child). Phew.
Thursday 1st September 11
We have new addition to family. 10 week old yellow Labrador puppy as yet unnamed. Very cute. 
Friday 2nd September 11
Puppy howls all night and appears considerably less cute when I finally give up on sleep at 6.10am. Still no name as Rob wants to be included in discussion so will have to wait until tonight. I like the name Crumpet. Rob favours something Scottish and Tom wants to call him Peanut.
In evening Tom spends much time on computer. On investigation discover he is looking up which universities offer degree courses in medicine and researching the cost of insuring himself for a group 18 Porsche, having seen a desirable model on the internet. Aware that Tom likes to be organised but think this is taking forward planning to new extremes as he is only 13.
Saturday 3rd September 11
Tom announces at breakfast that he has done an on line quiz to see which Harry Potter character he is most like and the answer was Hermione Granger. He is not pleased. I think quiz is spot on but don’t say so.
Victory for Rob and Scotland as decide to call the puppy Angus. I liked Podge but Rob says it is terribly Sloaney. Like Angus isn’t?
In garden in afternoon Tom EXTREMELY LOUDLY asks me if we can have his Bar Mitzvah at our house. Strange comment considering Tom is a Roman Catholic but probably related to fact that he is currently studying Judaism in R.S.
Amy gets dressed up to go to the Pugshole Festival in Bowerchalke in weirdly patterned leggings, moccasins, feather necklace and enormous feathered earrings. Hector ( boy) who is staying asks her if she is going as a Red Indian. Amy says nothing but gives him a death stare.