A Weeks Catch Up and a Little Film

This has been a strange week or so, it's like it's morphed into a bulge that won't budge.

School for T has been great. Safe to say duck to water and she has made it easy for me emotionally but I am still finding it odd.
My good friend tells me its getting used to a new routine.
I have made her lunch boxes for preschool and got her dressed most days for five years but there seems to be more pressure in the prep for every day, of course her uniform is clean but I just keep going over and over everything in my head.
When I was younger I never used to walk next to the edge of our pool (another story) because this invisible force appeared to pull me close to the edge and I didn't like it.
This new routine feels like that.
Could be a sign of failure

I now have a chest infection and antibiotics and I could cough for Queen and country. I feel like I have a small piece of apple just stuck at the back of my throat, Dr. says not the case. I have felt rubbish for what feels like weeks now. The anxiety that comes with it is awful and tears that occasionally flow because I am not able to perform my duty as the mother that I had hoped I would be the at this most exciting time.

Today I am feeling a lot better and brighter from inside my congested bubble.

So this weekend she wanted to tell stories. With lots more content. I think she is already bringing her school day home.

She starts her story
Once a poncer a time
How cute is that?
Then she goes on to say how the unicorn is locked away by the evil donkey but it pokes it's horn through the bars and stabs the donkey in the neck.

There is also a teaching assistant. According to T his name is Han Ham or Hand. I hope he doesn't mind that she doesn't call him Mister Han, Ham or Hand.

The other night I came upstairs for a blanket and she was still awake and sparkly and she told me how happy she was at school, it's was so good swimming and she was so excited that she could cry and she loved it so much and then she put spit tears under her eyes!

I sung her a song and told her to go to sleep, which she did whilst looking at me as if I was the best mother anyone could ask for.
I had the warm fuzzy feeling different from a temperature!

ANYWAY. BOOKS!!

I thought that a lot more might get done this week but it didn't, but I have not done to badly, just a bit at a time with lots of rest. (I do normally have a lot more get up and go when I am sick, really!) But our book shelves need a sort especially as P like to look at them all without their dust jackets on.

I happened to find this beauty on YouTube and it such a nice little piece that I am sure even the most minimalist amongst you might give in to a little clutter.

Remarkable quality. To be watched with a cuppa I think.
Off to the kitchen for more hot blackcurrant because I am so done with honey and lemon.
My ears just popped finally.

CM

Day Two of School - What the hell has happened?

I don't normally feed my girls loads of junk and they have basic tastes luckily for me. Chocolate cake is about as experimental as T gets but I wanted to spice up the lunch box so I bought a multi pack of these children's favourites and wrote off the fact that they are probably usless in the nutrition department.

This is what I got back today.

That's not all!
She's a hyperactive brat on the way home.

2 DAYS!!

The little book that I got from the mum and baby in the church group across the way said that children often behave younger, baby even because all the growing up stuff of big school is quite a lot for them to digest. Not half!
The book also says not to expect them to tell you everything that happened during the day as they are probably exhausted............not my daughter....she couldn't even if she tried!
It's like shes on an upper!

On the way home the line is.

Muuummm, will you carry me, carry me......carry me
(Lots of jumping and waving arms around in the air)
No Darling I will not carry you, you are at big school now and none of the other children are being carried home.
I don't want to go to big school anymore
Why are you behaving this way?
I am upset and I need a carry to make myself better
Look at all these other children they are all new and looking for new friends and if they see you behaving this way no one will want to be your friend
OK.........Can I have a cuddle instead?
Of course.

So after she has behaved like a child on the way home she turns crazy and is unable to sit still or hold a conversation.
Gareth said at dinner whilst she ate her spaghetti like a crazed animal

What have we done this is the worst decision we have ever made

We meet the teacher on Friday, oh my, she best be ready because I will have questions for her.

This is probably normal and if the advice from our parents is to be correct I will be carrying her home by half term as she will be too tired to move

Bless her

CM

T's First Day of School

Do you remember this Infant School Selection Pot Luck Challenge

Well our plan of action over the spring/summer was to argue the school placement decision but unfortunately our argument of ARE YOU BLOODY MAD! was not grounds for appeal and we were unsuccessful. 

Basically there are a large handful of families living in our city who live just out of the catchment areas for all their closest schools and are allocated a school which can be at some distance either by foot, car or public transport. These schools have no boundaries and will therefore pick up all children that are not placed. These schools tend to be under subscribed at the first hurdle.

In my own opinion these schools struggle with their reputation because the parents are hanging on the waiting lists of the brighter schools desperate to pick up a vacancy, and I am sure that some of the families can't be bothered with participating in school life as they live at some distance away despite these schools over the last few years successfully doing everything they can to make themselves appealing.

My initial snobbery about the school that we had been allocated has been stripped down to the fundamental fact it was important to us that T went to a school that was close enough that she could see it in her daily life and have a concept of where it was. Not the hour and a half bus ride with three changes that would be required for me and P to make multiple times daily for drop offs and pick ups.
I have learned a lots this year and had this school been on our side of the city we would have accepted the place graciously.

The only option open to us as we were quick off the mark is the local prep school, independent, private what ever you want to call it. It doesn't mean that it is full of local children but it looks hopeful.

We are paying for her to attend her closest school and we are not buying a new car.



So today is the first day and its been like Christmas and the weather is to match.

School shoes - and they cost a fortune because her feet are still soft and dumpy she needs to be fitted properly they also have to be brown so you may as well double the cost but lovely.
These are very dark brown but they are brown.

Auntie Jaws came to the house and cut the wild hair she loves it. It's only the second cut that shes had.

I spent yesterday sewing in labels. My mum sewed labels in my school clothes and made the most beautiful job of it. I still remember how perfectly neat it all was. It's been a thought at the back of my mind for years that I would be able to make such great effort for my children so I just can't bring myself to use the iron on labels.
I decided to get her full name printed on the label which makes them incredible long (not quite Kennel Club length), but I feel that I have made a pigs ear of it despite G saying its fine and T being excited.

Might secretly order new labels and start all over again.

Pick up is at 3:15 is it too much to expect her to be able to tell me everything that happened. I am so excited for her.

My mum tried to bid for this little gem at the auction this morning, It's eight foot tall and six foot wide and would be perfect in our lounge but we lost out, but are decided that we would like a large commercial/industrial piece for storage so if anyone sees anything let me know.

Popped to the Dr. this morning I have a slight bronchitis problem so I am taking it easy. I have not been well this week and what my house needs now that T is away during the day is a fit and healthy home maker getting the hoover out.

I think I might just curl up when P falls asleep and watch and old black and white. It's going to take all my enthusisim to make dinner this eve and I can see a culinary disaster on the horizon!

CM

A Saturday Wedding Part 3

When we arrived at the wedding most of the guests were already there and it was in FULL swing. The tea party room that we had left on Friday eve and Saturday morning looked more like backstage at I don't know where.

You hear most brides say that the day flew by so fast and as a guest this day went at rocket speed. It could have been the amount of children there and that either one of you were following a little one in and out of the gardens but everything was a lightening pace.
Mr and Mrs must have been exhausted but are to be commended for doing so much to accommodate their guests needs including calling a halt to the proceedings at 10pm!

A good day had by all lots of chatting and laughing, I probably ate too much cake that since opened the flood gates for chocolate consumption this week.

Looking back at my photo files we appear to have been to a fare few weddings these past few years not one of them the same, aren't we lucky.

All the best for your future Mr and Mrs Havers, I am not sure when you will see this message on that useless computer of yours!

CM

A Saturday Wedding - Part 2

My friend was getting married, a small service and a big party and she asked me if I would dress the venue for her.......of course! I'd love to!

It wasn't to be a difficult task as she had spent most of the year collecting and making things so it was just a case of pinning it all up. Her theme was her Nana and it was to have lots of things for the children to do as it was mostly families that had been invited.
We prayed for a sunny day.

We broke the whole experience down into parts. A while ago we visited the venue which when booked was in a sore state but was undergoing renovations - but not really the room she had booked. We looked on the bright side and made a plan of action and stuck to it.

Further meetings we looked at pictures and got a feel for the theme and looked lovingly at all the bits that she had collected and finally last week we went down to an un renovated venue and made a plan of where everything was to go.

Luckily for us African Theme Night had been cancelled on the Friday night so the bride, her friend and I were able to get in there with our cleaning products (really I am not kidding!) our drawing pins and blue tack and set forth changing shit into gold.

No formal wedding cake required here thank you

Cake Stall

The groom ironed EVERYTHING but he is a smart Essex boy so I'd expect nothing less.

Small children used these as weapons on the day

Friends made cakes and buns galore!

P blows through these like she is hyperventilating!

If it didn't move it was on a doily

Home made bunting

Balls for outdoor play

What a beauty in her big fat knitted gown

All finished the night before

I came in the morning with my yard broom and swept outside and made sure that the bits to go in the public area were put out and noticed that none of the staff had bothered to lock the fire escape so the whole place had been open to vandalism the whole night. We were very lucky it was all still in one piece in the morning.

I thought that it looked lovely.

Lessons learned.
Try and book your venue the day before - less stress - there was no way I could have done this on my own on the day of the wedding.
I will never offer to do this again. This was the least stressful situation but looking back on it I feel terrified but maybe that is the delayed reaction.


Stay tuned for what it looked like after guests and children arrived!
CM

A Saturday Wedding Part 1

So this Saturday gone we were invited to a wedding reception that was to be family orientated and the bride had arranged for there to be a face painter for the children.
T has never had her face painted as I am anti social and never go anywhere where she would have had the opportunity to have it done.

She was itching to be painted, a big butterfly across the face, and you know, that's what she got.

On the way to the venue we got a flat tyre and had to go fill up at the petrol station which made us 45 minutes late. She was so good she didn't whine once but she did throw in a few Come On DAAAAD!
When we got there she stood next to that table and stood there like she was on duty she had a ticket, lucky number 7 but they were only painting number 4 I think it was the longest wait for her.

In my mind I was sure that the face painter was only going to be there an hour and I wanted her to have it done so bad that I would have gone out of my mind and hired a painter just to make her day.

It was about half an hour after her face had been done that I clicked that she hadn't seen the butterfly because she didn't smile, talked with gritted teeth and freaked ever so slightly if someone brushed passed her. All her fears were laid to rest when she realised this paint was on and probably not coming off until the morning then she had a great time!

CM

Rackham Fete and Flower Show

So for the past 100 years I have heard tales of the Rackham Fair which is actually the
Rackham Fete and Flower Show.

Its in the middle of nowhere, mum and I never had a car when we lived on the south coast so wouldn't have been able to get there without a whole heap of troubled traveling.
My oldest family friends who lived chaotically round the corner and loved me dearly usually went every year but not with much planning as it was the event that sort of jumped out at you from the calender. There are also six in their family it could have been an unsafe squeeze with me in the car although I did travel to Thorpe Park in the boot with them once when I was about 10.

Stories of the fairs wooden slide that travels through the trees have stayed with me forever.

On Sunday my oldest friend said "tomorrow it's Rackham"
I am not sure if she was inviting me but I was going.

Bless her she sent me the post code and a message to bring coins and I bundled us into the car and off we went.


It was amazing for lots of reasons
These are the photos that I managed to take. Crappy overcast weather didn't help and then the battery ran out.

The approach from the free car park

LOOK! The slide and isn't that Peter Rabbit

Is anything 30p and more?

This print was a great distraction from all the Cath Kidston walking around.

The Pre War Tea Tent

So much bunting

Lots of stalls lots to win but nothing to buy. Refreshing

I thought that the slide was about 100 meters long, it's not, but it is great and I could go on it 100 times. The tea was fantastic and it looked like everyone had baked a cake we had a slice of everything......still exaggerating.

At 3pm they have the children's races, potato, egg and spoon, sack and straight running.
T was up for winning the under 5 running. She had two attempts. The first race had all children under 5 so there were children everywhere and it was a disaster so they tried again and she and I were up for winning.
Unfortunately I had told her to run striaght to the end and stop at the bunting and didn't add the information about running around slower children and she ploughed straight into a boy.

MY ANKLE!! she cried I WANT TO GO HOME!

A couple of turns on the slide soon fixed things but an an ice cream which turned out to be the wrong flavour and then you add in a bit of misery and miscommunication and before you know it you can see the end of the afternoon appearing on the horizon.

G wanted a turn at the coconut shy - 3 balls 50p - but was unsuccessful but I think that was because you had to hit them at 15 meters at least! He was a bit of a disappointed looser a bit like his daughter, peas in a pod actually so with two lollies I packed everyone back in the car and promised to come back again next year and headed for home.
Maybe next year we will enjoy flower display then and have a crack at the tombola.

We unpacked two sleeping sticky faces and all had a peaceful evening.

Today I sound like Mariella Frostrup or that other one who's been around for years who's name I can't think of.

Busy week going to clean house.
CM