Today is Kid-the-Eldest's 11th Birthday. Happy Birthday! It would also have been my mum and dad's 48th wedding anniversary - I'm sure today isn't easy for mum, but I hope she's thinking about the happy times they shared.
The boy wanted fish for his birthday, so yesterday we went to collect a shiny new fish tank from the pet shop. We also have a quarry-ful of gravel, a heater, light, filter, plastic plant and the smallest Orca ever seen. Tonight we'll have to start the process of setting up the tank - there's going to be much washing of gravel and arguments about where to set the tank and complaining from Kid-in-the-middle because she now wants fish. She requested (and received) a guitar for her birthday but seems to have forgotten all about this now!
Kid-in-the-middle is struggling with life. And oh boy are we feeling it. This last week, she was complaining, as is her wont, about how unfair it was that her elder brother is entering discussions about being allowed to get the train to town with his friend, while she, two years younger, is only allowed out to play in our immediate neighbourhood. We agreed that if she took her phone, and if she was making specific arrangements to meet one of her friends, she could go out of our small quiet estate and make her way to the large, new estate, complete with play park at the other end of the village. She made the arrangements, and having been told to return by 5.30pm, cycled off. Needless to say, she wasn't back by 5.30pm at all.
I wasn't home either, as I'd had to do an emergency run to the shops. (I only realised at 5pm that I'd neglected to buy any food this weekend. The prospect of five hungry mouths meant I had to go and brave the aisles. Certainly no-one else was volunteering for the job.) I came home at 6.30pm and The-Man-I-Married informed me that Kid-in-The-Middle had returned at 5.45pm to ask if she could stay out a bit longer and had been told yes, but to be back at 6.15pm. We waited half an hour before phoning around and scouring the village. No sign of her. It turns out that she'd left our house with one friend, and when that friend had been called home had wandered around to find someone else to play with; exactly the scenario we were trying to avoid. They were in yet another friend's garden. Why hadn't she phoned? Because she hadn't take her phone with her. She has been grounded for three days and "Village Privileges" have been withdrawn until after the October break. I am the meanest, most unreasonable mummy on the planet and, of course, I must love her big brother much more than her. Imagine a small yellow smiley face with its eyes rolling round at this juncture in the blog.
We are also struggling with homework issues. Two weeks ago she was given a project to do. It is to be handed in after the long weekend on Tuesday. Yesterday (yes, yesterday) she informs me that she and her two pals are going to do the work on Friday. Well, she can't; we're going camping on Friday and won't be here. The pals have told her that they're going to do the work on Friday without her and have essentially dumped her. And this is my fault. It's my fault that I've arranged a fun weekend away for all the family. It's my fault that they've left it until the last minute to do any work. It's my fault that her so-called friends are fickle and selfish. It's probably my fault that it's Tuesday.
Diet-wise, things are looking pretty good. I have rediscovered several items in my wardrobe that now fit properly again, although I haven't yet needed to go out and buy anything new. This is probably just as well, seeing as this morning I found a letter to dh telling him that his unpaid parking ticket was now going to cost us £90. I very nearly reached for the fridge in response to this, but at the last minute decided that a baseball bat would be more effective!
The boy wanted fish for his birthday, so yesterday we went to collect a shiny new fish tank from the pet shop. We also have a quarry-ful of gravel, a heater, light, filter, plastic plant and the smallest Orca ever seen. Tonight we'll have to start the process of setting up the tank - there's going to be much washing of gravel and arguments about where to set the tank and complaining from Kid-in-the-middle because she now wants fish. She requested (and received) a guitar for her birthday but seems to have forgotten all about this now!
Kid-in-the-middle is struggling with life. And oh boy are we feeling it. This last week, she was complaining, as is her wont, about how unfair it was that her elder brother is entering discussions about being allowed to get the train to town with his friend, while she, two years younger, is only allowed out to play in our immediate neighbourhood. We agreed that if she took her phone, and if she was making specific arrangements to meet one of her friends, she could go out of our small quiet estate and make her way to the large, new estate, complete with play park at the other end of the village. She made the arrangements, and having been told to return by 5.30pm, cycled off. Needless to say, she wasn't back by 5.30pm at all.
I wasn't home either, as I'd had to do an emergency run to the shops. (I only realised at 5pm that I'd neglected to buy any food this weekend. The prospect of five hungry mouths meant I had to go and brave the aisles. Certainly no-one else was volunteering for the job.) I came home at 6.30pm and The-Man-I-Married informed me that Kid-in-The-Middle had returned at 5.45pm to ask if she could stay out a bit longer and had been told yes, but to be back at 6.15pm. We waited half an hour before phoning around and scouring the village. No sign of her. It turns out that she'd left our house with one friend, and when that friend had been called home had wandered around to find someone else to play with; exactly the scenario we were trying to avoid. They were in yet another friend's garden. Why hadn't she phoned? Because she hadn't take her phone with her. She has been grounded for three days and "Village Privileges" have been withdrawn until after the October break. I am the meanest, most unreasonable mummy on the planet and, of course, I must love her big brother much more than her. Imagine a small yellow smiley face with its eyes rolling round at this juncture in the blog.
We are also struggling with homework issues. Two weeks ago she was given a project to do. It is to be handed in after the long weekend on Tuesday. Yesterday (yes, yesterday) she informs me that she and her two pals are going to do the work on Friday. Well, she can't; we're going camping on Friday and won't be here. The pals have told her that they're going to do the work on Friday without her and have essentially dumped her. And this is my fault. It's my fault that I've arranged a fun weekend away for all the family. It's my fault that they've left it until the last minute to do any work. It's my fault that her so-called friends are fickle and selfish. It's probably my fault that it's Tuesday.
Diet-wise, things are looking pretty good. I have rediscovered several items in my wardrobe that now fit properly again, although I haven't yet needed to go out and buy anything new. This is probably just as well, seeing as this morning I found a letter to dh telling him that his unpaid parking ticket was now going to cost us £90. I very nearly reached for the fridge in response to this, but at the last minute decided that a baseball bat would be more effective!
Today I'm wearing housework clothes, but later I'll be all decked out in....
Dark chocolate brown satin skirt - size 16 (rediscovered now that I've lost some weight finally!)
Bright mossy green top - size 16
Dark chocolate brown cashmere cardigan with feather trim - size 12
Stonking great 1920s-like high heeled flapper shoes
Oh my!!
3 comments:
I love it that your kids are as unreasonable as mine. We are having a discussion about Brownies. Not that Brownies isn't fab, but not getting out of bed on a Tuesday morning in ready for the 'cleaner' day.. without bags packed....... Ho Hum. My KtM got a late pass....
Kath, as a mum, it will always be your fault. Except for the nice stuff, that will be down to someone else. More rolly eyes here.
Someone told me that teenage boys are much easier than girls. I am wondering if it's too late to trade my dd for a teenage boy, and she's only 6!
Girls, miserable buggers, the lot of em LOL!
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