Grandma-by-the-sea

Just Jim and Minnie on Friday evening as Amy was at a sleepover. Strangely easy with the two of them. Lots of PS3 in the morning, then C went to pick up Amy from Waterbeach and her folks from the caravan park. Picnicky lunch, then C, Amy and grandmabythesea took Min for a taster swimming lesson while Jim and I did Lego. When they came back the kids played really nicely for the rest of the afternoon.

Sunday. S-max test drive and Lazy Otter, then walk at Anglesey Abbey with the kids obsessively looking for NT stickers (green is the most poplyar, apparently) Lovely day.

Dropped Jim off Tuesday morning as usual, slightly late after getting stuck behind some stupid horses and a Travis Perkins lorry on Lacey's Lane. He is fine but coughing a little, so we have been feeding him vit c. I was v. impressed with his reading of the hen book yesterday afternoon. On the way home on Monday he said he had some bad news and some good news. The bad news was that someone had come up behind him in the playground and put their hand over his face so he couldn't see them, then punched him in the stomach. He said it hurt a bit but not too much, and that the "good news" was that his friend Jack helped him up off the floor and was kind to him. It was all a bit confused, as these things are sometimes, but he said he'd told someone on duty but he couldn't say who'd done it because of the hand over his face - he could only see their coat. He said he'd then seen a bigger kid called Marley who was wearing that coat so he thought it was him. A bunch of other stuff came out about a pushing incident with Nathan (I think) which ended up with Jim in the hedge, but I suspect that was a misunderstanding about what the point of the game was. Also something about him kicking some girls' lunchboxes - it transpired that they were older girls who were friends of Paris and there was some jealousy that they wanted to talk to her but not him. Or some such. Anyway, it is mostly playground trivia but I didn't like the punching in the stomach thing, and obviously neither did he. I was going to have a brief word with Mrs. Segust about it Tuesday morning but couldn't, as we were late.

The delay in the car allowed time for consideration of the ultimate death of guinea pigs and what to do with them post mortem. Use as mops or posting to Peru for human consumption were considered and eventually rejected in favour of burial with suitable headstone. This led in turn to a detailed consideration of headstone options (big pebble from Cornish beach favoured) and stone inscription technologies.

Lucky day

On being told that Keith's dad, Granddad Sam, had died and that he would, therefore have an extra day with me: "Yay! This is my lucky day!" [fx: longish pause] "Er... Well, sort of..."

They played Harry Potter in the playground today, with Jack as Ron Weasley and Paris as Hermione. Cute.

Lovely extra evening, despite a meltdown over having to share Minnie with Minnie's mate Mohammed (peas be upon him etc) Jim was very taken with the idea of a Tasmanian Devil and pretended to be one for a while. Then he went for a poo and proclaimed that it had come out very easily because he'd eaten some fruit. The fruit was precisely one segment of clementine dipped in fondue chocolate...

A couple of old ones

Don't think I blogged these ones from Wandlebury around Christmas.

Weekend activities

GPWee

Had to send Jim off to school in non-standard trousers yesterday, due to an unfortunate incident with a guinea pig at 8.30. He seemed strangely pleased to have been weed on by Goldie. He was also a bit toired due to having woken up with a bad dream at 1am. It was about a Belgian waffle with a face on it. Scawey.

Drop-off

Parting quote from Jim when dropping him off at school: "but daddy, I'm going to miss my guinea pig". Bless him. Strange not having him here.

Aired Figs

Today we had a chilled creative day. The kind of day that makes you think you're a good parent and, yes, you can actually do this. The kids were banned from the Playstation for the whole day so in the morning they made, and messily painted, cardboard animals. Fish finger sandwiches for lunch (big hit with Jim) and then to the park to play with remote-controlled cars. There were a couple of meltdowns, notably when the batteries in Jim's car ran out and I got very fed up with him, but in general much fun was had by all. After the park I started on the Airfix F5 that C gave Jim for Christmas and the years rolled away with the smell of the plastic cement. He occasionally popped over to see what was happening but I was quite happy to get on with it. I had forgotten how intricate they are but I'm sure the manufacturing quality has gone down - the pieces don't fit quite as they should. Anyway, I'm hoping he osmotically picks up an interest in such things. 

Amy has an Airfix model too, a Seahawk, which she bought with Mum and Dad's money. In the car yesterday:

"Jim, do you want to do Airfix when we get home?"

<pause>

"What are aired figs?"

I went to the doc about my back this morning and have been sent for physio again...

Zoo

Colchester zoo on a cold cold windy day. Something of a spur of the moment decision but we wanted to get out. Didn't get there until 1pm but 3 hours was enough to do it justice. 

The Komodo dragons were a hit...

As were lions, leopards etc.

But the real hit was he penguins. We arrived just in time to see them fed, and Jim was fascinated. Excellent value.

New Year's Day

Total mong-out pyjama day today. Lots of playing on the PS3 and associated bad temper. Amy went to Celia's in the afternoon and the little ones scooted round Romsey park with cripple daddy in tow. Bought Lego Harry Potter during our rather nice trip to town yesterday afternoon and Amy has been playing it ever since. C increasingly grumpy with digital entertainment. Yesterday evening was quiet - had a fun chocolate fondue with the kids and Hannah from next door and a glass of champagne with Celia. In bed by midnight...