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I must be getting slow...as there have been a couple of occasions recently where I have found myself saying 'yes', instead of 'no'...with consequences.
The first was when a friend at school was explaining about her SIL moving and how she had always helped her man the school supplies shop. I did not actually utter the words "I'd love to help out..." but somehow or other I am now involved.
It is already 'different' having a Pre-Kindergarten child who needs walking inside of school and depositing in his classroom with a hug and a kiss - that in itself is lovely - one of those priceless moments - but getting through the crowds of yummy mummies on a morning is something I haven't needed to do for the past 2 years. It is a school with parent cliques and it's almost like being back on the school playground again. And even being able to afford better brands (than a 13 yr old) doesn't make it any easier.
Anyhow - if you need school supplies from our school, I'll catch you on a Tuesday morning or one night after school.
Then we have the on going wedding issue. We have lived here for 4 years now and my neighbour next door but one, is very nice - but I really hardly see her. Occasionally she stops to chat if she is driving past and once when I was very pregnant she asked me over for tea (and served Asian Spring rolls at 10.30am on fine china - very nice and all but I was really really nauseous) - I think she means very very well. But I have literally spent 50 mins tops in her company. She is originally from the Phillipines and she goes back quite often..... her accent is actually harder to understand than mine. Anyhow - he daughter is getting married and she said she was going to invite the whole neighbourhood as that is her custom back home. Didn't think anything much of it at the time.
But then we got a very glam invite through the mail and sod's law it is a weekend when Hubby is back in England. So I was umming and ahhing about whether I should go it alone (it is quite fun going to weddings alone........) But she HAD said she was inviting other neighbours.
Our nicest neighbours - the lawyer and his wife - they have been over to the Philippine lady's house for dinner and they got on well so I heard - where as we have had to turn down invites and hubby hasn't even met her....
And the daughter getting married? I saw her to say hello to once when she was in her mum's car. She has a beautiful name and is supermodel gorgeous.
Lawyer and wife do not seem to have received a Wedding Invitation but they have been having issues with their mail deliveries so they weren't sure if it was lost. The Philippines neighbour had also told them she would send them an invite.......
So yesterday I called the other neighbour and explained that hubby was out of town and asked if any of the others neighbours were possibly going...... well it seems my OTHER neighbours (know them vaguely - they're ok - the husband has highlights at the same hairdressers as me....) are going but when I mentioned the lawyer and his wife (and I cringed as I did so) - she said that they were not going.
So I guess they were not invited? It is all vague and now I have to sort of tell them that they weren't invited.
And she told me I could sit with the other neighbours and did I want salmon or beef.........
So I guess I am going to the wedding - if I get a babysitter and find something suitable to wear (it is black tie).
Wedding present shopping looms in the immediate future then.............
Not weather wise but by the very fact that the kids (3 of 4) are BACK TO SCHOOL.
Today was jsut a half day - always a faff. Takes longer to drive there and get parked than they are in the school itself.... They were quite excited about going...this is what I found in the boys' room when I asked them to go and lay their stuff out themselves....
I especially like the heads Paddy drew for them.......
Bee was all up, dressed and ready to go ridiculously early this morning but seeing as my kids are early risers, at least now we have a productive start - all needing to get ourselves in gear and ready to go by 7.25. This was her - making extra sure that she didn't spill any breakfast down her uniform. Look at the clock.....
Wew made it in time - even with the obligatory 2st day photos outside.
Mac doesn't have to wear uniform yet - and he picked his clothes out himself - can you tell?
After he has been dragging it around for bloody weeks, I was actually quite impressed that he was able to deal with it so well - the back pack that is:-
But we were all quite excited... the almost 8 yr old son who always thinks he is a rapper - despite us never listenign to rap....
Oh - and Mac and myself.... I kept telling the older ones that when we'd dropped them off, Rory and I were going to head home and have a party....just a phrase - that was taken just a bit too literally.
(As in injection).Ideally by a really handsome Doctor (male) - have one in mind - and this shot would stop me worrying about things and OVER ANALYSING my bloody life.
Did she mean that?
Well he said this, but could have meant....
Oh, ok then, because I THOUGHT you meant something really very different.
Did you she the look she gave me?
Do you think they are REALLY happy?
This is also why e-mail is not a good means for me...... I can even read a bloody recipe the wrong way!!!!
Is anyone else like this?
Whilst we were in California we some spent time with a friend of Bee's and their family. The friend has just moved from Colorado to CA so we decided to meet up. I don't know the mum terribly well (But in that oh so open way I know that she is 41, isn't having anymore kids and is considering plastic surgery).
Our children are friends and have been in the same class for 3 years but apart from meeting her at school social events I really haven't spent that much time with her. However she has been over to my house a couple of times this summer for playdate drop offs but that's about it.
At this point I should also add that when I was at school I was never the popular girl. No one admired me at all. (Not counting lecherous teenage boys gawping at boobs). There were loads of other girls in my year who were 'cool.' I was definitely not one of them. So so not.
It was quite a surprise therefore when this other mom met me a few weeks ago and said;
"I was thinking.....I mean, since I've spent time with you I've noticed a couple of things. You are always put together. You have earrings and bracelets and necklaces all matching and your shoes go with whatever you're wearing. I'm going to really make an effort with that now......"
I am slowly nodding my head trying to take this in...
"And your garden was so nice - all your work in it and the colour....even the pots you'd used....I am going to get some of those....oh and I know that this house we're in is a rental but I saw how you used color in your house - now normally I am afraid of color, but I thought what the hell, if Mumof4 can do it and it works then why can't I. So I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond..........." and she went on and on....
and I am there, nodding like those Hawaiian dancers you put on your car dashboard - turning my head from side to side, being sort of flattered she is saying these things - I mean they are sort of compliments, right? But a tad freaked out that she is telling me this, a little uncertain what to say and quite happy that we're gonig to have a few States between us.
Is that a terrible thing to say?
Her husband is a Dr in a teenage psychological Lock Down facility....and I am always a little nervous about what to say to this woman anyhow - in case she goes back to him, tells him our conversations and he says:
"Ah indeed..Mumof4 is a raging nymphomaniac just playing a role of the normal easy going British mother......" or the like.
old, but good........
I have tried it (but not as mumof4).....
And as it would say....
Stepho is FEELING a bit sad and very confused......
I am normally really good about taking care of my skin....but not so much on holiday . So we have had varying shades of pink going on but we're now at the 'looking bronzed for 2 days' part before I start to peel.
But I like to have a bit of colour actually - but not enough to do the false tan on a regular basis.
But Bee took a photo of me early one morn with no make up - no hair brush - not even mascara and I always use mascara....so about 6 months later than everyone else who did it - here is a me shot, first thing in the morning (but obviously not naked like that....).
Could blame it all on a dog called Dougal (long story) or maybe my 'Nickerchen' in the car.....but I am wide awake. (it's only 10.30pm though).
Probably not helped by going on the treadmill at 9pm but never mind.
Hubby has managed to press my buttons enough to get my arse into gear. Or maybe his fitness streak is rubbing off on me - he is again on milkman's hours to accommodate his ridiculous fitness bootcamp routines (I call it 'keep-fit' = bugs the shit out of him but very funny).
But I may be about to cave dear readers...after his mentioning it again and again and again I am thinking about going to check out the ex Navy Seals myself and see what all the fuss is about - not the 5.45am class but the 7pm class. What, they don't allow kids? Wow - their dad will maybe have to get to grips with their bedtime routine then. Mmm.
The idea of some fit muscular guys telling me to move my butt and get in the groove and encourage me to pant and sweat - well it all sounds rather appealing right now.....
Just went for a shower and was umming and ahhing about all this with hubby ( he was off to bed)...
Me: "If I could lose 10lbs I am sure my boobs would shrink some - and that would be great...."
Him: "Are you mad????????"
Me: "I am serious. I mean even bloody Jordan is going down in size........."
Him: "But hers weren't real to begin with."
Me: "Doesn't matter.."
Him: "You'll have no problem losing weight if you do the classes and stop eating chocolate. And more sex with you on top, obviously..."
Me: "Well there's a surprise."
Him: "But your boobs had better not bloody shrink because
a) I like them
and
b) It'll cost us another fortune in bras.........."
************
He has a point.
**********
When we got home this afternoon I was aching from all the sitting in the car - and decided to get changed as soon as we got in. Also decided that my bra of the day had done its 6 months and needed to go. As we were all busy unloading the car etc I put it straight into the trash can in the garage where we were dumping everything from the journey (rubbish).
"Do you know someone has put your bra in the bin?" asked hubby - explained it all to him.
Then 5 minutes later....
"Mum! Who put your bra in the bin?" asks Paddy - I told him I did and that it was ok - it was old. Apparently it looked fine to him. But I'm not sure he has a lot of knowledge there as of yet.
Then there was.....
"Mom! Come quick - your bra has fallen in the trash!' shouts Bee.......Explain it all again to her - whilst wondering if she thought the bra had actually fallen off of me into said huge wheely bin....
"But what about your knickers?" she asked......"They still seem ok or are you throwing them away too?"
I explained I would keep the knickers .....
"But when will you wear them if you don't, like, have a matching bra?" she added.
Ah bless. She still has a lot to learn.
We survived the drive back - apparently we set a new family record (it's the 4th summer we've done this trip) for stops for the loo/potty as it took us 18 hrs driving on the way back. As I said a million times in that timespan - "Does it bloody matter?"
No.
There was snow falling in the mountains as we drove through and I had forgotten that iPods cut out that high up - was worried I had broken it. But snow in August - strange even for here...
Good to be home. House still standing - no floods. 23 phone messages - and none that important....
Hubby has already gone off to de-stress by watching The Dark Knight....Bee is already playing loud music in a strop, Webkins is on, Rory and his bare bottom are running around and Mac is still talking away - nothing new really.
All the bags are out of the car and I'm putting them away gradually...
Bee has already got a money making scheme going on by hoovering out the car too........
She is actually dozed on Tylenol - her barking cough is not going away and this morning she complained of terrible ear ache....which wasn't helped by us driving so high up - so maybe I will have to put our Pyjama Day on hold and take her to the Doctors tomorrow if she still complains later....
Hubby was actually quite funny on the drive home - he was trying not to be pissed off with the number of Ikea bags in the boot - and all the books Bee and I were schlepping home - the word Kindle has been threatened many times...but I don't think I like it so much - the few times I have used his anyway. He kept joking we needed a few more plates every time we passed a 'Linens n Things' or a few more books when it was a 'Barnes and Nobles.' Now it is all out - he maybe has a point.........
I now have to find a home for all the things I got....I see a big sorting out of the kitchen in my future.....but maybe not today. Organised piles more like it for the meantime - or maybe just piles of stuff would be more accurate......
At least I left a semi tidy house to come back to before all this started. Karen - not only do I hope you survived the storm but I hope you haven't collapsed with the state of my kitchen counters compared to yours!!!!
On our way home. Hotel. Wedding anniversary. But how come I am left on kid watch whilst he gets to soak in a bubble bath? Apparently because I had the noise reduction headphones and iPod all day in the car - zoning out the others to text my way through California, Nevada, Arizona and a bit of Utah. Whilst he drove.
Is it true hookers keep their cell phones in their bras too?
Anyhow - this was not the fun hotel fantasy I had in my mind all day AT ALL.
Very disappointed. Ah well.
