I should have stayed home today. Well actually I shouldn’t because the children had a good day and ‘retrospectively’ it wasn’t as bad a day as I felt it was being during parts of it but I was in a very impatient, intolerant and ranty mood and am probably best kept away from people at such times.
We went on a ‘Bluebell Walk’ organised by Julie for some local HE folk. We did the same walk, but a month later than this last year (please note picture of Tarly surrounded by bluebells in picture from last year). I left on schedule, having first packed a picnic, hung out washing and got to the petrol station before my car ran out of petrol having been going on fumes for the last few miles. We chatted and sang songs on the way there and then promptly got lost, just like last year, ending up at Bignor Roman Villa which if nothing else reminded me that we really must go there and it is nearer than I remembered it being (which I imagine is more to do with my addled brain than the remains of a centuries old villa upping and moving east 😉 ). Julie rang and gave me some better directions and we were there within ten minutes.
There were two other families joining us, one was a mother, grandmother and two daughters (both under 2), one was a mother with 3 children (7yo boy, 4yo girl, 2yo boy), both of whom I’ve met before. I shan’t rant, although I could at length but I found fault with everything about them all today and I’m perfectly aware that was me being arsey rather than anything they were doing but it all felt like they’d been specifically lined up to rub me up the wrong way with their appearance, dietary choices, educational approaches and so on.
We stopped for lunch where every child seemed to spend the whole time shrieking about bugs until I actually said ‘you know what, if you keep looking for creatures, given we are sitting in the middle of the woods, the chances are you’re going to keep seeing them!!!!’ because I did feel like I was sitting in the middle of that Catherine Tate sketch with the woman who screams at everything. Then Tarly managed to break her shoe and lose the rivet off the strap, which I was really pissed off about, and meant it kept falling off for the rest of the walk (I think I’ve sorted that by ordering some new rivets so hopefully they’ll be fixable).
But the worst thing, the thing which annoyed me the very most was not that it was a long way to drive for a not particularly fantastic walk, not the people, not the shoe and most certainly not the weather (which was glorious and having caught the sun on my arms today I realised it is time to get some sun cream out now). No, it was the fact that there wasn’t a single arsing bluebell (to pinch a phrase 😉 ) to be seen. Last year there were carpets of them, they literally made you ooh and ahh and wonder at the magnificence of nature. No one’s fault of course but very bloody annoying. 🙁
We left around 3pm and had had a good long walk so came home. I told the children that they had to leave me alone for a while so I could be grumpy and irrational on my own and went to get dinner on. They bonded over this and spent ages getting out loads of Barbie stuff which ended up covering the lounge floor. They did play really nicely together and did indeed leave me alone though. Then Davies found a bug inspecting thingy – a little magnified container with compartments for putting insects in to observe them. He was all enthusiastic about it so I sent him out into the garden to go and find some bugs, Tarly went with him so I tidied up the lounge and got their dinner ready, calling them in to eat and to apologise for being so cross all day. Children are always so forgiving (or wise and know the right things to say) and assured me that I hadn’t been horrid all day at all, and both gave me some of their chocolate to make me happy again 🙂 before eating every scrap of their dinner and having a peaceful and non-splashing bath together. Davies was full of chatter about ants so I showed him some pictures of Antworks which he fell in love with and has added to the list of things he might want for his birthday. They do look pretty cool actually, I’ve been coveting one for a while ;).
I popped out to Sainsburys and then came back and read Davies several bedtime stories and then watched The Apprentice which allowed me to remain cross and shouty to end the day :lol:. Working all day tomorrow and again on Friday morning and again on Saturday afternoon so the calm and quiet atmopshere with either soothe me or annoy the hell out of me I guess!
You need to make yourself a soothing device, like what I did. Stare at pretty pictures until all thoughts of fuckwitted acquaintances pass from your mind and you are calm again. (And possibly slightly horny, but that’s a private matter.)
I did only read your previous post just before this one, but I did guess that today had to involve some suitably springlike venture 😉
Comment by Alison — 12 April 2007 @ 12:18 am
I’d recommend Dr Alison’s advice 🙂
I was thinking of walking with the bluebells, so I appreciate the public service and won’t go yet!
Comment by Roslyn — 12 April 2007 @ 6:50 am
What are those pictures Alisons talking about??? Show me too, I won’t tell I promise.
Comment by Lucy — 12 April 2007 @ 1:54 pm
Saying this very quietly in hope that it will be less annoying that way:
It’s a bit early for bluebells.
Comment by Allie — 12 April 2007 @ 3:23 pm
Lol Allie, *I* know that, it just hadn’t occured to the person organising it 🙄
Comment by Nic — 12 April 2007 @ 5:19 pm