On the way home from London on Sunday Tarly was talking about Drusillas and when we’d next go there. We’ve got just over 3 months left on our annual passes so it does make sense to get a few visits in before they run out so I said we’d try and get there this week. When Mum called in on Monday I mentioned it to her and as she was off today she came with us. We had a couple of ‘granny goes free’ vouchers so it didn’t cost anything for her to get in either :).
She was over half an hour late arriving which pissed me off a bit although she was armed with a list of ‘reasons’ for her tardiness :roll:. Ady had popped home too as he was off to QVC and David Thankyou was out too so we had quite a send off when we finally got on our way. I always find my Mum quite tiring company if I’m honest and at the moment she is in a fairly needy phase. To be fair to her life is a bit crap at the moment for her but I’m very keen to be supportive whilst not getting involved. She also has the ability to be utterly selfish and insensitive without realising it at all, something over which I shed the last of my tears and accepted as just who she is a long time ago but still makes for a draining day with her. Today she was full of the six theatre trips she has lined up over the next couple of months, all up to London and all with meals out either side of the show planned too. I don’t begrudge a single moment of her pleasure or a single penny she might spend but the irony of her bragging about this to me after I confessed we’d shared a KFC bargain bucket in our hotel room on Saturday night so that we could afford to go to the caves on the Sunday on the way home struck me even if it didn’t occur to her :lol:.
Drusillas was quite good, they are the other side of doing lots of investment and improvement on the place over the quieter winter months so there were new things to see including Lemurland, a walk through enclosure, with keeper on guard where you are in there with the lemurs wandering around you. Davies and Scarlett loved it and even both sneaked a quick stroke of the lemurs as they passed by :). There were some new ‘attractions’ in the play area too. Mum and I had a cup of tea while they had a play in the soft play area for half an hour.
We left and went to a nearby pub for lunch at Mum’s suggestion which was a real treat for me. Mum complained about it as expensive and not great but I thought it was quite nice- of course I wasn’t paying 😉 (but I did drive and get her into Drusillas so I wasn’t getting much for nothing). The weather had turned cold and drizzly so we headed for home and I called into the supermarket on the way home for some cream cakes to have with tea.
Cakes eaten, hair brushed and socks worn (Scarlett only ever wears socks to Badgers each week and at soft play places where socks are The Law, she hates them and was totally socked out by the end of today :lol:) we set off to Badgers. It was presentation night tonight as it was the end of term so I’d asked Mum if she wanted to come along too. Scarlett had requested that I present her with her Badger Promise certificate and badge (they can choose whoever they want apparently. I was pleased to be her choice but disappointed she’d not aimed higher for a celebrity or cartoon character :lol:). The badgers went off to do something upstairs while the parents were entertained in the coffee lounge. We chatted to a few of the other parents and I struck up a conversation with someone I was at school with but have never talked to before. We were also talking to Julie, the Badger leader who is a Teaching Assistant for reception year. She was asking how Scarlett was enjoying Badgers and I said she was loving it (which she is) and Julie was saying she is very bouncy but has already started to calm down a bit.
We went through and sat down and Ady arrived soon after but had to sit at the back. Scarlett was presented with her enrollment and promise first
Then all the Badgers got presented with their Wild Badger badges which they have been doing this term:
Scarlett was really struggling with the whole parade thing. She doesn’t have to adhere to the being still and staying quiet thing anywhere else and it is something she is rather rubbish at. Personally I think there is no need for five year old children to be able to stand still and be quiet really but I do think showing respect for other people talking or wanting to listen is important. She did lots of finger up nose, flapping her skirt about and jumping type stuff and kept stage whispering to me little observations. It was entertaining the rest of the parents but I did keep shushing her and trying to convey ‘be quiet’ messages to her with meaningful eye contact 😆 Some of the Badgers, including Davies were presented with Silver Badger awards (they get bronze after their first 3 badges, silver after the next 3, gold after the next 3 and SuperBadger when they have done 12 badges, so four years of work.) Silver marks Davies’s end of second year and he really has got loads out of Badgers, it’s a great organisation and the Worthing one is extremely well run.
Finally it was time for the Badger of the Month. Davies has won it twice already and whilst we might have been smiling indulgently at our bouncy little front row Badger with her plait already falling out, her socks already falling down and her finger up her nose Scarlett’s was the last name I was expecting to hear. But she was commended for trying her best, being kind and helpful and really getting the idea of what Badgers is about in her first term and her name was called out! 🙂
She’s already been polishing it and has taken it to bed with her :). I’m not big on rewards, punishments or extrinsic recognition but I have to concede it means a hell of a lot to her and I am proud that out of the 18 children there my two have both had that award even though the teaching assistant leader quietly makes her feelings about Home Education known because they have both been given it for trying hard and embracing the being kind and helpful ethos of Badgers, traits I am delighted to see them exhibiting and being commended for :). So there you go, hypocritical sell out I may be but we’ve got the cup here again! 😆 ;).
Home for stories and whilst I had all good intentions I’ve not sewn the five badges they came home with between them onto their uniforms yet but I will try and do it before they are back at Badgers next term :lol:. This week has rather run away with me and tomorrow is my working all day day.
I’m gonna have to stop reading your blog, I cry over way too many of your posts 😳
Well Done Scarlett!! 🙂
Yay! Well done Scarlett for being kind and helpful whilst not losing your bounce – the world needs people who are nice and bouncy at the same time.
And well done to Davies too, he’s a star!
She looks very grown up in that last photo, you know. I agree with Ali – kind, helpful and bouncy is a lovely combination.