I had a bad dream last night which stayed with me on and off all day. It was about Scarlett being at a Girl Guide event and Ady and I taking Davies off out somewhere while she was there (some sort of Science thing, I distinctly recall Dr Hal being there) and then forgetting to collect Scarlett. I remembered *hours* after we should have picked her up, was shocked that no one had rung to ask where we were and then struggled to get there in a succession of cars that all kept breaking down. I finally found where she was and the guide leader had taken her home with her rather than ringing me and was very reluctant to let me have her back. When I finally got her back she was all tear stained and had been told I wasn’t coming back because I didn’t want her. Oh it was horrible 🙁 I started awake and laid for ages convincing myself it was just a dream, was really tempted to go downstairs and cuddle her but finally drifted off back to sleep. All sorts in there from this week including breaking down cars, Scarlett deciding against Brownies and an accusation she’s levelled at me a few times lately about always talking in a nice voice to Davies and a normal voice to her (not true, infact I seem to be spending most of my time talking in placating tones to her at the moment). As Alison said in a comment a few posts back I really do struggle with needy and that pretty much sums her up a lot of the time at the moment. She keeps boucing back to the Scarlett we all know, full of sunshine and default state of happy but she’s tired from lack of decent sleep too and quick to tear up at the slightest thing.
Anyway.
An earlier start for all of us this morning as I was off to work so I got the kids breakfasted, the chickens sorted and was making sandwiches to leave for the kids and my Dad and sandwiches to take to work for me when my Dad arrived. I had time for a quick chat with him before heading off to work, via the other side of the chicken run where one of the cockerels was pretending to be the Kellogs rooster and had jumped onto the fence to crow. A hen had followed him and as the fence is deliberately *not* sturdy to discourage them from standing on it they were swaying about like drunkards, flapping to try and keep their balance and he was continuing to crow with a sort of ‘wahey, whoa’ tone to it as he wobbled about. Fools!
Work was good, a real party atmosphere as NC has finally left. There was a ceremonial ripping off her name from her locker and her tray which was all very cathartic. There are changes afoot with regards to opening hours which we will know more about in the next six weeks or so and I still don’t really know to what level they might effect me, if at all, so there is uncertainty about the future but short term at least the mood was very buoyant :).
I did some preparatory work for the next couple of Chatterbooks groups and whilst I didn’t manage to get any good feedback from the group generally I did talk to Davies and Scarlett about the next four sessions tonight and we’ve come up with a plan and some good activities so I have managed to get some child input if not the whole group. For my own reference (poetry, storytelling, tv / film, chatterbooks story).
I spent some time on the counter, lots of time on the desk and some time trying to find poetry related activities for kids.
Home again I beat Ady home by a good hour plus so poor Dad was here all day. He’d played Goddardopoly with Davies and Scarlett had done some bath bomb making (and stayed in her pyjamas all day!) but I’ve no idea what else. All seemed calm, well and happy though :).
I put the chickens away and got drenched in a very heavy downpour of rain so decided to stay outside and chop some sticks as I was already wet. I got the fire lit, washed up the lunch things and cups and glasses from the day (why does noone rinse their glass / mug and use it again next time they have a drink???) and cooked some pasta for the kids’ tea by which time Ady had arrived home so I went and got out of my wet clothes.
Scarlett had a wobble so I talked to her about all the things she has to feel happy about and got her smiling again, then read the penultimate chapter of the creation book and packed them off to bed while Ady was in the bath. He got out and cooked dinner, I got in and spent the whole time I was in the bath on the phone to Julie having a good old catch up. I was in the bath and she was feeding Lorna yoghurt while talking to me so neither of us could get to our diaries to plan to meet up so have arranged to speak again at the weekend and book several get togethers before our diaries fill up with other things.
We watched all the taped Masterchef UK and Australia we’ve recorded this week so we are fully caught up. Ady took the sitting with Scarlett while she fell asleep shift, which was good and now despite best intentions to be in bed sleeping long before it was tomorrow it looks like I’ve not managed it yet again!