Dolce et decorum est pro patria mori?

Davies and Scarlett were at the Remembrance Day parade today with Badgers. I’d realised when it was first mentioned that it was the weekend we had Kirsty and James staying and then that it was also the morning after a late night from Claudia’s birthday party but it’s the first year they’ve been around to do it and they were both keen to do so.

It was a struggle for all of us to be up and out this morning I think – Davies and I were last up and Scarlett proved very challenging in getting her hair sorted and her fully clothed, particularly the layer required for the fact she’d be standing, coatless, for over at hour on parade. We got there though and were at the appointed meeting place well ahead of time allowing Ady and James to head off again to park somewhere free rather than pay £3.20 at the carpark we’d met in! 😯

There was a bit of standing around and then the Badgers joined on the end of the St Johns’ Ambulance group of adults, cadets and other SJA folk to march round to the town hall where the memorial statue is. I got split up from Ady, Kirsty and James as I wanted to stay very close to Davies and Scarlett just incase they needed me for any reason which meant I was near them but couldn’t see any part of the service at all. I think the others only had a marginally better view actually anyway.

It was a long service during which they both managed to stand quietly if not completely still (I could see the backs of both of them and their feet, which were shuffling about a fair bit) and I was really proud of them. We’d chatted about what it was all about and what might be happening but I’d not really anticipated it being such a lengthy service. There was a quite moving speech aswell as the usual remembrance day readings, a hymn and the national anthem and then all of the paraders marched around the block.

We kept pace and walked around with them. Scarlett was doing really well with marching and keeping pace when she spotted a poppy on the floor and tried to bend down to pick it up. She imediately fell out of step and the people to the side and directly infront were urging her to carry on but it was too late – the fireman marching behind her scooped her up and walked a little way along holding her up before putting her back down to carry on marching 😆 It was classic Scarlett and had all nearby women wishing they’d thought of the move first and tried bending down infront of a fireman on some ‘oh look there’s a poppy’ ruse too 😆

Ady wasn’t quite quick enough with the camera but here’s the moment just before he picked her up:
you can see the leader walking alongside her trying to get her to catch up 😆

I was really proud of the children for being part of it and also glad we went. I’ve not been to a service for remembrance before and it was very moving, sad, patriotic and all sorts of other things all at once.

We walked back to the car via a cook shop for Kirsty and I to peek in and Blacks for all of us to look at camping stuff wistfully dreaming of next summer.

We had had plans of going to the beach but none of us really felt up to it so I made a couple of batches of pancakes and we had a low key afternoon infront of the fire instead. We spent some time looking at old photos on flickr of home ed camps and get togethers of the past which was lovely. I love that we have friends we now have known long enough to have shared nostalgia trips with :). Ady fed everyone and then Kirsty and James hit the road about 6pm ish.

We did a quick tidy up and then I read Davies and Scarlett seperate stories as they were too tired to collaborate on which book to have. Tarly was asleep very quickly, Davies took quite a bit longer but I think is finally asleep now (nearly midnight!). We had baths, Ady did something delicious with some pork chops and we watched Deborah Meaden on the Dragons Den thing. It’s been another dreadful night with pouring rain and howling wind so the children and I will make a weather dependant decision about Pulborough Brooks together in the morning as that is our planned event for tomorrow.

It’s been a lovely weekend. Davies and Scarlett get on so well with Marcus and Alex (far too well to be wasting time sleeping) and Kirsty and James are excellent company. It’s lifted what was shaping up to be a fairly crap week and it was great to see various other friends yesterday too. 🙂