It’s been a week of full on Mummying really which is odd considering my charges are down by 50% but I always suspected I do 50% of the parenting and the slack is picked up by siblings and it turns out I was right ;).
So today the plan was a quiet morning and then driving to the New Forest to meet up with The Portico and American friends. I’d been looking forward to both seeing Chris & Alison and meeting the online friend (who I know from Feminist Parents) but had been expecting it to be an earlier meet up as I was going out for a meal with friends from work (a leaving do for a colleague, who it now turns out wants to come back anyway) at 7pm so needed to be home for 6pm and the New Forest is 90 minutes drive on a clear run so factoring in traffic I’d need to allow 2 hours – at least.
Scarlett got into bed with me first thing and we had a chat and cuddle before getting up, dressed and breakfasted. I had promised to cast an eye over one of Ady’s workmate’s CV but seem to have deleted it off my computer so wasn’t able to do so. I’d primed Tarly for an hour of self entertainment while I did so though so I used the time to catch up on my blog of the previous couple of days. She didnt last nearly an hour though before demanding my attention. I offered various suggestions but she said what she really wanted to do was walk to Brooklands, get an ice cream and go to the beach.
That all seemed quite fair and would leave us plenty of time for coming home to drive to the New Forest so I agreed and we set off. As usual interesting chats along the way, although I can’t quite recall what about now. There was a big top set up at Brooklands for the circus so we wandered over to see what was happening but it was a 3 day circus school for children, which will end with a performance tomorrow evening. Davies would have loved that…
(dreadful picture of me, I look every single one of my 35 years and more. Clearly this is what worry does to one!)
We got an ice cream each and walked to the beach with them chattering about beach huts (we’d love one but they are too expensive) and private strips of beach (ditto although Scarlett firmly believes the beach should be for all to enjoy and not sectioned into private strips apparently!). We walked along the (very busy) beach for a while and then decided to paddle and see how warm the sea was.
(one of my famous dodgy horizon shots, sorry!)
We walked along to the rocks and I sat while Scarlett paddled, first in jeans and then they came off, then she got her pants wet and finally went right under and came out with soaking wet t shirt and hair! She was very happy though :). At that point Alison sent a text to say they were due to arrive in the New Forest at 2 which would mean us leaving straight away. Predictably Scarlett was very reluctant with even the promise of Lulah and ponies not luring her away (I didn’t even try and tempt her with the beach, given we were already on one!). I toyed with the idea but actually the thought of a good 3 hours driving in my very hot car (my window doesnt’ work) with a child who wasn’t really up for it just didn’t appeal enough to say ‘right, we’re going, come on!’ so I sent an apologising text back. I really am sorry though, it would have been great to see you all and if I’d not needed to get back and could have stayed long enough to justify the driving and stayed later to miss the rush hour traffic we’d definitely have come.
I eventually persuaded Scarlett out of the sea and we walked back up to the promenade where she asked for another ice cream. She so rarely asks for stuff and it seemed like a fair request so I bought her one! I’m not sure who was most surprised 😆
We walked slowly through Lancing, stopping at all the charity shops where Scarlett found a Wallace and Gromit toy for Davies. We nipped into the bakers for a sausage roll and a cake which we sat in the park and ate and then we walked home again the long way round.
Back home we hung some more washing out, spent some time with the chickens and then spent some time looking at snow leopard charities online, emailed Marwell about the one eyed pirahna and looked at Longleat. I emailed Longleat for group prices, contacted Sustainability to confirm our camping booking (if you’re coming and havent’ booked yet do make sure you do!) and got all excited about a Longleat trip in October :).
Scarlett spent some time snuggled up with me while I did all that and then some time looking through her RSPB magazine which had come in the post. We entered a competition for it online and then she decided to make some pictures to send in. All by herself she decided to combine drawing with collage from stuff from the garden and did some ace pictures using leaves, grass, lavender, flowers and a couple of feathers she’d gathered from the garden. Oh and some sticks and some earth! She got the paint and pens out and created some really nice pictures and then put everything away and cleared it all up including wiping down the table, all with very minimal prompting. Interesting how grown up she’s being without Davies around…
Ady came home and while Scarlett had tea (very late as she’d been eating kiwi fruit all afternoon she’d gone and got herself including chopping it all up) I tried on lots of outfits and discarded most of them getting ready to go out for a meal. Finally I found something suitable and Ady and Scarlett dropped me off at the pub in Shoreham. There were 8 of us and it was a nice evening with lots of laughs. Very cheap too as they had a two for a tenner deal which meant we all chose a ‘buddy’ and only paid a fiver each for the meal. Which made the £3.30 I paid for a glass of wine slightly less dreadful – honestly though, you can buy a whole bottle for that! My boss bought me a second one and then instead of a pudding I had a liquer so I still only paid about £12 for the night. Food was good hearty fayre at bargain prices.
I’m a bit wobbly again tonight about Davies as he was off to Chessington today. The leader said she would encourage him to ring me tonight and he hasn’t. I was hoping he’d be having a really good time and feel able to chat to me today or at the very least if he was reluctant then she would ring me instead. I’m now fretting that he isn’t happy enough to feel able to ring without wobbling, that for some reason he can’t work his phone (I’ve sent a few texts which would come through when he turned it on and might confuse him, I hope he’d ask for help but am not sure) or that he is still wobbling and they’ve not let him ring. I’ve sent him post each day but not had anything back despite him saying he would send me stuff. If all of this is because he is simply too busy to think about it then fine but I have a nagging feeling it isn’t 🙁 Obviously I will ring the leader againtomorrow and try really hard to be able to speak to Davies.
I’ve already arranged to work full time including late nights if Scarlett decides to go too in 2 years – there is no way I could spent the week childless and without employment!
hugs
Comment by HelenHaricot — 20 August 2009 @ 12:30 am
well I’m assuming that the tail off in Anna’s communication is because she’s having too much fun – surely after what happened at the beginning of the week they wouldn’t stop him phoning, so you’re safe to assume the same, no? Well I hope that’s what it is!
Comment by Sarah — 20 August 2009 @ 7:25 am
I hadn’t seen your brightkite message about going out in the evening before we went out – definitely not worth coming over, although from C’s and my point of view we would have loved to have had some dilution, lol!
More hugs re Davies … 2 more sleeps ….
Comment by Alison — 20 August 2009 @ 9:55 am
I love S’s pictures.
C said she didn’t really miss me. Out of sight out of mind for her, wheras I experienced absence makes the heart grow fonder.
I feel slightly anxious for D when you are reunited with him. Don’t smother the boy will you?
Comment by Michelle — 20 August 2009 @ 11:11 am
p.s. I think the photo of you and Scarlett is lovely btw.
Comment by Sarah — 20 August 2009 @ 1:39 pm
Aw Sarah, thanks – wasn’t fishing for that!
I am really hoping it is a case of a) having too much fun to phone or b) feeling okay all the time he doesn’t speak to me and being sensible about not doing so. BUT I am fretful that he is still on the wobbly side and the leaders are doing that ‘we know best’ thing and preventing him from ringing. I’m not necessarily confident I know best either but I consider myself slightly more able to make decisions about my own kids ;). But yeah, fingers crossed it’s one of the above and not a simple refusal on their part to let him phone.
Mich – I am going to try very hard not to 😉 But the idea of smelling his hair and feeling his arms round me is making me well up at the thought of the ‘getting him back cuddle’ (infact I need to stop cos I’m in the middle of the library ;)) so there is a risk!
Thanks for hugs etc. All of you have really helped me get through this week and it means a lot.xxx
Alison, wondered if that was what C’s BK reply to me on his photo post meant. Would have been good to see you all and meet your guests in the flesh, am very curious about them…
Comment by Nic — 20 August 2009 @ 3:09 pm
Yep, lovely photo. Hannah barely glances at me when we pick her up, which the first couple of years I found devastating. But after a couple of hours, she is all over me. Acutally we both commented on how much we must touch one another normally, as it was incredibly tough to be hands off for 24 hours when I was radio active
Comment by Joyce — 20 August 2009 @ 9:18 pm
I have indeed slept with his pjs and really physically missed him as like you Joyce we have lots of contact throughout the day.
Comment by Nic — 20 August 2009 @ 10:31 pm
Not long now. Hope he’s having a brilliant time.
Comment by Allie — 20 August 2009 @ 11:53 pm