Sigh…
Back to work today…
Louise was saying while we drifted off to sleep last night that she thinks that Eve will saying, “Where Daddy?” all tomorrow.
‘Where’ & ‘Why’ is something she’s really got into saying the past few days.
Had a lovely holiday. A real good taste of how life could be, but the ugly subject of earning money always seems to come up – so it’s back to work… Sigh…
Jack had a good birthday on Tuesday. Mum & dad came up for one of their flying visits. Arrived at 7am as they said they would. I, fortunately, had decided that it would be a good idea to get up for that time in case they did arrive. Fortunately they had made some error in navigation along the way or they would have caught me asleep.
Not sure Jack will have enjoyed the quick look in at Ikea we sneaked in (heh), but the Toys r Us was great fun for him. There was a section that had ride on bike, trikes, tractor, cars, & – well – al sorts. He was particularly fond of a go-cart which he zoomed around the shop in for quite some time with one of us in pursuit. We spent a good long while there messing about chasing the kids & fraying our nerves a little more, but always just keeping the right side of sanity. In the end we got Jack a few items of junior meccano & a tunnel for his lego/duplo railway. Eve got a tricycle, & they both got a small slide for the garden… And a lolly. We would have liked to have got Jack the go-cart, but we’ve nowhere to keep it other than outside, & then not even in a shed, so, unfortunately it was just not possible. It seems odd, that on Jack’s birthday we got Eve a tricycle, but Jack has just got a new bike, which was for his birthday, & he can still fit on the trike. Eve cannot reach the pedals as yet. She can on Jack’s bike as she uses them to climb up on it, but she cannot do anything other than sit there once she has climbed up onto it, whereas she can push herself along on the trike.
Day at work complete – homeward bound now – phew – another over the top hot day. The office is stuffy as Matt has ‘borrowed’ the office fan, altho he’s also on emergency leave due to family emergency… bah.
Jack was fun yesterday evening… He has a Thomas the Tank Engine helium balloon for his birthday & he & Hamish were playing with it in the house after tea. They had made up a little game hiding & finding it, so I joined in & foxed them a little by hiding it under something (helium balloons float – so they were looking up). Jack thought that this was great fun &was all excited by it. They had a go at hiding it from me, & Jack simply couldn’t contain himself!
“Your turn Paul!” (Jacks started calling me ‘Paul’ – dunno why really, must be as that’s what Louise calls me – I don’t mind)
Jack, gleefully; “We’ve hidden it-“
“Don’t tell me Jack!”
“OK… …It’s in the back room! …It’s in that box!!”
This sort of scenario was repeated several times. No matter what he – just – couldn’t – stop – himself. Hamish would say, “Oowww Jaaaack!” & I’d have to tell the pouting boy that Jack just couldn’t help it. He was trying, but it was too much fun.
Jack & Hamish have been playing well together again. There was a day the other week that Jack was distinctly ‘unkeen’ on Hamish – saying that he was ‘threatening him’. Not sure really what that means as Jack’s understanding of a word we do not really use is curious.
Hamish has helped with the eating of birthday cake over the last couple of days & will be going to what is billed as a ‘picnic’ on Saturday with us at Louise’s mum’s. This was initially going to be a proper picnic in the park near Louise’s mum’s, but has since relocated to the lawn/drive outside the flats where she lives. Not really sure why – it may have been because there are a couple of older members of the family who might have found sitting on the grass in the park a little difficult, but that also may be an expeditious excuse. So, Louise’s extended family will be there, & Jack, Eve & Hamish. No other children… so I can’t really bring myself to call it a children&’s party, as it is really meant to be.
For Jack’s party we were initially hoping to rent a hall in the local Sports Centre – bouncy castle, kiddies climbing area – that sort of thing. We could have just about afforded it if we ‘doubled-up’ the party so that another kid would also be having their birthday party too… but the other parents dad vetoed on the grounds of it being too far from his kids actual birthday. Bah. A shame that the only ‘event’ is the ‘picnic’ but we are too timid & certainly the house is too topsy turvey to hold a party at our house for Jack’s (many) pals. sigh.
I managed to get a wee bit of decorating done over my holiday. Well short of what I would have liked to have done, but that was to be expected. A good start on things – that I can hopefully maintain some form of momentum with. I so needs to be done! There is (typically) too much to do…
Ah, if only I were at home instead of working, I could see me actually being able to get on with it all! Shame, shame…