Gloomy

Well, our little family had a pretty good weekend. We went to london and played Guardians of the Museum in the British Museum. I forgot the camera, but I shall still cherish a few dear moments of the day:

Custard's face when he saw a real Dum Dum head (Easter Island statue) and asking periodically when we would have to fight the dark forces.

FHB saying that London 'is Real! And it's just so big!' on Regent Street as he looked up at all the shops with wide eyed wonder.

Mouse being content with whatever we did, as long as she got to buy something sparkly or some lipstick.

 Miss T trotting along on a string at the museum, just being thrilled in general.

FHB asking me questions about kings and queens as we stood looking at Buckingham Palace in the rain. I plundered my knowledge of Henry VIII, Queen Victoria (Were they married Mummy?), Oliver Cromwell (who was boring and cancelled Christmas and singing) and Prince Harry (But do we really make princes go to war now?).

Custard saying his best bit of the day was the staircase at Hamleys because it looked like Narnia.

I did not enjoy:

Hamleys on a Saturday afternoon with four bears and a buggy. Too busy, rubbish lifts and far too many miserable middle-aged people with no children in tow who kept shoving my baby out of the way. In particular the man who shut the lift doors on my buggy and the woman who kicked my buggy (with my baby in it).

The Jubilee line not running from Green Park, so we had to walk from Picadilly to Embankment at 6pm in the rain with exhausted children. W, bless him pushed the buggy with Miss T and Custard on it and carried Mouse on his shoulders while I alternately pulled and carried FHB along the Mall.

And so to today. It is a very mondayish Monday. It is drizzling. It is grey. The kids are grumpy. W is grumpy. I am grumpy.

FHB began the day sobbing that he was tired.

Me: Why sweetie?

FHB: Well, because at night I read lots of books instead of going to sleep. When you and Daddy come upstairs I hide them under the covers and pretend to sleep. But really I am awake and I read at least twenty Asterix books a night (Slightly hysterical).

We agree that we should remove all books from his room so he does not feel compelled to read them all every night.

In other glorious Monday news:

Custard wants to kill me (not unusual); Mouse is giving me headache because she is shrieking like a fishwife (I am NOT a FISHWIFE! Me: You've just proved it); She also hates me, apparently.

And I have broken my favourite mug:

I thought I was putting it on the coffee table, but was actually placing it on a piece of thin air about a foot from the coffee table. Not. Happy. And it was half full of coffee at the time.

Anyway. Things must improve. I am in the last stretch of my course- my exam is on Monday. I cannot wait for it to be over so I can get on with making lots of lovely things. I am going to sleep at night dreaming of hats and bunting and goodies I want to make for Christmas.

x

PS Since I drafted this I have done another school run and can add one nose-to-nose shouting match with a three year old; a mile long walk with Mouse repeatedly making a small toy cicada buzz (I threaten to shove it down the nearest drain); one escapee being returned, sobbing, by a friend of mine, from the main road while I was still in school (again); one edifying dog-poo episode (FHB) and subsequent loss of temper (me); one more fishwifely interlude; and my karma biting me on the bum and making me lose my voice, to my list of happiness and delight for the day.

On a brighter note, FHB is wearing a pirate flag as a Roman toga, which is desperately sweet, and Miss T is dressed as Sportacus. And, while hosing down the dog-poo-shoes, I noticed a handful of late, ripe raspberries nestling in the border. All Mine!