It’s still Thursday!

Had to post again, as I’ve typed this and may not get a chance to post tomorrow, and anyway after my post of yesterday, I awoke with a new and improved attitude and figured I should share! And I have a theory about this: almost like you have hit the low to have the energy to bounce back :o)

But the day did start a bit odd. Do you remember a few weeks ago I (think ?) mentioned the dog peed in the kitchen one night? This was an extremely unusual event, but I accepted it for what it was, and didn’t think anything more about it. But now I’m wondering.

This morning I got up as usual and went to make the tea before rousing the house. Nothing was out of place and it was just like every other morning with everyone groaning as I gave them the five minute get-up warning. And it’s not just the kids who snuggle a little deeper in their beds – the dog was in his too, just outside our bedroom door, catching the last few minutes of quiet.

Except ten minutes later, R comes into the bedroom and says the dog must have peed in the kitchen as there was a huge wet puddle. But the dog hadn’t moved, and barely bothered lifting his head at the mention of his name – and I’m 110% sure there was nothing there when I’d made the tea ten minutes earlier! (I walked all over the area in bare feet!)

The BH and I stood in the kitchen trying to figure where the pool of water had come from. The ceiling was dry, the light fittings were dry, the dog’s bowl was still full of water and hadn’t been kicked, and so the BH figured R or P must have spilt a tipped cup when they emptied the dishwasher. Except it hadn’t been emptied yet, and I reckon there was too much water for that. And anyway they’re not babies afraid to tell if they’ve made a mess.

So I cleared it up, considering it one of life’s little mysteries. But it deepened. I unlocked the back door and went outside to start the cars so they’d be warm when we left, and this is what I saw: (sorry about the quality, these looked fine when I took them, and I guess you can tell what my eyesight is like first thing!)

When I called the BH out to show him and ask what he thought could have caused it, he shrugged and said there had been something similar a few weeks ago. (Maybe the day the dog allegedly peed?!) Now I’m not normally one to get chills up the spine and start thinking something weird is going on, but these patches didn’t dry all day, and they ARE weird, and look like something dribbled or dragged something wet along and off the walkway and rested on a step a while (the puddle isn’t clear, sorry!) Anyways, I don’t know where this water is coming from, inside or out, and any ideas are welcome.

And whilst I’m asking for help, I have a fun request! At the beginning of March it’s book day, and J’s school have invited the children to dress as characters from story books. I’m figuring Little Red Riding Hood is easiest, but am open to interesting ideas. But don’t forget she’s only (will be) five, and the idea mustn’t scare her or be too difficult to make toilet trips in!

And talking of her becoming five, the birthday party is finally sorting itself out. We’re not doing the all-in-party as the cost is about the same as one we could do ourselves, but if you recall I couldn’t afford what was suggested, so we’ve invited another boy to host it with us (his mother accepted!) and we’re holding it in a church hall and doing the food ourselves. Lots more work, but at least I can enjoy it with the pennies issue lessened!

I also received a call offering me a weeks work next week – which I jumped at. But they didn’t realise I couldn’t do full-time and said they’d call me back (they haven’t). But all things considered, I won’t weep if it doesn’t happen as I’ve turned into Miss Popular and am supposed to be going out with different groups of moms three mornings next week! Who’d have thought?!

But whether I’ll make the dates, remains to be seen, as I got a call requesting I pick P up at lunchtime because he felt ill. AGAIN. I don’t mean to sound like an unkind, careless mother, but I’ve heard this all before too many times not to be sceptical. But the school refused to take any chances as there’s this nasty tummy bug about and schools are closing left and right because of it.

So Thursday being ballet day, I dropped S off, with P in the car and headed up to J’s school to collect her. Only to discover – it’s closing! Though J’s class haven’t had any problems the whole place is closed tomorrow to be thoroughly cleaned.

And it gets worse. J’s best friend’s mother works, so of course… I offered.

But I was also giving a lift to another little sweetheart whose mummy works and I asked if she was alright for tomorrow. Well, no she isn’t. And just to make it more interesting, her son (in P’s class at his school) was sent home today and she didn’t know what she was going to do with him. Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound… So tomorrow I’ve got two of my own off, and another three spending the day.

Now I know this must look like I’m a glutton for punishment, and I guess I am. I mean if I’m totally honest, I had plans. Especially as I’ve spent so much of this past week ill myself. In fact I did something incredible yesterday (for me anyway!) I said ‘No’ when the nursery school called to ask if I’d help out today. I’ve never done that before!

But in the case of J’s school friends, I figure my day is blown anyway with two home, so what’s another three? I’m right, right? Please agree with me. The BH gave me such a look when I told him what I’d volunteered for, that yesterday’s breakthrough appears like a one-off, but it’s not!

And so, I bet you’re wondering what I did with my morning that was so important I said no to nursery for… I cooked. Or tried to. The plan was I cook four meals in one. Spaghetti Bolognaise, halved to make two lasagnes. Sounds simple, till you remember that’s equivalent to cooking for twenty-four people, and that’s a lot of chopping! And I don’t make that easy for myself either. You see I have a thing about meat. I haven’t mentioned it before, but I’m sure we all have our quirks, so you’ll understand. But I’m a tad freaky about what goes into stuff like burgers and mince. So I do my own mincing! And that all takes time.

But I had plenty of time, a whole two hours! But problems began with the very first onion, I sliced straight through the top of my left thumb. Quite frankly I’m impressed with how sharp the BH has got our knives, but not as impressed as I am with the amount of blood my thumb can bleed! I had to chop with a plaster, and tissue wrapped around, all stuffed into a rubber glove to make sure I didn’t bleed into the meal. And it hurt! Every time I held something. And trying to slice and avoid primrose gloves is tiresome too! Still, it got done, and dinner tasted great.

Anyways, I’ve bored you to death (anyone still here…here...here?) with my waffle. But wish me luck for Friday! Five in the morning, a sixth by lunchtime, and a seventh to collect from school. Umm, I think I’m starting to panic as I realise I don’t have enough food in the house, and I have to get S to nursery for eight-thirty, pick up A for nine, and then E and H are getting dropped off at nine-thirty When am I going to shop? Oh heavens I can’t take them all with me! Now I’m really starting to worry!! But I did think to cancel my friend and her three sons for the after school tea we usually do. Figured I’ll have had enough by then…