Slowing down

I’ve been on good form of late. And last night I had the best night’s sleep I’ve experienced for a long time. Not sure why, in fact, if you take everything into account at the moment, I should be having a terrible time!

We’re almost through all the activity recitals/shows, and I have a wonderful video clip of S at her Christmas nativity – but I recorded it at 90* and I can’t figure out how to turn the damn clip (also can’t find a degree button on this keyboard!!)

The boys were great at their tap & modern dancing, and R’s been asked to join a higher group. He jumped at the chance, even after hearing there were no other boys in that class. P, of course, darn near wet himself when he heard, but R told him to wait four years and then see if he found it as funny. J still adores her ballet and danced beautifully, though I can’t quite claim the same for S, who I think only does it because J thinks everyone should love doing it!

Fencing is being given up (phew!) because they changed the night it’s held, and R isn’t giving up tap for anything. Down side is, the day after R decided the fencing had to go, he was asked to join the other tap group and he isn’t giving up the original, so tap twice a week for him now.


We’re also wondering about R's guitar lessons. He’s been attending for 15months now, and can’t yet perform an entire song. Not being musically inclined myself, I have no idea whether this is normal, but it all seems a tad slow to me!



Other stresses news include my parents being back from RSA. On their first day back I managed to have words with my mom. She wanted the boys to do golf over the holidays, but they only have two weeks, and seeing as Christmas is also happening, I wasn’t in the mood. She promised to do all the running around, but I’ve kind of heard that one before, and I stuck to my guns. Would you believe I was then subjected to a lecture about how my kids will probably go off the rails when they’re teenagers, because they don’t have enough interests?! Bloody hell, more likely they’ll go off the rails because they don’t know how to amuse themselves for five flippin’ minutes! But I didn’t say that, just said I’d think about it, and have kept very quiet since. I haven’t actually seen a lot of them, and I expect they’ll be off again in January, so if I just hold my breath….

My other big stress is Dingbat. We’ve had to adapt his cage, as he keeps falling off his perches. But he also won’t sit where he can’t see what’s going on, so we’ve removed the bottom of his cage and he’s now on the lounge floor with one perch about an inch up. I also had to get rid of his feeding bowls and replace them with upturned jar lids on the floor, as he kept falling in them. The seeds weren’t so bad, but the daft bird nearly drowned himself in his water the other night, and soggy birds look very pitiful.

Not that he doesn’t look pitiful all of the time now. He can’t even walk without falling over, but he is loving the constant attention as P carries him around and hand feeds him. Unfortunately P has to go to school, and I have to go to work, so when we get home we all rush in desperate to see if he’s still with us.

I know the right thing to do would be to call the vet out, but Dingbat’s so skinny I can’t bear the thought of someone sticking a needle in him. And what if it was like Ryker? Knowing what we were doing and obviously fighting it. I can’t do it. And I know that’s selfish, but I still can’t do it.

On a cheerier note, work’s closing down for two weeks. The boss is off on holiday and knows the men would slack off, so figures it’s easier just to given everyone the time off. Trouble is it doesn’t really suit me with it being year end, and though the thought of two weeks of nothing is nice, realistically I’d have to work twice as hard in January if I allow myself the time. Still, I’ll probably get it all done if I work a couple of full-time days, so it will be a break.

The boss doing well by the way, after his heart attack. In fact taking a step back from things definitely seems to be agreeing with him, and he seems on better form than ever to me!

The BH is also off over Christmas, as he’s in education and they close down too. When I think back at Christmases past, I can’t believe how lucky we are. I recall being thrilled when the boss let us go at midday on Christmas Eve. If I had to do that now the kids wouldn’t get a Christmas, I need time!

I am a bit pissed off though, my food mixer’s old and crappy and keeps dropping ‘bits’ into things I mix, which doesn’t fit into the hopes I had for lots of baking. Also doesn’t help that Amazon have cancelled my Christmas present, as I won’t be able to do any baking before New Year. Though if I wasn’t so tight I could go out and buy myself a mixer right now. But I am tight (err, due to being broke) and I’ll wait for the sales and sleep a little better at night.

Talking of sleeping, mine’s become almost normal. I’m remembering quite a few dreams now, enjoying them even! And the one’s I’m not remembering I’m not sorry about as the BH says I still scream and shout in my sleep. Mostly at the kids apparently.

Anyway, I should go get ready. We’re off into town, even being daring and taking all the kids. It’s ‘La fêté dé noué’ tonight (not just tonight, but it’s the parade tonight) and we’re taking the girls for the first time. Should be good. Shame it won’t be tomorrow morning, when I try and wake them for school!