Secrets!

We tried, we really did. But the BH was losing interest in this holiday, and as I had scrapbooks and bits ready (and didn’t want to be alone in my excitement!), we had to tell them.

But I think I made a mistake opening with ‘We can’t afford Christmas,’ and adding that ‘We’re not eating Christmas dinner with Nana and Papa this year,’ went down like a lead balloon with P was near crying, J and R and was already sulking, and poor S was totally confused. Bringing out the scrapbooks wrapped in Christmas paper helped with the 3 youngest, but by then R was so deep in his funk to care that more presents were arriving. A glimmer of a smile broke from R when P unwrapped an aeroplane and we told R to work it out!

It took just seconds to realize it meant Disney, but another couple of minutes for them to grasp we didn’t mean just EuroDisney, but the big one, in Florida.

The girls bounced about telling us how much they loved us (you’d think they already did, but apparently now ‘They really mean it’!) P was too stunned to do anything, and R sulked because he didn’t believe us (sometimes I wonder if that boy has actually been raised by *me*, I mean, would I joke about something like this?!!!!!)

Of course within the hour R had perked up and was driving us mad with endless questions, and I can tell P is bubbling as he sits staring at the pictures of the villa we’re renting (and yes, they’re already arguing over who gets which room), the girls seem to forget for a few minutes at a time then suddenly remember and burst in a High School Musical song!

I seriously doubt they’ll do a lick of work at school this week.

One of those weeks

It started with P at the dentist at 8:30 on Monday. We arrived, we waited, we were told our dentist was off sick, so we waited a bit longer to be fitted in with another dentist; but that dentist scratched her head, doubled checked P’s details, then announced she couldn’t find the teeth that supposedly needed filling, and sent us on our way.

Monday afternoon was even less fun when I went to get S from class, and her teacher (Miss B) asked for a word with me. I wasn’t prepared for what she had to say. Never in all the years of being a mom have I had a teacher tell me she’s ‘fed up to the back teeth’ with one of my off-spring (and I guess she really must be – to actually say it!). Apparently S does ‘nothing’, and her standard answer to everything is ‘I don’t know’. When I told Miss B I wasn’t surprised, as that’s what S is like at home too, Miss B told I must have the patience of a saint to put up with S, and unfortunately Miss B doesn’t.

After reading the riot act at my 5 year old, Tuesday (at least) was a good day.

Unfortunately by Wednesday S had landed herself in front of the Headmistress, for scribbling all over the floor when she was supposed to be listening to a story. Again, I’m not too surprised, as her drawing habits also aren't new to us, but I am mortified S is behaving this way out of the home. The others don't let me down like this.

Of course what S doesn’t know, and what really made me cringe, was that on Wednesday morning (just two hours before S’s misdemeanour) I’d been in the same Headmistress’s office begging time off for my little darling.

The following day had me in another Headteacher’s office, this time P’s. This had nothing to do with the time off, but a story my son had told me about an ‘Emo’ he’d seen in the seniors’ toilets. Not being 100% sure what an Emo was (I was thinking ‘baby Goth’) I asked him, and found out he considers it someone who wants to kill himself, and when I asked him why he thought that, I really sat up straight when he told me the knife and blood were good hints!

Being that I couldn’t live with myself if this lad did something awful to himself, I was at the school first thing requesting they look into it. The bizarre thing was, at least four boys had been there, and though a couple had told their parents, no one had bothered telling the school. Later, one mom did call me to say the school had been in contact (in case any of the boys were traumatised by what they had seen) and that she now felt awful that she hadn’t questioned her son properly and reported it.

The end result was P missing a lesson as they went to find the boy in question. So far P hasn’t been beaten up, so here’s hoping the lad is happy people know and are doing their best to give him some help.

Also on Thursday, J got ill. At first it was a headache, but by evening her throat had flared up and she was wheezing, a long night of fever followed. She’s still really poorly, and at 5:30 this morning added throwing up to her list of aliments. The BH took her to the doctor, but he told us to wait it out with plenty of rest. Still cost us £25 mind.

On the up side, I haven’t had any running around this afternoon (as J’s the one with activities on Sat pm), and S was fine about going to gym without J this morning. In fact whilst S was there, I popped off to meet the woman who’s having Kobi over Christmas.

She was lovely, and her house was pretty, which is wonderful for the mutts as she doesn’t lock them in kennels.

I’m a tad worried.

Kobi’s still as mad as a March hare, and I wouldn’t be daft enough to give him the run of my own house, let alone…

A part of me giggles at the thought I’ll be thousands of miles away. Another part is terrified; will she charge me for the damage?

And dear god did that dog piss me off today. He’s taken to roaming, which he isn’t supposed to do because we cut his balls off! ‘Roaming’ isn’t really a good description, from what I gather from people kind enough to recognise and return him, he’s chasing cars, geese, ducks, and bicycles, in fact anything that passes. I wish we could enclose our garden, but it’d taken thousands of pounds, and what pounds we have are being spent on the holiday.

And speaking of money and gardens, our grand Beach tree which sits at the entrance to our driveway has been condemned, due to some fungi rotting its roots. Bad enough we lose the privacy this tree provides, not to mention a 70 year old tree having to come down when it doesn’t -yet- look ill, but adding insult to injury is the cost of removal, £950!!! I mean, how can the tree fellers be serious?! I’m bloody tempted to let the thing come down on its own, and offer it as firewood to whoever would remove it.

And I would, except our insurance is invalid now we know the roots are rotten. Damn me and my big mouth, telling a tree surgeon about the impressive fungi we have growing.

On top of all this, are the secret holiday plans. The deposit’s been sent for the villa (though as Royal Mail are on strike, I needn’t have rushed that!), and I’ve been scourging the web for the cheapest/most comprehensive deal for attraction tickets. I can’t wait.

I’ve also been thinking about Nano. I really want to do it and make it 3 years in a row, but when I stop and seriously think about when, then I don’t think I’ll manage it. And I don’t want to fail at it. What about you lot, any of you thinking of giving it a go?

Guess what?

Oh you’ll never guess. Never, as it’s all too unlike me.

It happened last week, I wasn’t having a good day, which isn’t so unusual right now but back to the point, I was being a right miserable cow. I couldn’t be bothered to do anything, and was wondering why I bother getting up in the morning.

Then it came to me, Fuck It.

Yes, I had my first ever completely insane Fuck It All moment.

So I phoned the BH and told him about my mood. Being the diplomat of wariness peace he is, he stayed quiet and simply asked what I wanted to do about it.

Well…if you’re going to Fuck It, fuck it good! When I told him what I wanted to do, he was still very quiet, and asked me to give him a minute to pick himself up off the floor.

By Friday I’d been to the bank, told them what I wanted to do with the ridiculous amount of money I expected them to lend us, signed the forms, and got the okay.

Now it’s all booked, and a lot of money paid, and guess who’s going on holiday for the first time in a decade?!

So, I’m being Mrs Irresponsible. For the first time in my life, I’m doing something I swore I’d never do, borrowing hoards of cash which will take us years to repay, all to be spent over seventeen days.

Heck when I write it like that, it makes me nervous!

Umm, then there’re seventeen days of sunshine with no school runs, and we’ll get to miss the end of term activities (double bonus!), in fact ALL the irritating Christmas stuff. Instead I can queue for all those rides you see on the telly, but I’ve never been on, despite my parents promising to take me when I was a child watch my kids faces light up, swim in our private pool, and lie about watching TV when the boys go off watching netball basketball.

DisneyWorld here we come!

The children don’t know yet, even though the BH is itching (like a kid!) to tell them, but I want to wait, as I have something planned ;)

Tomorrow I’m racing around the schools to beg the time off for them (they have to say yes right?! Especially as I’ve parted with money – otherwise I guess my children will all have to go down with a nasty lurgie for a few weeks)

I also braved telling my parents at the weekend, my mother took it surprisingly well, and my dad’s come around already. In fact the biggest problem was the dog - the first kennels I called laughed at me, said I should book before Easter for the Christmas period. Thankfully three calls later, the fates smiled upon me, and Kobe's now going on his own holiday (probably won't be as much fun as mine - but, heck, too bad Beast!)

Wow, I’ve really gone and done it! And my kids are going to adore this new me!

So tell me, any tips on what should we definitely see when in Orlando? After all, it'll probably be another ten years before I do anything like this again...