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?