30th of January

 

Wednesday - wow.  I was hit with a lethargy so hard and so thick and so impenetrable I could barely function.  I'm not sure what it was, but I was so exhausted I could barely stay awake all day.  Ted was feral and kept doing pretty much exactly the opposite of what I was discussing with him needed to be achieved, and I just felt physically nauseous all day.

Ted and I hit Spotlight in an effort to get the materials needed for his party favours.  We managed to get most of them, however the aftermath of sitting downstairs waiting for him to come out of the playcentre there was hardly worth it.  Oh what I meanie, I hear you say.  Let him have a play!  Hmm..yes, I agree.  But seriously - two and a half hours?  The place is tiny, and he had a constant rotation of friends in there, including one five year old girl who didn't speak a word of English.  She was over from Thailand and I had a lovely long chat with her Grandma who had brought her out for a play.  Apparently she hadn't played with any children for about a month, which may explain why she was so incredibly elated by the less-than-endearing roars and crazed games offered by Ted - she was just plain ole desperate.  

But I was just physically incapable of moving him on from there (plus adults literally can't enter the thing).  So there I sat.  I had, in my wisdom from previous experience, brought along my book for company to at least get some reading done (I finished The Poisonwood Bible and am now on to The Sorrows of an American by Siri Hustvedt, as lent and recommended to me by my friend from last week).  We barely had time to drive past and grab some food for dinner before having to go and pick up Harriet from school.  And when I brought them both back here I collapsed in the front room and hoped for the best.  The best wasn't coming.  They proceeded to clash and fight and lash out at each other until there were physical altercations involved.  After I intervened and soothing administered, calm restored and discussion up and running, they were suddenly on the golden path of sibling adoration they were on the day before.  Hugging and kissing each other.  Helping each other.  And generally being delightful.  

In this photo Harriet had taken the bin bag out to the big bin, but Ted insisted on helping 'with the rubbish' that he lumbered out into the backyard with the awkward stumble of the overburdened.  Harriet stopped him and said "Let's share this so we can both carry it out", Teddy answered "Ok" and Harriet placed her bag in the box, they both took one end each, and carried it down the side of the house to the bins.  Well!  Who would have thought?!  And this was the only photo I took all day, because I had left it at home prior to leaving for Spotlight and then when we finally did make it home you may remember I was lying prostrate in the dark, silently wishing for the Rapture so I could experience some peace and quiet.