Monday, January 07, 2013

7th of January

Welcome to Monday!  Today was the first day of Jimbo's new job.  I totally failed to do anything particularly special this morning however, since after my run I was coerced into a very intense game of Annie since Harriet wasn't here to distract me from the important task of pretend play.  Ted didn't even ask for food until 90mins after he woke up, he as so engrossed in the game!

In order to try and prevent the reprisal of Playfest 2013 from yesterday, Zoe and I concocted the drive-by pick-up.  But not until after I had heard the true terror of the sleepover.  Turns out Harriet had been up all night.  Zoe thinks she may have slept for around three hours at most, and not necessarily altogether.  She was still reading at 3am! *sigh*  James and I both bow down to the patience of you Zoe and remind you to never fear texting me for late night relocation requirements.

So anticipating a very tired and cranky Harriet, I envisioned a day of not very much at all.  We did need to do a little shop at our local supermarket for some basics (unfortunately I can't go shopping at our co-op store with Ted.  I just can't.  He is *insane* in there), so after a disappointing trip to Lincraft to check out their half price fabric sale (NOTHING!  I bought no fabric at all, highly disappointing), and then a little bit of shopping, we came back home for some lunch.  Well, Harriet and I ate a little and Ted couldn't decide.


So while Ted couldn't decide, I did this, ate my corn thins and read my book (We Need to Talk About Kevin - beautifully written, but leaves a lingering emotional state that doesn't sit well).  It was in this rather ponderous state that I remembered I was going to book in the children for intensive swimming lessons next week.  After our little southern beach-based sojourn it was obvious that Ted needed some guidance on water safety to match his intense enthusiasm.  So I called up the pool used by the school and where Harriet has previously had all of her lessons.  The woman gave a surprised guffaw when I mentioned the placements I was looking for.  Turns out that there were exactly two places left.  One in Tadpole (Ted) and one in Salmon (Harriet).  And a woman had called up earlier that day asking for the exact same places.  She was due to come in and pay at lunchtime, but they couldn't hold places and they couldn't take payment over the phone.  We would have to go there in person.  ASAP.

And let's all praise our swimming bag set-up.  I was able to pick up the bag with all of our swimming gear in it, throw in a dip and packet of rice crackers, and within seven minutes of hanging up the phone we were driving over to the aquatic centre.

Yes, it really is that cutthroat.  Awesome!  And as luck would have it, when we arrived one of Harriets' good friends from school (and from our long-term mothers group as well, so she has known her since she was about 18mths old) was there!  Serendipity! After successfully securing the places in swim school (Huzzah!  Sorry other woman.  And prepare for next week to be full of underwater camera action) we then all cavorted and laughed in the water for two and a half hours. The children got out for all of five minutes to throw back some food, then it was straight back into the water.


 Whilst there, Ted and I played some fantastic games.  "Be a sparkly fish that loves discos, Mama".  Pfft - no problemo dude.  "Let's be two adult ghost friends, Mama".  You got it sweetpea.  "I'm blind!  You be blind too!"  Of course.  "I'm a giant crocodile that bites chunks out of your side, ok Mama?"  Look at this large pound of flesh I'm offering you young one!

But as we all know by now, Ted (and Harriet) is incapable of controlling his output in such a way as to have any stamina.  He just goes HARD at everything, and then crashes into a rather emotional heap.  As you can see.  This is at home after he fell asleep in the car at 5pm on our way home.  And he is now still up playing a time game with James in the playroom at 9.30pm.  *sigh*

As it was James' first day back at work and a new job at that, and it was Monday, Ted helped me to prepare the table for dinner.  We had all decided on tacos and after months and months of increasingly narrow eating interests, Ted sat down and devoured three full tacos (minus cheese and sour cream of course).  It was the first time in recent and even medium-term memory, where he didn't get up mid-meal and give us a show or demand we joined in with some game or other that he wanted, nay, needed, to play right then and there.  As we keep saying to him - You can leave the table to play but the rest of us are still sitting here eating and talking.  


You can see just how seriously we hold fast to concepts of dinner table etiquette.  Here's Harriet licking her plate in the backyard as she went on a progressive dinner experience.  Well she was involved in the backyard cricket  Ted set up as fielder and audience member.

You just can't choose what your children will be interested in.  Ted really has a passion for cricket.  He loves to play it.  He loves to bowl as well as bat, and he even went for wicket keeper tonight, assuming the crouching position in a three year old interpretation (ie: kneeling).  James of course is ecstatic to have someone in the family to play cricket with.  Don't get me wrong, I actually quite like cricket (Test cricket only thank you - if they're not wearing white then it's just not right).  But I definitely have a different idea on how I'd like to spend my sun-drenched, after dinner time than this.  But hey, it is way cute and did help me with my PAD after not being able to photograph at the pool for where we were for the majority of the day.











This is just here because...well they were both being so darn cute out there.  James regaling me with tales of childhood cricket games in his street.  Ted insisting on doling out roles in his game. 


Ted has this delicious little mannerism where he pulls his finger out towards you, then snaps it back into his fist, pulls his hand back towards himself and has a little knee bend.  Hard to explain (obviously!) but it basically leaves the impression that you're discussing world topics with a wisened old man who has suddenly thought of a fantastic idea connected exactly to what you've just said.

 

But considering that as I'm writing this at 9.40 and Ted is still up, protesting his need for sleep ("I am not tired!") whilst rubbing his eyes and flopping his body over Jimbo's knee, completely incapable of standing upright, I guess it may be time for me to finish here and go into the bedroom and lie down with him.  

See you tomorrow.  43 degrees!  Ouch!

3 comments:

Zoe said...

That girl is amazing! There is nothing in this post about Harriet being EXTREMELY tired today...Marty just told me that when he took Arki to the toilet at 6am she was lying there reading! When I spoke to you I thought he had woke her and then she started to read!!! So who knows how much sleep she had - I clearly couldn't outlast her. And yes, I would have rung but she wasn't upset and I didn't want James to be tired for his big day xx

casso said...

I know, it was remarkable! She played happily and with gusto in the pool for hours. She nearly cracked it a couple of times, but was easily reminded of how to calm down. Truly a miracle!

She didn't have any problem going to bed tonight, however. ;)

Emmanjay said...

Well we remember those childhood cricket matches, and the football (AFL) games that were played with
great enthusiam on our front lawn, spilling on to the road which saw
little traffic back then. There
was a core team of four, our two
boys and the two brothers from a
few houses down, with friends and
even parents on occasions, allowed
to join in. Little Grace from across the road was tolerated by all, although she was a lot younger AND a girl and happily took
up a position in the outfield so she could be part of 'the team'. Happy memories!
Nana xx