Playgroup

Up early today and dressed for half seven in case supply agency phone. Keep checking that phone is actually plugged in/ there are messages/Z has left it off the hook. Nothing . Can't decide whether am glad or disappointed.Take Y to school and think will venture to local playgroup with Z to kill time til F actually decides to get out of bed (Was up all night/couldn't sleep etc so needs at least another 10 hours to recover. )Freezing cold so put Z in his Winter all in one which when i put him in the buggy rides up his legs showing his big brother grey school socks I've put him in. At least they match. On venturing outside into daylight realise I haven't washed the all in one and it has food all down the front. Decide too much of an effort to take it off so pop his big brothers hat on and set off.
Feel quite smug when I get there that I actually know what to do with tin and signing in sheet and don't need the organiser woman to come and show me. Ignore the sheet about £2.50 annual fee thing as only just have the right money for the session. Not many there yet so sit by myself while Z runs off to play with the buggies.
Then a woman comes in in scruffy clothes with an equally scruffy child with a snotty nose and sits down on the chair next to me. I am thinking obviously off the local council estate.Her son proceeds to terrorise the other children ramming them with the car he is in. She starts talking much to my dismay and we sympathise over having older boys aswell who teach our younger boys inappropriate play !!We talk local schools. hers go to the local churchy school which is a good school for this area and she says she attends church as part of her children being allowed to go there. She works part time, funny shiftys and I think she must clean or maybe is a nurse. I tell her I will be going in a bit as my husband in bed and I say he is in the police. He's an inspector. Little white lie but sounds good and he is waiting for a post. Oh she says I'm in the police and she has worked in town and whats my husbands name. She pretends she thinks she knows him but I know she will be thinking lying cow and F will def have irritated her some time and she knows that actually he is a sergeant at the moment. Never mind. We agree to meet up next week. And I survived play group with that dreadful part where we all sit round and the leader sings songs and ends each one with a huge whoop of hooray and claps her hands really loud. Last time i went which was probably a year ago I had to go home and have a lie down due to a headache from that singing session. Still at least Z had a good time.

Belly dancing classes

Have actually enjoyed spending time with the kids today. Have done my regular screaming at J with his Maths homework, Always a joy. I hate you, he says. To which I reply Did i set the homework. No but doeas he hate his teacher. Of course not. Lulled him into false sense of security by sayng I wouldn't do any "extra" after he finished the home work. Then chained him to the table to go through long multiplication. Oh he said after one sum I already knew that. we've done it at school . Well thats 1 question mastered off the 11+.
F got up in a good mood. Always a bonus. Then asked if i would iron a shirt for him for work. Do I change the good mood to a slanging match or iron the stupid shirt on the new industrial sized ironing board he bought last week (I got a good deal.)Thinking of setting up a bed for Z to have his nap on there it is so big. relented and did the shirt. brownie points for me.
Then off to his mums for a pre Eid celebration. My sister in law was sitting on a chair in the garage frying goodies and trying to win best sister in law award of the week. I lose . Never quite know when they are actually done in those frier things.On the way in one of the cousins said My daughter wanted to wear her best clothes for Eid. Is it Eid I thought? Surely F would have mentioned it. Probably not as he is "very weak" due to fasting for 3 hours I think it was as he was asleep most of the day. So I ask my sister in law. She says, You're so funny. I presumed that meant it wasn't . But still not entirely sure when it is.Will check in my diary. they have that sort of thing in.
So food was fantastic, veggie dish for me but I ended up running after Z with bowls of spicy rice and nans and then when I finally got to the table it had all been cleared away. So I tucked into the deserts instead. Using a green plastic bowl and giving Z the odd mouthful so i didn't look greedy.
After all the food the female cousins retired to the conservatory with Z of course who was trying to stab people with forks but I tried to ignore him.My sister in law had made the tea and half way through mine noticed there was a fly in it except it wasn't she had left the teabag in . At least I can make cups of tea. The one of them mentions belly dancing classes. It would be great they all said talking about meeting at the class on Wednesdays. I can't think of anything worse.So made a swift exit blaming Z needing to go to bed and left. And back to washing, tidying and of course preparing for the car boot at Y's school in the morning. can't wait.

Rainbow Clothes Day

Started well with 2 kids downstairs earlyish so lots of time to browse net for me and have a leisurely breakfast (Aldi ready brek whose box I have still not cellotaped so every time I pour some out in the bowl it leaves a trail of porridge down the cooker and all over the floor) J wouldn't get up from his last nights sleeping choice of curled up at the bottom of my bed with his feet sticking in my face all night. So Rainbow Day at school for Y. Followed her upstairs to where she had placed 4 outfits on her bed on hangers which she decided to do the day before so she could see her clothes more easily. So which one? We decided anything with black wasn't going to do (2 back in the wardrobe) and the lovely pink wool one she put back cos it irritates her arms. So that left the pink flowery long top. Leggings? Black ones? She settled for the peach looking ones with lilac socks (good rainbow colour) and muticoloured trainers. I went back downstairs to sort out a shirt for J. Checked on line. No all those were girls. So had to resort to pulling one out the washbasket and putting in tumble drier for 10 mins.(to freshen up !)
Y comes down "I look too fat" She says. You're 6 I point out. That made no difference. So she pleads with me to wear her denim shorts and leggings. Not a good look when you're trying to look like your daughter has expensive clothes but was fed up by now. She comes back down in a suitably rainbowish Tshirt and looks appalling. Hair next. Not down for fear of yet more nits as she knows so settle on high ponytail with a matching (pleased with myself with this) scrunchy.All done She hates it. Brothers gel on . Still hates it. Meanwhile J downstairs and not getting dressed so remind him he has to leave in 20 mins. Back in kitchen .Redo hair and put slides in. Upstairs to do Z nappy. Stinking. Back down J not dressed. Remind him friend here in 10 mins. Forgot hadn't made sandwiches. Chocolate spread again but J requests cheese so pleased with this interest in healthy food. Jeans on Z. Y decides to wear a different top purple and pink stripes and black leggings (Sod it ) Now has matching socks, scrunchy and outfit !Such a good mum. J dressed now so go to put some clothes on. Trousers from yesterday off the floor with paint form school. Brown top covered in paint. Will have to wear Grandmas black and white winter coat I have been wearing every day even when warm. J's friend not here so ry to get out house to walk him to the corner. Z refusing to come out of his buggy. Can't take buggy as has puncture. Carry him screaming down the street. Wave J off to school. Walk back along and the friend comes cycling past. Typical. Set off with Y to school. see her two friends from scholl on other side looking very swish in coordinated expensive autumny cardigans. See Y look at her own outfit. Feel sorry for her. Must get more clothes when get paid. Back home for breakfast and its only 9.00.

25th September

Woke at 6.20 nd Z still asleep. Tried to get out the bed without waking him and he as usual sat up and shouted Mum, milk so had to have him downstairs while I ran around doing the usual making packed lunches (chocolate spread again as J said the cheese spread tasted of garlic and Y's chicken went off a week ago),tumble drying shirts for school, tumble drying J another shirt cos had done 2 for Y by mistake, sorting out swimming stuff (trunks off the line where they've been drying for a week since last weeks swimming, print out instructions for supply school today etc. Y woke up 10 mins later with stomach ache and refused to get back into bed with F so she curled up downstairs on sofa with Z watching the first In the Night Garden of the day (only have one as still can't work out how to record anymore)Then J came down in the same socks he's had on for days which was lucky as I didn't have to rummage/ tumble dry any for today. F eventually got out of bed to wave bye as Z screamed the place down cos I was going.
Then off to school. Lovely day with Year 2's painting , making etc. What a doss noone to tell you what to do, look at your planning when you supply and I get paid for it. Just great.
Rang Y at lunch as she wasn't going to school with the stomach ache. She wanted to know cbeebies address for the computer. Spoke quick as only have £5 credit on phone til payday. Asked where F was. She said gone back to bed as Z was having a nap!
Back home. F had forgotten to ring school to say Y wasn't in. Tried to ring but was engaged. Must remember to send note in the morning.F had deep cleaned the kitchen !!And hung the washing out. Saving on electricity apparently so now we will have exfoliating towels.
Went to get J from his friends after his first guitar lesson. String had broke. Tried to find out reason for this from teacher knowing fine well was cos got from the cheapie shop. he said it happens all the time. Another job for me tomorrow with Z in tow should be fun.
Anyway Z in bed and the other 2 a couple of hours later. Ignoring tidying, washing, packed lunches, nails that are too long and look ridiculous, nits dancing on my head and have Nick on the TV on some teenage pary programme.Speak tomorrow, S