Monday 26 September 2011

Full days for Rowan

Rowan can be a bundle of energy at the best of times but when he gets excited then it's a bit like releasing a spinning top in a chicken coop. And boy, was he excited this week. After the Monday holiday, he was going to school for the full day and that meant staying for lunches. He was certainly a giddy kipper heading off with his lunchbox in his bag and, so far, hasn't forgotten to bring any tubs or spoons home. It's a lot of work now in the evenings, especially on a Wednesday night when I'm usually making my lunch, Angus's lunch and dinner for nursery and three lunches for the schoolboys. It takes a while!

Rowan was also excited at the prospect of going to after school club with his big brothers on Thursday, although that seems to have been less of an event than he hoped it might be. By Friday, he was very tired and, on returning from school at lunchtime, dozed off on his bed while Sharon was making the lunch. "I can't believe you woke me from my sleep!" was the wail, accompanied by the usual battery of Rowan sobs and big tears.

Lesley and Stuart minded the boys on Friday night while Sharon took me out to Thai Lemongrass. We were accompanied by Hannah and Gav. The meal was a thankyou from the ladies to the husbands for putting up with their Great North Run training demands.The food, as ever, was very tasty. I tried to steer clear of anything too spicy as I'm really trying to keep an eye on what I'm eating just now to see if there is anything upsetting my gastric balance.

Having not been able to run in Newcastle, Sharon had a run of eating out instead. She was up in Perth to meet Sally for tapas then the next night finally caught up with (world champ once more) Katherine Grainger and Rachael Woolf in their old stomping ground of Gordon's Trattoria. On the Saturday it was me doing the cooking, for the Patersons, as we had them round for dinner. As cook, I didn't feel the fayre matched up with the amount of time taken to prepare it. Plus Sharon and I had a day where we seemed to be continually at the odds with the boys, as is often the case when the weather outside is poor and the boys keep asking if they can do this, that and the other and we say no. On Sunday we let them do what they wanted for most of the time, which comprised playing Harry Potter on the Wii.

We did venture out in the afternoon for a runabout in Kings Park, Dalkeith. I was the one who did myself a mischief, slipping on the greasy astroturf as I kicked the football and slamming to the ground. I lay for a good 30 seconds, hardly able to move, having clattered my back and neck before limping stiffly back to join the others who hadn't seem my demise. Too old for football!

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