The Bad Shepherd

Sean has continued his theatre trail this week, adding two more to his list. First he went to see Peter Pan with the rest of the school, Finn included, at the Lyceum on Monday and then Sharon took him on a big night out to the Playhouse last night to see We Will Rock You, the Queen musical. He seems to have enjoyed the music but been a bit vague on the storyline. At least he didn't start howling at the noise and darkness like he did the first time I took him to the Festival Theatre to see the Singing Kettle in May 2005. We ended up sitting up the back with him on the stairs! Of his three trips in the last week, Sean said Peter Pan was the best. I think he most enjoyed being the big boy who got to stay up late two night while his brothers went to bed!

Sharon attended a nativity double-header today. Finn's was rearranged for the school hall due to bad weather which meant it was rather a tight squeeze for all the school-children and the P1 parents. Finn was a "party person" which involved sitting at the side in his party clothes with a toy and singing "Away in a Manger" on cue. He has been practising that almost nightly, reading the words from his sheet. Sharon had to retreat to the doorway with Angus but could still see Finn doing his bit, although Finn threw a tantrum because he saw Sharon leave and wasn't aware that she could still seem through the door.

In the afternoon, Sharon went to Rowan's nativity at Fairmilehead Church hall. Given that he misses out on singing practice at Fairmile, his role as a shepherd was nominal, but he injected life into the piece by battering baby Jesus with his crook. He then turned on Sandy and gave him a few wallops too. Rowan is a boisterous child, very much used to rough and tumble with two older brothers.

We had hoped to get into the Winter Wonderland today but the bad weather dissuaded us of that notion, it being rather slippy in town. Angus is getting up on all fours now and is keen to crawl. For now he makes do by spinning on his tummy and covering ground by spiralling outwards from wherever you leave him. His sleeping is still no better and with Finn continuing his early evening night terrors, Sean leaping about in a dozy stupor and Rowan occasionally joining in with night-time crying it is a tiring time for Sharon and me.

In the bleak midwinter

Sharon's cough is slowly easing, I've got a stinking head cold, Finn had a temperature and cough at the end of the week and is off his food, Rowan is snotty again and Sean just likes to whinge so he doesn't feel left out. It's a sick house as we count down to Christmas and not a particularly jolly one as tiredness and poor appetites are triggering tantrums from little and big alike.

In an attempt to build some festive cheer yesterday we headed into Princes St Gardens on a blowy afternoon to see the reindeer and Santa. Rowan looked a bit non-plussed at Santa but Finn was more interested in the mouse and cat peeking out of Santa's pockets. Sean wasn't quite as thrilled as he was last year and was more excited about climbing atop a litter bin to get a better view. Sharon took the three lads on Santa's train around the gardens which elicited much excitement from Rowan. Given that Rowan on a normal day can be a non-stop voicebox, an excited Rowan can be challenging to say the least. He was playing the innkeeper in his nursery nativity though we can't ascertain whether or not he had any words. Barbara did say that all she heard when the narrator asked "Are the angels here yet?" was a resounding "NO!" from the golden boy. That's his favourite word!

Sharon and I were round at the Broons' house on Saturday night for a joint 40th for Graeme and Carole. It was good getting out and chatting to a few old work pals that I hadn't seen for a while especially after a day of taking the three boys to B&Q, Tesco and the library. I was fed up with the sound of my own voice - "Back here now!", "Stop!", "Hold hands crossing the road!", "No, we're not buying that", "Put that down, it's made of glass!", and so on. Maybe there's a gap in the market for a mini-megaphone with a pre-programmed range of stock parent shouts. It would save on the vocal chords. Although Rowan would probably get hold of it and play one phrase to death.

At least we're not travelling this year. Michael and Marie touch down tomorrow which will even up the adult to child ratio. Maybe it's time to deploy the NORAD Santa Tracker to distract the boys.

Happy Birthday John Wallace! "Grampa John", had he lived, would have been 87 today. At least from this point on, the days should be getting lighter!

Pre-Christmas Festivities

It's been a while since I entered anything into this blog, but I plead a multitude of reasons: kids, work, housework (yeah right!), tiredness, and for those who haven't heard through the jungle drums - pregnancy. Ian and I are expecting our fourth (and final) addition to the clan next summer. It's been a bit of an unreal pregnancy, not being sick this time round. Rowan's pregnancy was a daily visit to the loo to be ill, so this is quite a novelty for me this time round!

The boys seem quite excited at the prospect of another nipper running around the house, Finn more so than the others. Every day, he'll ask "how is the baby going today, Mum?" which is sweet, and he can't seem to walk past me without rubbing the now obvious bump. If the baby is a girl, we have to call her Zoe, after his best pal, seemingly. However, I think that is highly unlikely - an 89% chance of a boy, I am told!

Finn had his Pre-school Nativity play on Friday, himself playing the part of a shepherd with one line "I'm freezing!", which he delivered in a fine Athlone accent, dropping the 'g'! He looked the part, with the tunic and the teatowel around the head, singing away and doing his actions to each song. Bordeom set in after a while and he was trying to surreptitiously knock off his friend Rory's teatowel mid-song.

It was only that evening that I found out the sad news about one of the children there playing the role of Mary. I had known her Dad had been diagnosed with cancer at 36 a couple of months back, and had been given a year to live. Sadly, he died on the Thursday morning. I was so amazed that Emily and her mother both turned up for the Nativity under such heart-breaking circumstances. Makes you stop and think and appreciate just what you have.

The same day was Rowan's Christmas party at Fairmile Kindergarten. Off he trotted that morning, dressed up in his "slacks" and shirt - "I looking smart, Mum" was the comment as I lifted him from the car. They had a grand time; Santa gave him a Thomas the Tank Engine set, which he was delighted with. They ate a reasonably healthy amount of party food, although you wouldn't really want to be taking Ro at his word, as I do believe he makes up half of what he says.

Sean and Finn have their "parties" on Thursday of this week. We were told to send the school-goers in with something they could change into which I took to mean a change of clothes, trousers and a shirt or something. Sean took this to mean he could dress up! So he spent ages this afternoon making his costume - he wants to go as a Christmas Pudding! Screeds of brown paper and sellotape have already been used, and I look forward to seeing the end result! Bless him, he does have that creative streak.

A story worth posting, if only to preserve in my (diminishing) memory was from a week ago. It was a Friday afternoon and I had Zoe, Rory Fletcher and Finn in tow, taking them to Clambers soft play as a treat. We passed the end of the road where the Playgroup church was and Finn commented as such to Rory. Zoe added "yeah, thats where me and Finn fell in love". Finn replied "and we still love each other and are best friends". Zoe informed Rory "we're getting married when we are bigger and are going to live in the house next door to my Mums and knock a new door through where our diningroom kind of is. Isn't that right, Finn?" "Yes Zozo, that's right" Finn replied. It was sweeter than a sweet sweetie! Bless them.