ELEVENSES HERE *****************************************************************************************

[MaryAnnSingleton]

think we've been deleted,so shall we put ourselves here in other subjects ?
Sleepless night fretting about T and loos and lunches at big school - how neurotic am I ?!

E is only interested in Gogo's because O has them. Luckily they are not the 'in' thing at her school

Mmm tricky one about the doc and the ballet teacher. I would feel nervous, just like you. I would tell the ballet teacher that the doc said B is fine. Then ask the ballet teacher to let you know if the problem worsens, and then go and see a different doctor in the practice. Sorry, can't think of a better solution.

O has been pestering me for ages to let him cook dinner. So tonight I let him cook his fave (pesto pasta with salmon and pine nuts) again. He did everything with me giving him instructions. The only thing I did was drain the pasta as I did not want him handling a heavy pan full of boiling water.
It was delicious and we all gave him 10/10!

How is T tonight - all packed up and ready to go?

good advice there hippi,about B and ballet teacher
O's cooking sounds delicious - clever boy - T will be impressed.
T is all packed,except for his cushion which he always sleeps with - will be his pillow in his sleeping bag..not sure if he can carry it all,not heavy,but bulky. He seems happy - he was a little apprehensive earlier, but not overly. He got a free book today through Book Trust - they could choose from a selection and he picked a really nice poetry collection (edited by my editor in fact - a poem for each day of the year- some I know because they are traditional ones,others I've illustrated for her in other anthologies !) Anyway, he was reading them to me happily. He's having a late bath as we were all watching The Restaurant and singing away to himself, so I think he's relaxed. I got him a Simpson's comic to read as it'll be easy to pack ! It'll be so weird not having him here tomorrow after school.

Good luck for today MAS I hope T has a fab trip and enjoys himself.

thanks hippi - he has gone off with his bags - J carried his sleeping bag which is kind-it's odd thinking he won't be home this afternoon...

Oh MAS, you will be fine. Comfort yourself with your favourite book, a nice mug of italian coffee and snuggle up on the sofa
Do not go into his room. I made that mistake when O went for his first sleepover and it was awful. And he will be back tomorrow

oh I've already been into his room !!! it'll be fine...I'm just being silly...I must nip into town to the bank and hardware shop and then I may go on to Basingstoke to see if I can find T as winter coat/jacket in the Gap
He was very affectionate on leaving (away from the boys sight) and looked back and waved as I was hanging pathetically over the gate !

Well done MAS. You're doing really well I really hope T has a fab time and comes back happy. We're thinking of you!

thanks you two...have got him a coat in H&M - really nice, only hope it's going to fit..and not too expensive - hooray !

OOooh, I love H&M!!

O has a dancing part in the school play (hurrah!) and he is delighted.
He is less delighted that the class horror L (him of the nasty letter) has started calling him 'gay'.
Urgh, the little runt. O is a bit down about it but not overly so. Will have to think of some clever retorts for him to come back with!

hooray for O !! a star !! but about very silly boy L - I think a well timed witty retort will have to be employed...he is obviously jealous of O

Apparently O just shrugs his shoulders and says 'whatever', and then walks off. Luckily he is not overly bothered
He has just told me that the dancing part is with 'littlemissstroppyknickers' and her best friend, as well as some others but he could not read the teacher's list as she covered it up again after telling him he had a part.
Apparently his dance is 'The Dance of the Ugly Sisters' so that could be fun

We had a letter home from his (out of school) drama club telling us taht the performance in May will be on a working farm. The mind boggles - they won't tell us what the children are working on, all we know is that it involves clowns, mask - making and a working farm???

How are you tonight MAS?

excellent response from O I think !
am intruiged about performance at working farm !!
All ok here, still feels odd. We had nice supper, posh crisps and some wine...

oh thanks celia - so glad your dd had a great time !

Aw, great to hear Celia - ds is off there in April

How are you this morning MAS? Supper of posh crisps and wine sounds great
What time is T coming back?

good morning ! we're fine - T comes back sometime after 6, so we'll go to school to meet the coach and whisk back for Strictly ! It strikes me just how tied up our lives are with T - it was only one night...actually maybe if it had been longer we'd have adjusted ourselves ..but I seem to have thought of him much of the time. Am trying to imagine how my SIL felt when her dd (19 at the time ) went to the US for a year as part of her university studies - I know she's much older...she's now in NZ travelling.. I'm sure though now we've done this I'll be much more sanguine about it all. Perhaps I should have sent T off to his grandparents on his own,but we've always gone along as a family for a little holiday owing to the distance apart.
Anyway, enough of my self indulgent,poor me chatter
How are you all ?

I am fine thans E is eating her breakfast in front of Ceebeebies (weekend treat) whilst I am drinking coffee and on MN. Dh and O have gone on a Cubs trip to RAF Duxford. (dh is a volunteer helper for the trip) I am expecting them back around 6 tonight.
E has her swimming lesson this morning, and I don't yet know what else we will do today. I am hoping to finally plant my strawberry plants into the veggie plot. Should have done this last month

thanks [sigh]

been out to have lunch in Italian cafe which was v nice.Bought some cake at M&S too which will please T. Hope you're both having nice weekends so far...have you done the strawberry plants yet hippi ?

Haha MAS, I have literally just sat down with a cup of tea after E and I planted 7 strawberry plants. I have another 3 in a big tub which are tiny shoots, so will leave them protected in the tub for a few more weeks before putting them into the bed.
Feel very satisfied adn am going to see what I can plant next to be ready for next spring/summer. We already have lettuce on the kitchen window sill, peppers and chillis in pots on the patio. E has asked for potatoes and cucumbers, so will look those up and see what I need to do when.

Lunch at Italian sounds nice - as do the cakes [mmmm cake...]

E did fantastic swimming this morning, the teacher used her as a backstroke demonstrator adn then praised her and asked if she had been havign additional lessons elsewhere So I rewarded E with an icecream and a play in the park

well, well done to hippi titchmarsh and star swimmer E !!!!
We have some peppers in a pot but they aren't doing terribly well...

not quite titchmarsh just yet....

!
hooray - T is home - think he had a good time - he couldn't find his clean pants and socks he says,even though I'd shown him several times which compartment they were in and also claims not to have found his soap or shower gel,though they were in his washbag with his flannel (used) and toothbrushing stuff (also used, once)...he came back looking remarkably clean and fresh though...no mud or damp clothes apart from towel..will be v tired as he didn't get much sleep apparently

Oh brilliant!!! I am so glad he had a good time

When O went on his 3 day trip last year he did not wash, nor change his underwear once!! And it was not just him - none of the boys washed or changed, they even slept in their clothes [yuck emoticon]

! boys eh ?