musingsponderingsandrants

So today I was in trouble. For a laundry related offence.

Today is the last day of term.  Excuse me, I am just going to take a moment here. Bear with, bear with. I’ll say it again, the last day of term. I am just going to sit here briefly and exhale forcefully and let my shoulders relax. And feel the release. The relief.

Ok sorry back with you now.

At this point I would just like to say for the record that I am extremely lucky that I do not have to go out to work. My husband works himself into the ground so that I can stay at home and take all the responsibility for the kids Monday through Friday. And although some days I am so intellectually bored that I could gnaw my own arm off most of the time this is a massive benefit to me and to our family. I can go to all my kids’ events and support them. Which is also fun for me. I can take them to hospital appointments. They can go to their myriad after school clubs and extra curricular activities. My husband does not have to worry about getting home or flying off to god knows where at the drop of a hat. I don’t have to find them holiday clubs. You get the drift.

So there we have it. We all benefit in different ways. Massively.

And this week has been extremely hectic, children’s activity wise. The usual last week of term flurry.

On Monday it was the Junior school cross country race. Which both Middlest and Youngest were taking part in. With varying degrees of enthusiasm. Running is one of Youngest’s many sporting abilities. She is good at it and she loves it. Mad girl, I blame her father. And running is not Middlest’s thing. At all.

But never mind following on from the cross country was a String ensemble concert for Junior school string players. This is Middlest’s thing. Playing the violin. I get the blame for this one.

So, apart from Scouts for Eldest, that was Monday.

On Tuesday Middlest had his violin exam and another concert. So I turned up again to watch him bow and pluck and generally do his thing. And made the other two watch again. We gave his football a miss. And went to the after concert tea and cake session instead.

On Wednesday Youngest had her class assembly which she had been diligently learning lines for all week. And playing the Sport Relief song on a loop for. Also all week. My ears, my ears. I had bought her the requested deely  boppers at some earlier point in the week.

After I had learnt all I could possibly learn about Sport Relief from their very informative class assembly I hot footed it over to the field to watch Middlest play his last ever football match for the Junior school. I was the only parent watching the C team. But I am glad I hiked over there as he scored a hat trick.  Just so you know the school fields, whilst sounding like they might be in close proximity to the assembly hall, are not. Its a good fifteen minute hike.

Any way I just had football training for Youngest, a piano lesson for Eldest and Cubs for Middlest to juggle after that.

That left Thursday. An easy day. I just needed to collect Eldest early and take him to his piano exam. And provide moral support. And tissues.

A while ago I booked a hair appointment for this morning. (Friday in case it isn’t as you read this). Squeezed in between the school drop off and the frankly ludicrous ‘last day of term’ noon pick up. No other day was going to work. I cannot imagine why (!).

Of course then I got a letter saying that the Senior school cross country was planned for the same morning.

So I could not go to watch Eldest. Well not without looking like a shaggy dog for the three weeks it would take me to get another appointment.

And to compound the issue I had washed his PE top overnight which was therefore still wet in the morning. And apparently it was essential he took it even though the letter said he could wear his rugby top. He wanted both ‘just in case’. In case of what?  He couldn’t expand on that, he was too cross about my lack of ability to provide a clean, dry PE shirt. So I was unable to provide the right kit, or my presence on the field. For once. The world had ended.

His parting comment as he got out of the car at school this morning was ‘Thanks for the support’. Accompanied by the glare. That glare I am becoming all too familiar with.

That hurts for two reasons.  One, he is too young for sarcasm, in my view. And two. Well I guess you can guess two.

Parenting. A thankless task. Literally.