Project 366 Week Nineteen

After the events of Saturday rendered us car-less we had to rethink our plans for the Bank Holiday weekend. After consultation with LBG, we elected to go swimming en famille on Sunday. First hurdle- local swimming baths (do people still call them that?) were closed so we rode the bus to Beckenham where- wouldn’t you know it- the queues were twice as long because of the aforementioned closure. So we missed the baby pool slot and had to go in the big pool. Which had Dimples begging to go home only seconds after she’d got in. I was with her- the unisex change rooms had already freaked me out. But LBG loved every second. By the time we got to the restaurant DH had booked for lunch she could barely keep her eyes open. Nor could Dimples. Instead DH and I ate with the speed-of-a-puma and got home as soon as we could.

My poor husband was obliged to work- albeit from home- on Monday so we were delighted to see Granny and Uncle Adam rock up. In honour of the occasion, Dimples stripped and ran around like a streaker whilst the Big People sampled my latest take on the Cinnamon Roll. At some point I noticed Dimples was missing and, after a short search, found her snuggled up- and fast asleep- in the dressing up box. Still naked. It was obviously that kind of day for her- she refused to go to bed with LBG after having napped, and ended up falling alseep in ‘her’ arm chair whilst DH and I caught up on some TV viewing.

Given that Monday felt a lot like Sunday, I was rather befuddled when my alarm went off on Tuesday morning, not least because I wasn’t even in my own bed. As usual. But instead of that Monday morning feeling, I realised that it was Tuesday. Cue madness as we tried to get LBG ready for school whilst she insisted she was happier at home. Cue tears from Dimples as I left her behind with DH whilst  I did the School Run in cab. Cue exasperation that garages various couldn’t fit our broken car in until Thursday. Friends managed to squeeze us into their car so that we could still go to cooking and we had the unusual excitement of lunch at Ikea- the best thing ever for Dimples whose favourite food is meatballs- to follow before heading home so that I could repeat the cabbing experience once again. Oh, and the infamous line from LBG, who has cornered the market in storming from the room like a petulant teenager and slamming the door behind her: “I am not ever living here ever again.”

Wednesday followed a similar pattern of mayhem and chaos before 8am, with LBG once again insisting she was going to move in with her (fictional) Nanny and Grandfather and Dimples sobbing that she wouldn’t be Cecily’s friend ever again. I got stressed when the taxi that yesterday had been fifteen minutes early was now ten minutes late and the driver was a bit bold with his driving decisions. Nothing that a bit of retail therapy couldn’t cure, of course. Between my Pret-a-Manger Chocolate Moose and a nap, my sub-five hour night-time sleep pain was soothed. And even better, a very kind parent at school offered to collect LBG and bring her home to us until our car is repaired. LBG was beside herself with the excitement of it all- a very grown-up thing to do. I felt a little nostalgic as she seemed to grow up before my very eyes.

Thursday brought an even greater moment in her life as not only did she get collected and taken to school by someone else, but she was taken back to their house after school for the very first unaccompanied playdate. Naturally I spent the entire day wondering if she was alright and hoping she was well-behaved, instead of making the most of my time alone. I baked to occupy myself, forcing cake onto the men in the Man Cave. I collected Dimples and spent time snuggling with my baby, who is always exhausted after nursery. LBG was delivered home at 6.30pm beaming with happiness.

 

Friday was a beautiful day- just right for playing in the garden and doing crafty things. The garage called to say that our car needed to go to BMW and the first time they would be able to deal with it was Monday so it was clear we weren’t getting it back any time soon. We had to use the bus and walk to get to ballet class on the other side of town, which was easy enough in the sunshine. Coming back was an entirely different proposition: all the buses were filled with school children and I had a pushchair so it took nearly an hour and a half to get home with two tired children. I missed the car, I tell you.

Then came Saturday. I left The Girls in the capable hands of their father and headed into London for Cybher2012. I spent a day under pink light (more annoying than you would think) and meeting so many people I knew but had never met. It was wonderful to have people recognise me from my blog and hear that they enjoy reading it. It was also thrilling to have a conversation with Dimples on the phone when I called in at lunchtime: DH gets to speak to them on the phone a lot, but it’s a rare thing for me. I was so excited to be able to have a proper chat with her about what she had been up to. Which was good because LBG was a bit too busy to talk! I may have had a glass of wine at a bar after the conference. Or two. I arrived home to sleeping girls, a calm house and an exhausted husband.

Oh, and the Disney/ABC people were kind enough to engineer this photo of me at Cybher.