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Yes...this is ALL about me, and mine. Marvellously self indulgent, feel free to tell me how splendid I am, leave comments, nice ones please, I have little kids and teenagers who can do the rude stuff. I am a grandma, to the glorious Joshua, I'm allowed to look frazzled and weary, I earned it. The older I get, the more I see that hanging on and being patient is worth it! They ( whoever 'they' are) are so right when they say you never know what is around the corner, it isn't always an articulated truck! It is vital to make the time for making memories, friends are the greatest treasure, I love mine. I am rich!

Sunday, April 08, 2007

That was a day and a half.

And I am incredibly happy it is over!
Sweets and chocolate really don't play much of a part in our house, I know I wax lyrical about chocolate and will admit that I find it delicious beyond description, we don't have much of it at all. The boys have pocketmoney on saturday and buy a smattering of gloop and then open it all up and throw it around, they would much rather have olives and cheese strings, I often wonder if they truly sprang from my loins, truth be told. Offer them cake, they'll take a pickle.
Seth ate his first cake ever last week, with a look of disgusted pride he ate a teeny cupcake and then announced that " YEAY! I did it!" and then told us he probably wouldn't ever do it again. Thankyou.
I am often surprised then, that easter is such a big deal to them. I imagine it is just the sight of all that normally not thought of stuff, thrown in a basket and offered with no limits that sends them loopy. I cancelled mum and Leah's visit for lunch, at 8.30 am because we were already SO drowning in smashed up chocolate, squished in peep like hideousnesses and green paper grass that I knew a) I would never get it cleaned up as well as go to church ( and let's face it, skipping church in THIS day is really pushing your spiritual luck isn't it? Sorry Jesus, glad you died for us and all that but do you mind awfully if I skip worshipping you just for today so my ham doesn't overcook and I can clean this front room? No, didn't seem right to me either)
So, I called and asked if maybe a rather fancy meals on wheels deal which meant good food without the noise and mess that comes part and parcel with our home, didn't sound like a little bit of Heaven on earth.......funny, I didn't have to ask twice!
Not only were we facing devastation of a paper grass and smashed food kind, we were also REALLY looking at some serious sugar highs. Eli had excelled himself, Isaac was pretty impressive, Seth, well he loved opening it all and looking at it but he hadn't eaten more than a bite or two.
Hoorah for morning church, a break in chocolate consumption for a while, until they were handed MORE yes MORE chocolate rabbits and nests and a HUGE cadbury's buttons egg.
Eli ate ham and some more ham and some green beans, the others?? NO ROOM!! NO ROOM MUST EAT ALL THIS SUGAR!! ( twice a year, christmas and easter......the only time they get to just go for the rush, actually is that a bit strange that the 2 times a year they get to stuff out are both celebrating Jesus in some way?)
Isaac and Elijah were overdosed, I am sure of it, not a good thing, we won't go there again in a hurry, the remains of the baskets are going away until saturday when they can eat a bit more, I am a bit traumatised by the way these boys went so crazy......there is no doubt in my mind that kids are really affected by what they eat, mine eat such good stuff usually that any unaccustomed overload is spectacular to see.
Sophie. I did something that was really hard to do as a mother. She came home ( around 7pm) and saw the basket that I had decided was going to my lovely friend....she lit up and said
"oooh, who is THAT for?" I told her it was for Jane and that although I really wanted her to have one too, I couldn't in all honesty do one for her. I told her that while she was choosing NOT to be a part of the family, while she was treating me and this home so poorly, that I couldn't reward her with the treats that come with being a part of our family.
I pointed out that both she and Jordan are continuing to waltz in when they feel like it use what they feel like using, refuse to clean up, not only their own rooms but the pans and plates they use ( Jordan is taking it to the point of daring me to MAKE him wash his dishes.... I am biding my time and then he will SEE that he can push me so far. Nearly there.) Neither of them are showing any level of respect. I asked her if she thought it fair that while they are so unwilling to do anything for me, that they should continue to expect me to do anything for them, given that they are adults and all, as we keep hearing from them.
She was very quiet, I gave her a small box of chocolates and said that I hoped next year I would be able to make her a beautiful basket again.
It is much harder being tough than I would like, I tell myself that I can do it and shrug it all off but it actually hurts to stick it out. Not with the little ones though, I seem to get it that with them, this is a good thing and they are so much better for knowing where they stand..... the big ones though, I hate being so hard on them, I think it's because by now, I thought it would be more fun, that they would have learned the important stuff and I could enjoy them so much more. Not yet, it would seem.
So, the sugarbabies are asleep, twitching and humming I shouldn't wonder...the house is peaceful, Sophie says she is coming home and at a reasonable time that's good.
Dan is coming tomorrow ( I hope, if he doesn't the London trip is a no go) there is a bank holiday boot sale tomorrow, whoopie, I hope we find some bargains! Today it was almost summer like, hot and sunny and glorious. I love the sun!

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Saturday, April 07, 2007

Long day.

We got up SO early today, thinking that the car boot sales would sure to be running, sunny clear day, beautiful. Off we went, little boys with their pocket money and a list as long as your arm ( how long IS your arm by the way?) of things they were sure to find and buy.

NOTHING!
Empty field. Well botheration.
We drove to a popular park and the boys ran and climbed and played.
All that and when we get home it was only 10.30am. LOOOOOOONG day. Really long day.

Easter baskets are done, Seth has been saying that he wants a toy dog that you heat in the microwave.....hooray! I found some, a dog, bear and monkey. Snuggle toys. They have one each and then delicious chocolate and sweeties. H does the baskets, this year though, I did Sophie's and my sister Leah's.

I wanted them to be beautiful and they are. I wish I could be bothered to take pictures, I know I will wish I had......lazy me.

Sophie's is the most beautiful thing, perched on her bedroom stool amongst a swamp of such grotesque mess the likes of which you may never have seen. OK I may have to go and get a picture because, clever as I am ( as well as humble) I can't adequately describe this room.



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I am darned if I am touching it. She comes in, changes, and goes out. She has a friend who is my age ( ??!!!!!) who lets her stay at her home, she has adopted Sophie ( ahhh bless) so, Sophie isn't here much at all these days. She pops in to tell me how great this Tracey is and how she admires how she parents her children...blah blah. I am still sort of numb on the Sophie stuff, the friend goes out on the town with Sophie and then they all go back and ...well who knows? Sophie is an adult, on paper anyway, we're still waiting for evidence that she actually IS an adult in the real sense of the word.
The basket is now OUT of Sophie's room and she might have it when that pig sty is cleaned up. Seems ridiculous to have to treat an 'adult' this way doesn't it?
( edited this morning at 8.30am, had a text at midnight to say she won't be home......what's the point in letting her have the treats when she just can't be bothered to try and be a part of this family?) Seems absurd to leave a beautiful basket in a filthy room, like rewarding her for behaving so poorly isn't it?
So, harsh as it may seem, Sophie won't be getting a basket this year. She isn't willing to join us for any of the family 'bits'. I just can't pretend that this is all OK .
Instead, I will make a beautiful gift for my friend who really deserves a special treat right now.
Here is Leah's basket, I love that white chocolate sheep!

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And the boys' baskets...

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It's now 1am...better go to bed before they get up and start eating that chocolate!!
Happy Easter everyone!

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