Mother’s Day – Take Two

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We had our second shot at Mother’s Day on Sunday – our first on the proper date (10th March in the UK) being thwarted by the stupid, pointless snow which still persists in falling making everyone miserable and disrupting things.  We did actually set off and spent the first hour going ‘Do you think it’s getting worse?’  ‘Will we keep going?’  ‘Wow look at that accident’  ‘Oh God I’m really not sure this is a good idea’.

I think what finally clinched it was Lily’s coughing – she’d had a bad cold all week and was still choked up. We really didn’t fancy getting stuck somewhere with her not well plus it’s horrible when they’re in the car and miserable and you’re unable to do anything about it.

And I hate these backward facing seats they have to go in nowadays.

Although Nikki was in one too, in those days we were allowed to put babies in the front seat so if they were upset you could comfort them with a touch or reinstate the dummy or give them a toy or something plus they could see you whereas when we sing or speak to Lily when she’s in the back, she looks all round in amazement as though to say ‘Where the hell ARE you?’  Me sitting in the back would be an option certainly but Trooper is usually with us so he always has to go at the other side in a somewhat cramped fashion.

Thing is with the road from Aberdeen to Inverness, there’s a spot round about half way called the Glens of Foudland which is like a different planet sometimes.  Twice I have left either Aberdeen or Inverness in brilliant sunshine and been faced with this when the car’s chugged its way up the hill to the Glens –

– and the road can sometimes be closed altogether leaving you stranded or doing what I did one day in frustration and careering off down some tiny back road into the back of beyond, taking 4 hours to get home (normally would have been 1.5 hours from that point) – not the most sensible of decisions especially when only having the sum total of a pair of gloves, umbrella, de-icer, screenwash and a jack in the boot.

All great in a snowed-in crisis.  Not.

Anyway we finally decided it was silly to continue so turned round and headed back then spontaneously decided to go out for lunch to a place called the Captain’s Table down at the beach and have our own Mother’s Day celebration.  Much to Nikki’s delight because her birthday had been the day before and had gone tits up for various reasons and the Captain’s Table does a rather wonderful macaroni cheese dish which she loves so that made up for it!

Mum was absolutely fine with it – we don’t tell her we’re coming nowadays because she just stresses out and does daft things like traipse through to the kitchen and bake rock cakes with long-out-of-date margarine/flour/sugar/everything else which no-one dares touch in case they keel over on the spot then she knackers herself completely so is fit for nothing by the time whoever it is eventually arrives.

But I felt really guilty because it put more pressure on my sister, Lorna, to hoof it over there at some point when she was already looking after 2 of her grandchildren for the day because their mum, Caroline, was taking a horse-riding exam.  One of the kids had a bad cold so she didn’t want to take them over to Mum plus the 2 of them, being typical boisterous little boys, are a bit much for her nowadays.

So many mothers to please on one day. I’m sure this doesn’t happen on Father’s Day.

Here’s Lily waiting patiently for her little jar of sweet potato and carrot.

They had just the right size of highchair for her there (with a bit of manual padding) so that made things much easier for Nikki and I in that we could have our lunch after Lily had hers because she’s such a nosy parker so she was quite happy to sit in the chair and watch all the goings-on.

Even the rather disconcerting giant pic of a boobless lady on the window.

Anyway Sunday was much more successful even though Mum had just been sick before we arrived but she brightened up considerably in minutes and remained in great form all the time we were there.  Lily was a joy – beamed away at her telling her stories then was quite content to play or watch us talking, occasionally radiating a winning smile for no reason whatsoever. She’s getting much more intense in her interest in things now – to me anyway – she watches us eating for instance and you almost expect her to get out a notebook and start making notes such is the absorption! It’s almost like instead of just observing something, she’s now trying to work out exactly what on earth we’re doing and is more able to focus on a specific activity instead of just being aware that something moved or someone spoke.

We met Lorna and Caroline and the boys for tea at a Brewers Fayre later on just before heading back up the road.  Brewers Fayres are handy because they have play areas for the kids so they can shoot off there while the adults are doing the boring stuff of ordering and arguing about who’s paying.

George – the youngest – is just an absolute sweetie – so gentle and just loves babies. He’s very intent when trying to tell you something – even if you don’t understand he’ll just keep patiently saying it over and over never getting frustrated. He had this little red kettle – supposed to be a mini Singing Kettle from the show of the same name – but it wasn’t one which opened which kinda defeated the purpose of the whole thing somewhat and when he launched into Spout, Handle, Lid of Metal, What’s Inside The Singiiiiing KETTLE! and got to the end, he just went ‘nothing – doesn’t open’ in all seriousness. Then he repeated the whole performance several times and at the end came the very sombre ‘nothing – doesn’t open’ bit each time – it was hilarious!

All in all a lovely day.

I’m getting quite spooked with a programme which is on channel 4 at the moment called ‘Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners’.  The idea is that folk whose OCD comprises of obsessive cleaning and constantly trying to keep free of germs (we’re talking spending 4-8 hours A DAY cleaning) can help folk who are just the opposite and have been strangers to a bottle of bleach or a hoover for years.

I must admit I thought it was slightly crazy when I first realised what they were trying to do but it does seem to have worked in most cases and they also use their cleaning obsessions to sort out neglected public areas like a drop-in centre in Leatherhead for the vulnerable and homeless providing hot meals and shelter.  They were due for an imminent Food Inspector visit but had no time or capacity to get the place up to standard so the cleaning team waded in and got it sparkling in 24 hours.

They’ve done a run down park/play area which had gone to seed and was covered in dog poo, an underpass which was covered in graffitti and weeds, a community-run neglected swimming pool with no money to employ a cleaner etc. etc.  So fair play to them.

And in the meantime some of them expose themselves to their worst fears so it works like a form of therapy as well.

Actually I’m a bit shocked by the first sentence in the blurb for the programme thus: Over half a million of us Brits wash our bed linen just three times a year ………

Seriously??

It took me years to get out of the habit of washing mine every week and switching it to every fortnight but I’d be gagging at three times a year I think.

Anyway there’s something weird happens when I watch the programme.

The first week I was sitting there all innocently smothered in cats and thinking ‘might have a bath after this’.

An hour later I was hoovering the whole house!

With only a passing ‘ooo wonder what possessed me to do that‘ I thought no more of it.

The following week – same thing happens.  This time I was all set to do some writing and catch up on OD after walking Trooper and next thing the bloody hoover was out again and there I was whizzing round the furniture like a mad thing.

Third week I happened to be knackered for some reason lost to me now so thought no chance of any cleaning shenanigans happening tonight.

Hah!

2 hours later I was standing in the bathroom with the bleach, cloths and all-round scooshy bathroom cleaner in my hand giving it laldy ……

So I’m thinking what I should do is tape a few episodes and watch them all together and then I might end up doing a whole spring cleaning spree which my little house is badly crying out for.

Except I’ve just realised tonight is the last episode.

Damn.

Just have to remain a minger.

I’m glad to see the snow doesn’t stop some folk being creative round our way.

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