It's official, I'm definitely being out manipulated by my children. Obviously this was ever the case but it's getting more sophisticated and I fear where it will end! On Sunday the girls had an all day party, arriving home damp and tired at 5.30pm. Before I'd dropped them off that morning we'd had a bit of a set to - all due to me losing my temper because they were shoving each other and bickering rather than getting themselves ready to get out the door on time. I could have maintained my cool was it not for the trailing round the house, no sense of urgency, iPad in hand.... You get the picture! Anyway, peaceful day and temper restored I made the point as we came through the door that there was to be no bickering. Roll forward a nano-second and Abi turns to Izzy and calls her an idiot. Izzy retaliates and we are back to square one. So I send Abi to her room, furious that they seem incapable of listening and responding to a simple request for peace. Abi comes back down after a minute and apologises in a pretty non-apologetic way and I refuse to accept it, telling her she doesn't mean it. So she goes back upstairs and then refuses to speak to me for the next 30 minutes, to the extent I end up being the one feeling rubbish and eventually apologising to her. Even at tea time she maintained her silence, not being impolite but just very clearly telling me via body language that I'd let her down by not accepting her apology in the first place. Now as I write this it seems churlish - not least she did apologise - but at the time it was blatantly obvious that the initial apology was not heart felt. Silly me - at least it was an apology! Luckily for me once I'd done an appropriate amount of grovelling I was forgiven - as I said - it doesn't bode well!
Beyond this we had a lovely weekend. I had my Christmas present from Abi (a glass fusing course) on Saturday and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that I came home to investigate whether we can squeeze in a kiln somewhere. Surely there is a spare corner in all these sheds and outhouses I could commandeer as my own?!? We spent the day learning about how the glass reacts at different temperatures and how to make some simple pieces and I made some pendants, a coaster and a slump dish. The bigger pieces have gone off to be fired properly but I got to take the little pieces home immediately. I have suggested to the girls that we transform the pod into a creative studio. Izzy unsurprisingly is all up for it. Abi has told me in no uncertain terms that it's not going to happen. I already know who's going to win (it's not me!).
Alongside driving me nuts with their inability to flip my switch in a moment, they are still so loving and lovely. After a ridiculously busy day yesterday I somehow managed to get on an early train home and so we sent a really special unexpected hour together with an iPad looking at dresses online for the upcoming wedding of the year. No one pushed or shoved or argued, the girls were very impressed with the fact that they pointed to sparkly shoes with a small heel and I didn't immediately say no, and everybody approved of the dress I've ordered online, prompted by a momentary panic when I found out that Mum, Liz and Amanda have all already chosen something! Let's hope it fits!
Work has also settled a bit - I've agreed a change of focus rather than the nuclear option we appeared to be heading to, which should mean much more time in and around the Thames Valley rather than London. The thought that I could claim back some of that commuting time and not have wall to wall 5am starts is very attractive.... I'm sure I will even have time for that new hobby of mine...now I just need some space!
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