Thursday 6 February 2014

Dropping balls

Firstly, thank you for all the comments on the previous post, you do make me smile! And as for those fabulous silver shoes I never said I could walk in them, they're just pretty to look at.
They have had one trip out since I bought them,
to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert - it seemed appropriate!
However I took them with me in my handbag and slipped them on in the foyer of the theatre, then took them off as we left! (Yes it was a big handbag!)
Anyway I seem to have been juggling a lot of balls just lately, more so than usual it seems. As I've increased my hours at work I seem to be needed at home more and there just aren't enough hours in the day. Usually the summer school term, from Easter onwards is the hectic one and probably still will be but right now my head is spinning so much I am having trouble telling my a**e from my elbow!
(Having said that a**e is somewhat bigger, and more wobbly!)
There are umpteen things still to get ready for our respective trips, number 1 son is focussing on the more important things in life, like booking a "lads holiday" for when he leaves college. Minor annoyances like preparing for the college trip to the USA and finding some spending money will presumably sort themselves out. All talk of a "lads holiday" is terrifying me, yes I've seen the TV programmes and it seems likely they'll be off to Kavos, five 18 year olds!
Oh dear, best not to think about it really!

I need to finish sorting our things for the cricket tour to Sri Lanka, I had a day free today to get shopping etc but there is a potential gas leak at the primary school so the shopping trip (aka coffee with a friend) is cancelled and a movie afternoon is on the cards.

Number 2 son's school have organised the tour and the teacher in charge has clearly not done it before! They had hoped to raise some sponsorship to help fund the trip but it's all been a bit last minute. Emails are coming through thick and fast, even at this late stage, we go next week. We had one last week giving details of a triathlon they would be required to get sponsors for and then take part in, on a Saturday, 45 miles away!! Several emails came after it and I lost the will to live, I managed to talk a neighbour into a £2 sponsor and thought we'd make up the rest with our usual assortment of fictional characters and dead relatives! Am I the only one that, after 15 years of primary school and 3 children, sticks £10 in an envelope and fills in the sponsor form with names like Minnie Mouse (she's always good for a couple of quid) and other random names? Have I mentioned I've had my fill of primary school?

Anyway the triathlon was for next Saturday, only 4 days before the tour leaves for Heathrow but as I said they're very last minute. Now in my defence I did have 1 million and 1 things to try to remember, The Builder will phone me at any time during the day, whether I'm at work or not, to ask something vague like "did we buy any plasterboard from Jewsons last month?" Now how would I know the answer to that.....?

Number 1 son is supposed to be getting organised for
a) a trip to the USA, money, clothes, toiletries, etc
b) another round of Uni visits
c) revising for mocks and A2 exams
d) completing an online section of a cricket coaching course
But actually he's checking the weather for Kavos in June!

Little Miss is planning her holiday wardrobe and has a round of school parents evenings and open assemblies (I forgot to turn up at the last one as a very smug parent informed me!)

The builder wants me to sort the entire trip with no input from himself,
and also get the rattle on the car fixed in my spare time.
Number 2 son also has parents evening and umpteen other meetings and forms to be completed
 in preparation for the trip.
The Builder took a day off yesterday to attend a University open day with number 1 son, and in the process left me with a builders truck to drive all day; a filthy truck at that! As I'm not a confident driver, not of trucks at any rate I decided that rather than negotiate our narrow drive backwards I'd swing it round on the back lawn, no one would know. Sadly the fact that I wheel spun round the lawn has made it slightly more noticeable! I also couldn't find reverse so managed to edge my way into a flower bed, Little Miss found it all very exciting when I got out of the truck, took the brake off,
and tried to push it backwards!
Anyway the lawn looks like a ploughed field and my plan to keep the curtains closed failed when the builder saw the mess this morning! It is bad, look.
Picture quality is very poor as it was through the glass, but bear in mind the farmers field behind our house is in much better shape, the ruts are deeper in the garden!

So I've been juggling all these balls, not very well, but in the air they stayed. However on Sunday evening I checked my emails to find yet more from school about the Sri Lanka trip, yes they send them all weekend too. This one was to thank all the competitors in the triathlon and the give the results of each discipline - apparently it was last Saturday not next!!

So down all the balls came, I'm not going to make a career out of juggling. Although running away to the circus to become a clown might be more up my street, I have all the right clothes after all! (See previous post!)
I'll finish with a picture of a lovely sunset taken from the bedroom window, I don't know why!
Just because it's nice!

28 comments:

  1. It is nice. Could you not blame the ruts in the lawn on aliens - a la crop circle sort of thing?!?!

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  2. Oh Jay, I'm exhausted for you, just reading all that you are juggling! Try to remember to keep breathing and I hope things calm down a wee bit soon.
    xx

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    1. Thank you, I'm sure I'll have less to do when we're actually on the trip!

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  3. Jay, I had to go and lie down for a while after reading this, and even now I am feeling exhausted - God knows how you are getting through the days! I can only say "good luck to ya!" and hope it all goes well. We are spending tomorrow evening with our BIG grandson who is finishing uni soon and we promised him the trip of a lifetime to New Zealand to spend time with his uncle Kit, our son out there, so we are doing the planning NOW to give us all chance to organise it properly. Fingers crossed your big son will dig deep and find a scrap of responsibility along with his quest for adventure and fun! I'm sure he has his head screwed on properly! So, have a brill time, and lots to tell us on your return! Now .....r...e...l...a....x.........

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    1. Hi Lynne, wow sending your grandson on a trip to N Z that's fantastic, I really want our kids to travel lots - I'm hoping their cricket skills will help as we've housed many a travelling cricketer over the years, all from far flung places. I'll relax once we're in the departure lounge!

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  4. You definitely deserve a holiday after all this! My goodness, I bet you felt like punching the smug parent, I know I would have done!
    Never mind the garden, it's outdoors and everything looks a bit of a mess at the mo because of the weather, it'll sort itself out.
    Good luck with the rest of the form filling and packing, maybe you could put those sparkly shoes on and click the heels and see what happens!
    Lisa x

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    1. I did feel like punching that parent Lisa, especially when he pointed not how dirty my car was and tried to write in the mud on the back window!
      I'll definitely try clicking those heels!

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  5. Poor you with so many balls to juggle. I hope you took time out to watch the sun setting it looks so lovely. Hope you will have a chance to relax while you are on holiday! I don't miss all those parent evenings and school events. I'm glad my son was more into music festivals than a holiday aboard! Sarah x

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  6. Oh blimey Jay my head is spinning just reading this. You are surely going to need this holiday!
    Take 15 minutes out for yourself each day until then.
    Rose H
    xx

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  7. I'm tired just reading about your activities! Since it's just you and me here, I'll admit to filling in all the bogus names and just shelling out the cash (buying the cookies, candy, sponsoring the walk. etc), but please don't tell my children's teachers (coaches, scout masters, cheerleading coordinator, etc). I had a whole fantasy group of close friends and relatives, but sadly Minnie Mouse was not among them. ;)

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    1. I won't tell Beryl, but I'm glad its not just me!

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  8. Red sky at night.... I hope you had time to sit down with a cuppa trying to manage all that.
    Tes we filled in the sponsor forms with extended family members then stuck the money in the envelope ourselves time after time.

    Luckily Joe hasn't mentioned a lads' holiday ( yet ! ) I have to pay for his life saving course on line - why can't I send a cheque in for him to find screwed up in the bottom of his bag a term later like I always did ?

    You need a holiday xxxx

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    1. How strange Penny, I was commenting on your blog while you were over here! Yes the cheque/letter/sponsor form/report screwed up in the bottom of the bag is always happening, I guess the schools are learning!

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  9. Oh boy, you sound super duper busy. How do you do it?! I just had a look at those sparkly shoes in your previous post and oh yes! They're beautiful and perfect for Priscilla queen of the desert!

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  10. The builder sounds like my boyfriend, when it comes to making plans......hmmmmmmm
    Enough said.....keep on juggling....you are woman.....I hear you roar! Ha!
    Cheers!
    Linda:o)

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  11. Very impressed you have even considered picking up them balls! Sounds so overwhelming.... Whiskey might help. Xx

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  12. I think if I was you I would just pretend that I don't exist and hope all sorts itself out magically...

    I never go to open assemblies and hate smug parents who always have both time and the will to go. I am not very charitable with parents like that. Recently I snapped at a parent, when talking about our perfectly acceptable secondary school with a large catchment (socioeconomically speaking, I live in Glasgow after all!): " the schools biggest problem are not the "bad" children but the fretting middle class parents". I have not many friends as you can imagine. I also no longer bother with fake names on sponsorship forms, I just send one envelope with a ten pound note for all three kids at primary school. The teachers don't like me much either....

    Anyway, I hope this week is less stressful for you. I keep my fingers crossed for a successful and fun trip to Sri Lanka. Cx

    P.S. Must google Kavos.

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    1. Christina we would get on so well, shame I'm not nearer Glasgow! What I've seen of Kavos is terrifying, teenagers today......!

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    2. Christina - I have the same techniques as you. I tell everyone I'm not bothering the neighbours or friends with this stuff, I just write the cheque. Everyone in our street has agreed not to knock on each other's doors.

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  13. Oh my how very busy you have been, take some time for your self.

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  14. Oh my word. Stop! I'm going to have to lie down just to get over reading this. I can't even imagine how you must feel; thank goodness you're going on holiday (please, please, let this be a disaster-free trip, since you've had more than your fair share of disaster-full holidays.)

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    1. Just about to take one to the drop off point for NY and then another to be left at school on Thurs morning; and after that how hard can it be for 2 adults 1 child get on the right plane, on time?

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  15. Oh my gosh you are so busy, its making my head spin. I am hopeless with forms and packing so would be horrific. My youngest just came home and said it was his overnight field trip tomorrow, Not even packed, I'm always the last to know (and the last to get forms in) Thank goodness the other parents are scrapping to get on all these field trips as chaperones (i can never understand why I just look forward to enjoying quality time away from them.

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    1. Gosh I just re-read my comment, I sound like a cynical old bag! My kids are so lucky - ha!

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    2. You sound just right to me Jody!

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  16. Lawks! I'm so behind on your blog - your post about juggling so many balls and shoving a tenner in an envelope for sponsorship, then writing down a load of spurious names really made me laugh - I'm so glad I'm not alone! I hope you get away all right and have a fabulous time - look forward to hearing all about it when you get back!

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