I knew when the phone rang it would be bad news.
It's half term. The girls are home 24 by 7. After a morning of noughts and crosses and making everyone we knew a birthday card, I needed a break. I told them to play amongst themselves while mummy washed her hair. I pointed at the toy box and then locked the front door to make sure no one escaped.
After five minutes in the shower (OK, more like ten), and another five drying, I emerged refreshed and ready to face the rest of half term. But my just-blown hair wilted when I saw the war zone living room: Operation parts mixed with puzzle pieces; Twister with unusal Mr. Potato Head constructions in each coloured circle; a pile of pick-up sticks and an entire box of dominoes. Oh, aren't my little darlings creative. No worries, I'll clean it up while they are at tennis camp.
So, the phone call. It was one of the teenagers from tennis camp calling to say it was cancelled because of the rain.
What the ??!! It always rains here. You can't cancel camp. Just put them in rain coats. Did you hear me?! Deal with it.
I didn't actually say any of that. Instead I calmly asked if I would get my £40 back.
Then I cried.
Shrinkles anyone?
Photo credit: nina
Tomorrow is the last day of school before our 9 week summer break. Shoot me too please.
Posted by: Pinget | 27 May 2009 at 02:28 PM
i feel your pain :)
Posted by: zooarchaeologist | 27 May 2009 at 03:29 PM
award for you over at mine x
Posted by: amy sheridan | 27 May 2009 at 09:10 PM
Movies. Take your Blackberry and you can do something else while getting them "out of the house".
Posted by: Expat Mum | 27 May 2009 at 09:29 PM
Ack! Sounds like a typical day in our family room, except here it is Legos and Littlest Pet shop creatures.
Posted by: lisa | 27 May 2009 at 10:03 PM
Well done for getting 15 mins to yourself! My son has taken to creating 'soup' with ALL his puzzle pieces, which I painstakingly sort out at the end of very day...I must be mad!
Posted by: clareybabble | 27 May 2009 at 11:10 PM
This too shall pass. How about a kid museum - lots of hands-on exhibits, inside, and kids can be kids, and NO CLEAN-UP!
Posted by: TooManyHats | 28 May 2009 at 02:49 AM
Oh no! That would have reduced me to tears too.
I think sometimes we pace ourselves, okay I can do all of this and more because I'll get my break/time/chance when suchandsuch happens and then when it doesn't we just don't have *that* extra bit left do we?
Posted by: MissBehaving | 28 May 2009 at 10:14 PM
Pinget -- I'll be thinking of you.
Zoo -- thanks!
Amy -- thanks!
Expat -- Great minds think alike. Went to see Hannah Montana. The girls loved it.
Lisa -- Typical day here too unfortunaltey.
Clarey -- soup, love it!
Too -- yes great idea!
Miss Bee -- That was it, I was looking forward to a little bit of time with my youngest, oh well.
Posted by: A Modern Mother | 29 May 2009 at 06:17 AM
That happens to me, too. How do they make such a mess in such a short space of time? This is the reason I can never relax when daughter is awake!
Posted by: working mum | 02 June 2009 at 04:38 PM
I KNOW!!!!! It drives me crazy, no matter how many bags, boxes and bins we have it all gets mixed up everywhere.
Besides which I'm always too darn wiped out to catch up with it after they go.
Posted by: Treemama | 03 June 2009 at 02:01 AM
OH man sorry about the mess and the cancelled camp. I've had my share of Tornadoes through my living room and their bedrooms. LOL
Posted by: JessNBP/MCC | 03 June 2009 at 08:12 PM
Sorry to hear about your bad day!
Posted by: Melissa | 04 June 2009 at 12:36 PM