Keep it Moving!

Hello there!

How are you doing? I’ve heard multiple people complaining about the lack of summer sunshine here, in the UK. It was the same people complaining about the 30 degree weather we had back in June…

Anyway, this week has been pretty good weather-wise but also crazy busy.

It was Bubs’ birthday this week so, we met with a few of his friends in the park for a picnic and games. One of the friends (let’s call him Joe) has a cousin (we’ll call him Charlie) spending the holidays with him. Bubs met Charlie at a play-centre last week and came home complaining that he wasn’t very nice. He wrestled Bubs to the ground when he refused to give him a ball as it was his turn. The kid is two years older than Bubs and quite a lot bigger by all accounts so you can imagine, this didn’t go down well.

When I sent the invite text, Joe’s mum accepted and asked if it would be okay to bring his sister and cousin. I was out with the girls when I got the reply which I shared with them.

‘Tell her he can’t come!’ They both cried.

‘I can’t do that – it’s rude!’

‘So is he!’ They replied.

Mr E was no better. ‘No. He can’t come and you have to tell her why.’

My stomach squirmed as I composed a message:

Hi, unfortunately Bubs hasn’t had the best experience with Charlie so far… It’s okay if he comes but can I ask that you keep an eye on him please? Thanks.

My heart was basically in my mouth for the next fifteen minutes, constantly checking my phone like some love-sick teenager; telling myself over and over again that Joe’s mum was going to hate me.

My phone vibrated.

I’m so sorry Bubs feels that way! ☹ we’ve spoke to Charlie and don’t worry, he won’t be coming. See you next week!

It couldn’t have been a nicer response and when I saw her at the park, she apologised again. And I felt guilty all over again for bringing it up which I know I shouldn’t but hey…

The party was a success except for very little food being eaten; Mr E spending a fortune on ice-creams for the kids that only two out of five children ate – OM and Bubs both licked half and then fobbed them off on my mum, who is of the era of never wasting anything and ate them regardless of whether she wanted them or not. One child dropped hers on the floor, shrugged her shoulders and (thankfully) said ‘No thanks’ when asked if she wanted another.

LM had spent the two days before Bubs’ birthday making his masterpiece of a birthday cake: a Victoria sponge complete with fondant trees and bushes, caramel shards for fire, a fondant fire engine and fondant elephant (because elephants are his favourite and couldn’t be left out, of course). LM loves to bake and she’s great at it but the kitchen looks like a bomb has hit it when she’s done and it will take her four days to clean up two days worth of mess.

She didn’t have four days though and got in a strop because I had the cheek to say she had to tidy as she went (I know, how dare I).

Normally for Bubs’ actual birthday, we make a trip to the beach. This year he decided he didn’t want to go. It also happened to be the hottest day of the week and probably the month, so far. But he wouldn’t budge. Bubs’ wanted to start the day off with pancakes for breakfast. He then wanted to go to the park to ride his bike, watch movies and have a barbecue meal for dinner. The plan went a bit awry as he got Lego as his gift and spent much of the day building so, movies became movie – and even then he got bored halfway through and went back to his Lego.

Thursday was a big day for OM and all sixteen-year-olds across the country – GCSE results day. OM did well but had hoped for better in a couple of subjects. Excuse me while I get on my soapbox, but many of her friends failed at least one subject and it seems wholly unfair that Scotland and Wales continued to make allowances for this years students but England didn’t. When you compare last years grade boundaries to this year, you can see just how harsh the marking is with a grade 9 last year being a grade 7 this year.

I hope no student misses out on their choice of further education because of this unfair system.

We are super proud of OM and all she’s achieved and excited for her next step into Sixth-form ❤

I was probably being optimistic by booking to go to the zoo on results day. It was a trip organised by the playscheme LM and Bubs had attended a few times over the summer. Fortunately, going to school for results and then on to OM’s Sixth-form to enrol took less time than we thought and we didn’t have to rush to get to the centre.

They were supposed to leave at 11am to get to London Zoo for 12pm.

We didn’t leave the centre until 11.50am…

A long bus-ride (one where I tried and failed to stop the head-nod of sleep) and a ten-minute walk later, we arrived at the zoo. Thankfully, we could do our own thing and OM, after checking the events board, immediately rushed us off to see the penguins. We sat down and tucked into our lunch while we waited for feeding time to begin.

And I use the term ‘feeding time’ loosely as it consisted of one keeper telling us about the penguins whilst another dumped a bucket-load of fish into the pool.

My sandwich lasted longer than that fishy meal.

The keeper kept talking and no more food was offered. The highlight was a cheeky seagull swooping down and making off with a fish.

We meandered through the zoo. We pushed our way through the butterfly enclosure (far too many people for such a small space and no one regulating the flow). We saw two huge pelicans who stared at us with beady eyes.

We trudged up stairs and along ramps just to see one sleepy lion laying on a platform.

Tiny Giants apparently wasn’t far, according to the map but we went the wrong way so it took a while to reach them. When we did, my mum, OM and I promptly sat down whilst LM and Bubs went to stare at bugs and creepy things.

Ice-creams were bought for sustenance as by now, my feet were beginning to ache and morale of our little group was waning. The rain started just as we started to eat so we stood beneath a shelter for a few minutes until it stopped.

By now, the idea of seeing everything in the zoo seemed rather ambitious.

In the end, we glimpsed two otters (eventually), some sleeping tigers, and a giraffe that wasn’t quite as tall as I expected it to be.

The exit was as far from the entrance as they could make it and of course, you had to go through the gift shop. Luckily, the children had been primed beforehand and my purse made it through unscathed.

Mr E had suggested a celebratory dinner for OM’s results but all I wanted to do was to go home and soak my tired, aching feet.

But OM wanted her meal, especially as she was promised an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet.

Bubs had been complaining of a stomach ache all evening so we all eyed him as he tentatively munched at his food. Having twice been out to eat and Bubs randomly chucking up all over the table (Yes. Really), whenever he mentions not feeling well whilst we’re out, we’re all silently praying this is not one of those times.

But we were safe and as meals go, it was okay. Unfortunately for us we’d managed to sit underneath a vent that dripped water onto our table slowly but steadily. Ordinarily, you’d take your time at an all-you-can-eat but as the factors were weighing against us, we were out of there pretty quickly.

Next week is the last week of the holidays. Hopefully it will be less eventful!

Speak soon x