First Position Caramel
What a difference nice weather makes. Living in the middle means that we, all too often, have a layer of cloud separating us from the blue sky and sun. As someone once aptly put it cloudy weather, especially in the winter, can make one feel like living in a Tupperware box. On such days I find myself trying to lift an imaginary lid just to get out of the gloom. Last week the lid was off and sunshine poured in making us all feel very cheerful indeed. Even the children were in a good mood, which made walking home from school feel like a doddle. No major rows; no niggeldy arguments; no moaning or groaning. The warm weather and gentle breeze made us all, well, tolerant. Easy going. Hey, I’m such a successful mother – my children get on really well.
It is also September, which not only marks the beginning of the school year. It’s the beginning of dragging children around to various organised activities at inconvenient hours. In our case this means: swimming on Monday; ballet for L on Saturday and Karate on Wed and Sat for J and K. Funny this one. In the same way that G and I swore we would never have a crippling mortgage, we also swore we would not get sucked into thousands of extra curricula activities.
In between this schedule we have birthday parties to organise and birthday parties to bring children to; we have to source birthday presents and to answer invitations; we get nagged into sleep-over’s and having friends to come and play and we get roped into driving the children half way around the middle – and R, being one and a half, hasn’t even made his requests heard yet.
The fact that I refuse to drive a car does not help. It shames me that at my age I have not mastered what millions have – to get behind a steering wheel and drive with confidence. It mortifies me that when J. was a tender two year old he commented “I understand it now Mummy. When you grow up into a man you will learn how to drive”. I am so sorry to have let the sisterhood down – but I just hate driving a car. It’s a terrible handicap but one that G. and the family are reluctantly learning to live with. So, on days when G. is away we have to rope in a social network of friends. Saturday was one such day. G. was away in Brussels the whole day and we had the following plan:
L: Ballet 9:00 to 10:00: Kaatje’s Mummy to pick her up and to bring her home.
K.M, J: Karate registration: 10:00 – 11:00. I to bring them by foot to Sport Palace.
J, K.M, and R lunch: 12:00
L: 13:00 to be dropped off by Kaatje’s Mummy
J.: Birthday party: 13:45 – to be picked up by Louis’ Mum.
K.M and L: Marie and Louise to come and Play. Karlien to drop them off and pick them up.
17:30: G. to pick up J. and Ivan from birthday party and drive them back home.
But hey, the weather was sunny and everyone in a splendid mood. L. announced after she woke up:
“Ohh its so much fun Mummy”
“What is?” I asked
“I’m doing ballet today”.
She did look cute in her outfit and skipped off so happily with Kaatje half an hour later dressed like a little white fairy.
Up at the Sport Palace they were having an open day. There were bouncy castles and mock rock walls to climb – which J. managed right to the top and down again in five minutes flat. (He won’t be doing it again he decided). K.M went half way up and then announced she would not budge one plastic rock further. So she came down again. R. ran in between and struggled like a mad-man in straps when being pushed back into the buggy.
We got J and K.M registered for Karate. K.M. only joined in once she saw Noella confidently punching her arms in the air. We got back in time for lunch and back in time for Louis’ Mum to pick up J for J2’s birthday party. We got back in time for Karlien to drop off Marie and Louise and we got back in time for L. to be dropped off by Kaatje’s Mummy, who stayed for a cup of tea and a chat.
“How was ballet?” I asked Kaatje as she ran passed me and towards the kitchen door. She stopped. Turned to look at me and said earnestly:
“First position: Caramel”
And then she hopped off inside to look for L. who was getting more toys to distribute across the garden.
It is also September, which not only marks the beginning of the school year. It’s the beginning of dragging children around to various organised activities at inconvenient hours. In our case this means: swimming on Monday; ballet for L on Saturday and Karate on Wed and Sat for J and K. Funny this one. In the same way that G and I swore we would never have a crippling mortgage, we also swore we would not get sucked into thousands of extra curricula activities.
In between this schedule we have birthday parties to organise and birthday parties to bring children to; we have to source birthday presents and to answer invitations; we get nagged into sleep-over’s and having friends to come and play and we get roped into driving the children half way around the middle – and R, being one and a half, hasn’t even made his requests heard yet.
The fact that I refuse to drive a car does not help. It shames me that at my age I have not mastered what millions have – to get behind a steering wheel and drive with confidence. It mortifies me that when J. was a tender two year old he commented “I understand it now Mummy. When you grow up into a man you will learn how to drive”. I am so sorry to have let the sisterhood down – but I just hate driving a car. It’s a terrible handicap but one that G. and the family are reluctantly learning to live with. So, on days when G. is away we have to rope in a social network of friends. Saturday was one such day. G. was away in Brussels the whole day and we had the following plan:
L: Ballet 9:00 to 10:00: Kaatje’s Mummy to pick her up and to bring her home.
K.M, J: Karate registration: 10:00 – 11:00. I to bring them by foot to Sport Palace.
J, K.M, and R lunch: 12:00
L: 13:00 to be dropped off by Kaatje’s Mummy
J.: Birthday party: 13:45 – to be picked up by Louis’ Mum.
K.M and L: Marie and Louise to come and Play. Karlien to drop them off and pick them up.
17:30: G. to pick up J. and Ivan from birthday party and drive them back home.
But hey, the weather was sunny and everyone in a splendid mood. L. announced after she woke up:
“Ohh its so much fun Mummy”
“What is?” I asked
“I’m doing ballet today”.
She did look cute in her outfit and skipped off so happily with Kaatje half an hour later dressed like a little white fairy.
Up at the Sport Palace they were having an open day. There were bouncy castles and mock rock walls to climb – which J. managed right to the top and down again in five minutes flat. (He won’t be doing it again he decided). K.M went half way up and then announced she would not budge one plastic rock further. So she came down again. R. ran in between and struggled like a mad-man in straps when being pushed back into the buggy.
We got J and K.M registered for Karate. K.M. only joined in once she saw Noella confidently punching her arms in the air. We got back in time for lunch and back in time for Louis’ Mum to pick up J for J2’s birthday party. We got back in time for Karlien to drop off Marie and Louise and we got back in time for L. to be dropped off by Kaatje’s Mummy, who stayed for a cup of tea and a chat.
“How was ballet?” I asked Kaatje as she ran passed me and towards the kitchen door. She stopped. Turned to look at me and said earnestly:
“First position: Caramel”
And then she hopped off inside to look for L. who was getting more toys to distribute across the garden.
posted by Kathleen at 5:49 AM
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