Up at the crack of dawn to make sure the kids were ready for school and that we were prepared for the builders. Realized when everyone was ready at 7am that there is no need for a 5:30 wake up – that’s what happens when you listen to the kid who adores mornings when we should’ve listened to the two who don’t. There were a few hiccups. I hadn’t made porridge in 30 years and it took 3 tries to finally produce something resembling the goop other people love. Ten minutes later Sophie was out washing the dog with people shampoo. Bella now smells like fake citrus something or other and is so shiny she’ll glow in the dark which isn’t a bad thing for a black lab. The high school student sloped off to the bus stop with all the joy teenagers muster for school and came running back when she discovered she was in the wrong uniform. OMG it’s Formal today! The girl changed so fast we are considering offering her to the Ferrari F1 team for the front left-hand tyre. The wee one is just like me. Forget talking or fully interacting until midday. She sensibly went back to bed fully dressed and emerged like a butterfly when it was time to catch the bus.
The builders too were off to a quiet start. The first one to arrive spent several hours moving the rubbish from the rubbish tip down the side of the house, out to the grass verge in front of the house – where he made another rubbish tip. The kids said he’s called Giovanni. “But the other builders call him Weiner. Or Weeny.” I can’t for the life of me see why.
Robyn Anderson 