Mental rambles

Children are funny and heartbreaking at the same time.
My middle child refused to go in to school yesterday. She cried at the school gate and tried everything she could think of to avoid going in. ‘My stomach hurts’ and when that was disregarded she went through various body parts until she was down to her fingers.
Frankly, when my wife told me about it, I was surprised she hadn’t complained of sore hair.
Softy that she is though, my wife gave in and took her home.
I took her in to school this morning, but I understand her feelings. She’s struggling at reading and some of the other children are moving ahead of her.
She’s bright and good and I know she’ll be fine.
I just have to find a way to let her know that.

Christmas was mostly good in our house this year.
The small ones were over the moon at the ridiculous amount of presents Santa brought them.
Frankly they must be Saintly to have received so much.
My eldest was unhappy until my wife agreed to let her have some ‘must have’ hair straighteners.
My wife was unhappy at my lack of imagination in regard to her presents.
(Fair point but still ungrateful.)
My Parents spent Christmas day at our house and the children saw lots of them over the entire break.
It was exactly how I always want it to be.

Actually I was mistaken. It wasn’t a play at all. I suppose I was foolish to expect a senior school to put on a nativity play.
In reality it was an awards ceremony.
My eldest is very clever and won an academic achievement award for the fourth year running.
We all clapped and cheered.
She never fails to astound me with her abilities.

My little boy’s play was ‘The greatest gift’. He’s in the reception class so only joined in towards at the end.
He walked out with his classmates to lots of ‘Ooo’s’ and ‘Aaa’s’
Of course I waved madly and when he saw us he smiled and waved back.
I felt a bit bad when his teacher scolded him.
Still he seemed to enjoy himself and was a joy to watch.

My youngest daughter was first. She was in the chorus of her school play ‘No room at the inn’.
She’s one of the tallest in her class, so they put her in the second row. Unfortunately there were no steps, so she ended up peeking between the two children in front of her.
Still, she was happy to see us and sang her heart out.
I was pleased I was there.

My wife did her usual trick of booking ice-skating this year, but unusually she booked a ticket for herself as well.
She even got onto the ice…
No skating though.
My eldest was fine, my middle child grimly determined and my youngest still a living cuisinart.
I took the children around one at a time while my wife guarded them at the side.
I’ve already been relegated to second best skater by my eldest and I can see that I’ll soon be over taken by my middle child as well.
The only revelation though was my sudden awareness that a fall might break me.