Schooooool’s Out. for. Wens-day!
Today school was canceled so that the teachers could attend a meeting about hygiene and cleanliness. We just found out yesterday that they weren’t having school today. It seems suspicious to me since we got the Winter newsletter last week and there was room to let us know that they’d like us to give them recipes for cookery, and that if we’re 5 minutes late picking up our kids we’ll get charged 5 pounds, but nothing about no school today.
Anyway, because L had the day off, I promised him a trip to Topsy Turvy. It’s one of those kid play/climbing areas with tunnels, etc. The cool thing about it is that adults get to do it too. I was really pumped.
We were supposed to meet F2 there, but she had a service scheduled between 8 and 12, so I figured she wouldn’t be there. Instead, I called Y to see if she and D wanted to go. They didn’t, but we agreed to go to the park later in the day.
It was still early enough for us to make it to TT, so we headed out. Walking. I knew exactly where it was and I thought I knew how I could get there. We walked over to the general area and I could see where we needed to be, but there wasn’t any way for us to get over there. No footpath, no bridge over the road, nothing. I spent a good hour traipsing around trying to figure it out before I finally decided to head back. We got home at noon, had some lunch and got ready to go to the park.
Then I couldn’t find my wallet. I looked in my backpack in teh car and it wasn’t there. I knew I’d just had it, and I already had the kids in the car, but I ran back into the house to search. Then I checked my backpack again. Then I came in the house and swore as I looked in places like the refrigerator and pantry. I finally went out and got ready to get the kids out of the car. Then I looked in my backpack one last time - I dumped it out. My wallet was there.
And off we went.
Once again I thought I knew where I was going, but the directions I wrote down were evidently lost in translation, because they were very wrong. We did eventually make it to the park and the kids had a great time playing. I’d say we were there for almost 2 hours.
As we were getting ready to go, I reached in my coat pocket to get my keys and they weren’t there. (Are you seeing a pattern here?) I looked all around the playground, in my backpack, and then retraced our steps. I thought surely I must have left them on top of the meter where I paid for parking or in the car. I was pretty sure that I hadn’t locked them in the car because it’s actually really difficult to do.
They were nowhere to be found.
Of course I dumped the backpack first thing. Our crap was all over the sidewalk and E was trying to walk in the street, and Y was getting D in the car and it was insane. Still no keys.
I felt in my pocket once more and noticed that there was a hole in the lining. I spread it out on the sidewalk next to my backpack crap and gave it a good pat down.
Nothing.
I finally told Y to go and that I’d call her if we needed her and I picked up E and L walked beside me as we went back through the gate to retrace the retraced path once more. E was screaming because she was wet and hungry. L walked sooooo slowly because he was exhausted. As we made our way up the path, I felt something hitting the back of my leg every time I stepped.
I jammed my hand into the hole in my pocket and maneuvered my way to the very bottom at the back of my coat.
Keys were there.
I’ve never been so happy to see my keys.
Unfortunately, we got home right about pick-up time for the school across the street and there weren’t any close spaces. Initially I thought we’d wait it out, but I finally found a spot within sight of the house and walked the weary kids home.
I shoved food in their mouths and then sent L up to take a nap. I spent some QT with E, cleaned up for our visitor tomorrow, and made dinner.
L got up around 6 and E went down at 7 (no nursing today), so we got to play. I’ve really enjoyed having him up in the evenings. It’s wonderful to get to spend some time with him. He’s the sweetest thing and really just wants someone to hang out with him.
After he went to bed, I did a little thinking and decided that I’d nurse E tonight for the very last time - I wanted to remember it. So I got her out of bed and took her into the bathroom where I could watch her, and then sat on the floor and cried while she drained the teats for the final time.
When she was done, I put her back in bed and went to change clothes. As I put on my top, I was completely shocked. Those suckers are teeny tiny! Maybe now that they’re gone I’ll be able to cut a few ounces off of my morning weight.
