This morning we had what can only described as a calendar clash. I’d forgotten, when I booked Big’s orthodontist appointment to have her braces removed, that Small’s swimming lesson would have undergone its annual tweaking and moved from afternoon to morning. Can you blame me? It’s only for 6 weeks every year and given our home education, school holidays just don’t register that far ahead. So her appointment was at the same time as his swimming lesson – not good.
Fortunately, dp works from home and is flexible with his hours, so two parents, two places. No big deal. Except we only have one car, and as the orthodontist is in the next town, that meant the car was needed for that one, and the rest of us would be on foot. The leisure centre is only a mile away, and up until this year we walked there regularly, but walking with a baby and a toddler is something I just haven’t got into the habit of yet, not least because the weather has been so unpleasant. I don’t really mind cold – you can wrap up. But the children object quite strenuously to wet, so I just haven’t got back into the habit since Tigerboy was born. I often feel really bad about it – I’d love to not have a car at all, but I just can’t figure out how we’d manage every day life to be honest.
So dp took Big – they left at 9.35. And the rest of us were ready and heading down the road at 10.04. Sorted. Except we got to the next road and I realised I’d forgotten to pick up Smallest’s swimming bag, and I wasn’t planning on coming back in between the two lessons. Aargh. Parked the buggy with Small and scuttled back up the road as quickly as I could given I was wearing Tigerboy. Meaning what should have been a gentle stroll turned into a fairly brisk walk, I definitely got my exercise in this morning!
Once the braces were off, dp dropped Big and the car off near the leisure centre so that she could swim while Smallest had her lesson, and then I could take the whole gang on to do the shopping. That’s the other thing about having a car. And I know that we could shop online, but the cheap supermarkets don’t offer that service. Could I really shop for 5 at one of the big names for £63? I think there is an online price checker service, I’ll have to explore. This week’s shop wasn’t bargain basement either, as I’m taking the kids camping next week I bought some packet stuff that’s quick and easy for cooking on a camping stove.
(Note to self: check the camping stove. Do we have any fuel for it. Ooh, I think I’ll start a list!)
Somewhere after Smallest swam someone stole an hour. It was somewhere in between the end of her lesson and the shopping – we came out of Lidl and it was 15.00. No wonder we were all tired and snappy, we hadn’t had lunch!
So home for a very late lunch, and it feels like it should still be morning, certainly not early evening. I haven’t done half of what I wanted (or needed) to do today, but hey, at least I’m blogging before bedtime. Because that’s obviously the most important thing I have to do. Sigh.
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