I was looking forward to today because on alternate weeks, we go to Braille nest, or Annie's teacher Veronica comes to the house to teach her (they mostly play learning games, and a do a bit of work on the Braille Typewriter).
I thought that Veronica coming to the house might give me an opportunity to stay in and get some chores done, but it turned into an attempt to distract Michael from joining in so that Annie could have some valuable one-on-one time with her teacher. I decided the best plan would be to take Michael out, and initially intended to go to the park near Kindy, so that I could get to the Post Office too. However, Veronica scuppered my plans significantly, first by suggesting that we only be about 30-45 mins (the walk to Kindy is at least 25 mins, and she said this despite the fact that she was staying for at least another hour...grrr) and then, on seeing Rosie getting excited when I herded Michael outside (which she does every time we go into the garden), said something along the lines of 'If you're going to the park, I expect Rosie would love to go with you? She looks so excited at the idea!'.
Veronica is one of those kindly but faintly commanding people, and as I knew Rosie hadn't been out of the garden in about a month - it sounds a little cruel but it's a pretty massive garden, and she's a very little dog I decided to give up on my Post Office plans, and just take Michael and Rosie out. This meant we couldn't go to the park right near the house either though, as it's surrounded by roads, and not enclosed by gates (very few of the parks here seem to be, despite many being near rivers or roads), and I wasn't sure how Rosie would be at returning if I let her off the lead. As I'd suspected, it wasn't until I got Rosie's lead (ok, I guess I'm just highly suggestible...) that she went really mental, and started leaping all over the place.
We trekked down to the river (about a 20 minute walk) and I couldn't even let Michael have a play in the playground because I was worried about Veronica's randomly imposed curfew. I took comfort in the fact that Michael wasn't at all bothered about not being let out of the pram, and Rosie a) had a whale of a time racing around the green by the river and b) was very well behaved, only stopping to get a bit muddy digging in some earth works, rather than bombing into the river, or disappearing into the trees as I'd worried she might (a lot more of a concern when you're minding a child in a buggy as well, as you can't exactly go racing off after them).
In fact, the main impediment to the outing was the irritating closure of some of the pavements, without replacement of pedestrianised paths. I knew about one side of the street where this was the case, and deliberately crossed to use the other footpath, only to find the same thing on the other side - the choice for pedestrians being to either veer into the road, or onto a sand/grass bank. I chose the latter, got about halfway across the sand, and then just could not push the buggy any further, nor push it back. In the end, I tied Rosie to the buggy, and lifted the entire buggy (thankfully it was the single as opposed to the double one, and therefore relatively light), with Michael in it, and Rosie attached the 100 yards or so onto the next bit of pavement. In 25 degree heat, it was a bit of a herculean feat.
I thought that Veronica coming to the house might give me an opportunity to stay in and get some chores done, but it turned into an attempt to distract Michael from joining in so that Annie could have some valuable one-on-one time with her teacher. I decided the best plan would be to take Michael out, and initially intended to go to the park near Kindy, so that I could get to the Post Office too. However, Veronica scuppered my plans significantly, first by suggesting that we only be about 30-45 mins (the walk to Kindy is at least 25 mins, and she said this despite the fact that she was staying for at least another hour...grrr) and then, on seeing Rosie getting excited when I herded Michael outside (which she does every time we go into the garden), said something along the lines of 'If you're going to the park, I expect Rosie would love to go with you? She looks so excited at the idea!'.
Veronica is one of those kindly but faintly commanding people, and as I knew Rosie hadn't been out of the garden in about a month - it sounds a little cruel but it's a pretty massive garden, and she's a very little dog I decided to give up on my Post Office plans, and just take Michael and Rosie out. This meant we couldn't go to the park right near the house either though, as it's surrounded by roads, and not enclosed by gates (very few of the parks here seem to be, despite many being near rivers or roads), and I wasn't sure how Rosie would be at returning if I let her off the lead. As I'd suspected, it wasn't until I got Rosie's lead (ok, I guess I'm just highly suggestible...) that she went really mental, and started leaping all over the place.
We trekked down to the river (about a 20 minute walk) and I couldn't even let Michael have a play in the playground because I was worried about Veronica's randomly imposed curfew. I took comfort in the fact that Michael wasn't at all bothered about not being let out of the pram, and Rosie a) had a whale of a time racing around the green by the river and b) was very well behaved, only stopping to get a bit muddy digging in some earth works, rather than bombing into the river, or disappearing into the trees as I'd worried she might (a lot more of a concern when you're minding a child in a buggy as well, as you can't exactly go racing off after them).
In fact, the main impediment to the outing was the irritating closure of some of the pavements, without replacement of pedestrianised paths. I knew about one side of the street where this was the case, and deliberately crossed to use the other footpath, only to find the same thing on the other side - the choice for pedestrians being to either veer into the road, or onto a sand/grass bank. I chose the latter, got about halfway across the sand, and then just could not push the buggy any further, nor push it back. In the end, I tied Rosie to the buggy, and lifted the entire buggy (thankfully it was the single as opposed to the double one, and therefore relatively light), with Michael in it, and Rosie attached the 100 yards or so onto the next bit of pavement. In 25 degree heat, it was a bit of a herculean feat.
Given my relative travails, I wasn't exactly bet pleased to return to Veronica mentioning that she'd found the fire too hot, but hadn't been able to turn it off, so they'd been meaning to go outside, but she hadn't been able to get Annie's shoes on and therefore they hadn't been able to go into the garden, as Annie only had bare feet otherwise, and she was worried about that because Annie had a cold. She also informed me that Annie had a dirty nappy, and she hadn't felt brave enough to attempt to change it. I appreciate that the fire is quite difficult to work if you've not done it before, and that Veronica was showing due concern for Annie's health, but really, not being able to get shoes on a toddler, or at least attempt to change a nappy (that incidentally was only peed in, and, due to the rather dire nappy-supply situation atm, didn't even really need changing)? It's not rocket science woman!
I concluded from this visit, that Veronica, whilst a very lovely, doting woman, and someone with the patience of a saint when it comes to trying to keep Annie's attention long enough to teach her something, has little to no natural skills in terms of day-to-day childcare. I feel legitimised in my smug sense of superiority in this area, as, not only did I get Annie and Michael fed and down for simultaneous naps in the same room (not always easy if one of them won't sleep), but in their naptime I managed to make yoghurt, butter and buttermilk banana bread. I'm on fiiiiiiiiire today! :D
My domestic/childcare elation was only curtailed slightly by having to retire to bed at about 5.30pm with a severely upset stomach, when Cherie came home, probably caught from Michael's vomit yesterday. Karma I suppose for whinging about Michael being ill, and thinking mean thoughts about Veronica...booo :(
A xx
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