Monday 25 January 2016

Monday Musing








 
How good does that first cup of tea taste in the morning? Or the one at about eleven am, after you've done the first lot of interminable chores of the day? Or how about the one you have to reward yourself for getting the boy to bed with minimum fuss or bother? And then there's the one with a chum. Or are you a coffee drinker? I much prefer tea myself, although I will have a coffee if I'm out and about. My friend Sarah treated me to one this morning. I had a cob on, and was probably a right moany old bag as we walked across a very windy Porthmeor beach. She is a good enough friend to let me bang on. All the usual I'm afraid, topped up with my utter disbelief at Alfie, who washed the dried mud from his school shoes with my dish cloth only to throw it back into the washing up bowl. That was full of soapy water and breakfast dishes. There was a lot of under breath swearing.
 
Olly did not want to go to school. He walked up the steps to his classroom like a dead man walking. The marvellous Mrs Pulley swept him up into a bear hug, and that was enough to make him giggle his way through the door. Oh how I love Olly's teacher, and her swathes of linen. I love that she pads around the classroom without her shoes on, and has this incredible attitude towards a child's learning. I was having a flap regarding Olly's reading book, and she was so reassuring. She validated what I was already doing, and calmed my frayed nerves about the whole learning process.
 
You'd think I'd have it all off pat with the third child, but there are areas in which I still question whether I am getting it right. I sometimes worry whether I am too laid back, but then again I really don't want to be as strung out as I was when Sam was this age. What a dragon mother I was then, poor boy. Who by the way has been ignoring my texts. Again. I ended up sending him a poem to see if that would garner a response. It did:
 
 'Your poem was a good effort, but didn't scan particularly well. Love Sam'
 
The swine.
 
The weather has been it's usual mixed bag, and we are due for rain and wind again. Just as well I have to wait in for the man to service the boiler tomorrow. He was supposed to come before Christmas, but claimed he couldn't find the house. That was before the new house sign was put up. Only three years after the old one fell off. I couldn't decide on a suitable font. Well, it's a difficult decision. In the end Marc threatened to get the most vile sign he could lay his hands on. I very nearly let him, out of sheer pig headedness. But it's funny how this kind of threat can spur me into action. I'm such a procrastinator. Until the thought that something ugly may greet visitors to the door. Anyway, if the boiler man doesn't find me tomorrow he'll miss out on a cup of tea in my second favourite mug. It has a badger on it.
 
I could go on in this fashion for forever and a day. It's not really rocket science, my blog. It's not really going places either. Bit like myself!
 
Have a lovely week, one and all. Hopefully I shall find structure and meaning and sense soon.
 
Leanne xx
 
 

 


27 comments:

  1. Yeah, I'd have been a bit put out if Alfie did that with my dishcloth as well! A bit of me thinks that he tried to clean his shoes but most of me would scream "for God's sake'" at him...!
    Hope the gas man wends his way to you tomorrow - love the sign tale and I bet your font's fantastic. Have a lovely, lovely week x

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  2. Don't give up Leanne. I love that your blog isn't really going places. It's life and it's wonderful, if a bit frustrating at times!
    My elder daughter isn't very communicative either. I'm often lucky to get more than a couple of words and an emoticon.

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  3. Boiler man can't find the house? That sounds a bit like a Friday afternoon excuse. It amused me greatly, shortly after moving in here, to see a roadworks sign that said 'Road Closed for Maintenance. Friday. (Weather Permitting)'. Now how often do you see one of those on the M25?

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  4. On Saturday, my husband (who was getting his junker car ready to sell since he bought a new one) scared me out of my mind when he pointed out some really filthy rags he had put in the laundry. I didn't realize at first that they were "workshop quality," i.e., household ones I'd retired when they got too threadbare to clean anything very well. I thought they were inside cloths and I almost killed him. I did wash them, with a lot of bleach, and they got slightly cleaner. Good thing they were shop rags because they were disgusting. I'm a tea drinker too. And I doubt my blog will ever go anywhere (where would it go? It's all been done already, I think), but I'm glad to stay right here with you.

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  5. I'm a tea drinker turned coffee drinker. When I'm cold in the evenings and I want something sweet I have tea. Sounds like your son has a wonderful teacher, you're lucky. Through the years my daughter had some excellent, some good and some awful. I got her away from the awful.

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  6. These are my very favourite sorts of blog posts. Absolutely.

    Definitely tea here -- and yes, that first one is the loveliest thing of all. Followed closely by all the others.

    I have moments of despair when I think I'm the worst mother ever and that my children lack the very skills with which to navigate everyday life. I worry that my 13 yo will require surgical intervention to remove her from the chair in which she appears to be rooted...with a laptop fused to her lower body.....*sigh*

    Hope the man finds your house...and your week improves immensely. *clinks tea mug*

    ps. i love the idea of having a badger on a mug...

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  7. Having a cup of tea is the perfect excuse to doing something you would rather not...like sort out the dishes when muddy cloths have been put in! It can be quite scary how many cups you can get through in one day...I know I've been bad when I run out of mugs and they are all in the dish washer ..Alfie's teacher sounds great! Have a good week. Barbara

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  8. Love Sam's response to your poem. Perhaps he's got your humor?
    And they are my favorite sort of blog posts too. Makes you feel like your not the only one.
    Sandra

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  9. Leanne!! I love reading your writing! You are a genius with words! Where is that glorious greenhouse up there! Outstanding my friend! And your sweet boys had me in this post! One with a lovely teacher and the other with words as quick as his mama!!! You are doing good my friend!!! Happy night! Nicole xoxo

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  10. 1. Bloody kids!!
    2. Yay for that teacher, she sounds magical
    3. I love tea but lately it's giving me heartburn. Bloody tea
    4. My eldest NEVER EVER answers the phone to me or texts back st away. It's always 'died' or 'in my bag'. I find this highly suspicious as I KNOW when she's with me it needs surgically removing from her hand.
    5. Love your blog :-)

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  11. Wonderful post. I'm mainly a tea drinker too - sadly, it has to be decaff or I develop palpitations. I love the tale of the shoe cleaning (at least he cleaned them!) and your response to Sam's text! Fingers crossed for the boiler man. xx

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  12. Definitely coffee for me, hate tea and only drink it if someone gives me a cup and I am too embarrassed to say I don't like it. How wonderful does that teacher sound, pure gold. Loved this post. xx

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  13. What a fab post, so true life! I am a Tea drinker mainly but love a Coffee before leaving for work. The teacher sounds great, so different from when I was at school.xx have a nice weekx

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  14. I much prefer tea. So much more refreshing. Alas the library, where I type this, only has coffee and it has made me cross.

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  15. I am a tea drinker and even have certain mugs that I will use on particular days of the week and sometimes even a particular time of day. But then that sort of quirkyness is what makes us all so unique just as your does too Leanne. I know what you mean about the first borns you're so busy trying to get it all right that before you know it they are all grown up and flown the nest. I make the most of my last little chick in the nest but as he turns 13 this year he too is somewhat hormonal and pre pubescent thrown into the mix with his autism makes life a little interesting some days. Always nice when you find a good teacher then you just wish they could teach them all the way through school instead of having to get used to a new teacher each year.

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  16. It is coffee for me any time. Yes, the dishcloth-shoe-cleaning thing, we've had the scenario. Only my Sam used the brush I use the scour the pans. What are they thinking????? Glad Olly has such a wonderful teacher, I like her style. Have a happy week. xx

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  17. Your blog doesn't need to go anywhere it is wonderful just where it is! As always there is such a wonderful light on those beaches in St Ives. Boys, what can you do with them! Sarah x

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  18. I like your blog as it is...it is rather like being out for a walk with a friend, a lovely friend.

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  19. Water for me as tea and coffee don't like me at all. L rarely replies to texts either. Teacher does sound Rather Fab. Xx

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  20. I hope that boiler man made it to your house, he is going to be in soooooo much trouble otherwise! Although I cannot sympathise on the boys front, I can say that if they are even slightly like men, well, I truly don't know how you manage it!!!! It is good that you have good friends who will let you bang on, they really are the best aren't they. You are great! xx

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  21. I've been drinking lots more tea recently, since I started writing. I used to forget and get dehydrated. Now I'm glad to get up and procrastinate for a bit. It's all herbal, I'm jittery enough without adding caffeine. But it's nice to have something hot on these cold days. Boys are shockers aren't they. I tend to clean all the football boots and walking boots around here because otherwise I'll just have to clean the entire kitchen afterwards. A good chum to have a moan to is a wonderful thing. As is a good teacher. You and your blog are both excellent, already in all the best places. CJ xx

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  22. yes that first tea. in fact any tea. and anything you write is fine by me x I seem unable to string together even a single sentence on my blog at the moment. perhaps if I had some tea.....

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  23. I'm not a tea drinker at all...but I love a coffee. I'd get you a tea or a coffee if you were here and you could moan as much as you liked :) There's some great coffee shops in Leeds these days. I'm trying to see the positives but the relentless rain and wind is getting to me, making me short tempered all the time. Surly as the ABO and my eldest call me! I'm sure it'll be better for us all soon. I can't promise on the muddy dishcloth front though! Have a good week xx

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  24. Going places?! I've only just got comfy here, so please don't go taking it anywhere else. Boys. I have two. I understand. And your youngest's teacher sounds wonderful. The first drink of the day has to be tea, then coffee mid-morning to keep me going, then tea the rest of the time (unless I need alcohol, but that's usually some evenings only). Hope your week pans out. Sam x

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  25. You and your blog are a delight, where do you want to go?! Please don't change. You are totally ace.

    I really like the sound of Olly's teacher. And it's coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoons for me. No idea why but it seems right. xx

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  26. Hi Leanne, love your beach photos. Usually when I haven't heard form my university dwelling middle sone I message him with the opener "Mother ship to son" it usually gets a response lol. Olly's teacher sounds fab, one of those rare gems. Have a great weekend x

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  27. I've just binged on all the posts I missed here, right back to the op and the oozing. So glad for you that that's out of the way.

    Coffee for me, every time, I can't abide tea unless it's herbal.

    I bloody love your blog Leanne, when I've been offline for a while it's one of the first I read, please don't go anywhere with it, it's perfect as it is.

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