Too Excited about the End in Sight

Image Credit

I had a moment where I realised I was a little bit too excited about being nearly half way through the last term of the year.  In six weeks' time Uni will be finished.  School will be finished.  I will have six weeks of relaxing ahead of me.  In six weeks' time I will only be arguing spending time with my own children.  I might find the energy to cook properly every night.  And clean the house from top to bottom.  Twice.  And I will definitely be ploughing my way through all sorts of fun books.  In six weeks' time Christmas will have been planned, implemented and enjoyed.

Alright - I don't really care that I am a little too excited about the end of the school year.  I can't wait to have a proper break and I can't wait to just "be" for a little while.

The Parenting Files: Grumpy Children after Camp

Image Credit

Is it just our home, or is it common for young people to return home from camp really grumpy?  Mr Busy had a wonderful time away at a church youth camp.  He had too much fun and his recovery process includes grouching at his sisters and generally behaving in unbecoming ways.  Tonight after school Mr Busy has not been asked about homework and has had more than his fair share of screen-time.  He has also spent some time on his own, you know, resting.  Really, I was just protecting us from him.

After an early night tonight hopefully he will return to his normal chipper little self.

How do you handle children who are returned to you with attitude and grumpiness?

A Smile Amidst Tourist Madness

Elmo on the back of an electrical repair truck

Where I live we're well into tourist season.  It begins in earnest during the September/October school holidays with the tulip festival.  I am caught between frustrated despair and warm hospitality in regard to tourists.  You see, if you live somewhere where tourist contributes to the economy you really do want to welcome and care for visitors to the area.  My despair and frustration is limited to driving.  Tourists are crazy drivers.  They don't know the landmarks to look for so they drive slowly and do weird things, and the extra cars on the road make travel slow, especially when there's nowhere to overtake.

Before you think me too harsh, I regularly chastise my husband for driving like a tourist when we are that position ourselves.  Knowing how the locals feel makes me more aware to know exactly where I'm going - or use a GPS navigator.  And look up Google Maps so I know what to look ahead for.  I do my best to be a good tourist driver!

Over the school holidays I snapped this photo on an otherwise frustratingly slow trip.  We've had some yucky weather so the SP Ausnet guys were on their way to repair some downed lines and this truck had a little furry friend along for the ride.

I didn't mind the slow drive so much with Elmo smiling at me all the way  home.

In Which Mr Busy Cooks a Two-Course Dinner

Mr Busy's homework this holidays, apart from some maths, was to plan, shop for and prepare a two-course meal for the family.  His menu was a green chicken curry and chocolate mousse.  I couldn't help but laugh every time he asked me what to do next, when making the curry.  It was a recipe he'd made at school and didn't bring the recipe home.  My response, a constant "what did you do when you made it last time?"  In any case, with my experience and his scant memories we got through.

Dh was so impressed with the results he kept asking if there was more to be had.  Mr Busy made a small, easily fixable error in making the mousse do Dh suggested he should try the recipe again...you know, to get it right.  Guess who would happily offer to be the official taste tester?

There is only one really dilemma for a budding chef of Mr Busy's calibre:  cleaning up the overwhelming mess at the end of all that fun!