1. How Many Independent Superwomen Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb?
2. Leftovers
3. Blue Glass
Just one. Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah. Get me. The light over the dining table has been annoying me. As the years roll on, it’s become harder and harder to read my paper. Poor light of course, not fading sight. And then last night, on the first evening of The Man’s two-week absence, the bulb went. Complicated. Standing on table to dismantle overhead light fitting. Staring at bulb the size of a motorbike headlight and wondering whether it comes apart any more. Getting new one while carrying Son 2 aged 19m in my arms. Requiring an old man in B and Q to go up a cherry picker to hunt along the Top Shelf. Climbing up on table again. Slotting, twisting, bodging, clicking. And now it is Bright And Beautiful. And I am Very Clever Indeed. Yes I know to the casual observer this is just a lightbulb. But to me, it’s more important than that. It’s a Start.
We took Son 1 aged 4y 6m and Son 2 aged 19m to an Old Friend’s. She has three sons, one a week older than Son 1, a three year old, and a four month old. The elder three boys went instantly feral, and ran in and out of the large house and garden. I went to investigate two huge patches of feathers spread underneath some trees. Clearly a fox had taken a pigeon. I was looking for blood, bones or giblets - anything that small boys shouldn’t really be seeing. Nothing at all left but the feathers. I took the rest of Sunday’s beef, and it was added to the lunch menu of roasted quail and freshly-baked bread. At least the Mother said it was quail. Could have been pigeon I suppose. Our adult friends ate the quail and the beef. I ate the bread. The boys ate Quavers and pizza.
At home Son 1 watched a DVD while Son 2 clung. Wonder Nanny did tea. I put the boys to bed, spoke to Younger Sister on the phone, and sorted out the recycling and bins. Then I did a bit of tidying. My new mantra is: Eat A Bit Less; Spend a Bit Less; Tidy Up One Thing, Throw One Thing Out. A Little And Often. So, I was putting away the vases which loiter by our sink, which don’t really have a home because they’re big and fragile and need looking after properly. And I broke my big blue one, which was my favourite. And sliced my finger open on the broken glass. There are still of course, Good Things. First, it’s Recycling Day tomorrow, I can give it to the men on the wagon and ask them to sort it out. And Second, I’ve now proved that tidying up is dangerous. I’d better leave it till The Man gets back.
Tags: B and Q, blue vase, broken, childhood, children, dining table, family, freshly-baked bread, lightbulb, motherhood, Old Friend, parenting, pigeon, quail, recycling, vase, Wonder Nanny
[...] and stared at the light fitting, wondering what I’d done to it to make it go so wrong. http://mumsnet.com/blogs/serenedays/2009/04/14/changing-things/ Since then, at the end of each day, I have jumped out of my skin and hoped it wasn’t a sign [...]