1. Pool
2 Party
3. Playtime
Bloody paddling pool. When I got to bed, well after 12 last night, I thought “At least we can have a lie in tomorrow.” 0615. Son 2 aged 19m wailing. I ignored him. He quietened. A face appeared in mine. “Son 2’s awake.” “No-he-isn’t.-He-went-backtosleep.” Brightly: “Can we get up so I can look at that paddling pool?” Son 1 aged 4y 7m and Son 2 pulled it out. The box is size of a chessboard. The deflated, folded-up pool is size of a parachute. The Baby Was Born and could not be shoved back in. One glance told me I couldn’t blow it up on my own. ”I think we’ll need a pump. Next Door might have one. We’ll ask when they’re up.” Son 1, still in his pyjamas, put his shoes on. ”I’ll go and see Next Door.” It wasn’t yet 7am. I blew a couple of inflatable toys up and they played with them. “When can we put water in it?” “At Nanna’s. Although you might not be able to go outside when we get there. The forecast is for very heavy rain.” “I don’t mind the rain,” said Son 1.
We went to a Nursery Fancy Dress party. I had a good time and I think the children enjoyed themselves. Son 1, who’s serene and unselfconscious about fancy dress and wanders round in pirate or Power Ranger gear when there is no occasion at all, refused to wear any of his costumes. I didn’t question it. A children’s entertainer, balloons and many many children. The entertainer had apparently been doing children’s parties for 20 years. Son 1 and Son 2 sat in for Pass The Parcel. Son 2 got a lolly. I could almost hear his brand-new teeth dissolving in the sugar as he crunched. Their lunch consisted of: the chocolate icing off the top of several fairy cakes, a chocolate biscuit. Some iced biscuit rings. Orange squash. A dentist mother told me one day wouldn’t hurt, it was when it was spread over many many days that the damage happened. I spoke to another mother who, it transpired, lives within a mile of us in The Town. And she has A Girl! Son 1’s new best friend, I instantly decided. As we walked back to the car: “Guess what, Son 1? X lives very near to us!” “I don’t like X.” “You probably don’t know her very well. You can invite her to the house to get to know her better.” “She’s not my friend.” “Not yet, but - ” “I don’t like her.” “Why not?” “She’s a Gal.”
We got to Nanna’s via a Wednesday Friend to pick up their electric pump. I stood outside Nanna’s house in the Arctic wind and lashing rain, pumping up the paddling pool from the cigarette lighter. Son 1 was beside himself with excitement. They both went outside with it, we added water and stood back. The sky was black with great heavy clouds rolling across without a break. It was very cold, very wet and very windy. Son 2 burst into shivering tears and I took him inside. Nanna had prepare a tea which was waiting in the kitchen. Son 2 just pointed at it all and demanded to eat. In the end we moved tea early, and they went back in the paddling pool after. And then real, heavy, horrible rain came in. “Rain,” said Son 2, as it hammered against the windows. ”Rain. Rain. Rain.” After they’d gone to sleep I had to go out to the car in a cold monsoon and gather up the damp, half-deflated paddling pool, and a couple of bags I’d left. within two trips I was soaked and freezing. “Rain,” I thought. “Rain, rain, rain.”
Tags: balloons, Early waking, eating sweets, electric pump, expressive speech, lollipops, Next Door, Nursery Fancy Dress Party, paddling pool, pass-the-parcel
