1.  Two Faces

2.  The Lone Ranger

3.  Comedy Tragedy

Best Friend’s birthday party today. We had a present and a card but no wrapping paper. So. The plan was to go into The Town with Granny and Grandad, where we would also buy a scarey mask for Son 1 aged 5y 1m, to change one of his Dressing Up outfits into a Ghost Pirate for Halloween.  Before G and G arrived, the children were Very Hard Work. They did well in playing on their own in the lounge for about an hour while I tidied and did washing and hoovered. But then Son 2 got tired, they started bickering, Son 2 started squealing and needing me… Son 1 went nuts because I was trying to be sympathetic to Son 2… and I Could Have Done Better.  G and G arrived and they were still hard work. We pushed them both into the Town, Son 2 in the Big Pram in the hope he’d sleep, Son 1 in the buggy because he refused to walk.  It was Perfect. 

I got Son 1 a Marks mask (say that fast a few times each day and keep your jawline trim.)  We pushed them down to The Square for coffee to make Son 2 fall asleep.  Son 1 was still wrecked with tiredness, and alternated between being a cuddly on-the-knee want-my-mummy’s boy and a sulky nightmare. He had a hot chocolate and an apple muffin.  Son 2 woke up. I pushed him round the Square and The Museum, remembering the scores of times we did it when I was on maternity leave, hoping he’d fall asleep. He never did. ”Do you want to go back to sleep, or go back to the cafe?” I asked. “Hot choc choc,” he said.  Son 1 fed him bits of apple muffin, and then they both sipped through straws to share Son 1’s chocolate.   They looked adorable, and Granny and Grandad both took pics.  We went back. I stopped in the fishmonger’s to get some sea bass for tea with Nanna tomorrow.  I caught up Granny and Son 1 further on. “Son 1, where’s your mask?”  He hyperventilated. “Sorry Mummy.”  I power walked the 3/4 of a mile back to the cafe, where it was still in the booth we sat in. And then, worried about Son 2, I walked home with it as fast as I could.

Grandad decided he was going to rest, but Granny came to the party with us. Son 1 wore Captain Hook and carried his new mask.  Son 2 wore the same bat costume he had last year when he was 13m: http://mumsnet.com/blogs/serenedays/2008/10/26/four-candles/ Aged 1 - 2. It’s supposed to last. Son 1 and Best Friend ran round together the whole time.  I was up, down, inside, outside, following Son 2.  A mother was there I hadn’t seen for while. She had an appalling time last year, (see http://mumsnet.com/blogs/serenedays/2008/04/12/the-lesson/) and I still ache in sympathy for her.  We chatted; she’s brilliant. I hope.   After the cake and candles, Son 1, Best Friend and Son 2 picked blackberries at the bottom of the playground. ”Pop” went a balloon.  Back home we said goodbye to Granny and Grandad who are leaving early in the morning.  Son 2 accidentally punched me in the eye so hard he knocked my contact lens out. “Bring me a mirror!” I begged Son 1, who brought me my Chanel compact, broke it into bits, dropped the powder on the floor and then rubbed it all into the lino.  At least I found the contact lens.

1.  Passport photo for Son 2 Aged 6m and 2w

2. Lazytown Live with Son 1 Aged 3 and a half

3.  Meanwhile at home…

Son 2’s passport photo’s been done in a little shop with a dancing ostrich toy and a white blanket.   Two years ago we did Son 1’s against a white wall on 35mm and cut round his head when we got the pics back from Boots. We have about 50 packs of pics of Son 1. And none of Son 2. All still in the camera or computer.  Hopefully when he’s older he’ll print them out for us.  So we’re especially pleased with our little tiny envelope with 4 pics.  We’ll be even more pleased if we manage to get the form signed and sent off in time to go away.

Took Son 1 to see Lazytown Live and we both loved it.  I allowed myself a little maternal pride at having The Only Robbie Rotten in the Audience, with Son 1 waving his periscope at any little Sportacuses and Stephanies crossing his path.  He is the slowest eater I have ever encountered, and made his Smartie lolly last from the interval to the end.  Which meant that while the other children three rows from the stage were all up on their feet dancing along to the last all-cast healthy song, our bottoms were firmly on our seats, me holding out a handful of melting mini-smarties  while Son 1, his eyes fixed ahead, selected one at a time and chewed very slowly indeed.  

We left Son 2 on his own with Wonder Nanny for the first time, and he was fine.  Of the three hours we were away, he slept 1 hour 50 minutes, went for a walk with her in the pram and ate a rice cake.   Wonder Nanny spent the time clearing up the Christmas Cactus Son 1 tipped off the windowsill seconds before we needed to leave for the show, tidying up the toys downstairs and exploring the upstairs toy cupboards.  She was very excited by Son 1’s Thomas wooden train set.  Now I know why people get jealous of the nanny.  Son 2 has never slept for 1 hour 50 minutes in the day for me in his whole life.  And I wouldn’t mind some time on my own with that train set either.