1.  Ghost Busting

2.  Crowd Spotting

3.  Crab Grabbing

I’m keen to watch Wall-E, which had fab reviews. Son 1 aged 4y 10m and Son 2 aged 23m have had it a week now. They’ve seen it, The Man’s seen it, Nanna’s seen it.  This morning I sat down to watch it with the boys. Son 2 stuck it for about half an hour and then started drifting about. He posted coloured craft lolly sticks and crayons through the hole in the side of Son 1’s bass drum.  He spread small Playmobil pirate pieces all over the floor. He climbed the sofa, the Man’s chair and my chair. To the top, scaling the summit of the seat backs.  “All right,” I said “I’ll get going and have my shower.”  Son 1 tried to persuade me to stay. “You haven’t seen the ghosts yet.” “I can watch them next time.” “Do you know what you need if you see a ghost?  A magnet. Did you know that?” “No, I didn’t know that.”  Son 1 nodded. “And it has to be a strong one.”  I can only assume this is something to do with Scooby Doo.

We took the boys out. To the library to change their books, and then down to a cafe to give them chips for lunch. We picked up Glamorous Young Friend, who we’ve not seen for a while.  She’d been in The Town working on her fancy dress outfit for the Festival finale. We sat outside at the front of the cafe so we could people spot. We usually sit in a great big area at the back, usually empty, where small children have no impact on other people. The change was enough to send Son 1spiralling off into orbit. He was awful. He knew the cafe, he knew where he sat.  “Oh come on Son 1, sit here, watch the people and let’s see who’s the first to see someone we know.” It was me. Thank God our friends and his little 3 year old friend headed past. They joined us. “Rude not to,” said the Dad. Little 3 year old is so delighted because Son 2 says his name. 

We bought crabbing lines at the Discount Store, and went down to the riverside at the end of The Terrace.  We’ve had various comedy fishing trips on The Boat: “Omelette again, Mother,” and we’ve had the odd successful crabbing session on assorted quays and jetties up and down the river.  This afternoon though it was like we’d Cast Our Nets On The Other Side. The crabs almost jumped out of the water into our buckets.  Little 3 year old’s Mum was the champ - she caught a whopper.  Which did in fact jump out of our bucket into the water.  Son 1 was leaping around with excitement, barking orders, spotting crabs, tugging at lines. Little 3 year old was casting bacon with a fishing rod. Son 2 was sliding around on the slippery green river wall trying to be Big. I caught a few tiny shrimp with him and put them in a bucket so he could look at fish. The Man caught a couple of huge shrimp, which he put in our bucket. I’m pretty sure his shrimp ate our shrimps. It’s a crab-eat-crab world.  It was brilliant, but Son 2 was very hard to handle.  He wanted to lean into the water, he wanted to grab the bait hooks, he skidded and stumbled on sea weed and limpets, he wanted to carry the buckets. He wanted to catch something himself.  With a score of well over 15 crabs, not including our escapee, and two shrimps I declared for tea.  “Can we go fishing again tomorrow?” asked Son 1, as I got tea ready. I said we could. “Can we got straight after breakfast?” I said we could. I have a feeling tomorrow’s may turn into our earliest family breakfast since December 25.

1.  Scooby Dooooo

2.  There’s a Song To Be Sung 

3.  Perfect Parties

Shoulda been cleaning and tidying up.  But in fact was chasing Son 1 aged 4 around the house with the Scooby bike and net trying to catch ghosts.  Son 1 laughing and dimpled and holding the ghost as high as he could, never registering the fact that I’m twice the size of him.  Every time I caught a ghost or twisted it from him he disintegrated into disappointed, petulant child.  We ran up and down three flights.  And woke Son 2 aged 1 up.

The Young Ones was on the radio.  “Once in every life time… comes a love like this.  I need you.  You need me.  Oh my darling can’t you see-ee-ee-ee.”  The song stopped.  I carried on.  “Some day, when the years have flown, darling then we’ll teach the Young Ones of Our Own.” “Are you young, Mummy?” asked Son 1, from the hall, as I shovelled pasta into Son 2.  From the Perfect Parenting Pamphlet:  Discuss contentious issues as they arrive naturally.  “I’m a little bit older than your some of your friends’ mummies.” “Then stop singing that song.” 

We went to a party in the afternoon.  The party leader from last week’s event 10 miles away.  Son 1 loved it.  Son 2 was just too tired.  Son 1 played the games, ate the food, bounced on the bouncy castle, tried out the birthday bike (so much more sensible than a drum kit,) showed another child the birthday card  (pop up dinosaur. Choice limited in The Town) and didn’t want to go home.  “Look darling.  The other children are getting party bags.” “Party bags are everywhere.”  Son 2 laughed in delight when he saw the baby sling.  Son 1 sat in The Pram and passed out on the way back.