tomatoes

We're already into the second week of term 2. The holidays ended not a moment too soon. It was miserable weather for most of it. The boys went up to Sydney for 3 nights to stay with my parents. They had a fantastic time by all accounts, going to the museums, the movies, ferry rides, bus trips etc. Ruby got lots of attention from me and Brett, but even so, she really missed her brothers. The second night they were away she wanted to talk to Simon on the phone, but then erupted into tears as soon as she heard his voice, crying "I miss you Simey!", her mouth a cavern of grief. Which then made me cry of course. And boy, was she glad to see them on Saturday when we went to pick them up. The good feelings lasted through Sunday and then into Monday, the last day of the holidays. In the morning I spent a good 2 hours cleaning upstairs, vaccuuming, dusting, washing floors etc, and the kids played so nicely together, making up long and complicated imagination games, dressing up, making craft. Then in the afternoon I had to return a DVD to Corrimal. Big mistake. It started with who was going to be the leader walking out of the front door. At that point I was still being a good parent and I managed to head off the fight by telling them that they could each be a leader- Ruby the leader of the girls, Declan the leader of the 6 year old boys and Simon the 7 year old boys. Then Simon snidely said "Declan can be the leader of the 6 year old girls." So Declan launched into a screaming fury about that and tried to attack Simon. I hustled them all out the door and into the car, hoping I'd nipped it in the bud. So far so good. Went back to close the front door, got back to the car to find Declan inconsolable. The reason? Simon had asked him if he liked pony movies. And even now, a week later, the resurrection of that question makes him crumple to the ground like a leaf.

So! We drive the 10 minutes the the video shop. I tell the kids I am going to drop the DVD at the counter (we are NOT going in!) and then we have to go the the post office. Simon spies a kid's play area inside the shop and comments on it, which naturally causes Ruby to fall to the footpath in hysterics because she isn't tall enough to see over the counter. I pick her up to show her and she immediately goes from screaming banshee to smiling psychopath, like I've flicked a switch. She presses her cheek against mine and croons "Sank you Mummy, to showing me dat pway fing. You are so berry sweet!" Like a nutter before they slit your throat.

The post office is uneventful and I find myself thinking hopefully that the rest of the trip will go smoothly. After all, the only thing left to do now is buy one tin of tomatoes at the supermarket. How hard can that be!! On the way to the supermarket, inside the same centre as the post office, we pass a ride on helicopter kiddy ride. The kids wanted to sit in it, that was fine, they don't actually realise those things move if you put money in them. So there's Dexie and Ruby happily pretending to fly the helicopter, when it suddenly started! It moved up and down and sideways like a boat on rough seas. Dexie turned green and said "Oh, Mummy... I don't feel very good..." I ripped him out of there quick smart and herded them all into Coles for the tomatoes. Channeling the Super Nanny, I decided to involve the children in the shopping because that will make it a happy experience! "Right!" I said brightly, "Who can find the tin of tomatoes for me?" Simon found them and handed them to me. "But I wanted to find them!" wailed Declan. "You can carry them for me!" I said brightly, through clenched teeth. "But what I cawwy?" wailed Ruby. "How about Mummy's wallet?" I said brightly, making them walked by shoving them with my hips. And all the way home we had to do turn taking of who got to hold the tin of tomatoes (at the next corner it is Declan's turn, then at the lights it is Ruby's...). And they weren't even name brand tomatoes.

Meanwhile, Josie has been desexed and is now in a cone of silence because she split her stitches.