T-Bird Anni Rides Again

I’ve replied twice to you hun but I’m guessing I’m lost in cyberspace somehow!  Yes, please feel free to come to us the day before Melrose, we have space on Aprilia’s floor for Jade (and Shannon if she wants to sleep with the big Girls) and the sofa bed in the living room is very comfortable (I have tested it extensively when Duke has been just too snore-y to sleep with….)  I’ll make sure all the Sonlight 1 and 2 stuff is accessable for you to browse.

I was just looking at The Bean’s photos and thinking that, you know, Aprilia was Butterbean’s age on her first Melrose, a tot, barely out of nappies (and I mean only a month or two previous!) who had only just learned to talk.  And now we are at the getting stuff ready stage for our fourth or is it fifth trip up there.  Some days it feels like I’ve known all my wonderful "puddle friends" for as long as I can remember, other days it feels like yesterday when I staggered up those stairs for the first time wondering what on earth i had let myself in for.  Looking at it that way we have come so far, she has learned so much and I can see it’s really working for us.  Looking on a day to day basis I do wonder sometimes though - I just never feel we do anything some weeks!  Makes you wonder how much time is wasted in schools really at this age, if we can come this far in half an hour or an hour a day!

after the plan for Aprilia to be at mum and dad’s yesterday fell round my ears i was well prepared for the next one to fail really.  I’d asked Duke to arrange with his (grown up) niece for Aprilia to have a sleep over with niece’s daughter (does that make her a second cousin or something?) on Thursday so that I could go to support an event being laid on by a mate of Harley’s to raise money for Red Cross (are you still with me?  Not sure I am!)  Duke is working that night so he couldn’t go anyway, nor could he stay home and baby sit, and it’s on too late for Aprilia really.  Having pestered him to get it sorted I’ve finally heard today taht no, she can’t go on Thursday night but we could arrange a weekend some time….. which is of course lovely as it means Duke and I can have a meal out one weekend (except of course, it will inevitably be a weekend he’s working won’t it…..) but doesn’t get me my peaceful Thursday afternoon nor my night out.  and I still haven’t sorted out the Census forms for Rainbows which need to be done and with someone else by the end of next week.

Ah well, in a flurry of excitement over the phrase "I’ll see if I can come round and play this afternoon" from niece’s daughter, the kitchen got straightened out and the guineapigs got cleaned out but it doesn’t look like she’s coming.  Never mind, she will just have to miss out on the baking then (cos I NEED chocolate cake so we are going to bake anyway!)

Well, I’ve hidden away long enough, she’s noticed I’m not there!