This week saw the end of the school term, which is welcome in many ways. Of course the girls are happy to be off school for a while, but it also relieves Louise from a fair bit of ironing duty every Sunday with no uniform for Rebecca to do, and fewer items for Emily, who is past the uniform stage.
Of course the most important reason for enjoying this milestone is that it is exactly that, another milestone in the countdown. I hate to wish the girl’s summer holidays away, but I will, a bit.
With school done, the main event of this week saw Emily jetting off for the first of her holidays. Her friend’s grandparents have a villa in Spain (Marbella I think) and she was invited to go out there with her friend.
So this meant a very early start on Friday morning. It was so early in fact that it may still have qualified as Thursday night. Emily’s alarm went off at 2.30 in the am. As her room is still not ready, and as we did not want her to disturb my Mum and Dad (she is sleeping there at the moment, remember) she slept on our floor on a spare mattress.
So having insisted on setting her alarm for 2.30am, so that she could have a shower, I was delighted to have to get out of bed to turn it off and gently kick her awake. Of course, she could have had her shower the night before and given us all another hour in bed, but no, apparently her hair doesn’t look right in the morning if she does that!
With readying complete we all trudged out to the car at around 3.45am heading for the airport. Yes, we all went, even Rebecca! The drive to the airport only heightened the anticipation of our journey there in a few weeks time. We queued up with them to make sure they checked in OK, as they were flying alone, with the grandparents already being out there.
It did feel very strange waving her off as they trudged off through to security, and we had to head for home, and a very long day at work. As I watched her disappear into the crowds in the passenger only bit, she still looked far too young to me to be embarking on such an adventure alone. She is only sixteen (for a few more days), and she is and always will be my baby. Both Louise and I felt the paternal tug very painfully at that time.
So I was at work very early, and delighted to get a text from her to say she had arrived safely and was eating breakfast overlooking the yachts in the marina. No matter, I tucked into my cheese sandwich at my desk which was equally as delightful!
By mid afternoon I was knackered and headed home early. Bed was not long from claiming me.
The weekend has been a blur of DIY with skirting boards going on in the loft, and as much as I was the usual labourer to my Dad’s skilled craftsman, on Sunday I actually fitted some myself!! This is quite a breakthrough, and I shall be forever proud of those bits of wood attached to the wall.
Now, the painting begins.
The only other news of note this week is Oli’s haircut. It is a little brutal, but much needed as he was hot, knotted and smelly. Mainly the same criteria which determine when I need a haircut too. He does look like a totally different dog though.
This evening, we are out at a pub quiz with my brother and sister-in-law, and so I need to ready myself. With that in mind I shall leave you with this brief update, and no doubt dominate the quiz with my skills and knowledge as long as the questions are all Disney and food related.
Till the next time…..
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