JustJottings

The Citroen Cometh

At Last, Word From The Dusty African Plain!

  Finally, today, just three days before Daughter's return, came news from the African plains.  Postal anticipation finally rewarded.  She's been gone since 7th July.  A strange feeling overwhelmed me as the coach left for Heathrow, loaded with young people full of anticipation and excitement which, in most cases, I suspected masked a certain nervousness about the challenges ahead.  It felt like that first day at school.  There was a sense that they'd be changed in subtle ways by the experience; more mature and independent, embarking upon

Atomic Fusion And Unrelated Matter!

Who's the lucky one?  Not me!  Listened to the finer points of atomic fusion in the car this morning - Chemistry AS today, you see!  Things do seem to have moved on since I was forced to learn the Periodic Table by rote.  But it works, you know!  Son thought he'd catch me out the other day by asking me the symbols for certain substances.  Blow me down, the info was retrieved from the furthest recesses of my brain and the CORRECT answers shot from my mouth with the speed and accuracy of Robin Hood's bow!  Have to admit basking in a moment's inner glow as

Mathematical Mayhem at Number 9!

A disaster has struck the daughter.  Pencil case has been 'misplaced', I prefer to call it stolen, nicked, pilfered, lifted - need I go on?  (I suppose I have done already, sorry!)

Not a calamity of the first order you may well be secretly thinking, unless, of course, your have your AS level maths exam tomorrow and no equipment.  At my very best in 'emergencies' I felt something 'kick start' inside.   Recognise it as my 'I won't be beaten' mode and begin an inventory of missing goods . . . 

Fraulein Frenzy on the Midnight Coach . . .

With the precision of an expensive timepiece the Mercedes Benz coach purred round the corner EXACTLY at the allotted time of Midnight.  I would expect nothing less from our German travellers.  The much-awaited moment had come.  The braver parents (self included) stood on the pavement outside school while the remainder were invisible in the darkness of their parked cars.  A cacophony of partially broken voices splintered the silence twenty feet or so away.  Their german teacher arrived and made 'shushing' noises.  As I looked on, I admired her spirit - she was surrounded by boys whom, for the most part, were a good foot taller!

As the coach drew to a halt, there was a rush of young ladies to the front.  Now, it may have been the lighting in the coach, but I felt sure they'd been busy with combs and make-up bags since the M4 turn off, 45 minutes away!  Son's name was called first and he stepped forward to greet his guest . . . the young ladies oggled . . . and he waited . . . in the assessing gaze of the Frauleins.  What was the problem?  Had our visitor been left at Gatwick or done a runner?

Rabies, Hepatitis B and Unrest!

Way back last Spring, I shared with you our excitement at Daughter being selected for a life enhancing/changing trip to Madagascar.  Arrangements have been moving ahead since then with training camps, more instructional emails than I care to count (and those are only the ones The Traveller deems I must view, usually involving the exchange of currency for some 'essential' item).

We're down to just two visits to the Practice Nurse this week, Tuesday and Friday for number two in a series of three injections each for Rabies and Hepatitis B.  I'll leave you to imagine the degree of heavenward eye rolling when said Nurse embarks upon her speech about unprotected sex and how to avoid contact with the bodily fluids of another!  All toe curling stuff to a 17-year old . . . have to say it didn't do too much for the mother, either!

I thought the holidays were for resting . . .

I feel a little like Brian Hanrahan on board HMS Ark Royal when he famously said "I counted them out and I counted them in again"!  (It was a while ago, but I think it was Brian.)

Son returned from wonderful trip to Spain (now wants to live there!), daughter then departed for training camp for Madagascar 2009 (just a tad early, I thought, given they're not going for another year, but what do I know?)

As I write, son and friend camping in tent in the back garden.  Mind you, it's 5* camping . . .

Chick feels the wind beneath his wings . . .

It's seemed a bit odd today, even The Mutleys are out of sorts.  Son set off on school trip to Ribadesella in Spain at 6am yesterday.  Text arrived last night saying the place was beautiful, they'd had a great dinner and there was evening entertainment.  Last night I kept thinking I ought to be collecting said Son from somewhere but the taxi sat, redundant, on the drive.

This morning, can you believe, I was awoken at some ungodly hour (well, daughter has finished GCSEs and husband had gone to work) by someone asking if Son wanted a lift to school or was he cycling?  Yes, indeed, judgment upon me for not being up and on parade, as usual . . .

That's my girl, she's going . . .

Great excitement!  Daughter has won a place on an 5-week expedition to Madagasgar in July/August 2009!  We're all thrilled.  Even our traveller was issuing shrieks of delight and convulsed by involuntary physical movement upon receipt of the news!

You see, the deadline for applications closed a month before her application went in.  Why?  Because on the evening someone spoke to the Venture Scouts about the trip, she missed the presentation because she was tending here ailing mother (no guilt there, then?).  The boys in the Group didn't tell her and, when she found out about the trip, we couldn't track down the contact.  But, do we give up?  Not on your nellie . . .

Hormone Extravaganza!

Bet you thought I was going to speak of 'Women of a Certain Age', did you not?  You know the stuff, body part migration, night sweats, negative nuances . . .

Oh no, hormones in our house have produced feet the size of skis.  Think I'm joking?  It's the school holidays and 14-year-old son has had friends over.  Daughter has been visited by 16-year-old admirers.  Little me (and it's not very often I can say that!) at 5' 7" (1.70m for you metrics), I am dwarfed by gigantic boys whom it seems were waist high just months ago . . .