School's Out

OK, right, last post before a lovely long weekend, which will encompass our Blackpool excursion and Halloween, with yet another birthday party for Heir no. 1 to attend. That boy has a better social life than me. Actually at the moment a hermit has a better social life than me. My get up and go hasn’t just gone, it’s sending me postcards from far flung exotic locations. This break will hopefully recharge the old dilithium crystals, (She cannae take anymore Cap’n) and warp speed will be resumed shortly. This will be the longest break I’ve had from work since last Christmas. I’ve had the odd day off here and there, but work pressures and new assignments have kept my nose to the grindstone so much that I’d be unable to wear glasses now if I needed them. Did you see what I did there? I sort of confirmed my old man, weary status, then cleverly juxtaposed the fact that I’m still sprightly enough to have good vision. This will no doubt come and bite me on the bum in the coming years; both my parents needed spectacles soon after entering their 40s. Despite my jaded demeanour I’m actually feeling a bit like a kid on the last day of term. You know: keyed up, waiting for the final bell, mind making allsorts of plans as to what I’m going to do. All this, despite the reality that my freedom of choice is severely crimped by my family’s wants and needs. Speaking of which… I saw an interesting TV programme the other night : “Having a Baby Ruined My Life”. A documentary featuring various couples who don’t wear rose tinted glasses when it comes to looking at their kids. I watched almost incredulously as one couple spoke of their disappointment with having a child, and how it wasn’t really rewarding and enjoyable, as their 5 year old son sat with them. That’ll be nice for him to watch again as he gets older, and watch his parents squirm, “Well we didn’t really mean it, son”. Another couple with twins featured. The mother had given up a high flying exec job, to stay at home and raise the kids. Her husband was filmed as he looked after the children alone for the first time, whilst she went to the beauty parlour. The children were almost 2! Unsurprisingly he didn't cope very well. The programme basically concluded that although having children completely changes your life, it needn’t be ruinous. I came out of it with major brownie points, as my wife (and me) watched disbelieving at how little some fathers actually do. I actually enjoy all the hands on stuff. You get out of children what you put in. For a while in my early 20s I doubted whether I would actually ever have children, it seemed an alien concept to the life I was leading at the time. Now I find it hard to imagine a life without them. They reward in so many ways and enrich our lives through their excitement and learning. They can also be priceless: We bought Heir no.1 a maths and English book, which he enjoys doing the exercises in. Last night I was sitting with him while he did one involving looking at pictures and then writing the letter they begin with. You know: a picture of a ball, they have to write “B”, a key = “K” and so on. All was fine until we came to a picture of a rabbit, when he puts down “B”. So I gently suggest that he’s got that one wrong, provoking a look from him that suggests I am retarded and need immediate help. I suggested that rabbit begins with “R”, to which he replied, “YES, but bunny rabbit begins with “B”!” I had to quietly excuse myself before having to hold my sides with the pain from laughing. In the spirit of term end feeling, more crap may follow today….