Yesterday we took Children A and S back to their old piano teacher to resume lessons. After weeks of Beloved K leaving messages on the recommended new teacher’s answering machine, and listened to the household piano skills getting rustier and rustier, we decided we had to take action. So Beloved K kicked things in to motion last week, calling the old grump of a teacher (I don’t like her that much, but she gets good teaching results!) and booking the kids in for the remainder of the term. This has upsides, including the chance for weekly catch-ups with Jury and Co., which is always good.
The lessons went fairly well. Child A was, as indicated, rusty but nothing insurmountable. A bit of regular practice and we are sure she will be back on track and in the swing of things. Child S has remembered everything except the way he was supposed to hold his fingers while he played. You would think his last lesson was three days ago, not three months. Lunch was equally pleasant, an extra-large Woolies chook, lettuce, tomato, mayo and a dozen fresh(ish) rolls. No, that was not just mine…..that was for everybody.
Nephew K seemed very relaxed, as you would on your day off from work. He said furry animals sold a lot faster than finned ones, and that if fish had fur they would sell a lot better. Chances are we won’t find out. Niece H was at work, obviously still juggling the work/study thing. Then again, at 18 I didn’t give a toss about work-life balance at all……or know what it meant. Ahh for the days when we could just re-prioritise sleep to find the extra couple of hours we needed.
Today we are going shopping. I might pick up another new shirt and tie for work. I’m hoping Beloved K will spend some money on her own wardrobe….just because she deserves nice things. She is inclined not to spend on herself and often comes back with things for everyone except herself when she goes to the shops. I’ll try to post an update when we get back.
Cheerio!
Well, injoy your shopping trip, thanks for the lunch and we look forward to seeing you all next week.
Comment by jury1404 — March 9, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
OK, shops are shut now what did you all get yourselves??
Comment by jury1404 — March 9, 2008 @ 5:05 pm
Not long gotten home. Had a great afternoon shopping. I picked up some great new work shirts. Normally priced around $50, we got them for $15 each. In fact….we spent more on my two new ties than we did on my three new shirts. And yes, the ties were bought to match the shirts. At last, I now have a collection of good work shirts that are nice enough that I enjoy wearing them and I’m not worried about having a `bad shirt day’.
The major discovery of the trip was Borders bookstore. Oh my giddy aunt (no Aunt J and Aunt S, not you!). There is something about an absolutely massive bookshop with room to extensively browse as many titles as you like, and a Gloria Jeans cafe INSIDE the shop. We discovered titles that other bookshops had not only not stocked, but assured us they did not exist! Of a three hour excursion, we spent more than half of it in the bookshop.
Comment by Scoop — March 9, 2008 @ 6:26 pm
Hope SIL…K got herself a book then….
P.S. re: the shirts…..you no longer need to shop like a student.
Did you guys purchase coffee then browse the bookstore?
Please look for a book titled “From Princess Perfect to Princess Bitchfeatures” or something similar…. I thought it was Bitchface but I have been told otherwise. It’s about ‘changes’ that happen to girls.
Comment by jury1404 — March 9, 2008 @ 8:30 pm
do you mean
PRINCESS BITCHFACE : Surviving Adolescent Girls
by Michael Carr-Gregg
In this hard-hitting book, Michael Carr-Gregg focuses on the special trials of raising adolescent girls today: what to do when your previously quiet, loving daughter becomes a restless, rebellious stranger who behaves like a responsible adult one day and a vampish brat the next. We appear to be losing it when it comes to parenting our girls and it’s time to grab back the reins. This book is a must-read for every parent with an adolescent daughter.
its on a dvd too
Comment by nickinightrider — March 9, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
Yeah that……I am only reading it if it is funny though.
Comment by jury1404 — March 10, 2008 @ 6:47 am
restless rebellious daughter? how could it be any thing but amusing?
Comment by nickinightrider — March 10, 2008 @ 8:01 am
I prefer to dress like a vice chancellor…..and pay like a student. Is this too much to ask?
Comment by Scoop — March 10, 2008 @ 11:36 am
LOL I like that…..well done on the shopping for shirts.
Comment by jury1404 — March 10, 2008 @ 5:36 pm
PRINCESS BITCHFACE : Surviving Adolescent Girls
by Michael Carr-Gregg
Goodness me im picking up a copy to. Child A has started to suffer from a split personality i was going to book her in for some counselling but this might explain it. Its goodbye my beautiful baby and who r u now and what have you done with my child? Im lucky ive still got child s hes not changed but im yet to see the funny side. Scoop perhaps a picture of barbosa, will turner, elizabeth swan or davey jones might be more appropriate for you…although theirs always pidgeon pie. Borders chermside a business dream come true - the biggest bookshop with books that other stores have told me no sorry cant get that. Im shaking just writing this. All with the smell of coffee mmmmmmmmmm coffee. Child A got a story book based on the warcraft game, Child S got a spiderman annimation book number 6 venom and me well…I still cant believe it they have turned another of my favouite authors after ann rice into comic form. Raymond Feists Magician has started to be published by Marvel last year and i cant wait for the rest of the books as the first comic is brilliant. Did u know aliens, Friday the 13th, nightmare on elm street, Heroes and the new transformers are all in comic form WOW how cool is that comics for adults oh did i say adults i mean kids to.
Comment by goodbish — March 10, 2008 @ 9:29 pm
An energetic ‘eye-rolling’ pre-teen doesn’t need counselling….. she needs an eye patch.
Grubby teens don’t need gentle reminders that their ‘old’ shoes should be left outside the front door, they need to be shown how to ‘bag-up’ offending clodhoppers and used as an equel to chrome-ing.
Kids don’t need interferring parents constantly asking for the return of plates, cups and cutlery, they need to be served dinner on the lids of any plastic containers (provided they havn’t been used already and are not in the third dimention known as ‘in their room’).
Don’t clean their rooms, just inform them that ‘their Grandma’ is coming to stay and you will just ‘bomb’ their bedrooms as a precautionary. Or even better, just bring the whipper-snipper inside, it’s just easier.
Have fun……
Comment by jury1404 — March 11, 2008 @ 7:14 am
I don’t suppose “your aunt is coming to stay” will have the same effect?
Comment by Scoop — March 11, 2008 @ 8:08 am
more hilarious every minute. sort of cycle of justice.
Comment by nickinightrider — March 11, 2008 @ 8:44 am
“your Aunt is coming to stay”….. now that’s funny, I have informed them that if they think they can’t ‘handle’ having the house to themselves for the two weeks I will arrange for their ‘Aunty K’ to call in and if they were really lucky she might be able to stay a few days, they said they would be good.
Nicki, just tell me which spray deodoriser you used when we were kids, I think my lot (2 of them, child three is the perfect one, as history shows us) need something a little stronger than ‘we’ did. Something that I can spray from a distance, and not a hose, I don’t have one.
Nicki, did you ever plan a ‘bedroom cleanup day’ where they got to clean the other teens bedroom? Well, that is the closest we get to a clean up. They complain, then retreat to their rooms, climbing over whatever they need to to close the door.
Comment by jury1404 — March 11, 2008 @ 9:36 am
A hint of Glen 20 rings a bell…..what say you Nicki? Failing that, there are a lot of good acids on the market. Try Bunnings.
Comment by Scoop — March 11, 2008 @ 9:49 am
It’s cheaper to buy a 10 pack of plastic cups.
Flame-thrower comes to mind too.
Comment by jury1404 — March 11, 2008 @ 12:33 pm
only successful plan - DIY
Comment by nickinightrider — March 11, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
But DIY is so time consuming…. I chose TDIT, “they do it themselves” under threat of inviting the health inspector to call in.
I thought of a plan today, child S will be allowed to enter my child two’s bedroom to seek the xbox, and pre-teen child A can be let loose to ‘learn’ in my child one’s room…?? What do you think??
Comment by jury1404 — March 11, 2008 @ 6:52 pm
Hey i could be threatening. Tell them A K will be around with a petrie dish and some swabs ill have it sent to the lab. Then we can discuss what revolvolting things are living in their bedroom and bed - then i can teach them how to kill them. After a few more micro biology lessons they should be freaked out enough to begin some nice clean habits. Then theres always while u are living under my roof ettc etc etc.
Plan B - A new range of K-Brand scary aunt masks are going on sale at Target next week. I can organise a preview showing for you. Just let me know.
Comment by goodbish — March 11, 2008 @ 7:38 pm
brilliant child strategy which overset the grandmother threat - grandma could you please not go in my room while you are here? answer - sure. I wont. see how easy that was.
best threat: any thing left on the floor will go in the rubbish bin. but then you have to do it. and let it go away in the garbage truck. even if the shoes or sweater is favourite and cost you $200.
Comment by nickinightrider — March 11, 2008 @ 9:42 pm
I know……clean it up bit at a time…..just keep taking stuff until they realise something’s missing. Should have it sorted by 2012?
Comment by Scoop — March 12, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
Yeah true, think I will start tonight…… there are no glasses left on the shelf, one kid counted 14 cups in the other one’s room. Should ‘get up’ both of them, one for having them all in the room and the other one for entering the room and counting but not collecting them.
Comment by jury1404 — March 12, 2008 @ 4:08 pm