Wet, windy Sunday

8am....Woken by beastly dog scratching doormat and wining for neighbours dog who awaits her on other side. Arise from bed in sleepy state and open door for dog to shoot past at rocket speed to join her friend. Bonkers I know that dog has social life too!

8am on a cold, less than lovely Sunday morning? Goodness! An extra ten minutes of warmth from my super squidgy feather duvet needed.

9.10am Ten minutes inevitably turns into an hour and ten minutes!!! Gently ease self out of bed noting slight ache in shoulders from yesterdays adult contemporary dance class, then reality of time kicks in and find self resorting to autopilot rushing round like mad thing trying to get children organised for swim class due to start at 11am.

10.20am Kids still watching morning T.V in pyjamas oblivious to urgent need to get out of door in ten minutes time. Usually calm gentle mother resorts to ogre in attempt to hurry things up!

10.50am Arrive at pool with ten minutes to spare before start of lesson thus allowing small boy time to play in pool. Pool unusually cold this morning and random children plus small boy set on splashing me.....grrrr!
Decide to swim in frozen pool dodging endless kids with giant floats who splash and get in way....

11.15am Carefully climb out of pool (due to precarious ill-fitting swimsuit) to beat mad rush of swimmers to showers. Weekly swimming has become forced drudgery on self in order to treat self to lovely warm shower as reward. Shower ensures hair gets thorough clean and is freed from shampoo residue. No shower at home!

12.30pm Arrive at Ditchley Estate office to do weekly clean. For once kids in 'helping mode' so job gets done at breakneck speed.

1pm Arrive home and cook suggested toasted cheese and onion sandwiches for lunch, remind self that I love sandwich toaster!!

2pm Client arrives with items to sew requesting collection before tomorrow...that means today.....

2.30pm Cleaning up of kitchen complete, mountain of school clothes examined for attachment of name tags.

3.30pm Sewing complete, kitchen calls domestic creativity to feed forever hungry children who having only just eaten lunch are already enquiring about dinner.....
Decide on creating pizzas so set to work with help of Small Boy to make dough. Opt to allow Boy to weigh and stir mixture and me to do handling...note boys ever dirty fingernails!

4pm Third time of asking finally get a child to take pizza dough to airing cupboard to rise whilst set about tidying up for third time today.

4.30pm Rather liking moment of being domestic goddess so remain in kitchen to create further delights. Whip up batch of cheese straws and large vat of apples for stewing, then proceed to tie up large pile of lavender that has adorned kitchen table for past two days. Miss P and the Little Lady happily play Miss P's homemade 'Petopoly' game....after ten minutes of peaceful play, loud shrieks are heard as Small Boy makes jumping over the board a game! Gently close kitchen door to block out noise....

5pm Client returns to collect named school clothes and is ever grateful for rapid service :-)

5.30pm Pizza dough is removed from airing cupboard and children re-enter kitchen en-mass to create their own masterpiece. Am amazed as always how creative one can be with pizza design. Little Lady creates run-of-the-mill pizza for me and I use half of dough to make large pizza for another day. Feeling proud of self and rather well organised to think ahead to another day!

6.15pm Main of cheese straws have mysteriously disappeared from plate and pizzas are nicely cooked. Always thrilled at how children eat what they make!

8pm After final clear up and nagging children to get into Pj's all sit down in front of snug fire to watch X Factor. Oooh continue sewing.....

9.15pm Two thirds of Smalls safely tucked up in bed clutching hot water bottles. Find self falling into deep cushions of sofa finally having moment to relax.
Arrrr, thank you wet, windy Sunday I've had a lovely day :-)

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