Busy

weekend ahead.

Working tomorrow afternoon, then off to a fireworks party. The whole of our street gets together to have some fun, although a few drinks may be needed to keep the cold at bay.

Then on Sunday we’re off to the Lakes – a swift visit to Grandma Zilla (she finishes her radiotherapy today, hooray!) and we’re combining that with catching up with an old friend. I’ve known him for over 25 years and we’ll be celebrating his daughter’s third birthday.

I’m really looking forward to catching up with them all – especially as they’re planning to emigrate to Australia next year.

I’m doing something right…

My eldest son presented us with a list of cool people this morning.

I made number 8 on the list, after his main friends and his latest teacher, but before his siblings. Sadly Mrs Zilla didn’t make the list….

Another Quiet Weekend

but I’m grateful for that.

Grandma Zilla begins her last week of radiotherapy today. We’re paying a flying visit next weekend to celebrate a friend’s child’s 3rd birthday, so that should be fun.

Another momentous occasion has it’s anniversary today – it was 13 years ago today that I had my first date with Mrs Zilla!

There have certainly been some ups and downs in that time, and who knows what the future holds…..

Return to Neverland

I’ve really enjoyed my longest break from work since last Christmas.

We didn’t get up to much, the weather curtailed many options.

But i enjoyed spending time drawing with the godzookies. teaching them simple games and in particular helping my daughter learn her letters.

I can’t completely get my head round this new phonic way of teaching reading, but it does seem to be working for her.

Due to my increased hands on nature of the last week Godzooky 3 can now count up to 20, and he’s not 3 for another three months! Not that he can recognise the numbers, but his retention of things is pretty good.

The return to work has emphasised the lack of atmosphere here at the moment. Over the years morale has been up and down, but I can’t ever recall it being this low.

My application form output will be increasing I foretell….

Another

hurried post, due to impending week off work. Too much to get finished.

Notably this is my first full week off work (excluding Christmas breaks) since I can’t remember when. Sad case that I am.

Typically I have lots of wonderful (well maybe wonderful) ideas for posts and yet no time to blog!!!

No time

to blog, too busy filling out job applications….

Class Assembly

another week of sporadic posts due to work and a lax attitude.

Yesterday was Godzooky 1’s class assembly, for them to entertain and educate their fellow schoolmates with what they have learnt so far this year (all 5 weeks of it!)

To be fair they had covered quite a bit: their independent learning topic this term is the human body, and a lot of the assembly centred around growing and healthy bodies. They also demonstrated a remarkably swift grasp of French, given that they haven’t been studying it for long. I don’t recall doing any foreign languages until I was at least 11 years old!

Godzooky 3 managed to slightly upstage them too, with his maniacal laughter and efforts to join in at inappropriate moments, especially when Godzooky 1 was on stage!

In the past I would have probably missed this assembly, given that it’s very close to my busiest day of the month, but, since my new attitude to work has taken shape, I know where my priorities will always lie from now on.

Cue me applying for a new job. I’ve threatened to in the past, but this time I’ve downloaded the appliication form…..

The train to Wigan Pier

Saturday was the first football game of the season I managed to attend. Working at the local ground is curtailing opportunities.

But there were plenty of tickets available for the game against Wigan, and the prices were reasonable.

I asked Godzooky 1 if he wanted to go to the game, and he quickly agreed, so I managed to purchase tickets nice and early.

I then toyed with the idea of taking the train to the match, for several reasons: it’s not a long trip, and the roads are always busy, going by train makes it feel like more of a day out, I thought it would work out a bit cheaper too.

Godzooky 1 was thrilled at the prospect of going by train, he’d never been on one before. Knowing the state of local trains I tried to warn him that there wasn’t much to get excited about.

Still, our travel palns were agreed: a walk to the tram stop, a tram to the station, then a train to Wigan, a walk to the ground and then the reverse on the way back.

The journey there went like a dream: just as we had bought a tram ticket one pulled into the station. When I purchased the rail tickets I got a pleasant surprise: total cost £4 ($7.12). The car parking would have cost more than that, let alone adding on the petrol!

The journey there took about 30 minutes, which was also a lot quicker than the car would have been. Godzooky 1 was underwhelmed by the train, as I predicted! These trains are scruffy and woefully slow in comparison to the mainline expresses I think he was expecting!

Still, we got to Wigan quickly and cheaply, and the threatened rain was still holding off, so far so good.

We were fairly early, so we went off to find Wigan Pier – another classic understated British historic site. Luckily (for me) there was a pub right next to it, so I managed to enjoy a pleasant pint of beer whilst the Godzooky savoured some coke.

We strolled down to the ground and got chatting to some Wigan fans, who were very optimistic about their chances that day. This was our third visit to the ground, so we were very familiar with the layout and expectations. Our team always does well there, although it seemed things were going to change this year.

Our team was useless, barely stringing passes together, but managing to keep Wigan at bay. The trip to the pub came back to bite me, as Godzooky 1 needed to go to the toilet part way through the first half! Cue much grumbling and shuffling through the crowd, with the almost cast iron guarantee that we’d miss a goal whilst visiting the gents!

Thankfully we didn’t, but the football didn’t get any better either.

On the bright side though, we had the world’s foremost expert on football sat right behind us, who was full of handy tips, even if he couldn’t identify exactly which player he was berating at any time!

The second half was more of the same, somehow our team keeping the game scoreless, whilst never threatening to change the scoreline themselves.

Eventually the manager hauled off some players who just weren’t performing and things began to change. With only 2 minutes left on the clock a sudden chance presented itself and we scored!

Totally unjustified on the balance of play, but the cue for ecstatic scenes anyway. There is something amazing about being at a match when your team scores.

It’s a pretty trivial thing in life really, but it’s ability to bond a group of people together is like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. Grown men expressing emotions that they normally keep bottled up, hugging each other and shouting with unbridled joy.

Such a late victory made the trip back to the station, in the pouring rain, less of  a chore. Our train back was filled with fellow fans too, going to catch connecting trains elsewhere, and we shared the flood of emotions and relief with each other.

The ease with which men can bond over football never ceases to amaze me, stories swapped about other games, great players from the past, tall tales of impossible journeys made to see a match.

I don’t often find it easy to “bond” with other men, but these moments are the exceptions to the rule, and I especially treasure the fact that I’m sharing it all with my son. 

I did take some pictures, but as yet have not synched my pc with my new mobile phone. I must do that, and get them posted…

I’m sick

of this changeable weather. One minute it’s bright sunshine and then the next it’s pouring down.

I don’t mind getting wet on the way home, but it’s annoying spending all morning damp.

Still, the nights are pulling in and winter is coming, so I shouldn’t be too surprised I suppose.

Another absence

due to child illness.

This week it was the turn of Godzooky 3 to have nose bleeds. Cue another visit to casualty, a refusal by a doctor from the ENT department to come down and see him, followed by a referral to the ENT clinic the next day.

When he was finally seen by the ENT specialist he diagnosed a nasal infection as the cause. So we’re now spooning antibiotics down his throat. At least the gushing blood has stopped (touch wood).

Just everything on the house to wash now, to remove the blood splatters from. Certain rooms resemble a set from Psycho!