Yo-Yo

Up down, up down, pretty much sums up today.

21st July 1999, a hot sunny day which started off by a phone call from the hospital to tell us that our Granda had "taken a turn for the worse" and to get there asap. Well we all know exactly what that means. My brother and I were told to stay at home and to call Dad (who had chosen that day after a week off to return to work, only to be given a job down Sedgefield with no mobile coverage!). It was 7:40am. I still to this day do not know how we managed, but my brother and I shocked my mam by turning up (on foot) to the hospital 10 minutes later. Our beloved Granda, our very own party animal, had left us. As weird as today gets, poor Dad got given the same delivery today of all days to the same village he was at 12 years ago. Freaky.

At least the book of remembrance is available online.

Sports day. Again. This time at The Terror's nursery and a far better one than the local school sports days!

 There were fantastic fun races for ALL of the children.  (A far cry from Sports day) A race for parents/grandparents/siblings.

Yep I had to take my heels off. Well I wasn't expecting to race!

The dads get competitive!

We were provided with tea, coffee and ice cream cones! It was a really lovely morning.  Which ended in floods of tears from both the staff and parents as they said goodbye before the tots move up to Big School in September. The Terror is An Angel at nursery and gave her biggest hugs to the teachers, patting Suw and Lesley on the backs saying "there there, it'll be alright".... leading to more wailing from them!

Stylish headwear! I think we've just started a new trend.

Later that day at 3:15 it was a very different story at Big School with teachers looking pleased to see the back of their pupils for almost 7 weeks! My daughter came racing out all prepared to head immediately out for her ears pierced. She turns 9 next week and has finally decided to pluck up the courage and get them done. No longer can children wear tiny studs in their ears at school or elastoplasts covering the earrings so the 6 weeks holidays is the only suitable time to go ahead with the piercing. I was disappointed that the local professional piercing shops won't pierce children under the age of 14 (ears I mean!), as I quite fancied having my navel pierced at the same time. Ho-hum, off to Claire's Accessories we went. The Eldest was so brave and never moved a muscle, nor uttered a single ouch. Which is surprising as she would normally say "oww" and run off squealing if I simply peel a sticker off her skin! I couldn't let the bairn go through it all herself, so naturally I got a piercing too. The cartilage at the top of my ear is now the new owner of a diamond stud. Not sure how long for as years ago my 3rd hole on my ears got so infected I now have an awful piece of scar tissue there. (More likely due to the fact I hid the piercing under my hair for months to prevent my parents seeing it...)

Necklace - Dorothy Perkins

Popped to the crematorium on the way home to see the book of remembrance, when we got there they had changed the opening times to 9:30-3:30.... so anyone who works can't go. Crazy. My children love the crematorium, I know, they're weird, but its something about all the flowers and the fact the sun always seems to shine when we visit, The Terror thinks shes visiting heaven!

Double ring - Primark, Peacock ring - Dorothy Perkins

Ring - Dorothy Perkins

Looking back on the photos from the nursery sports day (which are mostly blurred thanks to a 'sports setting' not actually being a sports setting!) I've realised that A - those trousers look crap, and B - the fabric is awful. As I've said before, blogging is surprisingly helpful! Hopefully my accessories detracted from the attention of the bad trousers, though my mam helpfully informed me that I look like "The Woolworth's Lady" whoever she may be. I gathered from the tone it wasn't much a compliment. Outfit FAIL. I was fully in awe of my best mate's new Doc Martin's though, tartan! She thought she looked like Jo Brand, lol, but I loved her look.



Sports day!

 Cardigan - TK Maxx, Vest - Primark

Earrings - Dorothy Perkins

Well they don't make them like they used to. Sports day used to be an annual tradition regardless of the weather conditions, which funny enough 20 years ago were not as wet as they are now. Races were meant to be won with a title of 1st, 2nd and 3rd not just a measly sticker for everyone who took part and children not understanding the meaning of competition.

Check out the determination to get 1st place!

Egg and spoon races actually meant using an egg, no plastic toys, no potatoes and no bean bags in sight. Yes it was messy, but that was the fun! Sack races were one of the favourite, so you might fall down once or twice, big deal. I've never known anyone break a bone from jumping in a sack.

A traditional sack race (can you spot me?)

 The three legged race - my favourite! Only because my best friend and I used to win it more often than not. Now health and safety will not allow a child to put trust into their best friend for fear of the parents suing each other and/or the school. All races were taken part by all children. I was surprised when my daughter came home from school last week to say they'd been doing 'practise' sports day sessions (practise? what on earth for?) and only the children who were best at particular races would take part in them on the day. My daughter got chosen to do 2 races, her best friend is down for 5 races, some children take part in all of the races. What on earth are schools thinking of??
Parent races do not exist anymore let alone a piggy back race (MUST dig out these photos!). We used to love nothing better than the Dad's letting male pheromones take over and the real competition began. There were no uniform of colours (team one must wear red, team two must wear blue etc), we wore whatever we wanted to as long as we had sensible footwear. I had never witness a tiny stud ripping someones ear off or a child being strangled to death by a fine necklace. The world quite simply has gone mad!

On your marks.... get set.... 80s fashion show! (Yep, I'm on this pic too!)

 Taking photographs is now rare for the fear of a paedophile parent, so our children's history must remain in their minds, no chance of sharing the photos with friends or grandchildren for a giggle when they are grown up then.
Is it any wonder parents AND children now do a rain dance in the hope sports days are cancelled. They have lost all of the fun.

On the plus side of the day my eldest did end up having fun at the school disco which surprisingly at such a young age has turned more into a fashion show. There will be a lot of tired children tomorrow as it didn't end until 9pm, but hey, if the teachers want to organise it so late let them deal with the consequences ;o)

Jumpsuit - Primark, Headscarf - New Look, Necklace - Mine! Shoes - Matalan