I'm Still Here
Yes, I know I haven’t posted anything for several days. Since returning from Germany, everything has been ever so slightly mad. I got home late on Friday afternoon, threw my clothes in the washing machine, and then sat down with the children to watch a movie and down most of a bottle of wine – which rather unsurprisingly wiped me out after a week drinking water and fruit juice in Germany.
Early on Saturday morning I dragged Miss 17 out of bed, and headed into London. I had promised her a day out after the horrendous few weeks she has been through. While I’m not going to write about anything specific, I think it’s fair to say she’s learning a lot about friendship, and relationships. Unfortunately she’s learning everything the hard way, because (through no fault of her own) she found herself surrounded by quite the most poisonous, manipulative, jealous, and untrustworthy circle you might ever imagine. Yes, I’m biased, but when you see your daughter falling apart yet again – all because she placed trust in people – every instinct tells you to step up to bat for her.
We visited a comic book store called “Forbidden Planet” – perhaps the biggest in the country – on the promise that I would buy some Manga books for her. You know that thing about giving teenagers an inch, and they take ten miles? Yeah – that. It was an expensive day. Probably worth it though, because throughout the day she smiled and laughed more than I remember in quite some time. It was like having my daughter back.
Sunday (today) has been more of the same. I gave my other half a morning off, and took the younger children clothes shopping in a nearby town. I was supposed to be taking all three children, but Miss 17 didn’t get up – I’m guessing our London adventure used up several days worth of energy in one go.
We went to a famous low-cost clothing store that most of the nation’s teenagers buy their wardrobe from. I gave my daughters money and a bag each, and let them loose. Miss 14 vanished into the store like a rat up a drainpipe, and Miss 13 stayed with me – I ended up suggesting several items of clothes – or rather, steering her towards practical, pretty clothes that would actually suit her.
I don’t mind admitting that by the time we got home again early in the afternoon, I was running on empty. I still am now. I ordered Dominos for dinner – for the first time in months, and the kids magically appeared from every corner of the house. It’s funny how that happens.
I guess the main aim for the evening will be not stress too much about returning to work in the morning. Deep breaths.