Full Moon Madness

So it was just an average Friday except *put the brakes on* it wasn't!

I normally get a lie in on a Friday but today we had to be at Aaron's nursery by 09:30 for a parenting class. This meant meeting my BFF at 09:15.

We did that no problem... errrr.... except we had strong gale-force winds, cold and rain, lots of rain, to contend with.  We got there flustered but on time.  We signed in our boys to a "creche" of sorts in the children's centre and headed to the class (over in the school in a porta-cabin) on "disobedience".  It was phenomenal.  We learned LOTS, came out on a high and then BANG, I walked into a post.  Why does a playground even have a post in the middle of it?  I was engrossed in conversation, I wasn't looking where I was going.  My face was SO looking to the left, my chin was above my left shoulder, talking to the two ladies to my left.  THAT is how I otherwise inexplicably hit the right hand side of my head on the post I walked into.  I could have been Mrs Bean had there been a camera out, as in true cartoon style, I fell over, like BONK in one direction, followed by a BONK style fall in the other direction........... except a parent caught me, so I landed on my bum and not my head.  Yes what was my large dry posterior, sat on the wet playground, where I proceeded to cry at my stupidness stupidity.  It took 2 of them to get me up, and then we had to find a sheltered bench to sit on, as I was too dizzy to walk.

We eventually said we better go and get the boys, but we had a welcoming committee when we got back to the nursery, so it was to the first-aid room for me, where I was treated to a cold compress and a very sweet cup of hot tea.  I have never felt so looked after.  Our boys by now were the only ones not collected, so we eventually went to get them.  Oh the IRONY considering we'd just been on a disobedience class.  My BFF son had 2 cars and would not share them with Aaron (unusual as it is normally the other way around) and the two of them went into paddy mode.  One because he was tired, mine because he was hungry.  We tried distractions.  We were allowed back into the playroom.  We tried reading them a story.  NOTHING worked.  Our boys ALWAYS listen to Teachers; even THAT did not work, so we left.

We were just going into a cafe for lunch when my husband Knight in Shining Armour arrived on his steed in his car.

He gave my friend a lift home and we headed to A&E, excuse the pun.

To cut a long story short I received exceptional service there.  The Doctor I saw had also been on the parenting course and we had A LOT to talk about.

Anyhow, we then went to +Tesco - I cancelled our date night as I truly felt concussed.  I couldn't find Valentine's Themed meal deals (as our area does not stock them *sad face*).  I was advised that they are 20 pounds anyway and was shown the 10 pounds meal deal.  The staff member was apologetic.  He very nicely said "it is only available in selected stores" - I said "you mean in posher areas?" and he would not commit but smiled quite sweetly and knowingly.  He needn't have been apologetic.  The minute I set my eyes on what was on offer I was thrilled.  A side dish, main meal, a dessert and a 6.99 pounds bottle of wine, all for 10 pounds, what's not to like!!!! But it gets better.  It was ALL Tesco finest* and we all know how much I LOVE Tesco finest*

I was even more excited tonight when we tasted everything.  A meal for two became a meal for three as we obviously shared it all with Aaron.  Daddy and Aaron LOVED the meatballs.  I would highly recommend them.  As you can see if you click on that link, the offer is on till 25th February.  If you have a night you don't fancy cooking, and you want food AND wine at affordable prices, head on over there, or even order online. Wine is often out of my price range, but all that for TEN pounds you really can't go wrong.  Our side dish was the Cornish Butter Mash which Aaron simply loved.  The minute I noticed everything was Tesco finest* I knew it would all be good.  We haven't even opened the wine yet as Daddy got me a dozen red roses AND a dozen Krispy Kremes and a bottle of wine/card for Valentine's Day, so I still have the wine to look forward to.  In today's world where you don't get much for a tenner, I am thrilled with this value for money and will be getting it a few more times before 25th Feb!

Oh I have missed a whole part of the story.  After I chose everything and BEFORE we paid, an alarm went off.  My member of staff was no longer apologetic about the meal deal when he could tell I loved it and we were absorbed in a good old chat, when he told me "if this alarm doesn't stop, we will have to evacuate". He was very sensible, and very professional.  Already planning ahead when it had only been going off 5 seconds.  For those of us who work in retail (I did all of my working life, with my last few roles being in Head Office senior management), we know alarms are usually false alarms.  Except........... it wasn't.

On the way out I asked the Grocery Manager, "what shall I do with my shopping"?  He said "I don't know!" - not nearly as professional or sensible as my friendly meal deal sales assistant.

What happened next, was like war-time spirit.  All of us customers, accompanied by a hell of a lot of staff, all clustered outside the store, despite the cold, despite the rain, despite the wind!  We chatted, we laughed and we patiently waited in true Best of British style.  We spotted Firemen inside and lusted after them (joke)  and gossiped about whether they would find anything, with one customer claiming he had smelled smoke on his way out.

Daddy tried to walk away to drive to another store several times, but me and Aaron were enjoying the atmosphere too much and would not let him go.  Our patience rubbed off on him and Daddy was very chilled to wait too.

It was a long time before we got let back in, and sensibly, they insisted on letting the staff back in first, except a gang of smokers were 5 minutes behind everyone else, but still before us.  We all went in, eventually, as if it was the first day of the sales, and I rushed to where I had abandoned my basket, with an urgency that meant I must have assumed it would no longer be there.  It was, of course, there I mean.

Tonight, me, Daddy, Aaron, we've all been very mellow.  Aaron was like a model child, the whole time we were inside, outside, inside Tesco, and all the way home.  He played impeccably with his toys whilst I "cooked" and tidied the kitchen.  I can only conclude that his misbehaviour earlier was on his part hunger, and on his friend's tiredness (as he still has an afternoon nap).  Why is it that they are angels in private and terrors in public?  Actually that is not fair, as it is not often Aaron does that or behaves like that. As he is my little shadow, we have full on adult-like conversations and he is exceptional at logic/reasoning and negotiating.  To be fair he is not often irrational - it's just VERY frustrating when he is! 

It was lovely tonight just putting things in the oven, not having to properly prepare a meal.  As you will see from this photo, I couldn't even be bothered to chop/peal carrots (despite having them in) due to my still concussed head, but knowing that a meal for two, wouldn't necessarily stretch to a meal for three, (Aaron's got a healthy appetite) I added some steamed baby potatoes.  They were a tasty addition. Like I say forgive me the lack of colour in this photo, but we all enjoyed it and had full satisfied tummies at the end! Yum!

Anyway, in the coming weeks I need to adopt all of what we learned on the course this morning.  Maybe in the coming days or weeks I will type up and blog what we learned.  It's called the Positive Parenting Program, but they also seem to call it Triple P.

So I called this post full moon madness because the day just seemed so bizarre.  My friend and I this morning cutting across a field, with the wind and rain against us.  Being on a phenomenal course (that comes from Australia) and being filmed whilst talking, only to bonk my head in such a cartoon way.  To end up in A&E and to then end up in a fire evacuation.  It all seemed a bit surreal.  I am clearly NOT a good writer, as I haven't conjured up the full moon madness vibe that I had set out to, when I started this post and ambitiously chose the title :-(

For anyone reading this post at a later date, this post will be marked 15th February as it is now after midnight, but I largely wrote it on Valentine's Day, hence my Knight, and my roses etc...

Also, strictly speaking, I should declare that I paid for the meal deal with a 20 pounds voucher that Tesco sent me a few weeks ago, in my capacity as a blogger, but (1) they hadn't intended it to be used on this (2) we spent a lot more than that, even getting GREAT affordable PJs for Aaron and (3) all words, opinions and full tummies are our very own!

Liska xxx