Zoiks!

I think, no hang on, I know that my parents get just a teensy bit offended whenever they come to collect our children and I remind them to please be careful.

To please make sure they keep an eye on them.

To please hold their hand wherever they go.

To please make sure they don’t go near the (huge) pond should they play in the garden.

To please not feed them too many sweets or chocolate while out.

My mum says to me, “hmph, we brought you (and my brother) up ok didn’t we? I know what I’m doing”.

The thing is, I know what she says is true; they did raise my brother and I (brilliantly) but that was 30 years ago. A great deal has changed in society in that time, not to mention the fact that they are 30 years older!

The reason for Joseph and Annabel spending the day with them was so we could help celebrate a friend’s 40th birthday and to be honest, I thought I would be sat there, not really enjoying myself, worrying about how things were going with the children.

But no.

That wasn’t the case at all.

I actually enjoyed being out, having a few drinks with friends, without worrying about whether or not the children were eating their lunch/dinner/tea, about whether or not they were upsetting the people on the next table (admittedly this rarely bothers me) and I generally had a relaxing afternoon.

I ate a rather terrific piece of cod fillet, served with chunky chips (ie, the chef was too lazy to cut them properly) and a beautifully coarse tartar sauce.

And here I am. Sat looking at my monitor, listening to music when I would normally be being ultra quiet, with M downstairs watching her weekly programme (we live a ker-azee life!) and I should technically be enjoying my free time. I should be relishing the fact that I am free to do whatever I want, perhaps an early night, perhaps go for a late night walk together (or whatever!!).

But I’m not.

I spoke with my Mum just now to ask after the children and she told me how much her and my Dad had laughed with them today, how “young they made them feel”.

And I miss them.

Simple as that.

I think you would have to be a parent to know what I am talking about but ……….. I just miss them.

They were both being naughty early this morning and I remember that I was looking forward to having the day to ourselves.

But now I miss them.

We are driving across tomorrow morning to collect them and I am sure I can hang on until then.

Fairly sure.

I would just like to mention a beautiful food blog that I have been reading for a while now but have recently become slightly addicted to. It is called Desert Candy and I will leave you to make up your own minds about it, but I wanted to thank Mercedes for the amazing date tart recipe. My friend’s loved it.

As did I.

(pic by permission of Mercedes)