“You feelin’ that bounce home boy?”

Another year, another school summer fayre and surely the weather couldn’t be as bad as it was last year??

Surely?

Well, things started promisingly with blue sky and a distinct lack of dark clouds. This only lasted until we had finished eating breakfast however, when the heavens opened and it rained.

Very, very heavily.

And consistently.

Amazingly though, by the time we arrived at the school to set up just after 9am, the rain had stopped. It was windy, it was grey, but it had stopped raining.

Stalls out, stock arranged, gazebo’s erected, BBQ’s prepared and lit, gazebo’s retrieved from other end of playground thanks to wind, inflatable assault course and slide prepared, coconut shy at the ready, and so on.

Doors opened at midday and, as if by magic, the sun came out, bringing a smile to peoples faces, workers and punters alike. And, with smiles, comes the willingness to spend cash and by all accounts and purposes, the schools’ main fund raising event of the year looks like being a success.

Personally, I had a pretty tasty 100% beef burger (oh yes they were, I bought them), a yummy slice of marble cake with an oh-so-delicious cup of tea (well, I’d been working hard!!). All this plus we won a raffle prize of £25, could the day get any better?

Well, perhaps it didn’t help the day in general be better but the highlight of my day came (surprise, surprise) from the actions of one of my children. There were two things actually.

Firstly, Joseph had bought a small toy and a tiny piece broke off. Someone unwittingly picked it up and dropped it in one of the bins dotted around the ‘playground’. The school keeper was busy with a list of jobs that needed doing before opening time and so we couldn’t access the lockable bin. I said to Joseph to stand by the bin until I had finished doing a couple of things people had requested of me.

“Don’t move from the bin and make sure people don’t throw anything else in there until I get back”. He nodded obediently and off I went to do what I had to do.

I suppose I was gone for no more than 5 minutes, but as I walked back, I saw him standing right in front of the bin, looking nervously around lest anyone should throw something sloppy or yucky into the bin before we had the chance to fish out the all important item.

I think I could’ve been gone for an hour and he would have still been stood there. I took a picture of him as I approached, standing slightly awkwardly with his arms behind him, half protecting the bin while he waited.

That was sweet, but the winning moment was nearing the end of the fayre.

Annabel and Joseph were both scrabbling through the toy stall, searching for that all important final purchase. As I watched, with Annabel still digging through a box of small toys, Joseph has stopped moving, stopped looking, just kneeling there on the concrete and looking intently at his hands, head nodding ever so slightly.

“Whassup Poops?” I say, kneeling next to him. “Is everything ok? What’s happened?”

He doesn’t answer, he just sits perfectly still, rocking slightly.

“Joseph, what is wrong?”

He looks up at me, slowly, still nodding his head.

“Nothing’s wrong”, he answers. “I’m listening to this song”.

I straighten up, smiling, letting the sound I had previously shut out come flooding in. Joseph had been zoning out to Rihannas’ Umbrella which was pumping out over the PA system.

Dat boy got soul!