and still leaving Centerparcs to Bob 😉
We dashed straight from CP to south of home to drop M off for a sleepover with Gina and co, then across to Norwich for Grandad’s funeral. We got there in time to go to the house first, where Mamgu had masses of food waiting for us and we had the chance to chat with Tadcu and my sister Polly before going to the church. The service was lovely, with lots of people who knew and loved him taking part. The usual minister was away (not such a bad thing actually) and the service was led by the super, who had known Grandad well and spoke about his Methodist background and his preaching life. Tadcu talked about the rest of his life – he was upset later at how stilted he had been but it came across well to the rest of us and the pauses just showed how much it meant – my oldest cousin did a reading, the oldest great-grandchild did another, my uncle Ron spoke very movingly about how Grandad had been very welcoming when they were all young and had become increasingly like a father to him after his own father died, then read the most amazing poem that they had found in Grandad’s papers after he died. I’m welling up just thinking about it – must get a copy from Daddy. And then I had to stand up, after that, and do prayers. I didn’t think I’d manage it, but somehow I did, and we all sang, almost raising the roof of the chapel – Grandad would have been very proud of us all, I think. After that we went to the crematorium for the committal, then back to the church for refreshments. Auntie Jill asked if we would go back to hers for the evening and since M was happily at Gina’s we decided that would be a good way to round off the day, even though it meant a long drive and a late night.
On Saturday Bob dropped the children off at music school then went to pick up M and got him back in time for the last session – his favourite. A quiet day of unpacking and washing followed. Sunday was a normal quiet Sunday, with church and lots of rest, especially for me as I was exhausted, then Monday another quiet day, with L’s gymnastics as the first organised activity. We did a bit of catching up on music and normals, and M did French night at the other Cubs pack – answering questions about life in France, which apparently he bot enjoyed and did very well.
On Tuesday Bob went off to work and then came home an hour later because he felt so unwell. He slept most of that day, while the children and I went on a HE group trip to P cathedral, looking out for Tudor things – it’s a good place for that! We went straight from there to violin, with lunch in the car, then back home with enough time for K to get changed into gym clothes. J decided he didn’t feel up to gym so only M had to do the quick shuffle at 5:25. On Wednesday Bob was still sleeping upstairs, while we Latinetced downstairs – fish dissection, which was actually nowhere near as difficult or unpleasant as I had feared I think it’s easiest to just send you here for more! Since the children were deeply involved in some fantastic game with the new market stall Helen and Michelle stayed for another cup of tea while I took K to cello and A to baby music, meaning I could leave J, M and L here without feeling bad about Bob 🙂 Cubs was French night again (different pack) and also K’s first trial session.
Thursday was Tots, again leaving Bob asleep. Lots of piano, and the usual French while M was busy 😉 After Tots was Multisports for M (J opted out) while the rest of us went to Gina’s and played with S (and E and J, who had also opted out of sport) while she taught. Came home and dashed round getting Tudor stuff ready for HE group on Friday, then got hopelessly lost on the way and nearly didn’t make it at all. We were there in time to talk about Tudor life and Kentwell, share pottage and frumenty and show accoutrements and costume, but we missed all the other talks so as an HE experience for mine it was a bit of a waste – although I guess it gave M a reminder of what we had done at the beginning of his stay with us. Dashed home for a busy afternoon.
Saturday was music school and sling shop, as usual. Bob came with me and slept on the settee at the shop until it was time to collect children. As it was K’s birthday we had made vast amounts of cake for him to take in and share, which apparently went down well 🙂 They came back to shop and had lunch then when they got too bouncy Bob dragged himself off the settee again and took them to the park while I finished up.
On Sunday M joined us at our local church, because we had been invited to lunch after the service – third attempt and the first one we’d been able to make, but we then realised that K needed to be elsewhere for a birthday concert and meal with a music school friend partway through so had to change plans a bit. Bob decided that driving one child would be easier than staying with the other four, so he and K had first course and then slipped quietly out. The idea behind the lunch was for newcomers to meet a few more people. It was slightly spoiled by the fact that our family took up most of a table by ourselves and nobody seemed to want to sit in the spare seats 🙁 It worked out nicely in the end though, as first one of the cooks and then the minister took pity on us, so even though we didn’t get to meet anybody new we did get to have pleasant chats with nice people 😉 Bob got back in time to save us a walk home – and to collect a bowl of trifle to bring back with him – and I did the collecting K run and so got to meet his friend and friend’s parents.
