We dearly love them but.. (2)

Barbara was at the hairdressers on Monday morning at 9.15. She was quite concerned about how I would cope with Rowan and Kirsten. In the event, we got along fine. They are both well able to dress themselves although Kirsten occasionally gets a bit mixed up. She didn't on Monday so all I had to do was supervise washing and teeth cleaning.
I had been planning things anyhow and I got them to help me make a blancmange. I also had the ingredients for a pizza but their enthusiasm began to wane. Unfortunately, they were very upset when lunch turned out to be vegetables and fishcakes. They thought I'd carried on making the pizza!
We went in the car to Pickering Park and took the remote control car for a spin around the lake before R&K went into the playground. I think Kirsten would stay on the swings forever. She hasn't got the hang of the grown up swings yet and went flat on her face on Saturday so we stayed on the "baby" swings. We got them out of the playground with the promise of an ice cream. Once we'd eaten that, we got the football out and I showed Rowan my football skills. I can still dribble past him just now but my stamina will deteriorate as his skill increases. Kirsten was ready to go home but Rowan would keep kicking a football until the cows go home.
Kirsten and I made the pizza for our tea. Barbara was out with her Monday ladies for a meal so we had it to ourselves. Rowan reckoned there was too much tomato and wasn't going to eat it until I told him there was nothing else. He was quite right though, there was too much tomato.
Barbara was out at 7pm so she got the children ready for bed before she went out. All I had to do was put them to bed. We had a couple of games of Snakes and Ladders and then they had some supper. Kirsten did not want to go to bed even though she was falling asleep in the chair so I carried her up complaining. I put her in bed and the complaining stopped and she was asleep moments later. Rowan wanted to stay up too and searched the Radio Times to see if there was anything for him to watch. He was well tired too and soon gave up the search and went to bed.
Tuesday I was at dentist for treatment on my broken tooth. I had just finished telling Barbara not to get multi grain baps again as then stuck in my teeth and then broke the tooth as I started on a chocolate eclair. I needed to go for a check up or risk getting "struck off" A broken tooth is a bit extreme though. As I expected, I need a crown. Dr Bakshi gave me a temporary tooth and I forked out £15.90 with the prospect of a bill for £194 when I go back next week.
I'd downloaded some stuff before I went out and Barbara had helped Rowan and Kirsten make an Easter card. They were very good. Kirsten is getting the hang of writing her name and Rowan is really improving with his writing and spelling.
After lunch which included some painkillers, we went to the Humber Bridge Country Park. We parked up the hill and walked down through the park to the foreshore. The kids had a go on the limited playground equipment. Then we walked around the Country Park before climbing back up the hill and home for cauliflower macaroni cheese. I have been promising Amanda that I would try it out. The results were a bit mixed. They both did well but Rowan professed not to like the cheese sauce. I admit that I used a mix to save time. Better stick to the roux method next time.
Barbara had got the kids ready for bed as I prepared tea and then put on the DVD we had picked up at Blockbuster. Rowan chose "Open Season" which I had seen so I didn't mind missing the section they watched before tea. It kept their interest and was about the only television we had watched up to then. We did watch Dr. Who with Rowan when Kirsten had gone to bed after which I had the honour to be chosen by Rowan to read a story before he went to sleep.
On Wednesday, we took the children home after a visit to see Great-Grandma Maureen, my mum. We packed the car with their belongings and then set off. Returning the DVD and a petrol/tyre top up meant it was 11am before we got on the road. Got to my mums just after noon. She had decided we would go to the Wetherby Whaler, the fish and chip restaurant. It was very nice. Two lots of fish and chips in one week and I had a blood test scheduled for the next day! We walked down there as it was such a lovely day and then walked back via Pudsey Park. The playground there is very well equipped and the children made good use of it. In fact, I am always impressed by Pudsey Park. I have happy memories of the place and now, there are so many attractions that I don't feel nostalgic for the good old days. We took them to see the small mammals and the fish and birds before heading back to Mums for a cuppa. The children get a bit restless in the flat but they behaved very well. We headed off back so we got them home before Phil and Amanda got there. All Kirsten wanted to do was watch a DVD but Rowan was dragging me outside for a football marathon. One of my shots snuck past him and rolled right down the hill and through a hole in the fence into a garden in the next road. We had to walk round and retrieve it. By the time we got back, Amanda was back and Phil followed shortly afterwards. We gave the kids some tea and we had a cuppa before hitting the road back home. I was still pretty full from the fish'n'chips so I started my fast before the blood test a bit early and went without tea. Just a glass of water for supper.