Candy to a....

.....pre-teen?! We are on mission Monster to Munckin at the moment with the 10yo, I have it marked in my diary because like clockwork he gets grouchy, moody and over tired in the last week of school term. There will be none of it on my watch! It seems it's a common problem as all his friends have morphed in to little monsters too and parents up and down the country are running for cover. Teachers are in terminal decline and Friday CANNOT come soon enough!

Tactics are abound, yesterday he arrived home from school to be told to dump his uniform as we were off to the cinema, never seen a boy undress & dress so quickly....and off we went to Hop....and I got my giggling boy back! Decided I couldn't be arsed cooking so we went to Nandos for some very hot chicken and then to Sainsburys where I watched my 10yo take 15 mins & 12 second (yes I timed it) to choose a shower gel.

This has caused some concern as I'm a speed shopper (I hate shoping so much spending a moment too long in a shop is torture) and I take minutes to do make up. He insisted on carrying the bag with the shower gel to the car, Further more he owwww'd and awwwww'd all the way home clinging on the the shoping bag with the shower gel in it like it was a national treasure. Should I be worried that my ten year old is vainer than I am? and wherein lies the problem do I need to get with it more or him less?

The new shower gel which was bubble bath last night has also brought on singing in the bath, rather good singing so we'll let that one go!

This morning's torture, sorry I did mean strategy was a nice walk (for me) & a cycle for him before school, as he was doing pre-historic caveman avec Kevin (a la Kevin & Perry) all in one go. So for the trip over it was moan, groan, you're mean.......blah blah......and on the way back he was happy again!

So what's for tonight you ask I'm going for the vodka & valium skinny late (I've got that wrong - apologies to Frazier script writers) and I don't even do cofffee.....he's either going to be gardening with me or will pack up tea & go to the beach! Mentally preparing for more moans & groans!