Half-dressed

Before we had even sat down to breakfast this morning (that is, after Ben had spent an hour and a half playing with his Gran before I managed to surface) we spied a cat through the kitchen window, settling down for a little sit-down underneath Ben's trampoline. Ben of course wanted to go and say hello so I turfed him out in his pyjamas and slippers - even before we'd managed to open the door I suspect the cat had scarpered... still, Ben enjoyed looking for it.

I managed to get him half dressed after breakfast by saying if he really didn't like his new shorts once he'd tried them on, we could put his pyjama pants back on. But once the shorts were on he'd forgotten and life carried on. I got his t-shirt changed eventually.... but he had a happy hour or so playing in the garden with Gran before it was time to gather things together and go down to the train station to say goodbye to Gran.

We sat on the opposite platform to Gran, and they spent a good 10 minutes waving and pointing and blowing kisses to each other, until Gran's train arrived and then Ben carried on waving and blowing kisses until the train was out of sight.

Lunchtime and then naptime and then Joe the plumber arrived to finish connecting the new bit of pipe, and Ben watched Cars and asked for his drumkit out and played very loudly to all the bits of music in the movie. I think Joe was trying to listen to a podcast as he worked, I'd be surprised if he caught any of it once Ben started drumming.... the kid's got volume, that's for certain. And rhythm, but you knew that. :)

When Steve got home it was time to make dinner, and I went and hid and tried to stop feeling sick. I don't think Steve had it easy with Ben's constant demands for attention as he was trying to make dinner. But I resurfaced and got Ben's bee shoes on (they're yellow and black trainers) and we headed outside again to do more boinging on the trampoline (him) and to water the plants and bag all the scattered cat poo up (me) (with gloves on).

Last night when it was time for me to head out to the prayer meeting Ben was Not Keen for me to go and clung on to me for dear life. Once I'd gone he was a bit fed up with the situation but was Very Brave and went to bed for his daddy. Very Brave Boy. Tonight it was Steve's turn to go out to a prayer meeting but Ben got confused thinking it was me going out (even though Steve had coat and bag on and I was still sitting at the table with Ben) and got quite upset again until he realised it was the other way round and mummy was staying home with Ben.

I think Steve got it easy last night.

I've spent an hour protecting myself from a bouncing boy, using our big bed as a trampoline / gymnastics pad. Bounce bounce bounce, roly poly roly poly, jumping and flying and falling and bouncing and boinging and crawling through my legs and trying to climb backwards back on to the bed again.

I was exhausted just sitting watching and was beginning to wonder whether hyper-boinging-time was going to lead to an utter crash or whether he could go on for at least another hour.

Turns out he could only go boingy hyper if I was in the room. Turning the light off and leaving the room had a remarkably calming effect and he came out and asked to go to bed! 20 minutes later fast asleep.

And now my bath is run and once I've had some bread or something I will go and risk climbing into that bath. (Last time I tried to have a bath while Steve was out, Ben woke up halfway through crying his eyes out. It's not something I'm looking forward to.) Still, Steve'll be home soon... hopefully...

Goodnight blipland. Sleep tight, and dream deep.