Drum School

Here we see the drumming obsessive during his drum technique workshop. AKA soaking in the Kodo drummers. He has been watching them a lot this week and his drumming style has evolved again as a result - in a good way! Different, evolved, changed, improved, all good.

Sweetdustybones came round for lunch today, a flying visit in between seeing her sugar nurse and going for a house viewing. As we were only up in Manchester a short while, but given that our stay had been extended by a few days, it was fantastic to actually be able to see her again! It's been far too long. We live toooo far away from each other. Ben remembered her Boo though and was looking forward to seeing him, as soon as he arrived Ben showed him where the toys were!

After lunch we had a quick photoshoot. I never realised quite how exhausting a photoshoot could be. But then, not every photoshoot has a jumpingbean of a Ben jumping (literally) all over the bed where I was lying reposed.... I guess the shoot really did capture life with Ben. None of this serenity of a pregnant mama. None of the cute toddler cuddling the bump. Nope, just bounce bounce bounce, tickle tickle got you!!

Then some more Kodo time while mum and I packed the car, panicking that it wasn't all going to fit, then joy when it DID all fit without squashing anything and without piling it all around mum's feet in the passenger footwell!

The drive back to Worthing went pretty well really. A slow beginning because we managed to set off just before 5pm and hit the Manchester rush hour, but it was never particularly standstill so we kept moving. Ben fell asleep very soon and proceeded to sleep all the way to Warwick where we had to stop because we were hungry. He woke up ok, and when he came round properly he enjoyed sausages and baked beans and blackcurrant jelly (spoonful of each, alternating). He had a bit of a run around while I tried to relax my stomach as the Tired Tummy Ache had decided that would be a good time to make an appearance but we decided to motor on and I was glad we did. We had to stop briefly again at Oxford because Ben was complaining of an ouchy knee which needed a kiss better, but after looking at the trees and talking about this and that he was content to let us drive again. He sang most of the way around the M25, and eventually fell asleep.

We got home at 11.30pm - apart from the time it took 10 hours to drive home setting off at 11am, which I refuse to count, that's the first time I've ever reached the end of a long-distance drive and arrived before midnight. Hurrah! And yet we STILL didn't get to bed until 1.30am.....