Me and Miss E

A day out today for me and Miss E. Just like a year ago today!!
We spent a fair bit of time this morning trying to decide what to do with our day. She didn't want to go shopping - I'd suggested Ikea for her new mattress and then Next to spend her Christmas vouchers from Nana, she didn't want to go to the cinema or bowling, trampolining was boring on her own, Waddesdon Manor is shut, she didn't feel like Stowe, we'd left it to late for a London day out and she didn't want to just stay in all day!!!
I suggested we go to Oxford for a mooch around and meet Daddy for lunch. Winning suggestion!!
Firstly we had to take Archie out for a quick walk. 
What a disaster.
As soon as I let him off the lead by the playing field he ran down the path to a man and his dog and was bounding around as usual wanting to play. The man picked up his dog and kicked Archie away.
From 100yds away I bellowed at him not to kick my dog. I may have sworn. 
The man just stood there shouting at me and whirling his dog around. Bound to drive Archie into a frenzy so he completely ignored all my calls and whistles. Which he never does.
Then - as if it couldn't get any worse - Archie proceeded to do a poo on the field right in front of the man.
He started shouting at me even more and pointing out that dogs shouldn't be on the field, telling me to clear up the shit - while I'm doing just that, telling me I should  be able to control my dog etc etc. He was weirdly asking am I so pathetic that I can't read the sign? At that point I said - surprisingly calmly - can you just stop talking to me! And then I just blocked him out as if he wasn't there. Which annoyed him more!!
All the while Archie is completely ignoring me, won't come when I call, is still bounding around the man and his yappy dog which is naturally struggling to get out of the man's arms and down to Archie.
Hideous!!!
What was galling is he was right. I never let Archie on the field and obviously you should be able to control your dog!  It was just that perfect storm of horrific bad timing and Archie choosing that moment to be the worst dog in the world. 
The man shouted at Miss E for good measure telling her she should "educate her mother". 
She burst into tears - the whole confrontation was like her worst nightmare - and was inconsolable.
I kept saying everything was OK and to just try and forget it.
I didn't tell her that the man was a fucking twat and it was all I could do not empty the poo bag over his head!!!
She was so distraught and I was upset too. I love my walks with Archie and always meet nice people and dogs. Why did we have to bump into him while she was with me? 
I snapped at her to stop crying, she got more upset, I got upset. Uuuuughhhhh. It was hideous.
We put the bloody dog on his lead and headed home. Then it was straight into the car for Oxford.
We talked about it a bit in the car - always a good place for conversations with Miss E - and she seemed OK.
She was giddy once we got to the Park and Ride bus to discover we could sit at the front up the top, woohoo!!!
We went to Mr K's office which was fun. It's a 1930's building with an old fashioned lift with a proper double grill door - like in the old American films! Miss E wasn't too sure about it!!
Even though she was doing mock embarrassment at being shown around by Daddy Miss E clearly liked seeing his office and his colleagues. It's nice to know where he spends his days.
We went for a wander for an hour while Mr K had a meeting. It was lovely and sunny and stormy and everywhere looked gorgeous. See extras.
She asked could we go to Blackwells to look at books so we did. She sulked  a bit when I wouldn't buy one. She got dozens of books for Christmas. Once she's read them she can have new ones!
She was so sweet in there though, gushing about how many books there were, and the smell of them!!
After much faffing we went to Pret for lunch. When we're out it's usually pizza or fish and chips but she didn't feel like either today. She felt like a sandwich. But not a sandwich from any of the nice cafes we looked at. No, she just wanted a plain ham sandwich. Sigh!!!
I had avocado and crayfish which I love so it was a good choice in the end!
And tea, and chocolate and vegetable crisps!!
Mr K went back to work and we went to the Ashmolean for a couple of hours. So many amazing things to look at!!! My favourite was the lamp Guy Fawkes was holding on the night he was arrested. He had planned to use it to the light the gunpowder!
Miss E liked all the willies on the statues!!!! Ha ha ha ha!!!!!
Mr K met us at the bus stop and we headed home together. 
When I went to collect Miss L from After School Club she was playing Mastermind with one of her teachers. He was struggling a bit which she thought was hilarious! I sat and waited for them to finish. He got there in the end!!