And, it's back....

Mrs. Ottawacker being absent, having opted for the high life of scrubbing mould off walls in a distant barn, it was a spot of solo-parenting for the weekend. Last night’s visit to the Shawarma Palace had got things off to a positive start, and the theme carried on in much the same vein today. Ottawacker Jr. was reasonably bright and bubbly (bear in mind we are talking about an adolescent boy here) and the day pretty much flew by.
 
First up was his morning soccer practice at Hillcrest. Last week, the cold had almost reduced him to tears (and as someone who used to play in goal, I know just how miserable it can be to be wearing wet gloves and trying to stop a heavy ball in the middle of a sub-zero vernal rainstorm), but even though the rain was still present today, the temperatures were positively balmy. At least 9°C.
 
Back home and showered, he waited for his friend George to come over for an afternoon’s giggling. The rules were relaxed regarding YouTube videos, and they seemed to watch a pile of parody videos before retreating to the dining room for snacks and a game of Battleship. In the evening, once his friend had left, we had a Barbarianfest of steak and potatoes, before settling in to watch Dr. Who together. It’s strangely addictive, and I can see why it has regained popularity. I suspect Ottawacker Jr. is watching it as much for Billie Piper as anything else – which I endorse – but at least it is reasonably well made and has good storylines. Plus, it occasionally scares him, which I am all in favour of.