A Bad Day

I think the less said about today the better!
I'm writing this on Thursday because I couldn't face it any sooner!
It was pretty much the worst day I can ever remember with Miss E, with a fair bit of crying and whinging from Miss L thrown in.
We had just decided to go to the strawberry farm for the day when Mrs Z and Mr K popped in to collect some things they'd forgotten the other day.
When they asked if we wanted to go to Stowe with them I said yes thinking it would be nice.
Miss E went mad sobbing and bawling that she wanted to go strawberry picking.
She was so adamant that I said fine we'd go strawberry picking.
Ordinarily I don't let her dictate like that but when she's taking her trips to the dark side there's very little you can do and my strategy is to make her feel bit more in control of her life and see if being nothing but nice and kind and loving can snap her out of it any faster.
I can practically see people raising their eyebrows at my indulgence of her behaviour and excuses but when she's like this it's different to the ordinary bad behaviour. She's so unhappy and unlike herself.
Anyway, in the end she changed her mind just as they were leaving. Miss A was sweet wanting her to come.
So we went.
Uuuughhhh.
She had a meltdown in the car park. Not wanting to be there but not wanting to go home either.
She perked up a bit as we walked the sixty five miles to the entrance gate. They had a sheet with pictures of loads of different leaves and loved collecting as many as possible. Just her thing!
Miss L on the other hand walked at a snail's pace leaving me miles behind everyone, was crying that she was tired, hungry and cold. Then, just as I was getting really fed up of it, she went wading through a swampy puddle of mud at least five inches deep, got her shoes full of mud and then walked the rest of the way screaming and complaining.
And all the while I'm on my own with her wondering what on earth we're even doing there.
I could go on - the wind, the threatening rain, the wasps, the arguments about not filling up their bottles in the lake in case they fell in, the minor scratch Miss E got on her ankle which left her screeching like a banshee and refusing to walk, not being able to talk about Miss E without choking up with tears, feeling like the worst, most inadequate parent in the world.....
Eventually they did walk around the lake with everyone else and actually had a fun time. The tea which Mr K trekked to buy made me feel much better!
We got the buggy back up to the café and had ice cream and more tea. Both my children behaving like normal human beings.
And only a minor wobble at not being able to buy anything in the shop!
It went downhill again at home. I pretty much ignored them, went to Fat Club and straight back - and couldn't even raise a smile at my four and a half pound weight loss which leaves me only half a pound away from my target, put my gym stuff on and as soon as Mr K came back from work headed off for some much needed peace and space.
I haven't been to the gym for months. Things must be bad!