`orrible day

Its been one of those days... You know, when you start out full of optimism. I was determined to accomplish something today. I even agreed to make porridge for J, when I usually refuse because he doesn't eat it.

The weather was grim. Drizzly and grey looking but I wrapped up J and shoved the spaniel in the car and drove to the common for a walk. J was bribed to behave by the promise of a torch when we reached Tesco.

Tesco was full of people in their own world who crashed their trolleys into me. J kept running away while I searched for the afore mentioned torch. And I started to realise that maybe today wasn't going to go quite as planned.

We survived the shopping trip and I even remembered to send dad's birthday cards, bravely allowing J to accompany me to the postbox wearing his rollerskates.

Then it was time to go to the cinema. My friend Lisa (hi Lis!) had kindly invited J and I to join her and kids to watch Marley and Me. J has never been to the cinema but recently missed a class trip there so I'd been meaning to take him. We began with lots of explaining about keeping still and quiet and needing to leave if he couldn't. I paid £8 to get me and J in, another £2 for popcorn and we were set.

The first bad move was sitting in the front row. This was mainly due to J being too short to see if further back but it did leave a tempting 12ft or so or empty space in front of us. That was the setting for 30 min of rolling round, chatting, playing and generally not sitting still and quietly. I felt all the eyes behind me boring into me, the mother who could not control her child. The woman who had spawned that monster that was ruining the film for everyone else. Hissing threats to make J sit down was not working so finally I gave in and took him out.

J is going through this phase at the moment where he throws huge tantrums, refuses to move, hits out, all sorts of dreadful things. I'm trying to be sympathetic cos he hates it when his daddy is away (and I do - love you Tel xxx) but its driving me up the wall. His behaviour didn't improve much when I met my friend Anne and her grandson for tea. And then yet another tantrum before bed. I feel worn out.

And what was missing from my awfull day? Sewing!! The thing I need to do to relax and yet again my needle lies idle. To compensate I've just blown $20 on some Lizzie*kate stuff from the US. When you can't sew, shop!

Oh well.... maybe tomorrow will be better x