Hardly any photos recently, I'll try harder this week. I found the Polling Station one on my little camera, from the school run on Thursday. So that was a dramatic day or two, no?
The weekend here was dominated by a football tournament. Starting with helping out at 8am on Saturday. The biggest boy played all Saturday morning. I spent three hours at lunchtime helping in the barbecue tent, and managed to miss most of his matches and most of the middle boy's matches in the afternoon as well.
The washing machine died in spectacular fashion. Then the middle boy was sick on Saturday night. I spent today hand washing things, while the other half took the littlest boy back to the tournament for his matches. The biggest boy was charged with taking photos of any goals or monumental moments. He got quite a few decent shots, but the lens wandered skywards a little as well and I found a few bird pictures sprinkled in the mix. And one with just a knee.
The matches were five minutes each way, with a vast amount of hanging around in between. The teams weren't very well put together and no-one really enjoyed it very much. Quite a few of the parents who were supposed to help out just didn't bother turning up. I'm tempted to say never again.
Anyway, I'm happy to put those two days behind me. Next time I think we'd all be happier giving it a miss and going for a walk in the depths of the countryside. Sometimes it's just nice to be together relaxing, rather than doing scheduled things. We barely ate a meal all together. It's good to get to the end of a weekend with a warm glow of good things to carry into the new week. I'm hoping you had the warm glowy kind of weekend, rather than the teeth grinding kind. But whichever it was I'm wishing you a good week.
Sorry to hear your weekend was so frustrating CJ.
ReplyDeleteHere's to a good week for you....and a replacement washing machine!
Jacquie x
I did puzzle over the knee photo. I had feeling it was going to be deeply significant.
ReplyDeleteOver-scheduled weekends can be more tiring than the working week. Hope next weekend is an improvement.
Poor you - your weekend definitely sounds teeth grindy! I do think it's rather sweet that your son took photos of birds rather than the football though. Hope your middle boy is feeling better now and that the washing machine situation is rectified soon. Here's to a better week. xx
ReplyDeleteChecked out older post too love your photos.
ReplyDeleteMerle..............
Happy Mother's Day! Sorry about your washing machine :( And I hope the middle boy feels better!
ReplyDeleteI thought perhaps the knee photo was hiding some art-y secret that I simply couldn't grasp. Thanks for explaining! :)
ReplyDeleteHope your week is better than the weekend was. Also that no one gets (or continues) sick.
that knee pic is the best :-) I was admiring the green fields!
ReplyDeletei'm sorry to hear you had a bad weekend - and the dead washing machine, oh lord.... we are in cold wet winter mode hear and the thought of doing all my laundry but hand in the wintertime is dreadful.
the week can only get better, CJ. just look at that knee pic to cheer you up xx
I so hear you as I enter into the "scheduled" arena with the beans......I can only imagine how busy it gets when they ALL have activities!!! So here is to a week of cooperating machines....photos of your pretty garden...and more walks! Have a great week friend! Nicole xoxo
ReplyDeleteI did the soccer mom thing, the baseball mom thing, the 4-H thing (leader of dairy goat 4-H for 5 years!) and I was scout leader for all three kids for 3 years each - total of 9 years. I hear your pain. But it's also the best years of your life, while they are at home.. see the joy of it. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteOh dear! the thought of not having a washing machine sends me into a panic. Hope all goes well and you can get it fixed or get a new one. Fingers crossed for you for a good week.
ReplyDeleteSick child, football tournament, broken washing machine: quite a toxic combination for one weekend! Does make you appreciate the difference these appliances make to our lives doesn't it. Here's to a better week to come!
ReplyDeleteLove the knee ! Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteActivities have a way of making everything extremely busy don't they? Especially when you have multiple children doing multiple activities. Sometimes I wonder if scaling back a bit might be a good idea as well. Hope you have a great week ahead!
ReplyDeleteI am sorry you had a blah weekend CJ. If it is any comfort, ours was similar in some ways, no sick children and dying washing machines mind you, just chores and single parenting (Richard went to a bike race in the Lakes). The thing with helping out at events or with school and community stuff, there is always a core team that reliably does it all. We had to clear out the PTA dunny (cellar) for school refurbishment this weekend. There are at least 25 members, including some teachers. There were three helpers (including myself), plus my not so helpful offspring. One core helper had creative writing class, which is fine but the rest just didn't show. I am stupid enough to be also in the high school parent council and a community club volunteer...... If I had any beliefs, at least I could comfort myself with a prospect of a nice home in Heaven! As it is, I just bemoan the consumer attitude of many of my peers. Hope the middle boy is better, a family meal is planned for tonight and a football free weekend ahead of you. Cxx
ReplyDeletewishing you a better week xxx
ReplyDeleteWere the no-shows the ones who expect their children to be able to attend events, but never have any intention of helping out themselves? We've experienced a fair few of those over the years. Sorry you had one of those weekends :o) xx
ReplyDeletePossibly the best summer of my parent-of-primary-age-kids life was the one where we moved here in March and until the new school year began in September we had nothing scheduled because no one had joined anything. We did have some fun that summer and it made me reassess a lot of things.
ReplyDeleteHere's wishing you a fab week to make up for the weekend :)
I always found it was the same parents who helped out time and time again with others always shirking their duties, doesn't seem fair at all, does it? Hope the littlest one is feeling better now and that you manage to either get your washer repaired quickly or that you arrange for a replacement soon. We thought ao.com were brilliant when our machine died recently, I had a new one in two days with no delivery charge.
ReplyDeleteAfter my computer died early it is now the turn of the oven.
ReplyDeleteCommiserations. It's usually the same parents who help and the same who don't, in my experience. As to poorly child and defunct washing machine – oh dear. I hope your boy is better and you find a replacement washing machine soon. That is one appliance you do not want to be without when you have football-playing boys. Here's to a much brighter week. Sam x
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your weekend ended up like this. And to have a major appliance death in the midst of it seems a bit too much. I hope the rest of this week brings you happier things, and that your middle son makes a full recovery.
ReplyDeleteAt least this is behind you and, as you said, it's nice to be able to focus on the good things ahead. We had an emotional memorial service this weekend for a very close friend. In some ways I am glad it is behind us, but moving ahead without her is hard too.
ReplyDeleteI remember those weekends so well, but ours involved soccer or baseball, then moved onto swim meets in the blazing sun and heat. I don't miss giving my whole weekend up for those events but I do miss watching my sons in them. They grow up so quickly and then those moments are gone.
ReplyDeleteHave a good week and rest up today,
Meredith
Lets hope next weekend comes round quick ! And that its generally a calmer affair,
ReplyDeleteKate xx
Ah the weekend hustle. Football and birds, I love it -- dead washing machines, not so much.
ReplyDeleteOh, CJ. I'm sorry it was a disappointing weekend for you. I understand how you feel, it happens to all of us from time to time. I hope the washing machine can be fixed quickly and easily. I'm just waiting for the day mine decides to give me a problem. It's eight years old and nothing yet, but I know that can't last. I'm sure the boys knew you were with them in spirit at the tournament. Take care, and here's to a much better week ahead!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that things have not been going so well. I hope that both son and washing machine will soon be fixed and fit and well again. I hope that today has been better and that the week ahead will be better too! xx
ReplyDeleteHope you have a good week. And that your washing machine is fixed soon - a broken washing machine is the stuff of nightmares, especially when there's lots of sport going on (and well done for hand-washing - I can't abide it!)
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you were taking your photography in a new direction :-) the knee shot is excellent. Sorry to hear about the washing machine, what a nuisance especially when you're dealing with folk being sick, I hope he's feeling better now. I hope next weekend turns out to be a better one and that you're having a good week. xx
ReplyDeleteI have spent many early weekend mornings helping out at soccer matches, scout camps, netball matches etc. and I am really pleased that those days are over for me as it seems that the same parents volunteer all of the time. I would rather have spent the days together with my children doing something we could enjoy together. We did however get plenty of walks together and bike riding on the fire trails around this area.
ReplyDeleteI hope you can get your washing machine repaired, hand washing is such a pain especially with boys clothes.
I hope your week is better.
xoxoxo ♡
sorry CJ but I did find your post amusing - despite everything going wrong. The knee photo perplexed me too! Oh I've been to football tournaments like that too - took daughter to one at Prestatyn once, yes a lot of sitting around between matches for v short matches. And your experience of the bbq tent reminded me of once when I offered to help at our school summer fair and I ended up stuck on "welly wanging" - it was exhausting, no one took over from me and I spent no time at all with my children!! Hope things are better this week
ReplyDeleteCaz xx
Hey CJ,
ReplyDeleteI can't say I miss all those hours at the side of a rugby pitch, the long hours of waiting around at tournaments, and the irritation of parent helpers not bothering to parent help. At least with judo it's all over in a few minutes.
Leanne xx
Fortunately mine have never been into sports and I haven't had to do the whole standing at the side of a pitch thing. I hope your week has improved as it's gone on, I find everything happens at once, then it calms down for a while ......
ReplyDeleteTake care x
I have yet to experience the delights/tedium of sporty children, and the weekend time you have to give up for that. But John works every other weekend so those "together" weekends you described so well are very precious for us too. I'm sorry you had such a crappy weekend - ours wasn't much better truth be told, the only highlight being a woodland walk. The general election results and new of family illness put me in a bit of a funk. I hope this coming weekend is better, and that your washing machine situation is resolved. No washing machine?? Terrifying. xx
ReplyDeleteHi...I've just had a really lovely wander through your blog, adding you to my blog list so I don't miss any new posts! :) xxx
ReplyDelete