Monday
Had to set the alarm for today as we were going to MMs (11am to 2pm), which means leaving by 10:30 to be worth going really, and lately we've often not been up by 9:30, so didn't want to risk having to rush. So the alarm went off and we got up and F had breakfast, I made some packed lunch up for us and we got organized and left about 10:30. F had just drawn an imaginary world called TanTalent (I think), with various roads and buildings and characters. Apparently there are four types of life in TanTalent: nats, human beings, manga people and alligators. There are also various characters: The Goddess Elephant, The Princess Alligator, Creg and Diana and a few others I can't quite remember. Very interesting picture and explanations, talked about it as we made our way up the hill and at the bus stop and on the bus. We didn't have to wait long for the first bus, nor for the second, so we were there by half eleven.

It was really nice to be back and see everyone. Today's session was one of those perfect MMs ones where all the kids got on and played happily together for hours with barely the need of an adult at all. When we arrived, E was just finishing leading a big group making pizza, which seemed to be going really well and the pizzas looked very good later. Bookmarks were also made by some. F eschewed all activities in favour of just playing, really, mainly outside, with a group that formed and reformed variously throughout the session. I had plenty of time to chat with all the usual suspects! Although I never felt that I was 'missing' MMs, we both really enjoyed the session. We will go again in 2 weeks time (got dentist's next week again for permanent crown).

For us at the moment, I do feel we are best off choosing groups and activities that don't demand unwaivering attendance every week, so something like MMs, where we can attend one session in three or so, plus Woodcraft Folk, where they don't mind a similar attendance record, is really good, doesn't tie us down to that feeling of 'if it's Wednesday it must be...'

We caught the bus with 3 other adults and 5 other children - very sociable on the top deck of the bus after MMs, it is. E and I pondered the logistics of walking from MMs to the sea sometime, whilst L expressed her doubts about such a scheme.
In town, L and A got off at the same stop as us, so we did a bit of heading the same way, then splitting up, then seeing them again later. F and I went to Woolworths, where F was very taken with a Barbie styling head thing, which was half price, so I bought it! Then we went to HMV looking for a particular DVD, which we found there, and bought Big Brain Academy for the Wii too. F was slightly unnerved about having to go back into Churchill Square for the first time since breaking her arm there, so I was careful to ask her every few minutes whether she had broken anything else yet and what she intended to break this time, which made her giggle enough to relax.
Got the bus home after that, F played with Barbie's fabulous nylon tresses to her heart's content, and we played a bit of Big Brain Academy and watched a film. I made butternut squash soup for dinner, with veggie bacon sandwiches.

Sunday
A quiet day at home, J and I both a bit grumpy having not slept well, but we improved later in the day. J and F played some LittleBigPlanet I think, we all watched a Little Mermaid prequel film, I read a bit and Internetted and Peggled. J and F Peggled too at some point. Not sure what else went on, but it was very leisurely and chilled.

Other recent stuff: conversations about vertigo, why grown-ups might like to watch scary films or do scary things, going somewhere 'by legs'.