Fooling none of the people, all of the time

Today the weather mended and there was laundry on the line when I got up.

This morning Chief Detective Inspector ErinsMum got a whisper in her shell-like from a grass in the Elephant and managed to put 12 and 8 together. The coat-down-the-bog culprit now appears to be naughty Alannah, as previously suspected way back on Toilet Mayhem Day (2 months ago). We're not sure whether the matter was dealt with internally by the school on a pupil confidentality basis or whether the pink perpetrator has so far eluded the educational authorities. Either way, we'll put out some feelers at pickup time and see if we get any bites. Such is the cut'n'thrust and rough'n'tumble of life as a 6 year-old. Turns out that Ollie has had his coat dunked recently. Is Alannah a serial bogwasher, or is it spreading?

Today is ErinsDads' birthday so that's a good enough excuse to nip down to the Pirate Ship Pub for a couple of swift fruit juices. After a quick supper I scooted down with the olds in tow. All the Puddlers except the Bens were there and a few bonus faces like Gemmas' Charlie and Ginger Lenny. I think my scooter made a welcome respite from the existing toys (plastic guns) but in the end it was just another thing to argue over.

You forget that the Old People leave us alone for two or more hours and expect us to get on with it while they imbibe their vitamin Beer. So yes, we'll run up and down, invade and defend the pirate ship and take turns on the scooter, but we'll also throw the pile of loose bricks around, climb on the plastic playhouse with its dangerous broken roof and hide the scooter in said house and say we're using it so nobody else can.

Thus although there were many hilarious moments and fun periods and hard work playing football with the deflated ball Bud found outside the perimeter, there were also howls and arguments and strops and tantrums and no you can't have any of my crisps and shoving and banging each other on the head with toy guns and stuff, and these are the aspects that the parents remember. Erin and Bobert definitely have a thang goin' on (maybe one day they'll suddenly snog like Hermione and Ron) but to be fair we all had a go at some point (except Pops and Elizabeth, who don't do that kind of thing).

Inside we collaborated quietly and successfully on a jigsaw map of the world which just goes to prove we can do it when gainfully occupied. ErinsMum took her home and ErinsDad got the look that says thou shalt finish that pint and come home now, Bobert got the look that says thou shalt spend the night in the shed, Mush, and they went. I played throw the white ball with Elizabeth on the pool table until home time.