It's summertime and the livin' is easy...

Actually it's not if you're a mum of four. I thought I hated the run up to Christmas more then the endofyearitis which is currently afflicting me, but at this precise moment I think the summer term is much much worse.

Basically work has already stopped. No one is studying very hard. The kids are all knackered. And every week there seem to be a plethora of events I have to attend.

Some of it's my fault. Last week I mistakenly offered to help on a school trip to Wisley. I have offered my services three times this year and every time there have been enough mums so I've not been needed. Trust me to draw the short straw and get the six year olds. Never. Ever. Go on a school trip with six year olds. They're not nearly as malleable as reception children and haven't learnt to behave as well as Year 2 children. Consequently the majority of the day was spent running after/shouting at small children as they legged it in different directions all round Wisley which has vast and beautiful gardens which are like a red rag to a bull to small people let off the leash.

This week I have a school open day on Thursday, next week it's Sports Day for no 4 on Monday, plus the same DAY as Race for Life no 1 has to rehearse all afternoon for Under Milk Wood and nos 2&3 have a picnic at their school. I've been asked to do face painting, but am probably going to decline. Much to her annoyance we've already missed no 4's Summer Event (when no 1 started school there was an unwritten code that the junior school put on a summer event and the infant school put on a Christmas event, now they both ... do both. Which is fun.), as it coincided with her granny's birthday and no 1&2 taking part in a cooking competition for Guides.

I am beginning to hate Guides and Brownies with a passion. Apart from my natural antipathy to women in uniform, I find the amount of paperwork both activities seem to generate, and the demands that are put upon me in order for the sprogs to take part are tedious in the extreme.

I spent most of yesterday morning fruitlessly trying to buy kit for nos1&2 to go to Camp at the weekend. You'd think they were going away for a week the amount of gear they have to bring. All clothing has to be blue, but no jeans as they are difficult to dry. Do you know how difficult it is to BUY blue trousers that don't look like they should be worn by someone who normally wears their trousers halfway down their bum? Nearly impossible in my town I'd say.

I also have to provide two groundsheets, two mats, nappy pins (you ask me), kit for them to wear if they get wet, different kit (presumably not blue) for them to wear for the disco on Saturday evening... The list is endless and I can't fulfil most of it. Plus I don't really have time to try. Argos didn't have groundsheets, nor did Millets. I couldn't find any mats, so ended up with two apparently selfinflating airbeds. Except when I got home they didn't. Inflate I mean. I also managed to rip the bag putting the sodding thing back together, but luckily when I snuck it back into Argos today they didn't notice. I tried to go for camping mats again, to discover there was only one in stock. Someone is trying to tell me something.

I was frustrated ENOUGH about all this last night, I can tell you, and then I took no 3 and her friend to Brownies. Last week I remembered at the last minute that there was a big Brownie and Guides barbecue on 4 July, was about to take the form with me, but had no money to pay for it. Never mind, I thought, I'll do it next week. Wrong. I presented the form and the wretched £3 to be told I was too late, the forms had gone off and there was no way they could fit one extra child in. No 1 has been to this great event for the last two years and the WHOLE of the district goes. I have to fess up here and say I was a tad stroppy, and have probably been struck off from Brown Owl's Christmas Card list now (slightly better then the response I got from no 4's intimidated - by me, apparently - ballet teacher last year who practically accused me of verbal assault, but that's another story), but what the hell. I DO appreciate all these people give up their time etc etc, but I wish THEY'D appreciate that I have a little bit more to occupy my brain then what is going on at Brownies in any given week...

The upshot of it is that no 3 can't go, while nos 1&2 can (as I had £6 on Thursday when they went to Guides). As that night also coincides with their end of year Drama performance I think I decided this morning I'd vote with my feet and send them to that instead, except now No1 wants to go to the barbecue and no 2 wants to go to the performance. Never a dull moment in my house I can tell you.

To make my life even more complicated then it already is, we (that is nos1,2 and I) have just joined a fledgling Ladies Cricket Team, which takes place AFTER Brownies has finished and no 1 has had her swimming lesson, which makes Tuesday evenings a bit tight. But what the hell it is enormous fun, and after the day I had yesterday it was great to vent my frustration with a cricket bat. I have only ever played cricket in the back garden with my brothers (one of whom is a pretty talented cricketer), but to my surprise last week I discovered I was reasonably ok at bowling and batting. I even got a wicket. Last night I got three (including no2 - oh dear. I don't think one should really bowl out one's daughter). The best thing about it though is, sharing an activity with the sprogs, and watching no 1 get engaged with sport in a way I have never seen before (one year at secondary school and she's already gone off it. I despair.)

However, yesterday being a bad day, I also managed to pull one of my quad muscles, so now I am limping about and hoping that it will be better by next week so I can still do Race for Life. Mind you... if I'm not, I suppose that's ONE less thing to do in June...