Rendezvous

Have just got back home from dropping the girls off at school. The youngest vanished into the crowd without a goodbye.

LATER

After cycling home I had a compulsory mug of strong coffee and changed into my interview suit. Then with the sister driving went to discuss arrangements for a new pupil referral unit. How many men get to live with their wives and sisters and work with them as well?

At lunchtime I swapped cars and drove the wife to a country house hotel where she's staying overnight on a course. I'd always wondered what it was like behind the brick walls as I drove past. Now I know. A redbrick Georgian Mansion with lawns ending in an ornamental pond and views out over flat fertile farmland towards the border. At reception a man who looked like Elvis was waiting with his wife to complain about the state of his room.

The wife and I exchanged parting kisses and I meandered slowly back home behind a rural bus.

Friday night is pizza night so I made pizza dough, using plain flour because we don't have any strong, and stashed it in the airing cupboard, before buckling up the cycling helmet and heading out into the rain on the school run.

Friday night is also video night, so once the daughters had been fed and watered, thanks to the afterschool fairy, we walked down to the local video shop. There's always an argument as to which film to choose and today the honour of the tantrum went to the littlest daughter who had also decided that what she really really wanted was not a video at all but a magazine with a bit of plastic tat on the front. I told her calmly that she couldn't have it and off she went, throwing herself to the ground and wailing. The rest of us ignored her and made our selection. I'm sure the shopkeeper was glad when we finally left. The shopkeeper happens to be the uncle of the youngest daughter's sworn enemy. Or is that best friend? I find it hard to keep up with my daughter's social relationships.
Outside the video shop we bumped into the daughter's class room assistant. Abruptly the tantrum stopped.

We are now just about to watch the chosen video and then I shall put the daughters lovingly to bed before heading out once again into the darkness for an illicit rendezvous with my wife in her hotel bedroom.

There are definitely some advantages of having your sister living with you. On tap babysitting being one of them.