Tuesday 2nd Apr

Well chocolate is back on the menu, as of Easter Sunday and I must say I’ve done myself proud. I know Gluttony is a sin but it does feel good. I don’t believe in eating a bit at a time; if it’s open it’s eaten. At least that’s my philosophy for chocolate. I do find the sight of Easter eggs still left weeks later in the kids’ bedrooms difficult at times but then again it is a bit silly the amount they get these days. It’s another one of these daft seasons where we give and we get back, and the kids end up pretty much with an amount of chocolate equivalent to the value of what we’ve spent on other people’s Easter presents. So really we’re as much to blame as anyone for not breaking the cycle.

Mrs P was off today and after a quiet morning punctuated by the eldest revising for her AS level exams, and the youngest on the computer, we go for a family outing after lunch. As she’s learning we let the eldest drive us, and apart from her trying to burn out the clutch holding it on a hill we progress serenely. We have a lovely walk by the sea on a beautiful afternoon and as a parent of teenage children it doesn’t get much better. We then stopped for a coffee at which point the mobile devices came out and we lost the teenagers to the internet and social media. Oh well, it was good while it lasted! The eldest then drives us the majority of the way home and it’s going well until she looks to be overshooting taking a left-hand turn. As we glide calmly towards the side of the oncoming Mondeo I apply the handbrake bringing us to a grinding halt. The eldest thought she would miss the Mondeo I wasn’t sure and took the safe option, much to Mrs P’s relief in the back. Fair play to the eldest, she carried on and drove the rest of the way safely.

For anyone who was wondering I managed to get the final two grilles fitted to the inside walls in the lounge without further mishap. I’m hoping that’s the end of the decorating for this year but Mrs P is keeping her own council on the subject.

10:30pm finds jay-le-taxi waiting outside the local station for the eldest. Having not got off the train that’s just arrived I guess she’s on the next one due in 20 minutes, and text her to check. 20 minutes later the train arrives, and off gets the eldest. Had I got a reply to my text checking she was on it? Of course not! She can text her mates 10 times a minute, but a text to her old dad to reassure him, oh no, too much effort that, just leave the old fellow waiting, he’ll still be there, he’s dad. She knows it and so do I.

Yours in chocolate overload

Jay