hurrah, hurrah it's a holi-holi-day!

Rain, Rain Go Away!!!

So the family has just got back from our holiday in the Lake district.....due to financial restrictions this year, you know, mainly my partner being made redundant and us just living on my poor public sector wage – don’t believe the hype of golden handshake, pension or inflation related pay – we have been staying at my Aunties house in the beautiful and picturesque village of Hawkeshead .

It was totally grim.

It did not stop drizzling for more than an hour. There is only so much fun you can have in waterproof trousers.  

I spent a large part of the holiday under the heavy stress of ensuring no children (or partner argh!!!)  walked over the white carpet with muddy wellies on, reminding children (but more often partner ARGH!) to use a coaster on the highly polished coffee table and ensuring there were no nappy spillages – (the baby did poo in the bath – leading to the eldest leaping out quick smart but fortunately was easily cleaned!)

How people manage house swap holidays I do not know, I can only assume they have better behaved children, (PARTNER ARGH!!!!) than me and they go to sunny places where they can throw kids (and partner!) into the garden.

My partner muttered,’ Happy f-ing holiday’ under his breath at one point during a conversation involving me either reminding him again to keep the bedroom door shut so the incontinent old cat did not find her way to the eldest’s blow up bed, my pyjamas or the toddlers favourite teddy or asking him to clean up after himself in one way or another plate in dishwasher, flush the chain,  sweet wrapper in bin, beer bottle in recycle tub etc.

‘Hmmm’ began my tirade – highlights of which include, ‘This is supposed to be my holiday too.... I’m only asking you to look after yourself.... show some respect..... this is not our home....... you are the children’s role model’ he did appear to try a little harder after that....... even making the bed after his lie in one morning!

The whole thing literally caused me a pain in the neck and I felt the tension through neck, shoulder, back, leaning forward, chin in completely the wrong position daily.

 Aching thighs from the hill walking but aching neck from the tension of keeping someone else’s house clean.

When today we finally made it home to Manchester through the continuing stormy weather, I felt a shift in tension and sheer relief to be back in my own much loved but slightly shabby home.

I sprung upstairs and danced to Dolly Parton’s favourites  ‘Here you come again and here I go’ ‘The day my mother socked it to the Harper Valley P.T.A.’ and  ‘Pour myself a cup of ambition’ as I made the beds up with lovely clean but slightly creased sheets, and apologised to my partner for the (maybe) over eager policing of his behaviour he asked me a question...

’Yes I am ‘on’ as it happens but what has that got to do with it??!!!!’  was my reply.