Level 2 Chi Kung.

I have always believed that, while most of humanity may well be ape-descendants, I personally have bear DNA – as evidenced by the fact that, at the start of winter, I want to eat a lot and then sleep until spring. I decided to have a ‘quick nap’ after dropping Katie at school – didn’t wake up until 12:45!

One the way to collect Katie, I checked my phone and discovered 4 missed calls from Elias’ father. I called him back and he explained that, as Elias wouldn’t be trampolining this week (he twisted his ankle earlier in the week) he had told Elias that he would be going to after school club instead. Unfortunately Elias was really upset about this and insisted that he wanted to go to Katie’s house. I of course said this would be fine, but Tomi said that, when he couldn’t get hold of me, he had arranged for Lena to take Elias. Of course Elias didn’t know this. When the children emerged from class, Elias promptly attached himself to my side like a little Moomin-shaped limpet. I explained that he would be going home with Lena but the normally ebullient Elias moaned piteously, on the verge of tears. This was awkward. Lena (Russian and famously always late) was nowhere to be seen and I didn’t feel I could abandon Elias, on the other hand, we were, as usual on a bit of a timetable to get home in time for Dash. I also didn’t want Lena to end up feeling offended if she had to drag a reluctant Elias home with her. She finally arrived and I explained the situation, saying (truthfully) that I thought Elias’ preferences might be something to do with the increased likelihood of obtaining ice cream at my house! Lena, who looks after Elias a lot, seemed happy enough to send him off with me, so we raced home, just managing to get to the gate at the same time as Dashi’s bus.

Nick had made fabulous raisin bread the night before, so I offered the kids raisin toast. Elias, looking crestfallen, said ‘Will there not be pasta?’ I said, that yes, of course there would be pasta, but I thought they might like a quick snack of raisin toast first. In that case, Elias thought raisin toast sounded just fine. I lost track, in the flurry of toasting and buttering, whether Elias put away four or five slices of raisin toast, then three of the cupcakes that Dash had made at school. He and Katie then repaired to the living room to watch a DVD. I went in at 5pm and asked if, given how much they had already eaten, they would like fairly small servings of pasta? Elias replied that, no, he would definitely like a large portion. I am beginning to think that, with Siniqua away in India until after Christmas, the poor wee moomin might be finding his Dad’s cuisine not quite up to the standard he is accustomed to! Still I was quite prepared for him to push his pasta away half-finished – but no, every scrap was cleaned up. After trampolining, we went home and the children managed to fit in an ice cream while we waited for Tomi to arrive – though Katie only had a couple of bites of hers before asking me to put it back in the freezer for later. Then Tomi arrived and, to everybody’s consternation, Elias refused to go home. I had offered Tomi a drink but, understandably given that they leave for Finland tomorrow, he wanted to get home and pack. Elias is usually a very obliging little boy and poor Tomi was clearly unsure how to proceed. I retreated – saying I would let him deal with his child his own way – and a very disconsolate Elias was eventually persuaded to leave. Missing his mummy very badly I think.