It was Lakshmi’s turn to take the school Gruffalo and Mouse on a fun filled adventure weekend. The last girl who had them took them on her dad’s private jet for a spin. Beat that she must have thought or rather her parents when they proudly uploaded photos of the Gruffalo and mouse grinning from the steps of the aircraft. We can’t beat them or join them but still need to give the duo something to remember their weekend with Lakshmi by.
Lakshmi has a swimming lesson and I pick her up with her new friends and we make our way to the gym. Autumn is coming to a close and the cold winter days and nights are making their presence felt. We have had a week of rainfall but the clouds have receded to give the sun some free time. The frost covering the fields are just thawing and as we pass the woods the sun’s rays cast long shadows as it peers through the tree trunks. Some of the trees are bare but most are still holding on to their leaves. The array of colours ranging from green, to yellow to orange to brown with sprinklings of red make the drive through the forest one of the most calming sights there is. The Gruffalo and Mouse get quite excited as they pass through their familiar territory. Lakshmi is having an animated conversation with the two of them in the back of the car. She is telling them about her new show named “Shake, Rocking and Bang”. The ‘Cinderella’ music, as Lakshmi calls it or rather the piano concerto I have on for her on the radio is now being drowned by the chitchat and I turn the radio down.
At the pool, Lakshmi insists that she wants her friends to sit by the poolside while she takes her lesson. I am worried that they might get wet, but her teacher is happy to look after them. I leave them to it and go for a nice long swim. After the lesson we go back to Epping to pick Lavinia up. She was upset this morning when we drove off without her.
The afternoon is spent Christmas tree hunting in the nearby garden centre. The Gruffalo and Mouse join us. They are quite at home in the garden centre and seem pleased with our choice. I didn’t get a tree last year as the children spent Christmas at their Nana’s house. This year they are coming home for Christmas. The neighbourhood group app recommended this garden centre and I can see why. The staff are friendly and the tree looks much healthier and sturdier than my last purchase. The young lady advises me to leave the tree in the garden overnight and decorate it in the morning. Lakshmi is not staying tomorrow and so I go against her advice and we put the tree up when we get home.
Gruffalo and Mouse watch closely as we get the tree up, water it and clamp it into the stand. I bring the decorations down from the loft and sift through to find suitable ones. Soon the children are throwing the baubles around and giggling frantically. Some of them get smashed to smithereens and I clean up the mess. Lakshmi gives me a hand and we hang the rest of the baubles up. Gruffalo and Mouse are our special guests as Lakshmi puts the fairy on top of the tree, a job which used to be her mother’s, and Lavinia does the honour of switching on the Christmas lights.
The day is complete as we watch the musical version of ‘Strictly come dancing’. This is our favourite part of Saturday night and we normally have a dance along but today we are all exhausted, including the guests. As the show comes to a close we say goodnight to the Gruffalo and the Mouse and make our way upstairs to bed. We hope the two have had a memorable day and enjoyed it as much as we’ve enjoyed their company.
