NotSheep

I started late this morning and Barney started later. Soon after nine, I was working on getting everyone downstairs and doing something productive; Barney was sitting up in bed, in pyjamas, weepily saying he wasn’t ready to start the day. I shut his bedroom door to keep his brothers out – I completely understand how four younger brothers might seem just a bit much after a weekend like his! – and we had a talk, and I suggested that he take some more time and make his way downstairs by ten o’clock; he willingly agreed and arrived at 9.50, much cheered.

He was slightly grumpy at lunchtime and at a couple of other points during the day he was quite deliberately pushing his brothers’ buttons, but otherwise was fine until he and Jack had an altercation mid-afternoon; Jack certainly started it, but didn’t deserve Barney’s retaliation, so Barney was the one I removed from the scene. That led to a total meltdown, with him crying and saying that he never got his way and that it was awful being the oldest and that I always take the side of the youngest – which is completely untrue – if anything it’s the opposite, because I’m very aware of what it’s like to be the oldest. He didn’t want me to comfort him, so once I’d made it clear I was willing to do it if he wanted, I let it be. He soon calmed down, and a while after that a boy (L) who lives up the street arrived at the door asking if Barney was coming out – actually he came asking for Henry at first; I think he’d got the two of them mixed up He came in for a while – I chased Freddy and Jack out of the living-room so that Barney and L could have it to themselves (see? taking Barney’s side! ) and Barney seemed to settle down well after that. He was calm and pleasant during dinner and afterwards, and when Scratchy, George and Freddy left for ju-jitsu, he happily helped me change bedsheets and agreed to turn his light out to go to sleep at 8 p.m. – which he did.

Whew. Talk about a roller-coaster ride. I really hope it was all down to fatigue, because if it’s teenage hormones…well, I don’t think I can do this for eight years

On a brighter note, we were all pleased this morning to see that our first Postcrossing postcard had been received – in the South of France – which means we’ll be on the list to get one sent to us The funniest moment of our day, however, had to be when Cassie (our big dog) noticed the sound from the radio speakers; they’re right at her head-height and she was completely flummoxed about where this sound was coming from. She spent a good two or three minutes standing in front of it, moving her head around and sniffing around the sides of the bookcase – I’d love to know what was going through her mind