Saturday 16th September.

The day dawned bright and thankfully not too early. Took the girls to riding as Senor Stropkins had decided that he was entitled to another lay in. Ended up having to put up with the most monstrous tantrum from the pre-teen drama queen because she couldn't get her riding boots on, and lost her temper to the effect that the shoe horn has now been snapped into two. God only knows what performance will have to be endured next week. We were treated to an encore of said tantrum when she returned, only this time it was to do with her jodpurs, and the fact that she couldn't get her boots off. Lordy, Lordy! Give me strength!
In the interval between these two dramatic acts, I took the Mook out for an amble down to the Hypertrebol, and I let her have a go on the little merry-go-round that is right in the middle of the shop. At first she was clinging on for dear life, but after a couple of turns she was in her element and giggling with joy. It reminded me of one of the times we went to Bressingham Steam Museum, where they had a full size carousel. The only down side was the fact that Dad wouldn't let me and KT on it, on our own in case we fell off (!?) I can remember a definite feeling that this was a totally unnecessary and unwanted precaution, and a clearcut case of parental cramping of style.
I think that the icing on the cake of the day came later in the afternoon when Emma turned round to me and offered her unsolicited opinion and she said that I must be the most stupid person in my family because I don't even have a job, and I'm useless because I don't do anything. At this point I left quickly with the Mook to go to the park, before I ended up slapping her.
I got out of having to watch football because it was at Villa Flor, which is halfway up Teide, and kick off wasn't until 6. Lucky that I didn't go, as Lucy would have been fed up because it was cold and foggy. She was also in bed by the time Hop came home. I on the other hand enjoyed an evening of X-factor, and phone call to Nats and the first episode in the new series of that scary supernatural thingy called Afterlife on ITV.