Friends to tea

I find myself strangely redundant this evening.

My youngest has gone to tea with a friend - I'm expecting to pick her up in about an hour and I'm sure she will be completely hyper! In fact I'd put money on it! She's going, with said friend and her family, to McDonald's.... Not a big thing I'm sure most of you would think, but she's not been for over a year. We banned it and other similar establishments last January after watching the film "Supersize me" It took three months before the whining and pleading stopped and I'm pleased to say that since then every thing has ticked along nicely. Until this evening when she asked really nicely if she could go to McDonald's with her friends family. Knowing how difficult it might make for the other mum if I said no, I said yes. Oh well, time will tell what she's like and how long the pleading will go on for.

Anyway, I digress.... My youngest being absent isn't the whole reason I'm feeling unrequired. My oldest has a friend round to tea tonight - one in, one out seemed to be a good idea at the time. She's playing nicely with her friend (who doesn't speak too much English as she's not been here from Turkey for long) and all is happy and well.

So I've made tea, its in the oven and the house it clean and tidy (well I did spend all day doing it) and now I've nothing to do. There haven't been the constant calls of Mummy or any requirement for my presence. I think it may be the quiet that I'm finding unsettling, the lack of sibling arguing and bickering that usually goes on.

I guess the children are growing up - Katherine will be 10 next birthday and Christine will be 8. They still seem very young, but suddenly I can see a day when they will be in their late teens and out with their friends with a life of their own.... I guess its the way of the world and these things happen, I mean its not as though I've not been looking forward to a time when they are independent, but somehow its suddenly closer than its ever seemed.

Oh well, its probably just as well that I have plenty to keep me occupied instead, what with the knitting, sewing, pattern making and dress making as well as church commitments, its not like I sit about all day! :)