Too Much Detail

I am used to Robbie's odd little ways but I still find them frustrating at times. Who else would count socks into and out of the washing machine? When Sam provided 23 socks to be washed he did the full Sherlock Holmes to establish why there was a missing sock. He counts the stairs every time he goes up and down and he times almost everything he does to the second - he knows exactly how long it takes him to bath, to get dressed, to feed the cats etc. It drives me mad and he knows there is an absolute ban on timing activities that involve me! However last night he took things beyond the limit, he had counted and itemised all the items that had to be washed up! Then a little later he spotted the new bottle of washing up liquid and went into ecstasy about it. He is very fussy about washing up liquid, it has to be his preferred brand in the correct shaped bottle with just the right amount of 'squirt' but this met with his approval because it was retro. He walked around the lounge admiring the bottle and pointing out different fonts and remembering the various TV adverts. We all had to admire it, then he sat at the table with the bottle in front of him still admiring it. Then he announced that he would take it to work to show everyone; you have been warned, if you see Robbie armed with a bottle of Fairy Liquid - run!

"I Just Can't Cope With This"

When I got home after work Robbie appeared in the lounge hands on hips, bottom lip sticking out, with that long suffering expression he reserves for those occasions when someone has failed to do something his way. That thoughtless someone 'someone' usually turns out to be me, but on this occasion the sinner was Laura. Robbie announced that her thoughtlessness had caused him extra work in putting things right. He said "I just can't cope with this". Her crime was that she had washed up and put the plates in the drainer in the wrong order!! According to Robbie she had failed to line up all the plates in height order facing the same way. As far as I am concerned it is a huge advance, at least she washed up!

Putting His Foot in It. 04.03.08

Robbie has been in the wars over the last couple of days. On Sunday he plunged his hand into the washing up bowl and cut a chunk out of his knuckle. He raged around moaning about the stupidity of putting a knife in the washing up bowl, he had a point, but most people look before they leap! It was a nasty gash and it was in an awkward place but it hardly warranted all the drama and comment.

By Monday evening Robbie's 'war wound' had been more or less overshadowed by the events of the day and Robbie had ventured back into the kitchen. Suddenly there was the unmistakable crashing sound of breaking glass followed within a split second by a volley of expletives. I knew instinctively that it was either one of my glass saucepan lids or a casserole dish, it is never just a glass that can be replaced easily and with little expense. He told me later that it was a saucepan lid that some 'idiot' had booby trapped so that it jumped out of the cupboard at him!

Robbie hopped into the lounge and waved his foot at me, there was hardly anything to see but he was sure he had glass in his foot. On close investigation (with a needle) I could see the glass but it wouldn't come out. I had visions of a night at casualty with Robbie and his foot, that prospect spurred me on to 'do the deed' at home. Eventually I got a flat sliver of glass out of his foot, it had gone in deep and had turned so that it was hard to get out. He seems fine now, there is only a tiny little wound but it was deep do he will have to make sure it doesn't get infected. Somehow I doubt that this incident will stop him from trotting around the house in PJ's and bare feet but you never know!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow!

A new mirror and storage cupboard for the bathroom will be delivered on Saturday, after that we can put the finishing touches to the decorating and get everything put away properly. Since we started decorating, a number of items from the old cupboard have been in a crate. Among these items was an expensive looking green box containing ampoules of hair restorer. Robbie had bought this during one of his visits to the hairdressers, I can't imagine why as he has strong, thick hair but men are unfathomable sometimes!

This morning I happened to look in the box, ten days ago it was full but now there were 6 ampoules missing. It didn't require Hercule Poirot to deduce that this had something to do with Sam! I was furious, that boy can't resist meddling with things. After school I tackled Samuel, he admitted it immediately and went on to explain that Robbie didn't need it because he has loads of hair and so does Grandad Burgess, so he was actually preventing Robbie from wasting his time. I pointed out that Sam also has plenty of hair and does not require the treatment either. He pointed to an alleged bald patch (actually it was his crown) and quite reasonably pointed out that his grandad has very little hair, so this was an insurance for his old age! I didn't have the willpower to explain that his grandad is my stepfather so there is no genetic link!

Thankfully Robbie was out at a gig this evening so I could deal with the situation without his input. He is brilliant with the children, but at times of tension he tends to forget that he is the adult and he gets drawn in to silly arguments. Emily nearly crowned him with a frying pan the other day all because he tried to tell her how to wash up! Seventeen year olds should be approached with caution at all times, but especially when armed. Anyway Sam has to do chores at the weekend to earn money to replace what he used - he is already bleating about exploitation.