Lessons Learned … the best laid plans

The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley.–Robert Burns (“To a Mouse”)

[Popularly misquoted as:
“The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray” (Now there is something I didn’t know)]

Today is Tuesday, and here is what I should have been doing today

Taking for 4 year old for an assessment
Collecting daughter 2 from school at 3pm
Collecting daughter 1 from school at 4pm
taking all 3 kids with me while we take daughter 1 to opticians appointment at 4.15pm
make dinner
cook for party
8 friends of daughter 1 arrive at 6.30 for an end of primary school party
Cook, take photos and help with craft activities (photo keyrings, beaded bracelets) during the party
8.30 friends leave and I collapse on the sofa.

Now my day looks like this…..

stay

at

home

with

vomiting son!

Cancel appointments, arrange school pickups, try to rearrange party for later in week, assuming son recovers and no-one else becomes afflicted! AAAARRRRggghhhh!

• Lesson 1 Never assume plans will work out, no matter how organized you think you are.

• Lesson 2 Be very grateful I don’t work outside the home, and can stay at home all day with my sickie son

• Lesson 3 Be very proud of Daughter 1 who is being remarkably mature about her party plans being in disarray.

• Lesson 4 The easiest way to relaxed entertaining is to invite your church group round, order in a Chinese takeaway, ask some guests to provide dessert … sit back and enjoy.

• Lesson 5 Playing on the Wii is a great after dinner event when your church group come over for dinner. Especially when it is the Men V Women, and the women will in nearly every race – we all got very competitive! (Fortunately for me there is no need to parallel park in Mario Kart, or I would have let our side down.)

• Lesson 6 Don’t overlook local events, assuming they won’t be up to much. We attended a wonderful FREE summer fayre to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Lisburn. Attendance was low, but it was a great way to spend an afternoon in a local park.

I have at least 2 more lessons from this week, but I will try to remember to add them to next week’s post instead.

For more Lessons Learned This Week please visit the lovely Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife.

Finally, a quick favour – could you vote for me (again!)

This time it is for photos for a Company Girl book. Click Here, here and here, and each time click of the star below the photo, thanks!

UPDATE

Son performed miraculous recovery late afternoon, and at 5pm the party was back on! Party currently in full flow, and the day has ended up much better than it started!