Almost daily diary!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Tulips, buses and public toilets.

Today we went en mass to Tulipomania! Sounds like a theme park but really a stately home with a tulip festival! Strangely the children were excited about going. Sometimes I feel sorry for Small Sprog. I mean, what do most boys do on a Saturday? Sport right? And I want to take him to a big house to look at tulips?

Well, until recently, he was doing Tennis on a Saturday but said he wanted to stop because of the ''scary girls''! Now this was strange for Small Sprog because he has never had a problem with the fairer sex. I can remember taking him to the park when he was just two and watching him chat up a couple of twelve year old girls!! He sort of has the gift. Any age, he can charm them, right up to 90! He will be a handful one day (he is already I hear you chant) and will no doubt break my heart and many others along the way. I went along to look at the scary girls a few weeks ago. They were about 9 years old and quite confident looking. He got quite upset that day when I took him and refused to play any tennis. I don't know what had gone on previously, I suspect they may have laughed at him, or he made a silly mistake when playing. He couldn't explain it and so he plays tennis in the week now instead. Anyway I'm getting distracted. Tulips.

It wasn't the best day weather wise to see everything. Most of the displays are inside but the garden there is lovely. I go for the beauty of it. It inspires me in a funny sort of way. There are two of my favourite paintings there too, so it's my day out really but no one else seems to mind tagging along. The whole event is only on for 3 days so it had to be today, and off we went.

When we arrived it was pouring with rain. The car park is well away from the house and on a nice day it's a good walk down through the deer park and past the lake to the Great House. However as we got out of the car I realised I hadn't packed anything waterproof for Small Sprog to wear. Luckily there was a small bus, which was meant for the less able, waiting nearby. Suddenly everyone in the car park aged considerably(!) and stampeded across the car park to get on!

Luckily another one came along! 'A bus, a bus!' Small Sprog couldn't believe his luck! A mode of transport rarely travelled on had suddenly been handed him on a plate. Clearly this was what he had come for (sod the tulips). He was in his element! Who needs Football, Tennis (without scary girls), playing with friends or electronic games when you can have a bus ride?!

The house was good, although I thought the tulips weren't as beautifully displayed as they had been last year, and I got time to stare at the paintings! The garden looked immaculate (through the windows!) and although the soup of the day was not up to scratch, Small Sprog thoroughly enjoyed and devoured an adult portion of sausages in cider with roast pots and veg!

Sadly we weren't there that long, mostly because of the weather but also due to Tall Girl. Half way around the house she announced the need to pee. OMG, she's 11 now for goodness sake, 'Didn't you go before you came?' (!). So we rushed the last bit in search of the loos.

She doesn't like locking the door in public loos, in case she can't undo it and get out. So I have to stand outside and hold it for her. This means if I want to 'go' too it takes twice as long because I have to hold her door first. So we were there a while. As I was washing my hands I heard the bus reverse outside. I thought nothing of it and we dawdled back out to the pavement. The bus was there but no sign of Small Sprog or Husband. Then a shout came from the bus, it was husband, so Tall Girl and I jumped aboard. There was a funny atmosphere on the bus. It felt like they were all going to clap or something as it suddenly took off. 'Glad you made it' said the lady next to me. I must have looked puzzled.
'Your husband had to run up to the front of the bus. He told him you were in the toilet and could he reverse back and wait for you'. I looked around, a few other people nodded.
'Yes we were all waiting for you' said another lady further back.
'Oh thanks everybody!' I said to the general busload of people. I glared at him silently.
'Did you have to say where I was?' I hissed as we got off the bus.
'Well I panicked!' he said. He'd also forgotten we hadn't actually finished seeing everything! We'd missed the little church and the orangery! I wasn't getting back on that bus though!!!

The photo is of some tulips in my front garden at home, taken earlier this week in the sunshine! My mum brought them back from a trip to Holland quite a few years ago now. They are the
Parrot variety and my favourites.

15 comments:

BS5 Blogger said...

Suburbia, I am walking around your blog and have come here to the gift shop at the end (as it were). I can't open Liz's blog, or it won't load anyhow, but I wanted to leave a comment for her asking her if she was excited about the Newbridge Southpaw doing great things for Wales in LA! If you see Liz, can you pass this on? Thank you! BS5

Suburbia said...

Hi Susan and Rose Thank you for your lovely comments about this post. I deleted them by accident!! Really sorry, and yes Susan we still needing to visit every loo in the country at 11, so you have a good few years to 'go' yet with your daughter!

BS 5 thanks for your first comment too, I lost it with the others. Liz is away for the weekend, and her Blog always takes ages to load. I'll get her to come over and read your message as it makes little sense to me!

Akelamalu said...

LOL it really made me laugh that your husband had told a bus load of folk that you had gone to the toilet! What's he like?

As Cape Cod Turns said...

I LOVE TULIPS! They aren't out here yet, it's only starting to warm up.

I am laughing at you getting on a bus full of people waiting for you to get out of the bathroom. Probably would have kicked my husband in the shins for that one!

My 9 year old has that same fear about being stuck in a bathroom. Hmm, something that happened in a previous life to them?

Thanks for sharing the tulip picture!

Sandi McBride said...

I don't know, I would check those girls out in case they are aliens from Mars...Small Sprog doesn't seem the sort to retreat for nothing.
I love flowers and tulips are a favorite to be sure. When on the job loved driving through the older neighborhoods to view their gardens and would often stop if I saw a Citizen outside doing any work and comment on the beauty of their project. Gee, I'm still concerned for Small Sprog...girls can be so darned mean!
Sandi

Jules said...

Oh that was a lovely story. I'm still laughing.
I love tuplips, but over here they are kind of hard to find in gardens - not the right climate. Sad.

Susan said...

Thanks for letting me know we have more years ahead visiting every loo that has ever exisited! I am sorry to hear that your 2 weeks are up~we are on a five day break and then have 19 more days of school until summer break! I can hardly wait til our summer break is here! Have a great week!

Mean Mom said...

I love tulips, but I do wish that they lasted a bit longer. Maybe I've just been unfortunate with the varieties I have chosen.

I often find that I am the one, who is desperate for the loo, nowadays!

Loved the waiting bus story! He's a card, isn't he? Is that what you called him, afterwards?

Maggie May said...

So you went to a tulip park & then came home and took a picture of tulips outside your house!!!!!!!! UUMMMMM!
They are really beautiful.
Pity they don't last too long. I find that they swoon very easily.

Suburbia said...

Akelamalu, What is he like indeed?!!

Sue , kicked him in the shins? good idea! It's funny you should mention a past life I have often thought that. However she has lots of other curious 'phobias' too!

Yes Sandi and we are in a position to know!

Nice to hear from you Jules

Susan thanks

Mean Mom, yes amoungst other things!!

Hi Maggie. Actually I took the photo earlier in the week on a sunny day just because I like them and they don't last long. No intention of using it in a post then. We didn't take the camera on Saturday as there is no photography allowed in the house and the weather outside was so bad we knew we wouldn't really use it.

Liz Hinds said...

Why does my blog takes ages to load? Others have said that and I don't know why it is. I took off some music in case that was it but otherwise it's a mystery to me.

Yes, BS5, very delighted. And in the press conference he sounded quite bright for a boxer. obviously not had all his cells knocked out yet.

Subirbia, i didn't read this post fully. I was looking for the comment from BS5 but I will now. Hang on.

Liz Hinds said...

Buses and food or look at flowers? Yes, I'm probably with SS here.

TG is scared of locking toilet doors; SS is scared of girls. Have you considered therapy? For you.

Glad you had a good day all things considered.

I still have that meme from you to do too. Haven't forgotten.

Suburbia said...

Hi Liz
Don't joke(!) I do worry about my childrens nuroses(spelling?!)She has soooo many more!

the mother of this lot said...

The obsession with buses remains a mystery to me. If they'd had a childhood like we had.....

BS5 Blogger said...

Hi Suburbia and Liz - thanks for your comments. Indeed Joe is a bright chap and thoughtful too, if you read his interviews. He just says how it is - a straightforward chap who works hard at his business and enjoys a few pints. Liz - why don't you post a question to ask people if your Blog takes ages? There will be a knowledgeable person out there who will know why.