So having joked about being rather lax on the “being an adult” malarkey (the washing is still out there), this week has proved to me, yet again, that I am an adult, whether I like it or not.

We had stayed after school to play in the park, Alf was monkeying around on the climbing frame Patrick, despite being small for his age holds his own with the bigger boys because he is physically and verbally competent. He was playing with boys a couple of years older. Gradually it became apparent that they were picking on him, having snatched the stick he was playing with they were chasing and teasing him with it. Alfie shouted from the climbing frame “Oi, give him the stick back”… watching from a distance I let it play out, it’s no good to step in too soon and it wasn’t too serious. One of them complied and Patrick, who had been making a bee line for me turned and went back for the stick. But the second boy blocked his way and it was getting out of hand… I stepped in and announced we were going home. Now this is where being an adult is fun. I wasn’t mean or scary, I know one of the kids pretty well and his parents read this blog, but I said firmly “look boys, he’s only three – don’t you be picking on him, he’s a lot littler than you”, Pathetic perhaps, but I felt empowered having never stood up to the various bullies in my own childhood! It’s funny how so many thoughts can rush through your head in an instant. I didn’t want to harm Alfie’s relationship with this kid because they are friends. He’s a really sweet kid and to be fair Patrick can be really annoying, although in this instant he was innocent. I felt empowered, although my three year old looked deflated.

The next day Patrick didn’t want to go to pre-school, he even told Alfie he would pretend to be sick! Wow, I remember pretending to be sick… almost every day! Man I hated being a kid at that school – the bullies were bad enough but the teachers were bitches! I’m pretty sure I was older than three when it started though. My mum is also now following this blog, perhaps she can clarify?

Well, I’m a grown up now…. so I phoned the kid’s parents 🙂 Then I told Patrick and he was pleased enough to go to school. Rural communities don’t tolerate that nonsense, it’s a small school and we all know each other. When we got to school I was filling in his teacher when both boys burst into the pre-school chiming “sorry Patrick, we’re really sorry”, one of them looked like he’d been crying. I could see on his face he was chuffed and justice had been served. After school we were getting in the car and both kids passed by waving “bye Patrick”, apparently they’re great mates now!

They are nice boys and don’t mean him any harm but games get carried away and it’s easy to pick on the littlest one. I enjoyed being the spectator one hell of a lot more than being the victim. And from my own childhood experiences of nasty horrid bullies I can talk to my lads and help them to understand that generally it’s the bully with the problem and not them.

Anyway, moving on from the plus side of being an adult (Sorting out the bullies for your kids, in case that wasn’t clear, I’m not sure it was?). I kinda feel like we’ve had our fair share of cancer scares this year. Back in May, doctors thought Patrick might have lymphoma or leukaemia and he underwent various tests and appointments and now hates going to the doctors because it’s “soooo boring”. I haven’t shared this yet but it’s one of the key reasons we’re heading off travelling – you never know what is round the corner. Let’s do it while we can and while we have the most important thing in the world – our health!

Except that I now need to go for a mammogram and ultrasound next week thanks to a breast lump I noticed on Sunday… Great, just great! I’m not actually concerned… I wouldn’t be posting it on here if I was! We are pretty good at taking this kind of stuff in our stride but stress like this is definitely the more rubbish sides of adulthood and something I could do without right now!

So there it is… my week, and it’s not even Friday yet…. Time for another cup of tea…