The Divine Miss M, Batman & Robin

Introducing the Divine Miss M, who at 112 in dog years has the body clock of a bat in that she sleeps all day and wakes at about 11pm for a bit of a play and mooch in the garden. Miss M belongs to a close friend and when I go to stay with them she is the dearest, funniest character although I think her nocturnal habits can be a tad exhausting to her mummy!

I was so tired yesterday that I was determined to get a decent nights sleep for once and be in bed by 8.30pm. J phoned just before that time and as I love my children, I pretended to be delighted to hear his voice. "Mum can you go in the loft and bring down the Batman and Robin outfits?" he asked. (Don't even go there and say that what I do with my weekends is my business - like the messenger did at work this morning).
"Oh you know I hate going into the loft," I groaned. "What do you want them for anyway?"
"Tomorrow. And Mum can you get the gorilla outfit from my wardrobe too?"
"What gorilla outfit?"
"Mum, the one in the big yellow bag, you can't miss it." Kisses blown down the phone in a last ditch attempt at persuasion. "I'll come into your office first thing tomorrow and collect them."

So, there I was at my desk this morning when K our wonderful Head Receptionist called and said that J was waiting for me. Apparently, he and 'Big Dave' (no idea who he is) were driving around the island today following the De La Salle Island Walk - this is an annual event where the students of J's school walk 36 miles around the island raising thousands for charity. J has managed 24 miles a couple of times and finished the course for the past two years and ending up with hands like bananas, but I digress. They were going to cheer the others on and take drinks etc. Naturally, he also needed money which K, our lovely head receptionist kindly gave him (I did remember to pay her back thankfully).

He has now returned home and informed me that he & Big Dave had a great day driving to various check points and cheering their schoolmates on. J as Robin and Big Dave as Batman (as he is the larger of the two he got the more manly outfit). Apparently it was too hot to go as a gorilla. He has now gone to phone Monkey - no not someone dressed as a gorilla, that's his nickname - I upset his mother who came to collect him some years ago from the house by shouting "Monkey!" up the stairs for him - well how the hell was I supposed to know that his name was Michael and that his mother knew nothing about his nickname. Oh the joys of parenthood.

I suppose that I can at least be grateful that he isn't shy and for once I can't say that he takes after his father by doing this. Not that I have ever dressed up as Robin, or Batman, or any other superhero for that matter.