Audrey's Party & the Number 11 Bus

Before I continue rambling on about our Fun & Frolics at Mum and Dad's house, I forgot to add something to the bottom of the previous post about the imaginary bus of our childhood, so here it is.

It's about the red pebble in Mumsie and Daddio's house. The one stuck in between the bricks in the passage, otherwise known as the Number 11 Bus, the pretend bus of our childhood.

I mentioned that the passage had always been a bus, I repeat "always". It still is! Not literally of course. But, because it still is the bus, everytime one of the family go up the passage we "press the bell" to "stop the bus". (Did I mention some of us are on medication?)

This is great fun, particularly on a Saturday afternoon when we're all leaving there, each of us pressing the bell when we get to "our stop". Mumsie always sees each of us off, and it drives her mad!

I know that I've mentioned before that we all go to my parents house for Saturday Buffet Lunch, otherwise known as "Audrey's Party". (Audrey is Mum's name).

This doesn't just happen occasionally, this is every Saturday. ALL OF US.

Apart from Mumsie and Daddio there is........................

My brother and his wife

My sister and her husband

Me

My son and his wife and baby daughter

(My other son, wife and children who live away come about once a month)

Neice number one and her boyfriend

(Sometimes Neice number two, her husband and little boy who also live away.)

Taylor and George - 2 delightful little boys, grandsons of my Brother-in-law.

It's absolute bedlam, all the men congregate in the living room and us girls in the kitchen. The children fit in where they can.

As you can imagine, when we're all there - there's a lot of mobiles going off intermittently.

Mum recognises each and every ringtone and message bleep. When we're eating our lunch, my mum sits just a bit away from the rest of us, enough that she can see us. (A bit like a teacher in charge of a class.)

As everyones' conversations are going on, when someone's 'phone goes off, Mumsie puts her hand up to halt all the chatter. Then she listens and when she's worked out whose 'phone it is, so as not to put a break into anyone's ramblings, she just points to you.

Last week seemed a particularly busy Saturday mobile-wise, and throughout the chatter four 'phones all went off in quick sucession...............

Mandy's 'phone goes off

Mum holds up her hand to halt the chatter, listens for a sec, then points to Mandy

Laura's 'phone goes off

Mum points to Laura

Annmarie's 'phone goes off

Mum points to Annmarie

My 'phone goes off

Mum points to me.

"Bloody Hell", Mum says "I feel like I'm conducting the flaming Orchestra."

In my next post, I will be telling the tale of my partner, Liam, God rest him and his imaginary girlfriend.

I bet you can't wait!!!!