Please would a few of you send me a comment – I’m having a crisis of blogfidence – even though I clearly don’t deserve any blog friends because I’m rubbish at leaving messages (and once again apologies for that). I know people are popping over for a read I can tell from the stats, but I don’t know who anybody is and I’d really like to.

Anyway, I don’t want to go on about it because tomorrow there will still be only two messages and then I’ll feel REALLY bad, so, it’s no big deal….if you don’t want to leave a message you really don’t have to…

As we throw ourselves head first into another (short) week that culminates in half term for two of my children on Friday – CAN YOU BELIEVE IT’S HALF TERM ALREADY AND THEREFORE VERY NEARLY THE END OF THE YEAR???, here is where we are at:-

TEENAGE SON

Not banned from football after red card after all. PHEW. VG news. Big big relief.

Doing very well at AS level work so far. Coming top of class for essays. Very bizarre. Don’t understand. Must want something or be on drugs.

Went out on Saturday night with some friends to a “Jive” class. I thought that sounded like a great idea. It didn’t quite go according to plan – “we learnt how to do the “Waltz” and the “Cha-cha – SO boring and really easy – what’s jiving anyway?” he came back saying. I don’t know how that happened. Entirely different sort of evening. Must have walked into the wrong room.

He’s planning his Gap Year ALREADY. I told him he would have to pay for it himself so he’s thinking about options. Perhaps doing a football coaching or referee course….after watching “X Factor” last night, we’ve decided that this would be the quickest way for him to make a fast buck. Perhaps he should audition for the next one.

What did you all think of Robbie’s performance? It’s been three years since he has performed live here and he chose a high risk, high profile way to announce his return. I’m not sure he was looking his best. Nervous? Adrenalin fuelled? Son said “mum I”ve just had loads of texts from my mates saying he was high – look at his pupils”. Hmmm. I’m a huge Robbie fan but he needs a bit of work and TLC. I’ll sort him out. I can do a few stretching classes with him and make him bowls of nourishing chicken soup and then he’ll be fine – that and releasing a different single because I’m afraid I don’t like his new song “Bodies”. In fact I’m going to go as far as to say that I think it’s rubbish.

Apparently EMI has done a lot of consumer research and web analysis to find out what Robbie’s fans want and the best channels to reach them. Well it’s not rocket science is it? We want a few decent songs sung by a man who has beaten all his demons. We want a bit of humility and some good smallish live performances and Glastonbury. Then we’ll all be happy.

DAUGHTER

All good. Planning her birthday with military precision. Only a month to go. Happy and well.

Latest look in tights:-

9 YEAR OLD SON

Off sick today with a sore throat.

He’s been asking me if I could get a job as dinner lady at his school so that he could spend more time with me. I told him that I’d rather kill myself (obviously I didn’t actually say that – I have a friend who’s doing that job at the moment and she loves it. Really not my thing at all – a combination of all those children and all that food in a school hall….nope. My idea of a nightmare. Not even in my Top 100 list of jobs I’m afraid).

ME

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this but I had to book an emergency appointment at the dentist today and therefore had to take my sick child along. The roof of my mouth has been very sore for days and I had finally decided that I had mouth cancer.

The dentist said I had somehow traumatised the roof of my mouth and that it would go away in due course, prescribing me some spray on stuff. He asked me if there was anything that I’d been eating that was either extremely hard or new to my diet. “Nope” I said, “not that I can think of”…..

…and so my 9 year old and I got back into my car. I immediately attacked my secret stash of sweets that I hadn’t dared eat before seeing the dentist.
I offer one to son – “do you want a Murray Mint or a Sherbert Lemon?” I ask him.
“Why have you got all those sweets in the car?”
“From all my journey’s backward and forwards to see my parents. Everytime I go on a long journey I have to buy Murray mints and sherbert lemons” I tell him. “It’s just a pavlovian thing”.

“Don’t they hurt the roof of your mouth?” he asked.

“Oh. Um. Yes” I say going awfully quiet. “As a matter of fact they do” I say feeling immensely stupid.

Problem solved. Just don’t tell my dentist.

No more boiled sweets for me.

(Still, I’m pleased to report that once again it’s all my parents fault).

I went with my girlfriend who had taken me to see Robbie Williams for my 40th birthday present. I have to admit that I am a Robbie fan rather than a Take That fan (can you be both?) and was secretly hoping that he would make an surprise appearance, as per the rumours a few months ago. But the general consensus seems to be that they are better off as two separate entities. Their performance last night got them a 5 star rating in the Evening Standard, so ignore anything I’ve got to say if you are a fan.

This sellout tour entered the record books for being the fastest selling tour to date. The “Circus” tour is named after their new album (which came first – their idea or Britney’s recent circus tour?) and has acrobats, clowns, tightrope walkers, hot air balloons, a water spray and a huge silver elephant. All of which are most impressive and must have cost a fortune (rumoured to have cost £10m), but from where I was sitting, it all looked a little bit small. No doubt it all worked brilliantly in some of the smaller venues but I’m not so sure it worked at Wembley. I couldn’t see one of the video screens from where I was sitting and the trapeze artists looked like mosquitos in the distance. Still. I didn’t see anybody else complaining. Maybe I just need glasses. I’m not sure there was anybody else there thinking…”well, the Pet Shop Boys did a similar sort of show over 20 years ago”.

They all looked great. Fit and lean. They have to be for – it’s a pretty energetic set. They do a huge amount of dancing – some a little too camp for my liking – especially when wearing shiny red shoes and bacofoil outfits. Gary Barlow is turning into the Elton John of the new millenium (which is not a criticism) and they all looked like they were immensely enjoying their rise from the dead. They do seem to have gone from strength to strength, having released two highly successful new albums and being the faces for a huge Marks and Spencers advertising campaign.

So, in conclusion, if you’re a fan, you are going to love it – and if you’re like me, make sure you take your glasses and don’t be disappointed when Robbie fails to make an appearance.

Here are some photos – actually they’re better than I thought – I thought we were too far away:-

To be honest I would MUCH rather see a band in a smaller venue – I like to be able to see their facial expressions. Wembley is too big for me.