25th May 2010 - part two of three

So a sunny child-free afternoon was in prospect. We all had some bits and pieces to do but concluded that all doing said bits and pieces in the same place (thus enabling further coffee, chat and company) was good sense and so we headed to Walsall.

I had to find sandals for my twelve year old boy. In the fourteenth shop I looked in I found some! It seems that little children (shoe size up to 13) need sandals, as to adults, but middle sized kids are woefully ill-provided for (or have such a heavy duty cycle that sandals need much more regular replacement thus selling out quicker - which sort of fits in as the reason Ethan needed sandals is because the previous pair were chewed by a dog having been left outside overnight). I considered buying pink ones as they were freely available and I thought he may learn a lesson, then I found some Man Utd themed ones which would have, from his perspective, been far worse!

Viv was looking for dictionaries for her 15 year old son and Amanda was after shorts for her ten year old son.... anyone spotting a theme?!

Costa Coffee, The Art Gallery, Walsall
Sneaky coffee-ers: Anna, Amanda, Viv, Ellen and little James
Served by: a young man and Barbara. Helpful and very happy to give me a glass of iced water.
Bought: A small black coffee
Cost: £1.80
Sat: Outside - warmish and sunnyish

And: I was just happy the hunt for sandals was over! If champagne had been on offer I would have bought it! (Not really!)

25th May 2010 - part one of three

Well - it does seem that Tuesdays net the most sneaky coffee! Tuesday - or as I like to call them - Childfree Tuesdays - is the day when I have 9am - 3.20pm with not children in my care. I take full advantage of this. It was particularly welcome today. Last night I went to a ladies meeting with my church and we all committed to trying to make one scripture leap from page to life. I hadn't exactly decided which scripture but was erring in the direction of being patient with my children. However - by 8.30am I had failed - utterly and miserably. Thus I was utterly miserable by the time I arrived for the first sneaky coffee. My friends - all of Christian persuasion in this instance - are the gift of God to me at all times but especially today. We've all been there and we are all dependent of God to make up for our inadequacy.

The Arthur Robertson
Sneaky Coffee-ers: Anna, Danni, Ellen (Viv's grown up daughter), Viv, Jane, Amanda and little James
Served by: Laura - my new favourite member of staff. She was friendly and polite. She offered me a 'real' teaspoon if I didn't want to use a wooden stirrer, gave me lots of ice (and offered lemon) in the glass of water I requested and later on she brought a colouring sheet and packet of crayons over for James.
Bought: A large black coffee and a glass of water....
Cost: But it was all free as I had a fully stamped loyalty card (i.e. I have bought five coffees)
We sat: At our sofa table
Food: I had a pack of oatcakes to eat... and Danni brought in a pack of Thorntons Caramel Flapjacks - which I cannot eat due to the milk content.
Complaints: None at all!

And? My friends are the best - really really the absolute and very best! Our conversation was such fun, so uplifting and peppered with laughter. I love them.