I am sure that all parents simply want their children to be healthy, happy and legal. Anything after that is a bonus really. However I do have one wish that really isn't too much to ask for, I think. It is this: I would like to have a day at school whereby all Lawrences bring all the correct equipment, kit, hats, names badges, lunch boxes, snack boxes and water bottles with them. It would also be perfect if they brought all the right stuff home with them too.
I was pretty sure we had done it this morning. Thanks to a super human effort yesterday afternoon, Sunday, all children appeared to have everything ready. It got better too as Trixie managed to exit the house with her school wrist band on a lanyard around her neck, an article she usually leaves behind or covers in so many hair ties that it is rendered useless. Edwin even managed to walk out the house carrying his dance bag, ready for his lesson this evening. All good.
On arrival at school Rupert announced that he had forgotten his wrist band, which ought to have made getting in to school through the London Underground style barriers tricky. Thankfully there is a low wall, 30cm high, next next to the barriers allowing easy access for children who have forgotten their wrist bands. We coped. I said farewell to the gang and the day began. I still hoped that there might be no further losses.
At the end of the day I met Edwin after his athletics session and saw him proudly doing the throwing activities wearing his PE t-shirt and school trousers. It turns out that he had managed to bring Rupert's old PE shorts to school, a full five sizes too small for him. He had also discovered during the day that he had left his water bottle at home. I can still dream can't I?
On Saturday afternoon / evening we went along to a Halloween party at, of all places the former palace of the Malaysian King, in central KL. The place has now been turned into a museum and it was the museum volunteers who arranged the do. We all dressed in our various outfits to look suitably silly for the season, more of which later. The evening started with a sort of tour of the palace. One of the volunteers had put together an activity quiz for the various families to enjoy and learn more about the place. Overall it was a good tour, but I quickly realized that I have completely the wrong approach to life to take royalty seriously. The palace was well-decked-out and plush, although there were several areas that made me raise a republican eye brow. Chandeliers hung form various ceilings, carpets were wall to wall and the many waiting rooms were filled with many opulent chairs (you do have to do a lot of waiting in Malaysia). The various royals had also enjoyed a range of lighting in one of their rooms that sought to recreate the four seasons of Europe. However it was question 14 on the sheet that really intrigued me. It read "What make of washing machine is in the laundry?" Eventually our party tracked down the Royal Laundry, conveniently on the first floor and close one of the many Royal Bedchambers. Close examination proved the machine to be a front-loading Ariston, circa 1990. The other memorable room, pictures of QEII and Nelson Mandela notwithstanding, was the Royal Dentistry room. Equipped with all the latest dentistry tools, chairs and lights that one might have found in the best practices of the 1980s this did seem a little out of place. Either successive Royals had shocking gnashers or disturbing ways of welcoming their guests. It should be noted that QEII appears to have last visited in 1974 and the photos showed with her mouth clamped shut during her visit to the palace. The mind boggles.
After the tour and piles of good food we decided to cap the evening off with an after dark visit to the KLCC water fountains, something that the children had not seen before. Very soon after taking up our positions for enjoying the lights and water we detected mummerings going on around us. And then came the first polite request, "Can I take your photo please?" Because we were dressed to appear as a purple witch with her three off-spring of a mini-dracula, glowing skeleton and fire-coloured demoness, accompanied by a bloke in a four-coloured suit, yellow wig, sunglasses and clown nose we probably stood out somewhat. Very soon we were being photographed left, right and centre and were starting to rival the fountains as an attraction. During a brief lull in the proceedings we excused ourselves and went off hunting for drinks only to be stopped in the nearby supermarket for more photos. All pleasantly silly, really.