Bear is happy

Charity shopping again today.  Bear solemnly accepted £10 and added to his savings of £2.14, being very clear it was £12.14.

One Ben10 board game, one pair of seventies style glasses, one huge, stonking, massive stormtrooper helmet with sound effects (whimper) and he was pretty much on his last ends.  Then he saw an art attack book he nearly bought last week and now wanted, but he only had £2.90 and the book was £4.  I said he could borrow against next week's money, but that there would be a charge.

Bear was happy with this and negotiated the fee down from 90p to 40p (I swear that lad is going to end up in sales), and then we went to the same cafe.  Bear scrounged half of df's toast and drank a quarter of his own milkshake.

As an aside, this was fancy seeded bread, which bear won't touch at home, and he even ate the crusts which he utterly rejects if I slip and give him untrimmed bread.  He also only eats cheese at my elder brother's house.  It is infuriating.

I thought this was a good way to teach budgeting, until darling uncle absolutely and unilaterally insisted on paying for the art attack book.  It isn't as helpful as he thinks.  On the other hand, I have spent most of the time since bear broke off from school punctuated by calls to darling uncle, some of them long, and bear has been very good about it.

I am not sure what is happening with darling uncle.  I can't get over there, it is impossible to have the care for bear if I do, DH can't get time off, I just don't know what is going on.  I don't know when he will next see someone else.  I don't think anything is going to happen.  He is still struggling to get tea making to work.  I have no idea what is happening next and darling uncle is dodging all the awkward questions.

I am now indulging in a bit of self pity.  Darling uncle wants me to get something like frozen chips but not frozen because there is no room in the freezer and not tinned potatoes.  And just something that's round, but not burgers but meat type stuff.  Also anything else I think he will randomly need.  Also the toaster apparently doesn't work and I suspect that he hasn't altered the temperature controls but who knows because he hasn't had a toaster previously and there is no-one who can go round and work out what has happened.  Bear is out tomorrow and the planned house cleaning/catch up/sort out looks like sinking under shopping for uncle for things he wants but can't describe.  I don't mind, but the sense of floundering helplessly is pretty strong.

Also, can't have early night as I am staying up until daft o'clock making sure that bear has his favourite shorts and shirts available for tomorrow.  I hope I can find the right bag for him!