So how's the caffeine free lifestyle going? (the one that I had to adopt because my children dared me to do so when they decided to give up TV for Lent) you all asked. Ha Ha! I said, the boys will last 30 minutes without TV so I won't need to find out.
Reader, I was wrong. They didn't last 30 minutes before they cracked and turned on the TV. They lasted TWO WEEKS. Two whole long caffeine free weeks. Two weeks with not a cup of tea or coffee. That is 14 days. Without a tea. Or a coffee. May I just say that that is a very long time indeed to be without an iconic cultural institution.
Defying all predictions, the boys did all sorts of stuff instead of watching TV. We played a lot of scrabble until Luke put down (with just the tiniest bit of help) QUEEN with the Q on a triple letter score and then Adam didn't want to play scrabble any more. We did a lot of drawing and Hamma beads and it was actually surprisingly pleasant - although dinner never quite got made properly and I didn't hear a single word of PM and am correspondingly short of information about any form of news.
I thought I coped remarkably well. I had a headache for 4 days during the scrabble marathon. I found that hot water with a slice of ginger is really quite OK as a substitute. I probably slept better and bounced out of bed more easily.
BUT, I drank a LOT more wine and ate a LOT more chocolate. Turns out I need some fun in my life.
The boys cracked first and I swiftly followed with the best cup of tea in my entire life. I'd forgotten what tea tastes like. Just lovely. Nothing like a good cuppa.
I've been reminded of a little song we used to sing as children which is more than apt for me
C-O-F-F-E-E, Coffee is not for me,
It's a drink some people wake up with
that it makes you nervous is no myth
They can't give coffee up!
Noone else I know remembers this little round which is a shame because there is quite a good tune to go with it.
Incidentally a quite senior theology academic told me that in Lent you are allowed to break your fast on a Sunday. Next time I give up something for Lent I shall remember that.