Disciplining fractious son

Although got to sleep at 4am after stupidly watching more golf on TV, I woke up at 9am with the kids. Waipo rang me at that time to ask if the kids were at home. I answered in the affirmitive thinking she would be arriving any time now to take them out. Apparently not. There was no-one else around and they wouldn't eat breakfast so at 11.30 Tan and I took them to the new eatery around the corner for lunch. Leilei was very ill-behaved and broke the straw to his drink but wouldn't go and ask for a new one - preferring me to do this. I'd had enough of his shyness and told him to ask the waitress for one but he refused, then refused to eat his food. So after five minutes I grabbed his arm and frog-marched him back home where we spent twenty minutes sitting down and assessing the situation. I hate to do this but otherwise he gets what he wants by moaning and crying. I reasoned with him, and after the tears assuaged he agreed to go back to the restaurant to finish his meal.

He had a few mouthfuls, and then Tan and Xixi went to buy curtains for the new house. I took Leilei home for a bit, then found that Tan and Xixi had already returned home (so much for the curtains). I tried in vain to get both of them to sleep, but just as it seemed I might be winning Tan came back in the room and said she'd take them out to the supermarket. As I'd had little sleep I declined, preferring to catch up a few Z's, but managed only five minutes as as soon as I fell asleep I got another phone call. Why didn't I remember my advice to myself to turn on silent mode?

We all went to check on the house at about 6pm. Nothing more to report. Then went for an evening meal after 7. The kids were a bit fractious but at least ate something. We had Japanese tofu and I had some nice "la chang" (sausage). I then had the nightmare of taking Leilei to have his hair cut. Anyone would think he was having his tonsils out as Lu Hai gave him a trim. I just hope he's learnt that it's not that bad. As the kids had not slept during the day I managed to get them both to sleep by 9.30pm. Then Tan got back at 11.30pm after saying she would be back at 10pm. As it was Sunday I popped out at 12.30am for a bit of octopus at the local seafood place, where I bumped into the manager and shared a couple of beers with him plus the octopus.