Unbelievably, James has offered to do a sponsored silence at school today to boost funds for his school prom. Four of his teachers are coughing up cash if James can keep his lips zipped all day.
This will indeed be a first, not that I believe “children should be seen and not heard.” But there is a certain novelty value in James accomplishing this personal challenge as it goes against his usually chatty nature.
Maybe he had considered this in advance, knowing that it had an irresistible “wow” factor about it, which enabled him to secure pledges totaling £100. These are people who either believe their money will be safe, or genuinely want James’s school to have a good prom.
James is taking this very seriously. He has been given an A4 size white board to communicate with teachers in class and must also stay silent over lunch hour and breaks too, otherwise he stands to forfeit his sponsorship – and he has no intention of doing that.
And yes, he has already got a date lined up. It sounds complicated, but that’s teenagers for you.
Meanwhile, over in Hull, David has passed his initiation ceremony to join the university’s highly regarded football team. They had to wear fancy dress. David hired a suit and purple shirt (suit) and went as a “pimp” – he was never that kind of boy at home –
saying he looked like Kid Creole. Not sure Kid would be flattered at this comparison, but please don’t sue David, it was just a joke.
He naturally had to drink the kind of foul stuff that is not consumed for pleasure, as well as Whitesnake – a mixture of larger, cider and blackcurrant, a favourite student drink at his uni. He even mastered a winning joke on stage: “What time does Andy Murray go to bed?” Answer – “tennish”. Fairly harmful stuff, but it avoided him facing potentially embarrassing challenges.
Penalties included doing press-ups, eating numerous Scotch eggs, drinking vile alcoholic concoctions, more jokes, press ups, Scotch eggs…
I rang David a couple of nights ago when all this was happening at around 10.30 pm and left a message on his voicemail saying that as it was late, I expected he had gone to bed. Little did I know….
P.S. James’ National Insurance number has just arrived, it makes him seem so grown up.
Silent? For a whole day???
I’d never make it unless I shut myself in a room, and even then I’d probably talk to myself!
I hope he succeeds.
Good for him! I hope he manages it!
There’s never a dull moment with your sons, Ellee!
I could easily stay silent all day, and usually do, until I pick the children up from school.
I wish some in my office could stay silent for a day!
Actually I used to go on retreat and we would be silent from after dinner Friday night till before Sunday night dinner. It actually wasn’t so difficult at all. But it is probably easier in a situation when all are silent.
I’m delighted to say that James managed it. He slipped up just once when he bumped into a teacher and instantly said “sorry”. But that was all. Other than that, he used a white board to communicate all day.
I don;t think I could be quiet all day – good luck to him!
Ellee – please could you pass my email address onto Phil? She wanted to invite me to read her new blog. My address is flower.pot@btinternet.com
Thanks and have a good weekend!
Whitesnake – a mixture of larger, cider and blackcurrant, a favourite student drink at his uni
Well Elle, I can see why he wanted to wear a purple suit. Wise Choice – lol!
I would find that too difficult. I even talk to myself when I am on my own!
It used to be called snakebite – unless you put blue bols in it, when it became known as a “green meanie.” (NB The blue bols goes instead of the blackcurrent, not as well as!) Those with ample funds used to consider adding a shot of Bayleys, which coagulates into something resembling a brain.. (or what your brain looks like after too many of these!)
Hmm. I’m not an alcoholic, it’s just that there wasn’t much else to do in a remote seaside university but drink (and study, of course 😉
Heard about you on the radio this am. Having a son at uni myself it made me smile about you thinking your son would be in bed at 10.30pm. My husband recently went up to visit our son and when I asked did they have a good evening he replied, “yes we had a great time, left him at midnight as he was going out with his mates”.
Julie-Ann, thanks for your comment, it made me laugh hearing about your husband and son. We are going to visit David at uni this weekend for the first time since he left home and will get him stocked up with food from the supermarket and take him out for dinner.
Many thanks for mentioning my plug on the radio. I had no idea about it, but have since discovered Iain Dale gave me a fantastic plug on Woman’s Hour.