Did you have a flutter yesterday? Perhaps raise a glass of champers at a party?
I spent the day scouring the internet for Instagram shots of celebs trackside. At home. By myself. In my trakkie daks. With just the puppy and his errant toilet training to keep me company.
Click here to see the results of my – and my lovely co-worker Kahla’s – labours >> http://bit.ly/HD9oVK #MelbourneCup
At 2.30pm I halted typing to get some milk at the – deserted – shopping centre on my way to school pick-up. Fortunately I got there a few minutes early because the teachers had given everyone early marks so they could bolt to the staff room to watch the race.
The eldest’s teacher dashed past me only to be halted by a four-year-old screaming and sobbing: “Where’s my mummy??”
The panic on the teacher’s face … it was priceless. So priceless that I must admit I didn’t intervene and offer to help. I am evil sometimes.
The teacher frantically raced from one side of the playground to the other trying to find the lost mummy, locating her just in the nick of time.
(My eldest tells me he’d actually informed the class earlier in the day NOT to try to talk to any teachers rushing to the office at 3pm as it would make them very cross.)
We ambled out the school gates just as the race began. The eldest had skin in the game due to a class sweep – she’d drawn the favourite. So when a TOLL truck pulled up on the side of the road with the race blaring, she insisted we stand beside it to hear the results. (For a discussion on the wrongs of school Melbourne Cup sweeps, click here >>http://bit.ly/1bTRgj3)
It was the height of glamour, and super exciting for the eldest, who’d drawn Fiorente, and is set to win a prize from the class “present box” as a result. There was much rejoining in that side street.
Then we went home for honey and banana rolls and I updated my iVillage story to include the winner while the kids got into their cossies for swimming lessons.
That was my Melbourne Cup day. How was yours?
PS I did rather love this …
housegoeshome 
I watched the race live at a pub with grown ups!! I dont think i had seen it live since No 1 started school and was the first time since becoming a parent that I have been to a pub to watch.
I find it sad that the school makes no effort for us parents to see the race. I remember as a kid, TVs were set up in primary school classrooms so we could all watch it. But those were the good old days!!!
Glad to hear you got a grown-up Melb Cup