Manure on the school run!

So this morning's school run started off no different to any other, a high speed race with the well practiced routine to get out the front door on time.  The kids argue about which back door of the car to get in (yes they actually do that!), followed by the fact that undoubtedly they will have got in through the door furthest away from their individual seats, resulting in them trying to squeeze past each other in the back, whilst holding enough baggage to go away for a week!

We park near (ish) the school and walk along the path with me repeatedly shouting at 4-year-old to either slow down or speed up!  Why is it they shuffle along dragging their heels and the minute you say speed up they take off like a bullet and you end up having to do an impression of an Olympic sprinter to catch them before they run out in the road!

However, upon walking the final stretch of pathway to the school, 4-year-old starts shouting out that he can smell something.  7-year-old agrees.  I can't smell anything.  They keep reiterating this fact, until I eventually say maybe there has been some muck spread on the fields.

'What sort of muck Mummy?'  (If you've read my previous couple of posts you'll know which child this is asking the questions!)
'Well it's usually horse manure, it's good for the soil and for the crops.' 
'Not dog poo then or human poo!'
'No, horse manure is what they usually use.'

Oh I do love a conversation about poo at 8.35 am whilst trying to navigate myself and 2 kids (because they never look where they're going) through all the other parents and children all aiming for the school!

Have a lovely day everybody!
xx

Age old comforts

As I approach 40 (not quite yet but near enough!) I find comfort in certain things, that as a younger person, I would never have considered.  These include Sloggi underwear, Hotter footwear and memory foam mattress topper and pillows!

I've got to compare Sloggi underwear to that of maternity underwear!  You put it on and suddenly realise how uncomfortable you've been for months!

Similar with Hotter footwear to be honest, I don't care if all the styles have Velcro on, they're super comfy!

And as for the memory foam, I don't know why we didn't try them before!

While I sit her and wonder how long it will be before I need a blanket, rocking chair and woolly slippers, I hope you all have a good day!
xx

THE conversation

I guess there comes a time when every parent gets asked this question by their child, but why are the most tricky to answer questions always asked at a point when you're least expecting it! 

So I'm sat there looking at the tablet trying to decide on which red wine to put on my next Tesco order, and 7-year old is sat there reading, when the question to beat all questions is asked by 7-year-old - 'Mummy what's sex?!!'

As tempting as it was to just say 'ask Daddy' or 'why don't you ask your teacher tomorrow!'  (whilst wondering how quickly Tesco can deliver!)  I actually said 'we'll have a conversation later.'  Followed by 'what book are you reading?!!'  Was only a Jacqueline Wilson school book actually.

7-year-old then proceeds to sit there saying 'sex, sex, sex!'  As I'm trying so hard not to laugh I of course have to remind her again that we'll have this conversation later and then disappear to the kitchen so I can silently have hysterics and try to work out the best way to explain this subject!

So I expect you're all wondering how I eventually explained this subject??  Well, rightly or wrongly, I think I'll leave you all wondering!! However, please be reassured that I did give her a brief, age appropriate explanation and advised her that she will undoubtedly learn about it in more detail at school one day!!

Before I go, I think I should add an earlier question from 7-year-old which is equally funny!! 'Mummy what's a p*ss artist?!!'  Read in the same offending book as above! However, the word was actually PSYCHIATRIST!!

xx

Endless questions

Having an academic 7-year-old growing up before your eyes is one thing but nobody prepares you for the endless curiosity in the form of never ending questioning!

Every other word she reads results in 'what does it mean?' 

Then there's the daily questions such as -

Where  have you been today Mummy?
What time is Daddy coming home?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Usually directed at younger brother!
Can we have prawn crackers?
What's for dinner?
What time is dinner?
What time are you going to bed?
Can I watch the Bake Off?
When does 'Strictly' start?
Is twilight after sunset?
Is dawn in the morning?

Then there's the more taxing subjects such as -

What is your soul?
Do you think the Tooth Fairy is real?
Are you sure Santa is real?
How do babies get in your tummy?

And God forbid anyone buys her a puzzle book!  You would think with all the question asking that she'd be an extremely intelligent 7-year-old by now, but the truth is that for every puzzle the sound of 'I don't get it' rings out through the house and I try to hide!

Apologies if I'm scaring parents with younger children, with what's potentially to come!  I prescribe coffee and / or wine!

xx

20th September 2017

On picking 4-year-old up from school, he promptly falls over his own feet, somehow tripping over his bag strap too, face first in front of me!  Luckily 9 times out if 10 he bounces!

Then later, upon taking 4-year-old's trousers off ready for a bath, the entire contents of the school's gravel and playground dirt fall out!

Currently sat here trying to negotiate with 4-year-old to eat his chicken nuggets otherwise he won't be able to look at dinosaur pictures on the laptop, and wondering what sort of karate moves will be required to get him to bed later!

Thankfully since starting school, he's exhausted so once in bed, after stories (and countless conversations which go something like '5 stories tonight Mummy.'  'No just 2 and one of those is your school book.'  'How about 4 stories?' And so on!)  He tends to fall asleep relatively quickly.

Does anyone else's little one never stay under the covers?  Is it a boy thing? Because my daughter is fine. But will be investing in thick pyjamas for 4-year-old for winter.

Have a lovely evening all. Xx

Imagination versus reality

When I started this blog idea I invisaged sitting in Costa coffee with my laptop on the same routine morning each week, whilst the kids are at school.   Maybe one day that will be the case!

In reality, the last couple of weeks it's mainly been writing the post on my phone on a different day of the week (it's Wednesday at the moment but i won't publish this before Tuesday!) because I don't want to forget the inspiration for the post, and i'm not using my laptop much because its Wi-Fi connection even at home is so poor I daren't try it on a public wifi spot!

On another subject, when I imagined my smallest child starting school, I saw freedom on the days I don't work and my eyes lit up with images of the above and many different child free coffees!
In reality I miss my littlest sidekick and the noise he creates!  Tuesday is his first full day at school. Although I have lunch plans on Tuesdays it will be strange for the first time in 7 years not to have a child going on, talking incessantly,  moaning, asking to go in the toy shop etc!  For the first time in 7 years I will actually be able to talk to my Mum while we have lunch, and may be even try out different cafes instead of the same old one where we were comfortable because it had space, toilets, and a children's play area. 

Well now it is actually Tuesday and it was weird watching him walk into school for his 1st full day. He walked in without me too. 😔

So I'll sit here with my latte, watching people park badly outside, hoping both my kidlets are having a good time!

Xx

The sounds you don't normally hear

Well this both kids at school lark will take some getting used to I think!  It should get easier from now on as I'm back to work, only leaving me the 2 normal days off a week that I'm used to. However last week (having all week off)  after the chaos that is the school run, but being back home by 8.50 to a silent house is very strange!

I could actually hear the fridge! The filter in the fish tank! And more annoyingly, my own thoughts!

So I have a feeling that to begin with the house will be spotless! 

And I intend to make my Tuesday mornings in Costa publishing my latest posts, a regular occurrence.  By sitting here amongst all the other mothers who have just done the school run and are enjoying their coffees either alone or with their younger children, I can quite happily write this and not be bothered by the noise after all, I regularly drown out the noise of 2 children!

For the Wednesday mornings I will take to drinking Nescafe Azera instant coffees (they come in take away cups and you just add water!  Sad I know but I do love coffee in a take away cup!)  and watching 'Fraiser!'  When my son was a baby I used to watch Fraiser a lot of week day mornings whilst he was asleep. 

So happy morning coffees everyone!! Xx

Little Bow Heart

I told my 7 year old if she wrote a story I would put it on my blog, so here it is. The story of Little Bow Heart.   I hope you can all see the pictures enough to read it.

Is It Actually Peace at last?

Originally when I started writing this post, 6 1/2 weeks ago at the beginning of the school holidays, (with the plan to publish it today) it went something like this.....

The picture above i took of the wall in a cafe we were in at the beginning of the summer holiday. It's got lots of reasons for buying a coffee. The bottom line, middle, 'because I got the kids to school on time today' is my excuse today!! 😉

There are many other reasons/excuses I use to buy myself a latte but today i find myself feeling in need of one.  After nearly 7 weeks of the kids being on holiday, today they BOTH went to school. My son for the first time.   I will come to get used to them both being there and will probably wonder how I ever got anything done as for the last 7 years one of them has always been by my side. 

Sending all my fellow parents seeing their little ones off to school for the first time today a friendly emotional virtual hug!!  💜

However, now we are here, and although I have no exact idea what the future will look like, I find as I sit here having the latte I've dreamed about for the last 7 weeks,  I might need to refer to my previous blog post 'creativity takes courage' and remind myself that you only need to be brave for less than 20 seconds to change something.  Our biggest fear is the future and that it will be the same, so if you don't want it to be the same.....................................?

This remains unanswered at the moment, but I feel the tide is turning at that one day soon it will all be a bit different..  ♥♥