Is it here to stay?

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Shhh! I might scare it off by saying this but, do you think summer might be on its way?

This morning, after dropping the car off for a quick service (pah!), we ventured out in the pushchair for a jaunt up town. Well, him in the pushchair, me 'jaunting'. The sky was azure blue and the sun was beating it down. Very quickly I regretted wearing black, but the rather scrummy frappucino from Starbucks soon made up for it (did you know you can have skimmed milk frappucinos now? Significantly less calories, surely? Means I can have a big one!). We went to the Under Fives playgroup for the first time. They put an apostrophe in the 'Fives' which really annoyed me but I refrained from rubbing it out. Just! The Boy had a fabulous time and I wondered why I had never been there before.

The day went a bit haywire from there on in, mainly because I had mild hysteria that the 'quick service' turned into a 'you need new brakes and a new pollen filter' situation. At the start of the month you can do without double + the amount that you first expected going out the bank.

Yesterday was a much better day. Yesterday saw us trotting off to Barry Island with Little Miss Cheeky and Oldest-Friend for fun in the sun. She brought along her older children, both boys; Curly-Mop and Football-Mad, who commandeered a decent section of the huge beach as their football pitch. Little Miss Cheeky and The Boy had great fun digging for water and building sandcastle, while Oldest-Friend and I had a good old chin-wag and avoided footballs and flying sand.

We were very comfortably ensconced in our cocoon of oblivion; stunning canvas windbreaker from EcoFriendlyBags and parasol, which was bought from Lyme Regis beach years ago. I must be a snob here and say how nice it was, not only to be shielded from the wind, but also to be shielded from some of the sights on the beach! Put it away woman, cover yourself up mister (who looked 11 months pregnant); I don't want to see it!

Anyone fancy winning one of those windbreakers from EcoFriendlyBags? You can over here.

Swirly Science

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Science and me? Nooo! I scraped a C grade in my GCSE and have always found it a challenging subject to teach. I'm not so bad with biology, chemistry I can just about cope with, but physics has me quaking in my boots. I've even been known to swap teaching a science topic to avoid it (I taught the other teacher's art lessons, she did my science for the remainder of the term). I've managed to find that by reading up and staying one step ahead of the children in my class that I managed to con them into thinking that I knew what I was talking about. In a way, the avent of child-led learning means that I don't have to panic so much because I can't turn it around and say "I don't know, let's find out together!"

How will I help The Boy with his scientific enquiry? Eeek! We already know that there is not enough interest in Science in schools; the curiosity needs to be started young. However, I'm as compatible with Science as oil and water. So when MultipleMummy and MummyMummyMum came up with the idea of Science Sparks I rejoiced!

I've been admiring their weekly experiments and saving the e-mail notifications in a little folder, but have still been too scared to do them. Until Monday when I had a go at Week Four's idea of Colourful Milk. Here's the video of our attempt. First of all please excuse the snips in the footage; he kept saying his name! And secondly, I know I keep correcting him with the colours, I felt stressed out about the Science!

Now you should pop over to Multiple Mummy's Science Sparks page and check out a master at work and the other link-ups.

Like Mummy

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At Christmas we bought The Boy a little laptop of his own in the vague hope that he'd stop wanting to fiddle with ours. Fat chance! It wasn't a proper laptop; it was one of those Learning Laptops from the Early Learning Centre (£17.00). Unfortunately he wasn't at the right stage of development at that age and wasn't at all interested in it. It has been given the odd cursory glance and prod until today.

He wandered into the dining room where I was sat with the laptop and looked at me. The Boy then toddled off and returned with his own laptop. He proceeded to place it on the table, climb up into his chair, strap himself in and play with the laptop. The photo is my 365 for today.

However, I wanted to show you what happened next. The Boy's clearly learnt more in the last few months than I originally thought.

 

Top Five Finals

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This week Kate literally Takes Five, while Keith takes over. Chronicles of a Reluctant Housedad (one of my favourite recent finds) is caretaking the Listography this week and has launched onto the scene with a cracker:Top Five Finals.

His own Listography sets the scene of his finale moments inspired by the recent non-event that was 'The Rapture'. A few others have also shared their final five things they'd do before kicking the bucket but I'm going for something different.

I'm a little bit fiery in temperament. I like to blame it on being a Leo, using Astrology as a get-out-of-jail-free card works with some people. However in reality, it's because I'm short-tempered. So this is my:

Top Five Final Straws

1) There is nothing more likely to make the kettle boil than insolence. Specifically answering back. In school I remain as cool as a cucumber while inwardly I am strangling the little blighter. They get the raised eyebrow and lose their break-time.
2) Eye-rolling. Very much linked to the last one. If you want me to gouge your eyes out, that is the way to ensure it happens. Although I am unlikely to because it is a) icky and b) illegal.
3) Parking in the wrong space. Are you disabled? Are you?! No? THEN MOVE! I'm sorry but do you have an infant with you? What do you mean there were no spaces left in the disabled bays!! Teenagers do not count as children in this case! And while I'm at it: if you leave your children in the car with your partner and they are not getting out of the vehicle, then you don't need the space!
4) If you want me to move my trolley so that you can get your natural, live Greek yoghurt with pre and probiotics then say the magic words "excuse me please". Otherwise I will not move! And I will say something to you if you roll your eyes at my husband behind his back you ignorant woman! (Yes this happened earlier in Tesco's, she was virtually climbing on his back she was leaning so close).

However all of these things mean that I must not allow myself to lose my temper. I am a 30 something mother who needs to set a good example to The Boy. But most of all because the last time it was the final straw…

5) I threw a cheap Ikea glass across the kitchen floor. It bounced across the ceramic tiles breaking four of them and came to a rest against the fridge. Undamaged.

This has been brought to you by a woman on the edge following a shopping trip to Tesco's on a Bank Holiday Sunday.

ShowOff ShowCase: The One That Should Have Done Better (3)

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This weekend I'm reverting to the very popular: 

The One That Should Have Done Better

We've all got those posts that just didn't get the views or comments that they should have. Maybe they were published on a busy day or you didn't get the chance to advertise it as much as some of the other posts. Either way, wouldn't it be nice to find out if actually they were well written, but they just slipped through the cracks?

This is your chance. Find that post, add my nifty html to the bottom of the post which will generate the pretty little badge and bang that drum shouting:

This is The One That Should Have Done Better.

ShowOff ShowCase

The Wonders of Revolting Rhymes

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There are an awful lot of, quite frankly, horrendous nursery rhymes out there.

Jack fell down and broke his crown. I don't understand why anyone would build a well at the top of a hill to start with but there you go. And then to top it all off, Jill suffers the same fate. Humpty was smashed to pieces and irreparable. Lovely, scrambled eggs; especially after all the King's horses and men had stomped in it. Down will come baby, cradle and all. Nice, why the hell were they rocking their baby in a tree in the first place? We all dip our heads in the deep, blue sea. Yep, they're drowning. Think Titanic but without the sapphire necklace. As if those Three blind mice didn't have enough to contend with by being visually impaired, the farmer's wife then disabled them further. And I'd hate to be that weasel standing in the queue in the shop when people start asking for half a pound of tuppenny rice.

Then there are the nursery rhymes where quite frankly the children do not set a good example to my son.

I would rather my child use cutlery to eat his Christmas pie than follow the example of Little Jack Horner. Georgie Porgie was a cowardly flirt and bully who knew when to scarper. Little Johnny Flynn needs a good slap as well as reporting to the RSPCA for trying to drown cats. And I do not want The Boy growing up with arachnaphobia like his parents, so Little Miss Muffet needs to get a grip pretty damn quickly if she wants to reside in this house.

However.

If those blooming blackbirds do not find somewhere else, other than outside my bedroom, to welcome in the new day with their sensationally loud chorus at 4am every morning, then I will be baking up my own dainty dish to set before the king!

ShowOff ShowCase: The One That Should Have Done Better (3)

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This weekend's ShowOff ShowCase theme is the very popular:

 

 

The One That Should Have Done Better

 

 

 

It seems that we all have those posts that are left feeling unloved and dejected at the bottom of the statistics chart. A lot of the time, it wasn't their fault and why should they be made fun of by the high flyers?

So this Saturday show them the Gok Wan treatment by popping my badge on the bottom of them, link them up here and show them off again. Help them prove that they know how to look good, naked or otherwise! Help them walk down the catwalk of better-viewed posts, remove the metaphorical dressing gown of shame, hold their heads high and shout at everyone: I SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER!

I am beginning to panic.

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Why am I panicking? "You are normally a beacon for tranquility" I hear you all chorus (not quite loudly enough, especially those of you at the back)

In just over two weeks it will be The Boy's birthday. This is a time to celebrate and be happy; plan a party and have a great time spoiling my little cherub. So why am I panicking?

Because I haven't done a thing towards his party yet at all! Or so it feels like it. Last year, I'd been preparing this moment for months and months. I'd been making Very Hungry Caterpillar bunting to hang around the garden. I'd bought all the tableware. I'd weeded, or rather had cajooled husband and, on one occasion, my mother into weeding (my pelvis was still dodgy from the SPD). The patio furniture had been sanded down and everything looked stunning.

However, this time I'm having issues. Hubby is useless at weeding and I still can't physically manage it. I don't need to make bunting because I have 50 metres of the stuff from last year. I can't find any tableware to go with my theme of 'cars'. That's 'cars' with a lowercase 'c' not 'Cars' as in the Disney film because I don't want that. I want 'cars'. And here's the other problem: even if I could find tableware for the party, I don't have a table to put the stuff on since I made hubby bin the main component of our patio furniture set. Oh don't worry, the benches and chairs are going  to follow in the next few days.

Why am I doing this so close to The Boy's birthday? Well the wasps are eating it. Or nesting in it. Or something. Whatever they're doing to it, it's covered in the damn things. And after nine years, I really do feel that I deserve some new patio furniture. Aside from the wasps molesting the wood, it's also had several winters of being left out uncovered and so has warped and is now splintering. Not safe, not comfortable and more importantly not attractive in my perfectly south-facing beautiful paradise.

So now, this weekend I need to find a new garden furniture set.

Which is just as well because Tesco Direct have a whole load of them on offer this forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend! Hooray for the place where every little helps!

—

This is an editorial post for which I was sponsored. The links were put in on behalf of Tesco Direct, but the rambling content is mine; they can get their own.

And I really do need new furniture because the wasps are eating it, why would I make that up?

 

Dear Grandpa SIGG

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How are you and Grandma SIGG?

Splash and I had a good journey over from Switzerland, the journey wasn't too long and we remembered to have plenty of water to drink to help with our ears popping on the flight. We were driven to our new house and it was quite hot when we arrived. So we got to have a wash straight away to wash the dust off, and then we were topped up with lovely fresh water which we helped to keep cool for a long time.

Our new family have got a funny little person in the house that is called The Boy. He has become my new best friend and takes me everywhere with him. The Boy seems to really like me; he keeps flipping me open and shut because he thinks my green hat is funny, his mummy taught him how to turn my neck so that my hat sits properly and he is very careful not to spill any of my water now. His mummy is very fond of my big sister Splash, and takes her to a big building called school a couple of times a week. She is getting very clever, she helped me to write this letter Grandpa.

I'm having a marvellous time here in Wales. The Boy, his mummy and his daddy have taken us to lots of different places. One of the the places that they take us to quite regularly is called the beach. You and Grandma would love it there, it has lots of something called 'sand' which can be used to build a castle. The Boy is getting quite good at building them and he even let me help him the other day. I found the spade a bit tricky to use.

Grandpa, it was a beautiful beach but spoilt by some rubbish! Most of the rubbish that had missed the bins was plastic bottles. I think many of the 250,000 plastic bottles that are dumped every hour in the UK ended up on this beach! It's so silly to leave them on the beach, I saw one get swept away with the swishy water and I remembered what you taught me about the million sea animals that get killed each year! I hope someone picked it up. I'm shocked that this country is still using so many plastic bottles; haven't they heard of the SIGG family over here? I felt really sorry for the others, they only get used once and then thrown away. I don't like to think what happens to them once they've done their job once, they must feel so underused and dejected.

You wouldn't believe how dull they look as well, they obviously haven't had anyone pick out their clothes and dress them lovingly, like you and Grandma did with us. Splash and I felt so sorry for them that they don't have anyone to love them like The Boy and his mummy do with us. We could make their world a much better place by showing off the lovely colours and patterns on our coats!

The Boy was really kind and he even shared his potato rectangles with me. I quite like them, I hope he lets me have some again another time.

I must go to bed now Grandpa, it is getting passed my bedtime.

Lots of love

Your little Desert Fun!

Time to breathe

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I sat down in the driver's seat and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Not only because I knew the reason behind The Boy's raging temperature and whimpering last night (ear infection) but also because I was about to have a guaranteed two hours ahead of me where the only person I had to think about was me. Sounds selfish doesn't it?

Buckling up my seatbelt, sliding the car into first and feeling that initial burst of energy from the engine as I drove to my dentist's appointment filled me with mixed emotions. I'm petrified of the dentist, I have really weak teeth and nearly every tooth that could have a filling, has one. However the opportunity to focus on just me for a short time, especially after the terrible night that we've just had, was welcome.

Then of course is the obligatory guilt at leaving The Boy, especially when he is poorly. I should be with him, giving him cuddles, nursing him to sleep, making him feel better. Instead I am entrusting him into my mum's more than capable arms so I can go and be told that I need falsies, or something else just as frightening.

Driving to the other side of Cardiff for the appointment is not as irritating when I'm on my own, because I like driving. That scene in 'What Women Want' where Mel Gibson is explaining the advert for trainers and how when women run it's just them and the road is how it is for me and driving. I enjoy driving, I like judging the distances, paying attention to others around me, adjusting routes etc. When you have a little one in the car with you, you're too busy picking up the toy they've just dropped, making sure the sun isn't in their eyes, not crashing and singing along to Bangra Beat. Now don't get me wrong, I like The Zingzillas but there's only so much Zak a woman can take. I'd rather be serenaded by Robbie and Gary.

My point of all this waffle is that every so often all mummies need some time on their own. Even if it is only to be told that you need a filling in one tooth and potentially root canal surgery on another.

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