Well the day has finally arrived! My parents get back from their 2 week holiday late tonight and I have just about survived.
Despite:
My OH doing a week of nights (which meant getting in from work AFTER son had gone to nursery and waking up in time for dinner but leaving for work before the BATH and BEDTIME arguments).
A trip to my BFF's for her daughter's (my god daughter's) 3rd birthday party. 5 hours trapped in a car with son with no other adult to entertain him - and no knitting to keep me same because I was driving. I experienced the fact that my son's behaviour deteriorates directly in proportion to my desire for good behaviour.
My OH finishing his night shift and GOING FISHING! - OVERNIGHT - FOR 3 DAYS. On the final day he was summoned home after I told him if he stayed away a second longer one or both of us would be missing when he got back.
My reward - son hasn't left his dad's side for 3 days. Has been displaying all his bad behaviour traits (that I was 'imagining') and added demands for cuddles at 3am.
The bad side - husband has expanded his childcare repetoire from sticking him in front of the TV to buying him a Thomas the Tank Engine PC game and sticking him in front of the computer so they still haven't left the house to let me get on with some work.
My parents don't know it yet but we'll be on their doorstep as soon as nursery finishes tomorrow.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Children Say The Funniest Things! (2)
Last weekend I attempted a 4 hour drive (each way) and a weekend stay with friends without my OH!
The 4 hr drive turned into 5 hours with 1 hour spent travelling only 6 miles of the M5 - thank goodness we'd just stopped at the services for a comfort break. However that hour was spent listening to my son shouting repeatedly 'Go mummy, go round the cars, tell them to get out of the way' (hmm road rage in the making).
We had a delightful weekend even though he tried his best to corrupt his godparents little girl by behaving atrociously (I told them it was a compliment and they didn't hesitate to put him on the naughty step). It was a weekend filled with trips to the park, a birthday party and generally causing mayhem.
At the dinner table there were two little gems:
'Mummy, they don't call you Auntie Dougalfish for nothing!' - delivered with the correct intonation and a straight face!
Then to his godparents daughter (14 months his junior)
' _______ I love you more than ice cream' (they were eating ice cream at the time and it was just too cute though her parents looked worried when I said that was tantamount to a marriage proposal!).
The 4 hr drive turned into 5 hours with 1 hour spent travelling only 6 miles of the M5 - thank goodness we'd just stopped at the services for a comfort break. However that hour was spent listening to my son shouting repeatedly 'Go mummy, go round the cars, tell them to get out of the way' (hmm road rage in the making).
We had a delightful weekend even though he tried his best to corrupt his godparents little girl by behaving atrociously (I told them it was a compliment and they didn't hesitate to put him on the naughty step). It was a weekend filled with trips to the park, a birthday party and generally causing mayhem.
At the dinner table there were two little gems:
'Mummy, they don't call you Auntie Dougalfish for nothing!' - delivered with the correct intonation and a straight face!
Then to his godparents daughter (14 months his junior)
' _______ I love you more than ice cream' (they were eating ice cream at the time and it was just too cute though her parents looked worried when I said that was tantamount to a marriage proposal!).
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Emotions at Weddings
RB commented on my last post that toddlers at weddings are quite cute - I give you this:
This was before the wedding started when we'd managed to get him (almost) into the suit and he was protesting about having to put shoes on. At this point in time I'd been up and running around for 7 hours, had been trying to get black coffee down the best man's throat (the morning after the night before) and biting my tongue at my mother in law and the original sister in law who'd just turned up and decided to get ready when we needed to leave for the church. Actually you are right RB toddlers are quite cute - at least they can get away with meltdown.
p.s. the svelte lady in pink in the background isn't me ;-)
Thursday, 11 September 2008
New in-law
Last Thursday we attended the wedding of my brother-in-law and the love of his life and for the first time in 11 years of marriage (and 16 of knowing the family) I felt that I was part of the family - the happy couple had asked me, as well as my sister-in-law, to do a reading as part of the service.
Because I didn't want to let them down - and as I only received the reading on the Monday night - I practiced the 5 lines at every available opportunity. The reading went without a hitch and I was able to convey meaning without my voice quavering or my cheeks flaring red. Later in the day my OH took our son to the toilet where he gave a perfect rendition of 'Love is always patient and kind, it is never jealous ...' they really do take everything in.
I asked for suggestions on Facebook and Twitter on tips to keep him busy during the service. Unfortunately he wasn't content with drawing or colouring so did a body surf up and down our pew for the majority of the service (which was a catholic one) asked for the toilet twice and embarrassed us with his declaration that he needed a 'poo poo' (he didn't). He posed for photographs and was charming to the great aunts and was really better behaved than we could have hoped for.
If anyone is organising a wedding we now have great tips for keeping kids quiet during the long wait before the meal starts and during the speeches - play dough (though only if you don't have to pay for the tablecloths to be cleaned as it gets messy) and bubbles. Instead of favours our bride and groom had special rock made with their picture on the label and their names and the date running through - apparently our son made the toasts with his stick of rock (I missed that as I was videoing the speeches).
So I now have a new sister in-law - one I hope will be a close friend and ally in the battles with the MiL (I think she will as we've already compared notes several times). I'm also hoping that she will produce another grandchild to take the pressure off us a bit - though, unfortunately I don' think she can do that by Christmas ...
Because I didn't want to let them down - and as I only received the reading on the Monday night - I practiced the 5 lines at every available opportunity. The reading went without a hitch and I was able to convey meaning without my voice quavering or my cheeks flaring red. Later in the day my OH took our son to the toilet where he gave a perfect rendition of 'Love is always patient and kind, it is never jealous ...' they really do take everything in.
I asked for suggestions on Facebook and Twitter on tips to keep him busy during the service. Unfortunately he wasn't content with drawing or colouring so did a body surf up and down our pew for the majority of the service (which was a catholic one) asked for the toilet twice and embarrassed us with his declaration that he needed a 'poo poo' (he didn't). He posed for photographs and was charming to the great aunts and was really better behaved than we could have hoped for.
If anyone is organising a wedding we now have great tips for keeping kids quiet during the long wait before the meal starts and during the speeches - play dough (though only if you don't have to pay for the tablecloths to be cleaned as it gets messy) and bubbles. Instead of favours our bride and groom had special rock made with their picture on the label and their names and the date running through - apparently our son made the toasts with his stick of rock (I missed that as I was videoing the speeches).
So I now have a new sister in-law - one I hope will be a close friend and ally in the battles with the MiL (I think she will as we've already compared notes several times). I'm also hoping that she will produce another grandchild to take the pressure off us a bit - though, unfortunately I don' think she can do that by Christmas ...
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Friday, 22 August 2008
Children say the funniest things!
It's been a weird week chez dougalfish this week.
Monday's are always bad after the now infamous event at the swimming pool. I was dreading returning to lessons but all passed smoothly. I was feeling virtuous as I'd done a workout at the gym in the morning and then managed to swim lengths for 20 minutes whilst he finally paid attention to the swimming instructor. We then returned to the main part of the pool for 15 minutes 'playtime' before heading home. That's when it happened. I suddenly felt terribly sick. I managed to get him out of the pool and into the changing rooms before I had to make a swift exit for the loos, then had to run in again as soon as we were dressed. I'm sure all parents would agree that the one thing you don't want your kids to witness is you being ill - unfortunately halfway back on the 10 minute drive home I had to pull over.
DS: MUM what ARE you doing?
Me: I'm sorry, mummy's not feeling well, we just need to get home.
DS: That's right we'll get home, you can make me something to eat and then you can lie down and have a rest.
(hmm priorities!!!)
2 hours later OH arrives home to find me ensconced in the downstairs loo and a rather irate son on the door step.
DS: Daddy I told mummy she had to make me something to eat FIRST!
(how inconsiderate of me)
Tues am when OH rang him at grandma's house (thank goodness we moved closer to them) to arrange to pick him up.
DH: 'lo dad. Mum's dead.
He wasn't too happy when he saw me later in the day as I roused myself to take him for his pre-school injections.
On getting home and removing the cotton wool pads (that seemed to catch on his clothes every time he moved) to replace with 'magic' plasters (in our house they have pictures they have Winnie the Pooh characters on).
DS: no don't take them off, the needles will fall out.
On picking him up from nursery on Wednesday I found he had fallen asleep - which is very unusual as my son never sleeps. Because his legs were still hurting I was conned into carrying him out to the car.
DS: Mummy I was only having my beauty sleep. Bobby and Will kept making noises but I shouted at them to be quiet because I needed my beauty sleep before you fetched me.
(Bobby and Will are the ones who call him names ...)
On shopping for his friend's birthday present he demanded a £50 piece of plastic. I calmly told him for the 15th time that we didn't have the money to buy him anything.
DS: That's okay you can go to the machine in the wall, it gives you money.
(If only it was that simple :-p)
Our DVD player started making a strange noise and I commented to my OH that it had been used continuously over the last few days as neither of us had the energy to go out.
DS: yes daddy it's because it's been used consecutively ...
(we'll make an editor out of him yet).
Now we've both got our energy back and the weather is awful. thank goodness it's Bank holiday - my OH will be working full time but grandparents will be around for 3 whole days!
Monday's are always bad after the now infamous event at the swimming pool. I was dreading returning to lessons but all passed smoothly. I was feeling virtuous as I'd done a workout at the gym in the morning and then managed to swim lengths for 20 minutes whilst he finally paid attention to the swimming instructor. We then returned to the main part of the pool for 15 minutes 'playtime' before heading home. That's when it happened. I suddenly felt terribly sick. I managed to get him out of the pool and into the changing rooms before I had to make a swift exit for the loos, then had to run in again as soon as we were dressed. I'm sure all parents would agree that the one thing you don't want your kids to witness is you being ill - unfortunately halfway back on the 10 minute drive home I had to pull over.
DS: MUM what ARE you doing?
Me: I'm sorry, mummy's not feeling well, we just need to get home.
DS: That's right we'll get home, you can make me something to eat and then you can lie down and have a rest.
(hmm priorities!!!)
2 hours later OH arrives home to find me ensconced in the downstairs loo and a rather irate son on the door step.
DS: Daddy I told mummy she had to make me something to eat FIRST!
(how inconsiderate of me)
Tues am when OH rang him at grandma's house (thank goodness we moved closer to them) to arrange to pick him up.
DH: 'lo dad. Mum's dead.
He wasn't too happy when he saw me later in the day as I roused myself to take him for his pre-school injections.
On getting home and removing the cotton wool pads (that seemed to catch on his clothes every time he moved) to replace with 'magic' plasters (in our house they have pictures they have Winnie the Pooh characters on).
DS: no don't take them off, the needles will fall out.
On picking him up from nursery on Wednesday I found he had fallen asleep - which is very unusual as my son never sleeps. Because his legs were still hurting I was conned into carrying him out to the car.
DS: Mummy I was only having my beauty sleep. Bobby and Will kept making noises but I shouted at them to be quiet because I needed my beauty sleep before you fetched me.
(Bobby and Will are the ones who call him names ...)
On shopping for his friend's birthday present he demanded a £50 piece of plastic. I calmly told him for the 15th time that we didn't have the money to buy him anything.
DS: That's okay you can go to the machine in the wall, it gives you money.
(If only it was that simple :-p)
Our DVD player started making a strange noise and I commented to my OH that it had been used continuously over the last few days as neither of us had the energy to go out.
DS: yes daddy it's because it's been used consecutively ...
(we'll make an editor out of him yet).
Now we've both got our energy back and the weather is awful. thank goodness it's Bank holiday - my OH will be working full time but grandparents will be around for 3 whole days!
Another Naughty Step
Typing random things into my search engine today - like 'fed up of the school holidays' and '101 ways to torture pre-schoolers' (joke ;-0) I discover that there was a Naughty Step blog in existence long before this one. My defense is that I did seach for the name before I started out and didn't find it. I've had a quick peek and it's great! So I urge you to head over there too - but promise you'll come back and visit me :-)
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