What's life without love and a few dirty dishes?
We’ve all heard of the bedtime witching hour. When kids turn slightly ferrel and parents are counting down until the moment they can collapse on the sofa and ignore one another in marital bliss. But did you know parenting involves a lot more witching hours than just the bedtime one… The Early Morning Witching Hour […] Read more…
Whether it’s a sickness bug or chicken pox, childhood illness can cause stress, worry, and a lot of googling. Not to mention a severe decline in the number of hours parents sleep, and a sharp incline in the amount of chocolate they eat. Maybe that’s just my house. Batten down the hatches, the kids are […] Read more…
Big went on his first residential trip in March at the grand old age of nine. Two nights on the Isle of Wight with the school. I was fine. I was organised. Everything was labelled within an inch of it’s life. The trip started on his Little Brother’s birthday, so my mind was consumed with […] Read more…
When I was growing up we had a climbing frame with slide in our back garden. My best friend lived next door and had a climbing frame too. Most of my childhood was spent on either hers or my climbing frame! I believe I acquired many life skills hanging around on those bars. Now this […] Read more…
Yes, you heard me. I’m sure it’s some kind of parenting cardinal sin for which I am being punished for with two kids that get up at the crack of dawn every dam day. But it’s true, for my sins, I hate the park. And I know it’s good for them. Fresh air. Climbing. Running […] Read more…
I am becoming increasingly aware that the days of Big not having a mobile phone are limited. Primary school seems to be flying past, and in the not to distant future we will be looking at secondary schools and he will get his first phone. It’s uncharted territory for me. I managed fine walking to […] Read more…
As I was having the daily argument with Big about putting his coat on this morning, it dawned on me the different stages we go through of wearing a coat during our lifetime. Coats when you are a baby Let’s face it coats are way too big and puffy for babies. They just look like […] Read more…
I love that saying about cousins, “Cousins are those childhood playmates who grow up to be forever friends” It perfectly sums up my relationship with my cousin Katie. She was bridesmaid at my wedding and now I get to be bridesmaid for her. Her wedding also happens to be in Australia, so I get to […] Read more…
If there is one thing that gives me a deep sinking feeling in my stomach more than trying to plan activities to keep the kids entertained for six weeks, it’s shopping for school shoes. It normally involves a lot of waiting, some tears, and parting with an extortionate amount of cash. Of course too late […] Read more…
No one warned me how noisy kids are. It’s like a daily assault on the ear drums that can leave me with a pounding headache. Of course the house feels weird and not right without all the noise now, so I guess I’m getting used to it! This is part two of the A-Z of […] Read more…
Next weekend marks a ‘big’ birthday for the husband. It also means a night out without the kids. Gone are the days when I used to stress about leaving them over night. Nowadays I break open the Prosecco and enjoy the silence! The kids would rather be staying with the Grandparents and jumping all over […] Read more…
In any doctors waiting room you are guaranteed to see three things; patients, patience, and one of those wooden toys with the blocks on twirly metal things. It’s boring waiting as a fully fledged grown up. But as a kid? Doctors waiting rooms are a place where parenting skills are put to the max […] Read more…
The job of raising children is not a quiet one. My kids only seem to have one volume and that’s full blast. It’s something you get used to, the constant sounds, the parenting noises. In fact if you find yourself home alone, as much as the peace and quiet is welcome, it feels odd. Home […] Read more…
Being a parent often brings out the nurturing side of people. It also brings out some pretty wild animal instincts. Have you ever wondered which animal characteristics you possess most as a parent? Lets take a closer look… The Owl The owl is notorious for being wise, as are you in the eyes of your offspring […] Read more…
If there’s one piece of post childbirth advice that winds me up, it’s “The housework can wait”. It remains a constant piece of advice given at any stage of your child’s life and I for one am calling bullshit on this particular wisdom. Why? Because quite simply it’s not true. Of course prioritise those baby […] Read more…
Romantic weekends away are a thing of the past. A distant memory from long ago in a life before children. The husband is more likely to bring home a bottle of nit shampoo than he is a bottle of bubbly. But romance is not dead. It’s just different. The best romantic gestures that […] Read more…
I’ve paid my dues. I’ve squeezed and pulsed and looked slightly constipated all in an effort to ensure I regained control of my bladder post squeezing babies out of my vajayjay. Pre children I used to pride myself on being able to consume alcoholic drinks, shake my groove thing, and hail a cab at the […] Read more…
It’s hard work being a kid. Having people there to take care of your every desire. Serve you food for you to turn your nose up at. Take you fun places for you to have meltdowns. Give you money to buy yourself sweets and toys. Apart from the obvious not having to go to work […] Read more…
You know you get those smug parents, the ones that say “Oh Rupert was reading Shakespeare at age six”. Their smugness will always be short lived. Because as much as kids learning to read is wonderful, it also signifies the end of conversations with spelt out code words between you and your husband. Life changes […] Read more…
Whomever coined the phrase “Sleeping Like a Baby” has clearly never spent a night in close proximity to a baby. Lack of sleep is the number one reason why parents are exhausted. It’s what everyone somewhat joyfully warns you about when you announce your pregnancy. But there are lots of other reasons parents are exhausted. […] Read more…