Getting Organised

There has to be something wrong with me... yesterday I did housework, and not just any old flicking a brush about housework, no it was real proper on your hands and knees, polish and duster kind of housework! I also cleared out behind the sofa (you can't even see behind the sofa unless you walk up and have a look so goodness knows what inspired that) and organised the desk. Woohoo space!

I have a horrible feeling that I am in preparation for my return to the world of (out of the house) work . I even managed to get packed lunches made last night, not a last minute rush this morning then, and I'm having strange and unusual thoughts about organising childrens clothes the night before . It's quite satisfying seeing clear spaces I have to admit, not sure I'll be making a habit of it mind you.

Oh and to prove that no matter how organised you may be there will always be something that comes along to slow you down, eldest lad decided to mess up my nice clear kitchen this morning. He was making himself some cereal, I was getting Little Miss dressed and youngest boy was eating breakfast (my biggest girl of course has abandoned ship and is on her school trip ). I suddenly heard a loud "Oh no! Oh god, god no!" exclaimation coming from the kitchen. What's up I ask with no particular urgency for I am well aware of my sons drama queen tendencies, "I've dropped my rice crispies and sugar everywhere" he shouts "it's gone in the sugar!" So I am making my way to the kitchen telling him to clear it up then. What my lovely son had failed to impart, was the fact that there was also milk in the mix! So. I was greeted by the sight of rice crispies and milk and sugar cascading (I can do drama queen to you know) down the front of my cupboards and making a fairly impressive lake of milky cereal on the floor. I was struck by the fact that he had been shouting and carrying on alarming for a good two/three minutes before I arrived. Directly in front of him on the side was a big roll of kitchen towel... why had there been no attempt to stem the tide?

Nope, shouting and screaming is oviously the way to go, and do you know what? It bloomin' works doesn't it, cos mum will appear and immediately leap into action, whilst lad runs off and gets away with it!

'Cept he didn't entirely get away with it as I requested back the money he had in order to buy more sugar, well there have to be some consequences don't there?

Soggy Socks, Stress and Sulks

I'm smiling, I'm smiling! I am smiling before I go mad and murder small people. Well I have calmed down now but earlier... ooh twasn't pretty.

The day started with a torrential downpour, this brought to my attention that when there are the words "waterproof trousers" on your childs list of clothing for her trip away, maybe, just maybe you should buy them. This caused a dilemma for me, today was a driving lesson day, I had £20 in my purse and no more... waterproof trousers cost £10. Mmmm, oh dear, cancelled the lesson saying little one wasn't well (naughty but not entirely untrue... I am still watching for signs of the dreaded lurgy/chicken pox). I then braved yet more torrential rain and ventured out to the shop I went to on saturday (decided on saturday not to spend £10 as it seemed lovely and sunny) only to discover they had sold out. Aaargh, obviously every other mum ran out this morning and decided, yes we do need waterproof trousers. This meant the walk in the rain had to continue for a little longer as I traipsed,damply, into town to find waterproof bloomin' trousers (wish I had waterproof trousers, or even waterproof shoes, sans holes would have been good). I went to the Countryside Store (couldn't see much countryside on offer but plenty of multi-coloured wellies) and asked the lady if they had childrens trousers, of the waterproof variety. She pulled out every item on her rack and it was looking dodgy for a while there, but finally hoorah! So the mission was successful and I feel like a better mummy for providing the right equipment for my girl.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a slight haze as I was knackered, littlest girl however was not and no amount of "come and cuddle mummy" would entice her to sit still for five minutes.

When eldest boy came home he revealed to me that the cooking ingredients I had supplied last night, at the last minute, for chicken jambalaya (!) were not in fact needed until wednesday . So what happened to the ingredients, he had put them in the fridge obviously....alternatively he had carried fresh chicken, diced peppers (by mum), diced onion (by mum), rice, garlic, etc etc around in his back pack all day. All these ingredients that he had sprung on me last night, were wasted and now I have to supply more for wednesday. To top it off he had lost the pound coin I gave him yesterday, this is the first bit of money he has been entrusted with since the wallet escapade, and he hasn't exactly covered himself in glory with the "responsibility taking" today! I was so angry and when he declared he would go upstairs and find more money to go to the shops I informed him that this wasn't happening. Good lord, not only did the world end at this point, I was also told that he couldn't help it, it was an accident and how could I blame him. He went on to scream and shout at me and tell me that he was really "stressed" (ooh poor you) then he carried on with the hyperventilating stage of the performance and started to scream some more. Naturally I remained calm and quiet, and at no point did I threaten to slap him one if he talked to me like that . He let it be known that I was the most dreadful mother in the world, I let it be known he wasn't doing himself any favours...it would have escalated further except I had to go and fetch two small people from school, good job too.

I wasn't looking forward to coming back, but as running away wasn't on the cards, I did. We were met by a smiley slightly abashed boy, who told me almost before I got through the door, that he had remembered he had spent some of his pound today and infact hadn't lost it but had 80p left. I stood and stared at him, how could he forget this when WW2 had started? Didn't it jog his memory? Nope it didn't, but at least he was calm and sweet and a much nicer boy to come home to.

Little Miss on the other hand fell asleep on the way home (uh oh) and didn't wake until five o clock (uh oh) and was in a foul mood, looks like something may be brewing after all... see what happens when you say they're ill .

My biggest girl the organised one has double checked her list and ticked off all items needed, she is off tomorrow and a tad over-excited, at least she'll have dry legs .

Keep Paddling..

I may be getting my influence from a Coronation Street scene today (Thanks Norris), but the point made was this, I may look all calm and serene on top but I'm like a little duck paddling away underneath. And I am! Paddling that is, actually not entirely sure I look that calm and serene but I am definitely paddling.

Lots got sorted yesterday, although I had an horrendous driving lesson, I suggested to good old Dave that I should probably go home but then he made me do a turn in the road, so I figured he wasn't letting me off. I was all over the show yesterday, wrong lane, going when I shouldn't have, stopping when I shouldn't have....ugh it can only get better.

I phoned up my place of work (as I am on a career break, I can call it that) to ask whether they could accomodate me with term time working. I actually spoke to the woman who is to be my boss (clue) and she was saying yes you can do term time and 16 hours a week and I was a bit flabberghasted actually. It all seemed organised and sorted and I didn't really have to do anything. I have to pop in on friday to discuss a start date and which of the school holidays I will be able to work if needed. OMG it's all getting a bit real now. I hope they bloomin' well retrain me cos it's been two years and I've forgotten everything.

So this morning I took Little Miss along to the nursery (and yes, no problem, they can have her and look after the others in the school hols... why is everyone being so helpful?) We arrived and she immediately shouted "Out" as she wanted to get out of her pushchair and play, she was off like a shot, excitedly playing with all the new stuff she hadn't seen before. I suspect she'll be fine without me, it'll be mum sobbing and clinging at the door, daughter will want to be free to run amok in her new domain (for it will be her domain).

I have also attacked the many and various piles of clean clothes, that were scattered around the house (no-one will put them away obviously) and allocated them to their correct drawers and cupboards. As a byproduct of this I then discovered surfaces I didn't know were there . I couldn't do any more washing cos there is no washing powder and no money.. arrrgh. Never mind, the nice Tesco man is coming tomorrow and I have hopefully ordered enough stuff to last a week this time, it's funny how when you're trying to be economical you end up not getting stuff you really do need!

Not sure how this going out to work thing is going to pan out, I somehow have to get things done (that I'm not getting done now) and be out of the house for three days. Oh well I am sure that everyone will pitch in and help eh? 'Scuse me I am just off to guffaw loudly at my own humorous remark .

A Grand Day Out

...sorry Mr Park, I just like the title. We didn't have an outing as such today, but we have spent a lot of it outside, in the real world. The weather here was far too enticing to stay indoors, the sun was up the sky was blue (oh blimey I'm going all Siouxsie and the Banshees again!) and I felt inspired for the first time in ages to "get things done" so I thought I'd better take advantage of the mood and do.

First, I managed a feat of such amazingness, I can barely believe it myself... I prepared the sunday dinner before eleven o clock this morning. I never manage that, it usually takes all day . Spurred on by this success I got two loads of washing done and dried by a reasonable time, and this means I am not running back and forth to the tumble dryer (in the garage) in the middle of the night.... uniforms are clean and dry, yay!

We did get the kids out to the park, littlest miss had me running after her, steering her out of the way of guided missiles (swings) and helping her not hit the floor when stepping off climbing frames. Small children have no fear do they, gravity and other laws of physics have no meaning for them yet. The other three did a very good job of wearing themselves out running around like lunatics, I think we all benefited from the fresh air and sunshine .

I have had one small change of plan today, the boys floor is still looking fairly disastrous, the lads are definitely out of the same egg (almost ) and did good drama queen acts both simultaneously and seperately. Youngest boy, however made an attempt to tidy, not a good attempt but the effort was there. Teenager was a harder nut to crack, in the end I was so worn out I thought I'd see if there was another way. I came up with a cunning plan (no turnips involved... sorry Baldrick(do I watch too much telly ?)). I called the boy down the stairs and put forward my proposal, it was this.. I hate (hate, hate, hate) cleaning up after the dog in the garden. I wanted to get into the garden today and do some major tidying of brambles, weeds etc so baby girl and I could play outside. I put it to my boy, that if he would clear the garden of all "you know what" I would give him a pass on the floor this time. He accepted this deal a lot swifter than I imagined, so we both got something out of it.

Although now I have the task of locating the boys floor under all the stuff tomorrow. Hope I don't get too many lego related injuries, I've got a driving lesson at half one.

After our early dinner (and pud, I even made pud aren't you impressed?) I got out into the garden and attacked the plantlife that had taken over. We had a very over-ambitious bramble taking over one side and even encroaching onto the patio. The wisteria seems to have taken up residence on my windchimes, how on earth it reached there I dont quite understand, all very day of the triffids (now that's a book as well as a film... I do read you know). So I hacked away and swept, and hacked away some more, shovelled leaves and debris up and into a bin and in the space of two hours I had most of my garden back. The kids loved it, littlest girl was running about playing with her big sister and they were all chatting to next doors little girl over the fence, culminating in three girls singing "row row row your boat" (the crocodile version, more fun to scream) over and over again until it was dark.

Then we set fire to stuff, hah! Good fun and a fitting end to a productive day, I did have to restrain smallest lad from enthusiastically throwing himself into the fire (as his aim with the bits of garden rubbish wasn't too good) but that's all part of the fun isn't it.

I'm shattered now, and I seem to be eating many many maltesers, I shall stop soon and get to my bed... just a little smug today .

The First Post

First a little about me I suppose, a sort of "how do you do". I am a mum (as implied by my title no doubt) and I have four children, two of each flavour - ranging in age from thirteen (eeek!) down to almost, but not quite, two. I was never the maternal type and the change that overcame me when I had my firstborn, was startling to all. I turned from a squeamish what do you do with those (regarding kids) type person, into a ah yes this is my baby I know everything type person.

Of course that's not strictly true is it, because no matter how many you have, children always have the capacity to surprise, frustrate and amaze you. Just as you feel you've got one thing sussed they find something else to throw at you.

I love being a mum, not too keen on the pay mind you, and if I was younger and had more room I could see me going on and on. Luckily for Other Half, time and space have placed limits on my procreative tendencies. I am sure I shall be moaning about Other Half shortly, there is usually something that gets on my nerves, and I do so like to share my annoyance (not with him obviously).

I have one little poorly pup at the moment, so I best get on and attend to herself, cuddles are needed (not that I mind... it just doesn't get the housework done does it?)