Down you come, bump, bump, bump, step by step, laughing hysterically each time you crash into me. Then back up the stairs to do it again. I make a slight move towards leaving my half-way-down-step, and am told "No mummy! You stay!" Then down you come again, stair by stair. Crash. Burst of laughter. I ...
Every year, bright-eyed and innocent, I look forward to going away on holidays - to reading and relaxing and resting, and to getting lots of sleep and sun. And every year, I am yet again taken by surprise to find that the holiday isn’t quite the chilled out, easygoing, restful experience I expected. Here’s what ...
Holidaying with a toddler is kind of a contradiction in terms – if you expect, that is, for a holiday to be a relaxing affair. If you like high-octane adventure holidays, where you come home exhausted after two weeks of running, climbing and water-based-activities, then of course, holidaying with a toddler could be right up ...
I haven't stopped crying for two days - this is only slightly more crying than usual; fueled by goodbyes to teachers and to pre-school and to another chunk of childhood. I'm a crier. Anything sets me off. Some days, everything sets me off. Like yesterday. It started early, when a friend told me she is expecting her ...
I married a man who has jumped out of a plane in his time. I on the other hand, keep myself firmly belted in whenever I'm not on solid ground. He is tall and athletic; I am small and, well, just small. He likes football and rugby and golf. I like shopping and make-up and shoes. He's a ...
"It is exceptionally hard but people still do it. Other than hormones, there must be a reason people make the choice to become parents multiple times" I had a very interesting, eye-opening conversation today with someone close to me - I'll call her Claire because I know she'd like to have a blog name. I had ...
Walking past a poster for Disney's "Maleficent", I stopped to look at the evil Queen, noticing how striking she looked. Peering more closely, I spotted Angelina Jolie's name. And had a sudden realisation, that with just days to go before I turn forty, I'll never be Angelina Jolie. I mean, I was never actually going to be Angelina Jolie ...
Drink eight glasses of water a day. Take the stairs. Put the phone away when the kids are around. Be on time for work. Be on time leaving work. Pay attention during homework time. Eat five servings of fruit and veg a day. Don't let the kids watch too much TV. Get seven hours sleep. Don't eat red ...
I clash with my daughter. She's six. And I'm not six. I'm not proud of clashing with someone half my size and thirty-ish years younger than me. But, as we are fond of saying here, it is what it is. And the reason we clash? Because we are the same. I am her and she is ...
As part of lovely Learner Mama's linky, I've put together ten random things I've learned about parenting. They apply to me; they may not apply to everyone. But I wish my pre-mother self had known some of them. Or maybe that would take the fun out of it... 1. Nothing you can buy or do will ...