A Mother's Ramblings

I love Halloween, giving myself a good scare and getting to dress up in silly costumes! It became a little bit of a joke at my work, because Daddy and I would prepare a Home made costume in secret from each other and in the past five years we have been, a Witch, a cat, a pilot, Miss Hoolie from Balamory, a little Devil, Greg Wiggle, Marge Simpson, Dora The Explorer, Boots the Monkey, a Firework display, a witch, Mickey Mouse, a Spider web, a spider (both Top Ender and Baby Boy!) and a Vampire! This year we are all going to be cats, as it is an easy costume to make! Normally Top Ender and I dress up as Witches during the day and at night change into our costumes. I found that it is easier to go to work dressed as a witch (black top, black skirt and my black cape) than some of my previous outfits, which would be noticed in the corporate world as sticking out a little too much! As I am going to be busy today preparing the feast for my brood, decorating our house for the Trick or Tre...

Have you ever tried to get a cat to swallow a pill? The easiest way would be to put it in food and let the cat unwittingly swallow the pill, but our cats seem to have a sixth sense about pills in food and tend eat round the tablet. So instead we have to hold the cat, put the tablet in its mouth and then gently massage its throat until it has swallowed the pill and then give them some water to make sure everything is okay. Have you ever tried to get a baby to swallow a pill? The easiest way would be to put crush it in to food and let the baby unwittingly eat the food with the hidden pill, but pills always seem to taste bitter and after the first spoon or two the baby won't eat any more food and you are stuck with a baby who has only had half a dose of its medication. Or at least that is what happened with the first tamiflu tablet Baby Boy had in a yogurt. Yesterday morning I gave Baby Boy sweetened porridge with a hidden pill and was on tender hooks until he had eaten it ...

As predicted Baby Boy suddenly became a lot worse with a sudden rush of other symptoms appearing over an hour where we felt he needed the antivirals. I called our GP just to check that it would be okay, as he had been slightly ill for a couple of days and they agreed he needed them. As Daddy and I could not go to get them we called upon Grandad and Nanna and asked if they could possibly go and get them for us. They agreed (Thank you!) and were soon round to collect Baby Boys ID and the other information required. When they got to the Chemist they dutifully handed over the slip of paper I had given them which listed Baby Boys details along with his and their own ID. The Chemist turned out to be the same one that had issued both mine and Daddy's antivirals as she exclaimed; "Oh No! Not Baby Boy too!"

We have it. That's right all of us. At the same time. Well, actually Top Ender was hit first and then me and then Daddy. Somewhere in the middle of it Baby Boy got a very mild version and generally hasn't been effected as much as the rest of us. For which I am incredibly thankful but, before I count my chickens, he has slept longer today so we might be in for a rough time still. We were at my Nans when Top Ender got ill, and at first we didn't want to attribute her illness to swine flu, mostly because my Nan fits the at risk categories and I didn't want to be the one bringing it in to her home! We knew that it was a possibility however as two of Top Enders friends from her school year had been diagnosed with it the week before Half Term and a further friends brother was hospitalised from complications (but as far as we know he is okay now). When we took Top Ender's Temperature and it was 104°F (40°C) we decided that we probably were dealing with Swine...

For the last couple of weeks I haven't been posting on a Monday, because I should be posting about my diet and the Yummy Mummy with No Tummy Challenge, but things are getting a little bad round here and I think I am going a little crazy! You see I have been being as good as I can, and exercising and refusing to eat junk and I haven't lost any weight and I am starting to get very disappointed. It got so bad last week that I resorted to comfort eating, which is the reason I put on weight and this is why I started the challenge in the first place! I have given myself a couple of weeks off, to eat as I want, exercise as I want and just recharge myself. This is the last week of that, as soon as Half term is over I will start being strict with myself again. I think that it is actually important to do this, I feel that I will get a better result when I return to the diet with a new energy and I think that the cabin fever will of gone too by then! So have fun this week everyone and I w...

This week on the Holiday Grand plan it is all about the Pantry and the Closets . I keep on top of my closets because it is something that I can do without causing myself any distress. I am always too pleased to get rid of clothes that I don't like for one reason or another! Of course I also have to keep on top of it because I store Christmas and Birthday gifts in our closet and if I don't know what is in there, I am bound to buy more than one of something... This week I am also going to help Top Ender to decorate our home for Halloween, we have most of our decorations for outside, but this year I am going to let her decorate the window with window pens and hang garlands inside. As we don't have Thanksgiving, I will start to arrange our Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Party. We will have fireworks in our garden, and a small meal which needs to be arranged! It is my Mum, Sister and partner and Cousin and Baby Cousin that come, so it doesn't need to be anything fancy! ...

The other day, my Mum had an accident and ended up having to go to hospital for stitches in her face. My Sister took her and described the gory details to me on the telephone the next day. That night as Top Ender and I were walking down to her Swimming lesson I was regaling her with the story. "And the hole is so big, they can't put stitches in!" I said "And is it still bleeding?" asked Top Ender "Well, no they stopped the bleeding" I said "Can you see the hole now?" she asked "Yes... well I imagine they have put a special plaster bandage type thing on it now" I said There was a pause as Top Ender processed what I had told her. "Is that what she is going to wear for Halloween?" asked Top Ender "What?" I asked thinking I had missed something "Is she going to wear it for Halloween?!" repeated Top Ender impatiently "Well it won't be healed by then, so I guess she will have it on...

Once upon a time in a kingdom far away there lived a brave princess called Top Ender, who enjoyed playing on Arcade Games, such as The Fast and the Furious Super Bikes Racing Arcade Game . As a treat The King and Queen had taken the brave princess to the Kingdom of Brighton pier, where such a game existed. Also in the kingdom, was Baron Teenager Boy. Baron Teenager Boy and his court also enjoyed playing The Fast and the Furious Super Bikes Racing Arcade Game and would often be found of an evening practising their skills, in order to impress the local Teenager Maidens. And so it came to pass that both Princess Top Ender and Baron Teenager Boy were both going to race in the same race, as they has placed their coins into the machine at the same time. King Daddy stood next to Princess Top Ender, (Queen Mummy and Prince Baby Boy were posing for the court artist) as she navigated the course and Baron Teenager Boy's court stood with him. As the race finished the court of Baron T...

Over at Parent Dish there is an article by the lovely Joanne Mallon about not buying gifts at Christmas for the adults in the family . Joanne sent me a quick link to it on Twitter as she knows that Christmas is big business in our house and was wondering my thoughts on the matter. Like most holidays Christmas is becoming more and more commercialised. We all know the joke about the overheard comment about a nativity scene in a Christmas Display shop window and how "They are bringing religion into everything these days!", but that is really what Christmas is all about and is the main feature of the season in our house.

This is Percy. Percy lives in our front garden. He arrived one day whilst Daddy was at work, I was out with Baby Boy and Top Ender was at school. Top Ender doesn't know it, but he is going to go on holiday soon...

Last night Daddy was taking Baby Boy out on a secret Christmas errand (he went to Maplins, so I am guessing I have another Instructables Christmas gift) whilst Top Ender went to bed. Top Ender has had three late nights in a row and as such was not impressed that Baby Boy was going out with her Daddy, as she felt she needed him in the house in order to go to sleep. "It will now take me ages to fall asleep, an hour and a half! And you wont be back for an hour and two quarters!" she yelled stomping up the stairs Daddy looked at me as we both did the math in our heads "But they are the same!" Daddy called back "Hmph" grunted Top Ender

To me Christmas means Kitchen work and normally a lot of it. In the past the Christmas meal in my home was cooked by my Father and his Mother. They would start preperations the night before (for the main meal) by preparing the vegetables ready for the next day and I know that Daddy has commented that his Mum spent all day in the Kitchen on Christmas Day when he was growing up. I wonder how many hours have been unnecissarily wasted hiding in the Kitchen when we should be celebrating with friends and family and that is what I feel Christmas is about. But, then good food for me is one of the best things about the whole season. I love to be able to feed my family home made treats, and I love being able to whip a batch of biscuits out of the freezer and into the oven if we have unexpected guests. And not having a feast on Christmas Day? Well I think I would have a mutiny on my hands! So what to do? Well this is where the Holiday Grand Plan comes into its own for me, each week I have made...

When I was Top Enders age, I remember parents evening as being something that my parents went to, then came home and pretended that the teachers had told them some horrid things about me, before actually confirming that I was on target for what was expected of me. As I got older, parents evening became terrifying for me, not because I wasn't a good student, but because I hated feeling that I had let my parents down by not trying hard enough. I was not a "Straight A" student, although I always tried hard. Parents evening now is just as terrifying, because I worry that I am letting Top Ender down by not helping her enough, or by helping her too much! At our appointment on Wednesday we spent ten minutes looking at Top Enders books and the work she has done with Mrs Wise Owl (that's Top Enders teacher) so far this year. Both Daddy and I were impressed by Top Enders work and spotted confirmation of a couple of areas in her work that we knew that she needs help with. ...

Last night to stop Top Ender and I moping around the house, Daddy took a surprise night off and took us on a long stopped tradition of walking round the local shopping Centre on a Thursday night. Top Ender was starting to feel hungry and so we ventured to the food hall of Marks and Spencers "As a treat, I'll buy you a Marks and Spencers meal for dinner" I told Top Ender "But I don't want a Marks and Spencers meal!" whinged Top Ender "I'll let you choose any meal you want, I won't only give you a few options!" I tried brightly "But I want real food... like McDonalds!" slandered Top Ender Just a quick edit, for all those who have no idea what M&S is about, this was a Christmas ad from them in 2006... Altogether now; This isn't just food this is M&S food.

I had a horrid decision to make yesterday and subsequently last Night I had a strange dream that reminded me of the Film "The Three Lives of Thomasina" and in particular this scene; Because today I am taking Dibbles, one of our cats, to the Vets to be put to sleep. Dibbles is a very old cat, he must be 21 years old, and when my Mum had to move from the house I grew up in he came to live with us and our three cats. Although he was one of the family cats, he was my cat and he use to snuggle into me and my bed when I was only a few years older than Top Ender. I have explained to Top Ender that Dibbles is going to go to sleep, and that it is whilst he is asleep that he will die. I couldn't come out with the whole truth, we have already too much loss this year. We are Christians and as such, have taught Top Ender about life after Death. She knows that in Heaven we will see those who have gone before us and this includes pets. She came up with an idea this morning that pets tha...

Christmas always excites me. Not just because of the gifts and that it is a celebration of our Saviours Birth, but the whole season. The smell, the taste, the feeling and every week as I get my home ready I sense just a little bit of it coming into my home. This week at Organized Christmas, the Holiday Grand Plan focuses on the Guest rooms and guest bathroom . As I don't have a guest room, or a guest bathroom traditionally this week I like to concentrate on finishing up all the areas we have gone over already. My list for this week is huge, and I am doing it in order of scale! To start with I need to get the front garden sorted out again. I need to prune, fertilise and clear the area outside the front door that seems to attract mud and dust! Then I need to move on to my entry and Hall. Daddy needs to paint a bit of skirting board, and touch up a wall but I think I might be waiting for sometime so I shall do it myself this week! It will be nice for Daddy not to have t...

In the summer we went to an Open Air showing of the Film Grease and Top Ender loved it . The soundtrack has made its way into the car, so we can listen to it there and it was only when we started listening as a family that Daddy and I realised just how grown up this film is and began dreading the day Top Ender asked for clarification on the lyrics. We were listening and singing along to the song "Greased Lightning", for those of you who don't know these are the lyrics; Go, greased lightning, you're burning up the quarter mile. Greased lightning, go greased lightning. Go, greased lightning, you're coasting through the heat lap trials. Greased lightning go greased lightning. You are supreme, the chicks'll cream, for greased lightning. Yeah, you read right. What was that last bit" asked Top Ender as Daddy and I stared at each other wide eyed "Jigsaw cream!" answered Daddy "You know cream that you put on Jigsaws" he ...

Granny was taking Top Ender, Cousin and Baby Boy to McDonald's for some tea. They were all sat in the back of the car and Top Ender and Cousin were talking excitedly about Christmas. Cousin (who is two and a half) was trying to explain that for Christmas she would like Barbie's pet Horse. "I want a pony" Cousin said "Do you mean 'My Little Pony' like I have?" asked Top Ender "No, it will be My Pony not yours!" exclaimed Cousin

I was a brave Mummy this past Tuesday. I took Baby Boy to a toddler playgroup. I kind of cheated though as it is at Top Enders School, (in the school hall) so I would know people by sight if not by name and I might see Top Ender walk past on her way to the Library... Baby Boy loved it, so I guess that I am going to have to go every week . Darn it. I am so shy normally, and would put things like this off forever if I could. I reasoned however that Baby Boy needs to socialise with other children other than his Sister and his cousins and the few minutes before and after school. Luckily, including me, there were only five Mums there, and I think I can handle an hour and a half with four strangers every week !

Daddy has been growing a beard. Something to do with turning 30 a couple of years back apparently. I blame Dave Gorman. Today he was complaining about it to Top Ender and I, about how it is getting a little curly and long round his chin. Whilst he was doing this he was gently pulling at a loose straggly hair. "Can I touch it" asked Top Ender "Yes, you can even pull one out if you want" said Daddy thinking of shaving it off Top Ender tried to pull one out. "I can't do it" she said "Use your fingernails" said Daddy Top Ender tried again "Aaaaaaah!" screamed Daddy "I meant only one not a whole bunch!" he squealed "I only got two!" said Top Ender already walking them to the bin I just sat on the sofa trying not to giggle

If I lose 2lbs a week for the next eleven weeks, I could be a stone and a half lighter just in time for Christmas. I know this will be tough, but I think that it is a good focus point for me, as it is close enough to not discourage me, but far enough away that I will work at it. This will of course throw everything in to chaos as my Christmas outfit won't fit.. unless I buy something new that is a little too small. The problem then is that I wouldn't want to eat much over the run up to the Christmas period as I would be worried about putting on weight and my outfit not fitting... what is a girl to do? I think that I will go with an outfit at the last minute that fits. That way if I do lose an extra lb or two then it won't matter as it will still look okay! With my impacted wisdom tooth having been taken out last week I am not eating properly as the stitches are causing me worry (yucky!) and the bruising on my jaw is terrible! This has caused a beneficial side effect t...

I've been reading a lot of research about weight and food as due to the wonder of the Internet everything is out there. I came across a study by The UT Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas and found these quotes to be interesting; "Normally, our body is primed to say when we have had enough, but that does not always happen when we are eating something good." Now I take this to mean that if we are eating something that we should eat in moderation and are enjoying it that we over ride our sense of being full to continue eating. Interesting thought. "Our findings suggest that when you eat something high in fat, your brain gets 'hit' with the fatty acids, and you become resistant to insulin and leptin . Since you are not being told by the brain to stop eating, you overeat." Does that explain why I like to eat more than one cheeseburger, and not just because they are small compared to a Big Mac or similar? Or why if I have pizza on a Friday and sna...

I did something this week that I have never done before with Christmas prep. I asked Daddy to take care of a Christmas gift all on his own. Top ender is getting a Nintendo DSi for Christmas, we agreed this a couple of months back and so with this figured out I have tasked Daddy to buy it and to arrange for some suitable games for her to be purchased. This is a really big thing for me... So the Bathroom clean up and sort out went well. I have added new bathroom mats to my list of things to buy when I am at my Nan's in October Half-term as she has a really good cheap shop near her. They sell things that they can get cheap and sometimes seconds, and we always spend a fortune there! Anyway this week in the Holiday Grand Plan we have moved on to the Kids Room and I am quite excited about this! Baby Boys room is quite tidy and sparse of belongings (partly because he is only 16 months old, partly because his room is so small!) so his room won't take too long. I keep a box i...

Today Top Ender had been good enough to warrant a treat whilst we were doing our weekly shop. "Can I have a Cumberland Sausage please?" asked Top Ender "Of course you can, get a second one for Baby Boy too please" I answered Top Ender queued dutifully and ordered the two cooked sausages from the hot deli counter. "Can I carry them?" asked Top Ender "It would probably be better if you put them in the trolley" I said "They do get quite hot after a while" said Daddy. We walked a few steps further down before Top Ender looked at the sausages in the bag, sitting in the trolley. "They look like they are having SEX!" she said (but it seemed to echo all around) "Top Ender you don't even know what that means, so don't say it!" I said feeling shocked "It means they are in love" she said "Where did you learn that?" questioned Daddy "The Simpsons" answered Top Ender simply "I knew it wa...

Something has happened that has made me feel quite proud; Especially as I didn't set out to do it... I'm a cool and fun parent, and it isn't just me and my kids who think it! Look me being cool at ten past Midnight! I think there must be a cool/fun parent gene as my parents were cool and from tales I have been told I think both my parents, parents were "cool" too. There are two events which stand out as being the height of cool. The first is the Christmas my parents cleared it with my friends parents, without my friends knowing, that they could have some eggnog as part of our little party. My friends were all about the alcohol, even at the tender age of ten. The second was a sleepover my sister had where they were allowed to watch a "horror" movie (I think it was The Lost Boys ). At the time my parents were renovating and there was a 4 inch gap between the ceiling and a non supporting wall. My parents standing on chairs caused more screams tha...