It’s another Friday today, everyone is downstairs and I can hear happy chatter. Yesterday I took both kids to the barber’s. My daughter wanted to come for a walk, my son’s hair is now a lot shorter, a grade 2 and tidied up, very smart. We went into Morrison’s on the way back. I told the kids that whatever we buy they need to help me carry home, they agreed to this. The plan was to buy ingredients for Pumpkin Pie and then prepare and cook it together. Firstly my 7 year old wanted a big Pumpkin, I suggested two little ones so they could carry one each. He was upset at this and wanted a big one, the big one went back into the stores pumpkin box and I put two little ones in the trolley.  In the next box, they had white pumpkins and then pumpkins that were supposed to be scary or novelty as they were named. They looked like there was something wrong with them. Do people really buy pumpkins that look like they are rotting? Covered in bits and bumps.  They also had massive pumpkins for £8.00, we were not carrying one of them home, the green ones are wonky pumpkins, see photos below.

It was then a mission to get the rest of the shopping. Arguments over who was pushing the trolley. My 5 year old then sitting in it and my son holding on to the front and riding it, making it a lot harder to manoeuvre. My children do not seem to understand that when I say “get out” or “get down” I am saying it for their safety not just because I like saying it.

We had then collected everything and it was time to scan the shopping. As I was scanning, my son had picked up a toy car and he scanned that to, with the words “it’s bought now mummy” “err no it’s not”.  I had to alert the check out assistant to take it off the bill, which she did and took the car away.

The next job was carrying it all home. My son had been all eager to help carry, he now didn’t want to carry anything. He was indignant as I handed him a shopping bag with a pumpkin and a loaf of bread. Pulling out the pumpkin he said “I want to carry just this, not the bread”. We had an argument stood by the shopping trollies, people were looking as he started rolling it on the ground.  I was now shouting and he was calmly answering back. My 5 year old was happy to carry her bag with bread and a pumpkin, she did not complain once. She kept telling me how strong she is and I kept telling her how good she is. The shopping trip would have been almost impossible without her as I would have had to carry it all back.

The plan had been barber’s, then Morrison’s and then make pumpkin pie. Due to the time it took us to get out of the house, the time to walk there, then the time taken in Morrison’s and all the struggles getting home, it was nearly dinner time when we got home. Hence the pie is not made yet, it’s another job for today. Why can’t kids just hurry up when you want them to, everything takes twice as long when they are around.

Once home, they both immediately wanted toast and soon after we had dinner. We then had the usual mission to get them to bed. Why won’t my kids go straight to bed? We had the usual bouncing and noise and generally not doing as they are told. The refusal to clean their teeth and then the toothbrushes thrown on the landing when they have finished with them. Over and over every night, the same argument, the kids think it is funny, it really is not.

Anyway I am now going to join the rest of my family and find some food and coffee. Then hopefully later achieve two Jack O’ Lanterns and a pumpkin pie with the help of my two children. I also have the usual washing and the kids still need to do their homework. The half term holidays have raced by and I will soon be back at work. Work can be less stressful as I don’t shout at my colleagues. They are not climbing on things or not doing as they are told. The bigger stress with work is driving, if there were no other cars on the road it would be great. Anyway my coffee is now calling me and I’m going downstairs, back to the madness of being mum.