Monday again, I don’t like Mondays, another gloomy wet day. I woke my daughter up as usual.  She grumbled as I dressed her, she was happily tucked inside her duvet. We then could not find my son’s jumper, not sure where he has put it, I’m sure it was in the kitchen over the weekend. So another job for me tomorrow to try and find it.

We got out of the house and arrived at school in good time. We walked into the school hall and my 7 year old gasped. The school have a really lovely Christmas tree. I pointed out to the kids that they had chopped the top of the tree to get it in the hall. My little boy laughed thinking this was funny.  It is an amazing tree and will look beautiful when decorated.

I left the children and drove to work. The country lanes do not get any easier, however, I was relieved that I did not meet anyone coming the other way. I hate having to reverse back as another car is driving towards me, or needing to find the nearest ditch to hide in.  I was glad to finally get home and then continue working.

The kids had a good day at school today. My 7 year old got all his spellings correct on Friday.  My daughter has been invited to a birthday party. Unfortunately, there are two parties on the same day. The first one we have already said we would go, so now having to work a way around the second, she wants to go to both. The complications of children, their friends and birthday parties.

When I finished work it was nice to cuddle up with the children.  The technical gadgets though always get in the way. I have said to daddy we need to ban them. Paw patrol on the iPod is very annoying when they should be reading.  I keep writing it and saying it but we need to be strong enough to enforce it. The gadgets should be for learning to read or reading only.  However seems a bit cruel to ban Minecraft and Roblox.

The gadgets of today are so quick and easy to access, unlike the ZX Spectrum that took forever to load up the cassette tape. You could not lie on the settee under your duvet and play on the spectrum. You were shut in your room watching the computer screen.  Things are so different today, not sure if they are for the best as the tablets are definitely a distraction from important things like homework.  However, as an adult, I would be lost without mine as I’m sat here typing on it whilst watching Coronation Street.

They both ate their dinner alright tonight and then my 7 year old read a little. My daughter refused but her nose was in the iPod with a blanket over her head.  I had to pull it off her, take away the iPod, let her scream and then carry her to bed. She would not move otherwise. Once she calmed down she then settled to get ready for bed.  My little boy wanted a story read to him, most nights he will not go to sleep without a story.

My daughter who would really benefit from a bedtime story is rarely interested now. She either wants to play or she is hiding under her duvet asleep. I know that I need to make more of an effort to read to her but it is really hard when my whole body aches and I’m tired. Sometimes I wish I had met my husband 20 years earlier,  I would have had more energy for the children. However, there is a lot I would not have done.  I’m not sure whether it is better to have them in your 20s or late 30s.  Some of the girls I went to school with are grandparents now. I don’t think I’m ready to be called Grandma, mummy is good for now.

Anyway, I am now going to get some rest. Tomorrow is my day off again and though I’m not at paid work, there is plenty to do around the house. I am now going to try and get an early night, try and build some energy for the stress of tomorrow morning and being mum.

see also, Monday aches. https://justmuddlingthroughlife.co.uk/2018/11/26/monday-aches/