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Bikes and chocolate and my children
Another weekend, another Saturday and time for bikes and chocolate. Easter is officially over, however my five year old, ate the ears and nose of Alfie bunny for her breakfast. Yes, now a sad looking chocolate rabbit. It’s amazing that she still has him to eat. My seven year old, consumed most of his the day he was given it. The kids do love their chocolate.
It has been a dry but chilly day here, no gardening achieved but the children have been outside playing on their bikes. Today I bought my short nearly 8 year old a 24 inch wheeled Ridgeback bike. I didn’t think he would be able to touch the floor. He can, and he can control it well too. It is a lightweight bike but I had in mind that it would need to be stored away for Christmas. So, be warned, if your child is turning eight and needs a new bike, have a look at the 24 inch before you buy a 20 inch.
Now watching my short five year old, nearly six on her 16 inch wheeled bike, the wheels look so small. She can ride my son’s heavy 20 inch bike, however, I’m sure she would much rather have a girls bike when the time comes. Looking on eBay and Facebook for a lightweight bike in the local area, I’m telling myself she can wait because her current bike is lovely and her seat is still right down. Plenty of growing room yet.
One disadvantage of having a boy and a girl, it is not as easy to hand down bikes. I’m grateful for Facebook and eBay.
Also, to bear in mind, if you are buying your child a new bike. The 24 inch bike I bought today weighs about 12.5kg, it has an aluminium frame. There is a nice looking 24 inch bike, half the price in Argos, but it weighs over 15kg. His 20 inch wheeled bike, weighs 14.1kg and that’s heavy! I was surprised that my daughter can handle it. A lighter bike will be more expensive, but weight is something to bear in mind over a Halfords or Argos bike. Many people will promote Islabikes as they are very light. They have a good resell value, but they are very expensive.
After a long busy week, I have achieved very little. I’m trying to do camp Nano, aiming for 20000 words this month, I’m very nearly there.
Being tired and busy is not helping my creativity this week. Trying to write about time travel is proving confusing. I’m starting to doubt myself. The urge to get a roll of wallpaper and plan the novel properly does seem like a good idea. Trying to work from the dinosaurs to the end of time. Then trying to decide how many years my story will allow and make some sort of sense.So, tomorrow I was thinking about taking the kids for a bike ride. Now I’ve remembered that I’ve got school uniform to iron. My seven year old still has to finish describing a picture of a rainforest. We still have to decide what my five year old is doing. Tomorrow is going to be a fight between their homework and their bikes and chocolate.
How has your week been? Did or do your children love their bikes and chocolate? Mine can spend hours riding around the garden in circles. I can remember as a child also riding around the garden. I have not told my children, but we used to line up blocks of wood and create obstacle courses. We would then ride over and around them. I think my parents gave up on stopping us and I’m guessing we probably left them to tidy up after us. It’s a shame that I have no photos of our garden fun. The fun of being a child on a bike.
For more see, Easter and time in the garden
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Twelve ideas for mum to help relieve stress
Stress is hard to contend with. It shows itself in different ways. For me its achy legs, grumpiness and tiredness. Do you have days where you just want to shut the world out? Days where your bed and duvet are much more inviting than the day ahead? Days where despite loving and adoring your children you would like to be sat in a relaxing spa miles away? Days, when going to work is the last thing you want to do? Don’t get me wrong, I do actually really love my job, but there are days when that can get too much as well.
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Am I normal? It is just being human? Being female? Being a mum to two small children? Or being a wife? Is it just to much stress and pressure?
Wives, mum’s, women many of us seem to carry the world on our shoulder’s. Some of us do it better than others. Me, maybe not so well. I have days in the car where I will scream and cry. Then compose myself when I meet people, I’m alright really!
I have a family I love, I have a job I enjoy. So, why stress? Life’s challenges, it would be boring without them. The need for more, the need to prove to myself that I’m actually worth something. Quite often I feel worthless. I’m mum, I cry, stress and nag. I’m mum, quite often ignored. Also, I’m mum organising bills, presents, birthdays, Christmas, Mothers day, Father’s day, Easter. Insurance, doctors appointments, washing, shopping, the list goes on.
As a mum, I often forget to look after me. Me who holds up everyone else. They say if a plane is going too crash then you should breathe into the mask first before passing it to your dependents. I’m sure I heard that somewhere. So, maybe us mum’s, women, home financial officers, do need to put ourselves first more. Our families need us!
So what can we do to relax, look after ourselves and ease the stress?
1. Put you feet up and relax with a mug of Herbal tea2. Watch your favourite DVD
3. Listen to an audible book
4. Cuddle up with your favourite author book or Kindle US and Kindle UK
5. Listen to your favourite music
6. Walking in the woods or by the sea.
7. Gardening– taking your stress out on the weeds
8. Relax with Bath oils
9. Relax with a Bubble bath
10. I started my blog due to stress. Writing for me is a good stress reliever.
12. Trying to believe in yourself. Right now I am writing my first novel. Trying to keep positive and motivated as I type. 34300 words today. I am not half way yet!
We all know that stress is not good for us, though many of us feel it. Many of us continue to work on through it. The “I wants” from the children carry on and we do our best. I took my children to B and M this afternoon to buy a garden broom. I could have been in and out in minutes. Instead, I was chasing them up and down the aisles and explaining why I wouldn’t buy the things they wanted.
They were slightly better in Morrison’s buying some plants but not much better. So, I wanted to buy container plants. Trying to work this out, Google on my phone and the kids saying “what about this one?” Does not help to make a decision. I ended up with two Gerberas and two Hollyhocks, which now I’m home I’ve found out they grow too big for my containers. They will soon be moved to the flower bed. Yes, I love my children very much!
I’m sure many dads feel it as well. Some dad’s I’m sure do much more than others. Daddy here will get up in the morning, letting me sleep at weekends which is honestly a huge bonus, I need my sleep! The kids adore him as they have him just where they want him. Daddy often says yes to their wants, mummy is the bad guy!
So, what do you do to stay calm and relaxed? Do you feel as stressed as me? Do you ever feel the need to shut out the world? It’s not easy being a mum but so many of us do it and we do a fantastic, amazing job with it. We conduct our own appraisals. I’m sure some of us carry out our appraisals more than others. I did mine today whilst bathing my five year old, twice as covered in mud. Black face, then mud in her hair all due to coating herself in Sun cream. I had to run a separate bath to wash her hair. Yes, mum fail, I should have made sure that I applied the sun cream.
Yes all the joys of being a parent, as I bathed her I regretted not taking a photo, it was frustrating but quite funny really. Maybe one of those times where we should have been laughing rather than me kicking myself once again.
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Easter and time in the garden
We are nearly at the end of the school holidays. Good Friday tomorrow then Easter Sunday, back to school next week. Have the kids achieved much these holidays? Answer no, not really, though my seven year old has read about Deserts and worn daddy down to get his own way with the Ipad.
My five year old has been unwell. Good timing being school holidays, next week would have been difficult. She is a lot better now and followed me out to the garden this afternoon. An hour spent in the garden today proved productive.
The last two weeks have raced by and I have struggled to go to work this week. Leaving the kids and daddy watching television has not been easy. The children are demanding and my workday can be a welcome break from their constant requests.
Today as I was getting ready to leave, my daughter said to me, “Mummy the sun is shining, it’s lovely, can we walk to town?” I would have loved to have taken her, maybe bought some chips and enjoyed some quality time, but there are bills to pay. It’s so hard sometimes being a grown up.
This morning I woke full of the joys of having to go to work today. Full day of work planned when the sun is shining and I finally felt motivated to pull weeds. So, as soon as I finished work, I took the opportunity for time in the garden. Weeding and mowing a quick job, but does look better and the green bin is now 3/4 full, so tonight it is out for the dustman tomorrow. I still have loads to do, an ongoing work in progress. Was nice to find flowers hidden under the weeds. I am hoping that this year we can spend more time outside. It was too cold and then too hot last year to enjoy it.
The year seems to be racing now, nearly at the end of April. We did not have Easter bonnets or Easter buggies this year. Made mum’s job easier but felt a bit strange. The kids coloured pictures of eggs instead.
Before returning to school we still have homework to complete and reading. My seven year old was so happy to choose all his library books, but with lack of strength from daddy and a strongwilled child, the Ipad has not been far away. I should stop worrying about him as he reads well but it is frustrating.
So, what are your plans for Sunday? And have you bought many chocolate eggs? I give mine a present rather than chocolate. By the end of Sunday, I’m sure they will be full of chocolate, just hope they are not sick.
For more see, Home
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