Tuesday again and another day off. Alexa woke me at the usual time, Daddy slept in as he did not have at work today. I forced myself out of bed and went to wake the kids. Again neither wanted to move, I helped them both with their clothes and then made them toast. Trying to get them both to hurry up so we could get out of the house was hard as they both just wanted to play. They definitely misbehave more on days when daddy is not coming with us.  We finally walked out of the door and started on our journey to school, somehow we caught up with time and arrived early.

Unloading the car I stopped to help my 5 year old with her coat.  Turning around I could not see my 7 year old, he had vanished. I started shouting for him, panicking when he did not respond and nervous that I was going to be in trouble for shouting at 8am in a residential area. Another mum then called me, he had managed to run to the school and was playing on the gate. The feeling of relief swept through me but I was annoyed with him too.  Why do my children do this to me? This morning my daughter was holding my hand. On other mornings she will run ahead as well.

Arriving at breakfast club we were advised that my daughter’s teacher had her red cat.  She was also told that they do not want to see it in school again. We had just had a meltdown at the car because I would not let her take her pretty notebook and ‘Hello Kitty’ bag into school. Would have been something else to lose like her red cat.

I left both children settled at breakfast club and went to do the shopping. Aldi at 8.20am today was lovely and empty. I do like an empty supermarket, when it’s busy I feel stressed.  Being able to load the checkout belt and go straight through was an unusual luxury.

Once home daddy helped me unpack the bags and put things away. It was nice to have some time alone without the children during the day. I then managed to get some things done, did two loads of washing and put some away. The day has been busy but also quiet.

I collected the children from school, my daughter came straight out smiling. My son took a little longer to get himself organised. Walking back to the car he started moaning that he was hungry. I told him that when we get home he can have some toast and then he has homework to do. He started to protest but I tried to make him feel better with reminding him that daddy is at home.  At this, he started walking a little faster and we caught up with his sister.

When we got home daddy had already made them food, they sat happily munching. It was me that had to remind them again about homework, they both groaned. Our son then agreed to read half his school book to daddy. I then tried to get our daughter to do her rhyming words, she started well but then did not want to do anymore. She gets bored very quickly and was more interested in putting felt tip pen on her ‘My Little Pony’. It was then hard to get her to concentrate so we did not get far.

Both children have spellings they need to learn for Friday. My daughter refused to learn her’s and my son has left his at school. I’m hoping he brings his home tomorrow but, it means we have just Wednesday and Thursday evening to learn them and his are hard as he is in the top spelling group.  I think my daughter will probably catch up in the future. At the moment she just wants to play and will not let me persuade her to learn them.

Both would not go straight to sleep tonight. It is quiet upstairs now but, I can still hear my 5 year old. She is good at late nights but not so good at early mornings and needing to concentrate the next day. No amount of persuasion from daddy or I will make her go to bed.

Anyway, I am now going to get some rest, try and build some energy ready for a long work day tomorrow and the morning stress of being mum.

Today was another long Monday.  It started with me waking the children at 6.30am. Why is it that my little boy wants to lay in on a weekday when on a weekend he is awake at 6.00am. He moaned when I woke him and I passed him his clothes. Then he did not want to get dressed. I would have loved to have told him that it was alright to just go back to sleep. However, today was school, there was no going back to sleep. I got both children dressed, made toast, had cereal, drank coffee. Then tried to get out of the house on time. Trying to get two kids out of the house got stressy this morning, with me shouting to just clean their teeth and then to put their shoes on. Both kids were moving as slow as possible.

We finally left the house late then got to school just after 8.00am. The kids went into breakfast club with my 7 year old still complaining that he did not want to go. Leaving them waiting for their breakfast my little girl happily said goodbye to me. My son sat looking gloomy, not helped with there not being a  seat near to his friends. I left him sat there, feeling upset for him and drove to work.

Work was busy, I met some lovely people and drove miles. I was relieved when I got home and started work again.  My body is aching right now, with pain down my left leg and back pain. The efforts of driving, walking and carrying work equipment. Then sitting huddled in my arm chair in the evening I’m sure does not help either.  The practicalities of modern life. A new mattress might help but ours is only 6 years old and new mattresses are not cheap.

My dad had collected them from school again and found problems when he arrived. One of my son’s friends had given him a cat rubber a few days ago.  When writing his Christmas cards he wanted to give him something back. Unfortunately, he chose a red cat that belongs to his sister. She had agreed for him to put it in with the Christmas card but had not understood that it would mean that her cat would now belong to the other child. So the first child who it was meant for received the cat, then another child took it, this started an argument. Then when my daughter arrived with grandad she realised what they were arguing over and she wanted her cat back adding to the stress.

The cat is now with my son’s teacher and I have since phoned the school to explain what has happened. The school secretary knew the cat I was talking about as a few weeks ago it spent a day in reception. Hopefully, when she receives her cat back tomorrow it will not get lost. For a red cat that looks like it came out of a Christmas cracker, it has caused a few problems. A little boy’s kind-hearted gesture but not understanding that his sister is 2 years younger and yes does not always mean yes.

He also gave a girl in his class what looks like a jewel.  It was a plastic shell decoration that used to sit in the bottom of my tropical fish tank. I doubt there will be arguments with that unless she brings it back to school. I hope she leaves it at home, I don’t think his teacher wants a repeat episode of today.

My daughter read her book to me before dinner tonight. My son has again left his book at home along with his yellow book that has his spellings in the back. Neither child wanted to do any homework in their homework books. My 5 year old needs to write down some rhyming words. We have started but are a long way from finished.

The children did not go straight to bed tonight again. They were playing in my son’s bedroom which right now has a mountain of toys all over the floor. Trying to get them to tidy and do as they are told is a struggle. Parenting does not get any easier, it is hard work.

It is my day off tomorrow again, I have shopping I need to do and then maybe I might get time to relax which would be nice. However does mum ever get time to truly relax? I’m sure there will be something that will need to be done, time will race and I will soon be back at school collecting the children.

Anyway, I am now going to go, try and get some rest so I am ready for the hard work of tomorrow. The shopping, getting the children to school and the whole ongoing stress of being mum.

see also, Monday craft, https://justmuddlingthroughlife.co.uk/2018/12/17/school-craft-afternoon/

Despite the kid’s late night, we had a cry at 6am of “I’m hungry” it was wishful thinking that our son might lay in. We told him to go back to bed, then daddy told him to go and get himself some food. It was about an hour later that daddy went downstairs and found him sat quietly playing on the iPad.  He had not eaten so could not have been that hungry at 6am.  He is good with the toaster or can make himself a sandwich.

Our daughter was getting dressed as daddy got up. On a day off she will always get dressed with no complaints,  she is a good girl really.  Well, when she is not being asked to help tidy up.

It has been another normal Sunday, washing done, ironing is done, homework started. My 5 year old wrote a few words then refused to write anymore. My 7 year old was supposed to write his favourite recipe. He loves Pasta Bolognese and wrote down what daddy was doing as he cooked it for dinner today.  His homework still needs to be finished along with my daughter’s writing.

Our son has been pestering and whining for the Christmas tree to be put up this weekend. I keep telling him no as we usually put it off as late as we can. I’ve told him maybe next weekend if he behaves. This led to us then trying to have a tidy up, which ended in me shouting at them to go and tidy their rooms. Well, do you think they really did tidy their rooms? I really wish they had. my afternoon was spent tidying the front room, carting toys back upstairs and vacuuming. IAlot of toast was found during tidying. I try and have a rule of no food in the front room but the kids always sneak it in.  However, how does toast get behind the settee? I think it’s maybe part of the mystery of having kids.

If you can see the featured image clearly you may notice that the coals are missing from our nice gas fire. When my little boy learnt to crawl he would play with the coals.  They consequently got broken and then the gas fire was decommissioned about 6 years ago.  One day we might buy more coals and get it reconnected but I’m certain the kids would just destroy it again at the moment. If you wonder why we don’t put a fire surround over it, both kids are climbers. It would not be long before there is a climbing incident. Are anyone else’s gas fires like ours? There, but unusable due to the children.

The front room and kitchen are now tidy, daddy helped tidy the kitchen. The bedrooms are still a mess. My 5 year olds room is untouched and my 7 year olds is a greater mess now than before he started. As for homework our son has now taken his book upstairs to draw ‘Starry Night’ by ‘Van Gogh’ again. My daughter’s is sat on the kitchen table to be completed another night.

We had gone through a  nice period of the kids going straight to sleep when put there. Tonight it is 21.00 and they are still playing. My daughter has just reappeared downstairs again, problems with her dressing gown. About 20 minutes ago she came down asking for her notebook.  I had left it on her pillow so I then had to go up and find it.  She had left it on the floor in her brother’s room.  Why can’t they just go to sleep? They both have school in the morning and it is going to be another long work day for me. Daddy is still not well at the moment so he gets to try and continue resting tomorrow.

It is nice to be sitting in a room that is tidy but, you can guess who will eventually be tidying our 5 year olds room again? I’m hoping my 7 year old will eventually do his. The stress goes on of continually having to re-tidy, due to children bringing their toys downstairs or tipping their Lego over the room. My children also love to draw, so paper gets thrown places as well. This room will not look tidy for long. I’m sure by next weekend I will be needing to tidy again.

Anyway, I am now going to go and watch some television. We are watching ‘Oblivion,’ I am tired and my body aches from tidying and the stress of trying to get the children to do their homework or help me. I am now going to try and build up some energy, ready for the hard work of tomorrow and my job of being mum.

see also, Saturday Kids mess, https://justmuddlingthroughlife.co.uk/2018/11/17/saturday-kids-mess/