Today started just the same, I really did not want to get up this morning and daddy shouted up to me to get out of bed. It was hard to find the motivation to face the world rather than hide away under the covers. Once out of bed I went and woke my 5 year old.  She was not happy to see me and groaned as I dressed her.  I think she wanted to stay in bed too, but no the outside world of Wednesday was calling.

She was not happy when I tried to drag her brush through her hair. These last few days she has refused to brush it and it was starting to look like straw. Her screams sounded and I’m sure it was painful. It is hard to get a 5 year old to understand that if she allows her hair to be brushed it will be less matted and knotted.   So consequently my daughter went to school with her hair still messy but no longer looking like straw.

We drove through the morning traffic, leaving daddy at work and then taking the kids to breakfast club. I left my daughter eating her shreddies and honey, hoping my phone would not ring to tell me that she had been unwell.

My 7 year old lost his school fleece yesterday.  When I left him today I realised as I took his coat off that he was not wearing his jumper. Fearing that he would be cold I mentioned to the nice lady in reception about his fleece, she then found it for him, he had left it in his classroom.

Leaving them both at school I drove to work, the weather today was wet and gloomy. I was relieved when I was finally back home and was sat indoors with my mug of tea and laptop.

When I finished work I went to collect the children. On arriving at my parents my heart sank when I saw the cardboard bowl on the floor. My dad reassured me that she had not been sick. School had said that she had not been too well this afternoon. She was asleep on my parents’ settee and was then upset when I woke her to take her home.  I did tell her I could leave her there but she then got up and allowed me to put her shoes on to go home.

It was then we noticed that my little boy was wearing his plimsolls. He had had forest school today and had a bag full of dirty clothes plus dirty wellies.  It had not occurred to my dad that his shoes were missing. It was now that he admitted that he had left his shoes at school. He had got them wet playing in puddles and they were now sat on the classroom radiator. I really hope they are alright and he will get them back tomorrow. They are expensive Clarks shoes, why can’t my children look after their clothes? Yesterday his fleece jacket and today his shoes. My daughter’s pink Peppa Pig scarf is still missing. They don’t seem to understand the importance of looking after their property.

My daughter refused her dinner tonight. I made her fish fingers because they are her favourite, she pushed them away and went back to watching Paw Patrol. I didn’t force her to eat because I do not want her to be sick again.

Putting them to bed tonight, I noticed my 5 year old has drawn with a biro on the wall behind her bed.  In my son’s room, she has scribbled with a black pen on one of the Ikea boxes on his Kallax unit.  My daughter loves her pens and drawing, I really wish she would not draw on the walls and furniture.   Why do children do this? Why can’t they just use paper?   They both went to bed quickly tonight which made things easier, no yoyoing up and down the stairs.

So another Thursday tomorrow and another busy day. More miles to cover and people to see. My little boy has rugby again, so more muddy clothes and hopefully, he will find his shoes. Maybe his teacher has taken them off the radiator for him.

I am now going to get some rest and relax, try and be more energetic and motivated to face the day tomorrow and the stresses of being mum.

see also Friday Sickness, https://justmuddlingthroughlife.co.uk/2018/11/23/friday-sickness/

Today started as usual with Alexa announcing 6.30am. I left my daughter in bed as long as I could. She was not happy when I woke her up and got her dressed.  The usual morning stress of getting up and out of the door. Then queuing in the traffic to school and daddy’s work.

Arriving at school today we saw the black cat, so he is alright. He has just been staying indoors I guess in the cold weather. The kids raced over and made a fuss of him.  We left my son at breakfast club and then turned the car around and headed home. Once home, despite it being my day off I had work I needed to do. My little girl sat on my kindle whilst I loaded up my work laptop. Then I had phone calls to take whilst my 5 year old was asking for toast.

Once my work was completed I had to try and wash the landing carpet where my daughter had been sick on Sunday evening. I sorted out the shampoo and started cleaning the carpets. As I was washing I started to wonder why the plastic tank was not full of water. I then realised that all the water was now on the carpet and no water had been sucked back up. A while ago the plastic cap that goes over the hole on the tank went missing.  I thought maybe it just helped keep the water in.  Well surprise surprise, it does have a purpose.  I  put my the palm of my hand over the hole and the suction started drawing the dirty water out of the carpet into the tank.

I phoned Vax hoping they could send me a new cap.  They advised me I would need to buy a new dirty water tank with the cap attached. So I have noted I can buy a new tank but first I need to try and find the missing cap. I know it is inevitable that if I pay Vax for a new dirty water tank, I will then very quickly find it.

This then had me wondering how to seal the hole to help produce the suction, I tried one of daddy’s socks. This worked for a while but was not terribly effective.  I then gave up on the sock and started crawling around the floor with my hand over the hole.  This produced better results and I tipped a lot of dirty water down the drain.  However the job is not perfect, some dirty marks are still obvious on the carpet where the dirty water was not drawn out properly. The sick mark is no longer there but now I’m either needing to buy a new dirty water tank or try and find a second hand one.

My 5 year old has been quite good these last few days with being so unwell. A few days ago I purchased a ‘Good Luck bear’ care bear of eBay. I think he is from 2003 but very good condition and about 10 years older than my daughter. She loves care bears and was very happy when I gave her ‘Good Luck bear’.  She has not really put him down since I gave him to her.   Today he went to school to collect our son, to grandma and grandad’s and then to daddy’s work. So this old bear now has a new friend and has made my little girl very happy. Just wish that he really did bring good luck. Maybe he does if you believe he does.

My 7 year old had PE and then netball today. I realised as I was putting the Vax away that his PE kit was still at home. His plimsolls were still in the airing cupboard drying due to washing them after Rugby last week. When we got to school I found that they had lent him a top to wear and he was not happy with me for forgetting. Tomorrow he has forest school, thankfully he reminded me. So his wellies and clothes are now in a carrier bag by the door.

My son read to me this evening and completed his reading book, my daughter refused. Then when putting them to bed she refused to clean her teeth. Daddy has shown her photos of what happens if you don’t clean them and she still won’t clean them. I’ve told her she does not want teeth like Queen Elizabeth 1st. Any advice here? how do you get a 5 year old to clean her teeth? she has two electric girlie toothbrushes. I think at first it was the taste of the toothpaste that she did not like as it was a different one to what she was used to.  However she now also won’t clean them with the toothpaste she has used for years.

My son wanted ‘We are going on a bear hunt’ read to him tonight. I read the book and he did all the sounds ‘swishy swashy’, I love this book. My little girl fell straight to sleep. Today was the first day since Friday that she did not spend most of the day asleep.

I am really hoping that both kids get to school tomorrow and nobody is sick tonight. After spending time rearranging my week, I really need to go to work and so does daddy.  I am now going to try and get some rest and try and build my strength for the morning and the challenges of being mum.

For more see, Tuesday and fallen leaves

Another Monday, another early wake up, another cold wet drive to school. My 5 year old did not want to leave the comfort of her bed but we had to take daddy to work and big brother to school. I spent my day working from home with my daughter upstairs sleeping.  The weather matched my mood today, gloomy.  My 5 year old called me up to her twice so she was a good girl really, She called me to pass her drink bottle and then because she was hungry. For once a chocolate spread sandwich was not good enough, she wanted cheese, tomato and lettuce.

My 7 year old is still alright at the moment and I am hoping he stays well.  I do not like seeing my children ill. After work I collected my son from school, he had been doing art and crafts. He really enjoys it and came out talking to a little girl about making slime. Somehow he had glue up his right arm, he likes messy play like a lot of children.

When we arrived home, unfortunately, he found the IPad whilst I finished some work and sent emails. Then he refused to read, foot down and determined to just play Roblox. My 5 year old was happy to have him home to play with. They were sat together on the settee.

Dinner tonight was either reheated pasta bolognese, or something else. I did not fancy a repeat of last night, I still need to use the VAX on the landing. It has left a lovely dark yellow sick mark.   My little girl wanted sausages, which she had a few mouthfuls of. They are normally her favourite but tonight she could not eat them. My son though ate his and then complained that he wanted more, a good healthy appetite when sausages are on the menu.

At bedtime, my little girl wanted the iPod.  She had been asleep most of the day and after taking away the iPod she fell asleep again. I’m hoping tomorrow she is more awake and alert so she is ready for school on Wednesday. My son now wanted to read, after the earlier arguments trying to get him to read and now it was bedtime, he wanted to read.  I sat thinking that I should listen to him, reading is important, but he should have read to me when I asked him too.

Parenting feels like a constant balancing act, trying to teach them discipline as well as being a parent they want to spend time with.  I don’t want to scare them, I want them to want to spend time with me. I want them to feel that they can confide in me when they need too.  It is hard sometimes to be kind with love and not let them get away with playing me. Do other mums feel this? I wanted him to read but not when he should be going to sleep. Bedtime was late due to the time it took to cook the sausages.

So tomorrow is Tuesday and supposed to be my day off. However, due to my daughter being unwell today, I still need to work out my day on Wednesday. So when I could be potentially spending quality one on one time with my daughter I won’t be able to all of the time.  It is very rare that we have alone mum and daughter time, or mum and son time, sometimes I feel that it is necessary. I could also do with the time to just rest, I am exhausted right now.

Anyway, I am now going to hopefully get an early night, ready for tomorrow morning and the ongoing challenge of being mum.

For more see, Monday rain