Reasons to be Cheerful: Merry Month of May #R2BC

 
I actually quite can't believe its May already, what on earth happened to April? Any how it's time for Michelle to have a break and my turn to be the host. In case you hadn't realised we have changed the day of the linkup to Saturday as with all our busy schedules our regular linkers voted for a change from Thursday. This may take some getting used to! 
Happy Star Wars Day and here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:
1) Phone
Last week I had a disaster and knocked my phone down the loo... Unfortunately it didn't survive the experience. I have now got a new to me replacement which is in much better nick than my old one so I am so happy! Let's just hope I have no more tech disasters...
2) Bathroom
When we moved in the budget for decorating ran out and the bathroom had to be done in the left overs from my bedroom. The off white paint which looks nice in my room made the bathroom look drab and dirty. So I decided that after 4 years it was time to finally give it a mini makeover. The new teal is so bright, cheerful and fresh:

2) Running

For one reason or another I just hadn't been out running. So whilst my first coat of paint was drying I headed out along the old canal for 5km in glorious weather:

I really need to make sure I get out more regularly as my mood is so much better when I've running!

3) Home and Away

#TheGallery: My Weekend

The lovely Tara reckons she has set us an easy challenge this week with My Weekend. Mine wasn't as exciting as all of those lucky bloggers going to Cybermummy11 but here's what we got up to:

1) Selling books


We spent most of Saturday at Dean Gibson school sheltering from the rain selling Usborne Books:

part of my display

2) Post box chasing


I finally added the Victorian post box to my collection:

how many times can I get this on my blog!

3) Had a PJ day on Sunday being silly

mask she painted day before

4) Ate popcorn and watched lots of movies:

they didn't leave much for me...

If you click on the camera logo at the top you can see what everyone else got up to this last weekend - probably a lot more exciting than mine ;-)

It's hard at the weekend

not that it's easy during the week but single parenting at the weekend is a whole new level..


It seems that everywhere you go when you are out that everyone else is in nice little family units of mum & dad plus kids - this may not be the case but it looks that way! From Monday to Friday the things I do tend to be just mum's or the occasional dad or grandparent. Compact family units don't do school runs or toddler groups on the whole...


My kids have to cope with each other's company for 12 hours solid. They can go for about an hour of playing nicely together and then one or other of the upsets the other. We end up with shouting & fighting and usually someone needing a cold compress. I can leave them playing together but as soon as I pop to the loo or go to get a meal ready WW3 breaks out in the other room.


If I try and take turns at giving each of them some undivided mummy time the 3 year old doesn't get the fact that his big sister is allowed to have mummy to herself for a few minutes each day. So it ends up with her only getting me to herself after he has supposedly gone to bed - and even then he keeps coming back for more.


When we go out for a treat its a real minefield. I can't trust them to be left on their own at a table whilst I go and order drinks etc., if one needs the loo we all have to go. Yesterday I finally caved in to little ones request to go on the dodgems. This meant I have to leave a screaming 6 year old watching from the side as neither child is tall enough to go on without a grown up. Needless to say we won't be repeating that one! They each have to take turns watching the other one do something whilst I hold their hand. This is when their age gap stands out more as they want to do different things.


If another grown up is around it is so much easier as we can divide and conquer. I can catch 15 minutes of me time to draw breath. I can also let my poor 6 year old have time with me without her little brother butting in and causing chaos.


We do have fun and I love spending time with my kids but I look forward to weekdays when I don't have them both all day and it's much more relaxing. Here's hoping that the Incredible Years parenting course I've started will help both me & the kids learn to have fun with out all the aggro!

See we do have fun together!

It isn't all bad but I wish it was a lot less stressful...

Recipe for a great long weekend away...

Start with both my kids packing their own bags the night before (even if it turns out E hasn't packed enough underwear!). Then they are both up without fuss at 6 AM and all in the car ready to go by 7...


A stress free drive aided by: good weather, in car DVD for kids, no traffic, plenty of snacks, a gorgeous step daughter keeping the peace from 1/3 way there, only 2 service station stops and only 6.5 hours driving time....


My lovely welcoming parents who my kids adore and who spoil all of us. Drinks with my favourite aunt & uncle. Coffee with my 97 year old granny. Lots of time with my brother, sister-in-law & nephew. Watching the cousins getting to know each other and play together. Seeing the light in my bed ridden grandad's face when his great grandchildren ran in the room. My granny's enjoyment of my brother playing with his son & my daughter with accompanying giggles. Catching up with an old school friend on way home...


When can I do it again? Once I've recovered from all the driving of course!!