How not to do Internet Supermarket Shopping

Regular readers of my blog will know that my kids and I are very good at creating chaos out of the most simple tasks e.g. cooking or being a domestic goddess. Today was no exception as I had finally given in to the lure of getting my shopping delivered from the supermarket.

It all started so well when at the weekend I logged onto mysupermarket.com and started to fill up my virtual shopping trolley. I reserved my delivery slot with Asda and browsed the aisles for the products I needed. The icon telling me how to get a cheaper version of what I had chosen was very useful at saving me money. I looked at the calorie saving swaps too but as most of what I was getting was for the children I didn't swap anything. What I didn't realise was that as I didn't checkout I lost my delivery slot - newbie error!

Having completed the latest meal plan with the kids on Tuesday I went back to the site to complete my shopping list. I managed to get the same delivery slot that I had lost before but then realised that I wouldn't actually be home at that time.. so I found a slightly later £3 delivery slot that was available. This time I successfully completed my shop and checked out. So now all I had to do was sit back and relax until tonight when it was delivered.

That was the week that was

I've made it through this week alive but it's been a close run thing as it's definitely been the week from hell. I hope to God I never have so many things go wrong in such a short space of time.


It started on Wednesday when a treat for my little boy of lunch at the cheap Chinese ended up as a 3.5 hour trip to casualty for a nasty bump on the head:

Whilst we were waiting our turn at the hospital the school rang to say my daughter was ill. I had to arrange for another mum to pick her up and felt guilty that I couldn't be there for both my children.

We all ended up in my bed as my daughter didn't want to on her own and I had to keep an eye on my son in case he had done serious damage. So I didn't get too much sleep with both my kids in my bed especially as they both snore and wiggle ;-)

First thing in the morning my phone rang and my dad broke the news about my granddad dying. My thoughts on this were blogged here. This obviously was a blow and it made most of that day pass in a haze but with at least one child at home with me all day I did semi-function.

Because my daughter was a combination of under the weather and slightly emotional over the loss of her great granddad I kept her off school again on Friday. This has meant that in the last 6 days I haven't had a child free afternoon at all. 

My son seems to tune in to my stress levels and adds to them in his own inimitable style by increasing the number of ways and places to put poo anywhere but the loo! He and his sister also can't cope with being together at normal weekends let alone a 3 day one.

Nearly forgot to add that my hot water stopped working on Sunday night just as I was running a bath for all us after getting wet on the seafront. When the engineer came round it was working again but he said that if it needs fixing I will first of all have to remove all the things in the way. This means a short run of work surface, the tumble dryer, the saucepan hanging rack, the neat bit of wood panelling which has the controls wired through... Oh joy thank God I'm moving out...

Luckily we had some distractions of the May Day celebrations in Hastings and a trip to Battle Abbey with my son's godfather and his girlfriend. But I also know that I drank far too much wine to get me through a tough few days and I know it doesn't help. Hopefully things are going to get better and I get back to doing what I do best being a mum to two of the best kids in the world:

I'm forever blowing bubbles...

... pretty bubbles in the air....

My day started really well and I was feeling very positive as I was snuggled up in bed with both my kids telling me You're the bestest mummy in the world. The kind of phrase that makes you feel loved and doing a good job! Unfortunately some of the usual problems soon reared there ugly head and I was scooping the poop off the laminate floor...


I really found it amusing watching my kids going hell for leather on the Wii Family Fitness Trainer game. They had no idea what they were doing but were very competitive! Unfortunately 3 year old did not like losing some of the matches and dissolved into tears so it was time to turn off the Wii. We switched to playing the Very Hungry Caterpillar game. Trying to stop the cheating was interesting but we all enjoyed it until the 3 year old lost! Luckily kids took themselves out in the garden at this point...


A friend then popped around to pick up a surplus PC and some old kids games. All part of Operation Downsize which seems to be going slowly! After lunch the lucky eBayer who bought the Happy Land set came to collect so that's more space and the kids have some more spending money. By this point O is bouncing off the sofa and has yet again presented me with a package in his pants...


So spotting that the sun had finally come out I suggested a trip to the park. It always amazes me how stressful it can be to get 2 small people out for a fun trip ... Any way despite O's attempt to run across a zebra crossing without looking we made it to the park. E had asked to bring the bubble kit down so I chilled out blowing bubbles for O to catch whilst E climbed around.

We just made it to the cafe as it was closing for the kids to have the obligatory ice cream and me a hot chocolate. Then we discovered that the park closes it's loos at 4 leaving E desperately trying to find enough cover for a sneaky pee! It was a lovely spring afternoon and the park was heaving so why do they shut the loos well before dusk?

We bumped into another mum from nursery and her lad so the boys played football whilst we gossiped. Then E & O managed to fall out as she pinched his ball. They were friends again within 2 minutes and O got upset if E didn't hold his hand - the joys of siblings!

I think the park must have made for a nice calm evening as we had a relaxed tea whilst watching Monsters Inc and then O went to bed like a dream. He even shock horror asked to get back on the loo to do a poo. Much hugs and congratulations over that. Then to top it all he managed to get his own PJs on which has been another battle ground. Story & kisses and he was off without protest...

Big girl time was nearly a disaster as we heard a worrying noise from dining room and discovered NIbbles had once again escaped from her cage! Luckily she had dropped off the table straight into a waste paper bin and was easily retrieved. She & E had a lovely time on the sofa until it was bed time. Another smooth bedtime for my big girl leaving me free to finish the chores.

I thought at one point today that it was the kind of day that might reduce me to tears. But the simple pleasures in the park of blowing bubbles seemed to resolve the problems between O & I. Not counting my chickens but here's hoping that 1) he decides that keeping mummy happy is his best option and 2) I can crack his toilet training...

Getting back in control

I realise that, understandably, I probably haven't been as strict a parent as I need to be over the last 6 months. My kids have taken advantage of this and I need to get back to being the only boss in this house!


My 3 year old has lulled me into babying him to get attention. He can get partly dressed by himself but I've been doing it for speed, at nursery he is expected to sort out more of his own clothing. Sometimes I've spoon fed him a meal to get him to eat when he is perfectly capable of doing it himself. I think his toilet training issues are also just him getting me to have to do things for him. There is also the issue of him getting into my bed in the night leaving me with less sleep.


So I have to put my foot down and get him back to where he was for both our sakes.I have started returning him to his own bed when he appears in mine, this seems to be working as I've had more child free nights! The dressing thing may take longer as sometimes there isn't time to get him to do it... I know I need to allow more time with a 3 year old..


Toileting seems to be improving and I just need to stay on the ball to remind him to go. The potty is almost permanently in the front room but its better than puddles & piles of poo! He does seem to react well to stickers and positive praise. Let's hope we are on the home leg on this one.


He has been less aggressive and destructive but still finds it hard to share me with his sister or the telephone or any major task! I'm sure he will just grow out of this with plenty of quality time to make up for the rest!

As for my 6 year old she has definitely turned into a right bossy boots and doesn't like to listen to me. I have to really put my foot down to get my way and sometimes even then she goes behind my back and does it any way! One battleground is the TV in my bedroom which I regularly find her watching without permission. I keep hiding the power control but I am going to have to remove the TV as the only way to ensure she can't watch TV whenever she wants.

She thinks she can do lots of tasks which are actually beyond her. I have to strictly enforce the rules on which kitchen appliances she can use - coffee machine & toaster - everything else is forbidden. At other times she reverts to babyish behaviour and asks me to do simple tasks for her. The joys of 6 years of age and not sure whether to grow up fast or be babied!


She is very loving and brings me breakfast in bed most weekends! I am very proud of the fact she is doing brilliantly at school and won her poetry recital class at their Eistedfodd (got to watch the repeat tomorrow morning!). With her I just need to keep her focussed on things that she can do and enforce the rules on the things she shouldn't.

I have two gorgeous children and compared to many they are little angels. I just hope for all our sakes I can retake the upper hand!

Mummy I just..

Mummy I just...


those 3 words are the ones I dread to hear from either of my children. From my big girl it means she is doing anything but what you have asked her to do. From my little boy it means he has done something which is going to take a lot of clearing up to do...

My daughter's favourite time to use this phrase is just before we leave for school in the morning. I have got everyone dressed and breakfasted. All that remains is to put on shoes & coats. With 10 minutes to go I say:

Get your shoes on E...

Mummy I just need to ...

With 5 minutes to go I say:

Get your shoes on E...

Mummy I just need to ...

It's time to go I say:

Get your shoes on E...

Mummy I just need to ...

As for my 3 year old..

I am sure one day I won't seem to spend half my day cleaning up stray pee & poo ... though in fact today he was perfect until got off the loo too soon with predictable consequences for his clothes and the floor...

Bedtime hell

We've all been there with the kids' bedtime from hell...

Attempt no 1:
17:30 son v grouchy & sleepy so take upstairs and try to snuggle to sleep. He appears close to sleep so kiss him and come downstairs.

17:45 phone rings and whilst I am chatting to cousin O re-appears looking sleepy. He carries on trying to eat supper whilst I finish phone call.

Peace reigns so leave for a while until O gets horrible again so... 18:30 attempt no 2:
Full bed routine with story in his bed, leave him and come down. Stroppy older daughter having paddy because she can't change TV to the channel she wants (kids TV all stopped as its 19:00)..

After few minutes she calms down enough to get in PJs and cuddle her hamster for a while.