Monday 27 February 2012

Blame the penguin

Now that Sam is doing four full days a week at school, it's more important than ever to make the most of his days off. He stayed with me this weekend rather than going to his dad's, so on Saturday we had a trip to Peterborough with my friend Lilly, and then on Sunday we had a relaxed day - carvery lunch with my grandparents followed by a trip to the park.

Today we've had a lovely day blowing away a few cobwebs at Gibraltar Point with Nanny and Grandad. We had a great refreshing walk, then into the cafe for a yummy lunch. Great to feel we've done something with the day, and after that fresh sea air Sam should sleep well ready for school tomorrow.

After our lunch we headed back to Nanny and Grandad's house, where we chilled out for a while and Sam read some books. Cue hilarious moment of the day.  Sam, standing next to his toy box, passed wind. As per usual, we responded 'Pardon you, Sam' but he took us by surprise with his claim
'It came from the box'!!
No Sam, it was you....
'The box - it was penguin.'
No......
'It was peeenguin'

Nanny and I were in absolute hysterics, my chest actually hurt. He never normally expresses an awareness of bodily functions, never mind to blame it on his toy - and to stick determindly to the story!

S xx

Thursday 23 February 2012

Funny farm

What a gorgeous day - I'm definitely getting in a summery mood now! Had my new cooker fitted this morning, following which I took my Dad out for lunch to thank him for his help. We went to the local pub and it was warm enough to sit out in the beer garden, absolute bliss (especially considering it was -13C only a couple of weeks ago!); then when I got home I mowed the lawn in my back garden before sorting out a few odd jobs that needed doing. I also picked up a corkboard, onto which I've stuck a world atlas - with pins in each country that Sam has visited. It is now on his bedroom wall, ready for when he starts to show an interest in the world!

Sam has just unearthed the pogo stick which I bought my nephew for his birthday, and decided that he wanted to give it a go - and he wanted Mummy to take turns with him! Well, I couldn't do pogoing when I was little, and I certainly can't do it now, on a pogo stick made for five-year-olds! Cue much hilarity, followed by Sam thinking that a musical accompaniment might help....it didn't! But it did allow me to focus on the guitar and get a break from pogoing - phew :)

After singing various songs to me, Sam handed me the guitar and asked me to play Old Macdonald's Farm. I paused at the cue for each animal, and for the first time Sam supplied both the animal and the noise :) What a star. I was suitably impressed with his choices, all of which could actually be found on a farm (unlike in renditions at Nanny and Grandad's house!) - until we got to 'pirate'....and then 'door' ('with a knock knock here', if you were wondering!). Hmm, it started so well!  He looks so cute sitting on the floor with crossed legs, swaying as he sings and plays his guitar - can't wait to take him to his first music festival this year!

S xx

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Feeling like a proper Mummy again

Well, that's half term over. It has been a wreck of a week! We had all sorts of plans, but then we both came down with a feverish germ, Sam at the start of the week and me at the end. Thankfully we only lost one day to it, but it was the busiest one and I was sorry to have to cancel plans with Sam's friend Isabella, we haven't seen her and her family for a long time.  Over the weekend I missed out on a few more things, specifically going to see my lovely brother and sister-in-law-to-be, as my grandparents were going too and I didn't want to share my germs with my rather frail Grandad. Anyway, a quiet weekend let me recover somewhat.

We spent yesterday catching up with chores - Sam was not impressed! I dragged him to the GP surgery, then the pharmacy, back to GP, back to pharmacy, then to the GP in the neighbouring village, then home for a bite of lunch before heading to Tesco. NOT a popular Mummy! I did remedy things a bit by taking him to dinner with his Grandad, but I think he was glad to be back at school this morning (although his inner teenager was in full flow this morning: 'No Mummy, I'll stay in bed. Go back to bed Mummy. Night night!' and so on).

Whilst lying in bed last night I convinced myself that I could and would spring clean the front room and bathroom while Sam was at school today, but no sooner had he gone than I was sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee, and flicking through the TV channels...oops! One hot cross bun later, I forced myself to get up and on with something. By the time I next sat down the front room was done, and the bathroom - and Sam's room, the hallway, the living room, and the kitchen. Plus I've cleaned the windows, inside and out (my Gram would be proud, I even washed the shed window!!). Phew!! After a brief cuppa, I got on with making a batch of pancakes, it being Shrove Tuesday and all.


It felt great to meet Sam from school knowing that most of the house is tidy (of course I have left my study and bedroom, the two awful rooms, for a later date!), and dinner ready to eat after a quick zap in the microwave. Plus a check of Sam's lunchbox showed that I'd been pretty successful with the pack-up today :) so now I'm thinking about what to give him for tomorrow. Real Mummy stuff, I feel like such a grown-up!

Sounds like he's had a great day at school, so I think we deserve our current state on the sofa watching television.  Mr Tumble is on a boat on the Broads, and there's an icecream boat!! I'm full of excitement for trips to the Bach in the summer months - we agreed last year that we would get a boat one day this season, and Sam seems very excited about the prospect. I'm also looking forward to Bewilderwood, and Norwich, and steam trains, and nature reserves, and trips to the beach, and..........*fades out into private reveries*.  February is nearly over, and March is the start of Spring :) Bring on those golden rays!

S xx

Thursday 9 February 2012

Who do you think you are?!

It has long been a source of amusement that when drinking Sam sometimes sticks his little finger out, but his pretension seems to be going a step too far...

Mummy: Would you like some raisins Sam?
Sam: Yes please Mummy.
M: hands S a small box of raisins
S: No Mummy!
M: But you said yes Sam.
S: Yes...., in a bowl Mummy!

Oh dear me :(

S xx

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Crafty monkey

Today seems to have been busy - logically it hasn't, but it has involved the hospital, the most draining place ever.  Sam went to school, then I collected my grandparents and took my Grandad in for his chemotherapy. Home to fetch Sam, then back to grandparents' to get Gram, drop Gram off at oncology ward and take Sam to opthalmology. Wait to see two consultants for Sam, go back to find Gram and Grandad, then to pharmacy, then home. Phew. I'm shattered!

And I'm not the only one - or so I thought... My beautiful son fell asleep in the car, so I gathered him up and brought him in the house. It is a standard performance here that when we get through the door I will ask Sam to remove his shoes and coat, and he will claim not to be able to do one or both. Of course he can, and eventually does, but he tries to persuade me to do it... Anyway, since he was half asleep today I whipped off coat, shoes, and glasses, and settled him into his bed. At which point he jumped up and said 'No Mummy! Not bed!' Cheeky little urchin had stayed quiet while I did everything for him, but is now wide awake!

On a much cuter note, he has a frequent mini conversation when he looks out of the window at the moment. it goes 'Ooooh, snow. Cold. Merry Christmas! Oh, no, Christmas finished. Snow?'  This is the first year he has been particularly aware of snow (last year he just knew it was cold and wet!), and already he associates it with Christmas. Subliminal learning is a scary thing....

S xx

Sunday 5 February 2012

Tiddly pom

Well after the absolute hecticness (yes, that's a word, I just made it one!) of last week, this weekend has been bizarrely quiet. Friday night involved a hot bath and magazine, yesterday I was on shift from 12-3pm then home for a lazy afternoon, hot bath again and early night. Today I picked Sam up early from his dad's and we went to a friend's birthday party. It was a bit of a weird one, as Sam and his classmates get picked up by taxis / coaches and taken to school so the parents very rarely meet each other - Sam was trying to tell me the names of children but he wasn't clear and I couldn't help! Still, I've met a couple of them now so that's progress.

Great couple of hours, but Sam was well ready to come home by the end of it - tired and grizzly, and very uncooperative. Unfortunately for him I'm getting grumpy now too as missing Rick really starts to kick in! Ten days until he's here, and only a month before he has worked his notice at work and can move to somewhere a bit more local.
The good news this weekend is that I spoke to Sam's dad on Friday and he agreed that Sam can stay with me for the first weekend of the month from now on - when relaying this information to Rick he informed me that he has spoken to his ex, and she agrees to Ez spending every other weekend with him when things have settled down. Things are looking very good for the future :)

S xx

Thursday 2 February 2012

Exhausted, but in a good way

Wow, it's been a crazy week! BF got off shift so came over last Wednesday, and since then seems to have been a constant whirl of activity. The end of last week revolved around job applications and party preparations, as Sam turned four on Monday. BF and I were like ships in the night on Saturday, as I already had various commitments in the day, then Sunday we went into town for some last minute shopping and a leg stretch.  Sunday night saw Sam so tired that he only managed to wake up for a bath before he was back asleep (I pick him up at 4pm!), so I called school and he took the day off on Monday. This allowed him to come to Boston with BF and me to collect BF's daughter Ez, although Sam refused to sleep at all throughout the journey, and managed to wake Ez when she fell asleep!  Junk food lunch followed by a party at Wacky Warehouse, home for an hour or two and then out for dinner: big mistake Mummy, too ambitious for one day! Ez was very tired and clingy, Sam was very tired and whingey....hard work, but good to see the other side of the family, and Lilly, and to introduce BF's daughter to them all.

Having packed Sam off to school on Tuesday morning we hoped to take Ez shoe shopping but otherwise chill out - unfortunately she woke up very under the weather; we took her back to bed with us but she promptly vomitted over everything :( Generally a very quiet day which involved Rick soothing Ez, and me doing constant clothes washing / drying! Rick took Ez back to her mum's, and we had just settled down for the evening when his friend texted to say he was in the area, could he come for a cuppa. Lovely to meet him, but we were in bed the second he left!

Wednesday I somehow allowed myself to be dragged to the gym with Rick (worth pointing out here that he trains and competes at strongman, the gym is a big part of his life) - it was great to see him training and to gain some more understanding about what he does, but when I asked him to show me a few things to do I discovered that he'd be a great personal trainer - encouraging and hateful in equal measures! My goodness am I aching today!!

Very lazy morning today while Sam was at school, then this afternoon we have spent a good couple of hours at the swimming pool, as well as a bit of time at the soft play area. Rick's currently at the gym, Sam's watching Mr. Tumble, and I'm trying to convince myself that my muscles don't ache quite as much as they do! Climbing wall tomorrow, but it's okay because Rick's going back to Wales for a while so I can return to my slobbish ways!


On the subject of Rick, I'm still finding it hard to believe - we seem to be in a proper grown up relationship! I mean, when we disagree about things we actually have a sensible conversation, exploring our opinions and the reasons behind them. What the hell?! Everything is great, we make a fantastic team and he makes me so happy - I'm now one of those people whom I hated a mere few months ago: unbearably happy and positive, and all *in love* and stuff. Bleurgh!

S xx