Silent Sunday

The Great School Holiday Challenge Week 1

You might have seen my post on the Great School Holiday Challenge where I wrote a helpful list of things to do this school holiday with the children. There were 42 things on my list, one for every day of the holiday. So seven days in the theory should be that I have crossed seven things off the list, right? Er, [mumbles a bit] well, you see there was a bit of a rethink where I considered the possibility of setting the bar too high in week 1 and leaving myself nowhere to go but downhill for the remaining weeks ahead.

So this was the week that was:

Day 1. Walked dog, did some shopping, weeded garden and hoovered. What? It's just a normal Saturday right?

Forced to watch TV

Day 2. Sulked because the Wee One had wailed so much the night before that I wasn't able to go to my friends anniversary party. Took it out on kids and 'made' them watch TV and tidy rooms. Three year old was not impressed. The Wee One whinged, a lot. Oh and an extra child arrived to spend the week with us :-)

Picasso/Princess

Day 3. Sent the Big One and the Extra One off to football camp. Princess and I painted.







Day 4. Sent the Big One and the Extra One off to football camp. Princess went to nursery. I drank coffee and ate cake. The Wee One hoovered up my crumbs. But on a more productive note we made the "I'm Bored" Jar (well actually a box but the principle is the same. TICK ONE THING OFF THE CHALLENGE LIST!!! We had an amusing half hour where I asked the kids "If you were bored (which I know is highly unlikely), what fun things could you do?" It took a little prompting but they were soon in their stride. "Make a robot" "Paint a picture" "Find out about space on the 'puter" "Make a poo" !!! Duly written onto little pieces of paper these suggestions and many more are in the jar (box) ready for the next day (well not that surprisingly it was put into immediate use).

Day 5. Sent the Big One and the Extra One off to football camp. Princess went to nursery. I drank coffee and ate cake. The Wee One hoovered up my crumbs. Oh and because I am a glutten for punishment, The Big One brought another friend home for tea. 5 kids - no problem (reaches for gin).

Day 6. Bugger. No football camp. Oh well. Chased the Big One and the Extra One around Burghley Park on their bicycles whilst pushing pram and walking dog. Fab time, if knackering, had by all. TICK ONE THING OFF THE CHALLENGE LIST!!! Damn, that wasn't on the list.

Day 7. Picnic at the park where the Big One mostly sulked because none of his friends were there, where the Princess shone like a star with her friends and where the Wee One embarrassed his mother by stealing food from other families.

And so at the close of week 1 of the Great School Holiday Challenge I like to think that the children have had a fun time, that Mummy hasn't screamed at them too much and that the dog will eventually crawl out from under the bed.

The one where I release my inner child!

Because that little girl who was never too far away from a book or a pencil is still in there.

Given the choice (time), I would be writing or drawing or taking photos or making something. Easy.

But time is so hard to find. It eludes me. There is always something in the way. Something grown up and 'important' and BORING!

Except today. In rained. A lot. Big fat sploshy drops that land and then rise again, bouncing off surfaces to make more drops. From the sanctuary of the door step I watched as they fell incessantly.

I experimented with the settings on the camera trying to capture the scale of the drops and the splashes as they hit the table. I cursed not having a better zoom but continued to snap away revelling in the marvels of digital photography and the gift of being able to shoot 100 frames and delete 98 of them without having wasted money on films and developing.

The kids watched TV uninterested. I had to cajole them into their wellies to go and splash in some puddles. Princess's wellies sprung a leak. The Big One complained that his wellies were too small. The Wee One sat down.

I lifed my chin up high so the water could hit my face, not so heavy now but still raining. I stuck out my tongue to get a drink, licking my lips expecting saltiness but tasting nothing. I looked round to see what the children were doing. They were taking off their wellies, deciding that it was too cold and wet. Even The Wee One with his now sodden trousers looked back over his shoulder and I swear he sighed and shook his head.

I smiled. I executed a near faultless pirouette on the patio for no-ones benefit but my own. With my arms swinging out at my sides I felt the rain against my skin and then I too went indoors, the grown up resurfacing, remembering how frizzy my hair gets in the rain.

Thank you Josie at Sleep is for the Weak and her Writing Workshop prompt: Big Kids

Silent Sunday

Mummy Mojo and the Great Summer Holiday Challenge

School holidays are imminent *pauses to breathe deeply* and I am getting more and more anxious as each day passes and the time comes when "I'm bored" and "I'm hungry" get stuck on repeat. I know I have been guilty recently of being a bit of a lazy parent, lacking in the 'entertaining the kids' department and probably relying on their self motivation and the digital babysitter a bit too much.

Through self counselling (read: giving myself a good talking to) I have recognised that I am a bored Mother. There. I've said it. I've lost my mummy mojo. Not quite sure where I left it but have so far searched the immediate area of the under stairs cupboard where most lost things turn up and the kitchen messy drawer without even a sniff. I thought I would look online and found some great retail therapy sites that all had a little something to offer in way of entertaining the kids which I have shamelessly borrowed but, regrettably, nothing on finding my Mummy Mojo.

I have decided on a two pronged attack. The first is to have a list of things to do with the kids (who are 6, 3 and 18 months) and then (assuming that they are suitably entertained and not screaming at each other or at me) find a bit of quality time for myself to work out why I am bored and what I can do about it.

So, stage 1: The list (because I do like a good list) of 'things to do' that can be called upon to fill the looming days ahead (all 42 of them *gulp*).

1. Make an "I'm Bored" jar
2. Paint paperweight stones
3. Declutter toys
4. Do a car boot sale selling of the decluttered toys
5. Visit Burghley Water Gardens and Sculpture Park
6. Visit Belton House Gardens
7. Learn to ride scooters and balance bikes
8. Go cycling at Rutland Water
9. Refashion a T-shirt
10. Read The Twits
11. Go to see Cars 2
12. Make a playlist for rainy afternoon ipod discos
13. Camp in the garden
14. Go to the outside pool at Tallington
15. Go sledging at Tallington
16. Go rock climbing at Tallington
17. Make a scrapbook of the holidays
18. Make a shell-stone-seaweed picture on the beach
19. Play crazy golf
20. Catch crabs
21. Make a puppet
22. Bake cakes
23. Visit the Lincolnshire Home and Antiques Fair
24. Make a junk robot
25. Make multi-coloured popcorn
26. Foot & hand painting
27. Collect flowers to press and make bookmarks for Grandparents
28. Go bug spotting
29. Go fishing
30. Make glitter jelly
31. Make a theatre
32. Put on a show
33. Refurbish a bookcase for the boys
34. Refurbish a wardrobe for the Princess
35. Make a shoe tidy for the hall
36. Sort old photographs into albums
37. Watch the Railway Children
38. Go to a museum
39. Make a cut out comic book
40. Go boating on Rutland Water
41. Make garden decorations & wind chimes
42. Blow the biggest bubble ever

I intend to do a little photo log of the school holidays by taking a picture a day of what we have done to amuse ourselves (family friendly of course for anyone sniggering at the back) and posting these once a week.

As for the second part of my two-pronged attack, well, I hope part one will force me into a bit of action and fend off some of the boredom but I will absolutely try to get some time off to work it all out.

Come back for regular progress reports.

Humphrey - The Gallery

I am going to give away my age now (and probably yours too ;-)) but who remembers Humphrey?

I've had this badge for more than *whispers* 30 years. I don't know why I've kept it but after every move it seems to pop up either in a jewellery box or attached to a bag. I 'found' it again the other day attached to an old work folder. For the life of me I have no idea how it got there so I can only reach one conclusion... Humphrey put it there.

Yes Humphrey from the Unigate advertising campaign of the 1970's.

That catch phrase "Watch out. Watch Out. There's a Humphrey about!" caught on in our household and we would have great discussions deciding what he looked like. Rumour has it he was quite furry and possibly pink although my brother was quite determined that no self respecting Humphrey, being the male of the species, could possibly be pink.

All I know is that he had a very long straw and a huge capacity for milk.

For nostalgias sake I found an ad on youtube. So if you do remember Humphrey, have a look and smile and if you were too young or out on your chopper tearing up the streets at the time, this was what it was all about.

Tara's prompt for The Gallery today is Vintage.

Silent Sunday