Our Daily Dog Walk!

Every day.......

It takes me a good 20 minutes to get out of the door.

But every day the dog has to be walked.

And whilst I'm off work, it has been me and the boys that have done it more often than not.

Wellies on, waterproofs on, gloves on.

And off we go.

Usually each walk is uneventful, following the same route. Not too long, not too short.

Yesterday was a little different.

They didn't wear their waterproofs, it was dry....

The sun was shining....

We went to the leaf pile, they were piled high, up past their wellies.

They kicked, threw and laid in them, mummy pushing them back down as they tried to stand up.

How they laughed.

We went on an adventure, through the Gorse, down the sheep tracks...winding this way and that.

And then, Worm saw 'The Gate'.....

The gate that leads to Great Grannies.

And that was it.

The mother of all tantrums.

He threw himself on the floor, in the mud, rolled around screaming, legs flailing!

Mud all down his coat, his trousers, everywhere.

Tears down his face.

I tried to pick him up, but he raises his arms so he slides down through my grip, raises his legs so he falls to the ground.

Under my arm he went, kicking his wellies off as we marched.

He wriggled out of my grasp. My strength, limited, my grip weak. Putting him down, he refused to stand or walk. He sat in the mud, crying, telling me to go through the gate.

I walked ahead, hoping he would panic and follow, but all I got was Monkey shouting at me, "Don't leave him, I love Worm."

Half an hour we battled.

Half an hour of lifting, putting him down, letting him get on with it, sat in the mud, screaming and crying.

We got home, just before the rain. He was marched down the road, knowing there was no hope of going back, in his socks, Monkey carrying his wellies.

I stripped the muddy clothes off him in the porch, another pile of washing.

And then like Butter wouldn't melt, he went and sat on the sofa and started singing Twinkle Twinkle in that lovely angelic voice!!

World Book Day - love it or hate it?

I have to say that every year that Beanie has been in school 

the pupils have been expected to dress up for World Book Day,

 and every year it fills me with fear!

Usually because I have forgotten all about it until the last minute 

and we have no idea what to go as, 

have no time to make an outfit, 

or to be perfectly honest

 - just can't be bothered.

So far we have gone as Moonface from The Faraway Tree, 

normal clothes and a mask made from 

cardboard by drawing around a dinner plate!

The children from The Wishing Chair, with his 'girlfriend', 

who had decorated a small child's chair and put wings on it 

and Beanie just turned up in normal clothes!

Julian from The Famous Five.....normal clothes.

Are you seeing a pattern.....

Last year I think we totally forgot and he just went as himself.

And this year, we have put some thought into it, 

well I asked him what he wanted to go as and he didn't know.  

He is reading the Anthony Horowitz books about Alex Rider,

 and so we suggested that. 

A bit of research on Google and we have come up with......

black jeans,

 a white PE t-shirt, 

a black shirt with red stripes, 

black school shoes and a couple of gadgets. 

Beanie has informed me that he has a yo-yo and a key ring,

 so we have added them too. 

I don't know how accurate it is but it will do!

It at least beats all the fairy/princess dresses 

and Spiderman/ Batman costumes 

from all the other parents who can't be bothered!

So do you love it or hate it?........................

Oh and next year I will have to come up with two costumes 

as Monkey will be at school too!

Better start planning now!

Feeling like 'poo'

"Mummy, 'Monkey' just called me poo!"

To be fair at this point today I had already had enough.

"Go and call him poo back!"

"'Monkey', you know you just called me poo, well you're poo too!"

That has been my day today.

Moors-daddy worked nights last night (and again tonight), and so in my attempts to keep the boys quiet and from not waking him, (in which I failed badly), they were playing, on the computers, in their bedrooms and in the garden. None of which worked. Beanie wouldn't help Monkey on Bin Weevils, Worm wanted to just be with Beanie and when Beanie and Monkey were playing Lego in Beanie's room, Worm wasn't allowed in, so stood outside screaming.  I retrieved him from the landing four times, whilst he did the turning rigid and lifting the arms up, making it impossible to hold him. Marched him back downstairs for him to escape and return back upstairs.

Eventually moors-daddy woke and beckoned all 3 to his bed side. I think this was after I threatened to walk out. Beanie wasn't impressed.

Yep, mummy was having a bad day.

A bad nights sleep last night, I had forgotten to take my medication, and aching hands and wrists all day.  By the time I came to prepare lunch, cutting vegetables brought tears to my eyes.

By the time moors-daddy woke and came downstairs he could see how unhappy I was.

It's always the little things that get to  me, and when they get to me they really get to me.  Today was one of those days.

And then moors-daddy dropped a bomb shell.

In six weeks time it will be our tenth wedding anniversary.  Two years ago we spent the weekend in Paris, this summer we are all going to France for a fortnight, and so I wasn't expecting anything for our anniversary but....

we are off to Spain for three nights, just me and moors-daddy. I can't remember exactly where but three nights without the boys and heat (20C, hoping that will help the joints!), m-d said we could go to Barcelona for a day but to be honest I would be quite happy just sat on the beach with my book for the whole time!

Excited and can't wait!