Mum In The Madhouse - Parenting without stabilisers

• That time truly flies and people were not exaggerating when they said "they grow up so fast"
• That life really does change when you look at that tiny bundle and suddenly realise you are responsible for another human being
• That one so small can create so much poo
• That irony is not lost on babies
• That boys WILL wee on you as soon as you remove their nappy
• That no matter what colour you dress your child in, people will always think they are of the opposite sex
• That second hand is not second best
• That it will take 30 minutes more than you allowed to get out of the house
• That babies smelled so good after a bath
• That sleep is for the weak
• That colic does get better
• That cold tea is all I will drink for months and to invest in a thermos cup
• That LEGO is a weapon
• That poo could be such a funny word to toddlers and boys of all ages
• That it is OK to get angry
• That I will never again be able to go to the toilet in peace
• That I would know The Hungary Caterpillar off by heart
• That I would cry on their first day at Preschool
• That DVD's do not wear out though repetitive play even if you wish they would
• That nativities are so emotional
• That is it perfectly acceptable to get sick of cooking and preparing meals
• That it is natural to live in constant fear of something bad happening to your child
• That it is not acceptable to fancy one of the presenters of CBebbies
• Daytime naps for Mummy as well as baby are totally acceptable
• That the odd jar of baby food and bit of salt will not harm your child
• That saying no to homework is OK
• That the cleaning can wait
• That it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help
• That weetabix dries like concrete, so wipe it up quickly
• That when people are starring at your whilst your child is having a tantrum are actually thinking "oh no, poor woman" rather than "gosh what a crap mother"
• That I would be a better parent for having some me time
• That being a parent is the hardest, but most rewarding job in the world

This post is my entry into the Aptaclub ‘If Only I’d Known…’ competition  

Firstly back to my Winter Manifesto and how I have fared.  I am really pleased to say that I pretty much have ticked everything off bar joining the local WI.  I have tried and rang them twice, but they have not got back to me.  I have finished Mini's quilt (blog post to come) and love my weekly craft lessons.  They are a real highlight of the week for me. So onward and upwards, what do I want to do achieve over this spring:

• Sew some seeds for the raised beds.  MadDad is the green fingered one, but I do love plotting and planning with him
• Get on my bike.  I still haven't felt able and I really want to join the boys on theirs this spring
• Take more photographs with all of us in.  I need to make a conscious effort to get in the picture.  I have even bought a remote control for the camera
• Take the boys to park after school now the weather is improving
• Sort out the conservatory/playroom.  The train table is about to collapse and we need to find some new storage for board games and a coffee table on a very tight budget.
• Keep sewing and book some more day courses

What are your plans for this spring?

We adore birthdays if you haven't already guessed.  I love making the day special and fun and one of the ways we do that is to have a birthday treasure hunt.  This is right up Maxi's street as he loves puzzles. These are the clues we used, which I took from the Real Treasure Hunt website. Refrigerator A clue to find where you keep things cold Where to go next is what you'll be told. Computer Letters, a screen, and even a mouse, look around, you'll find it somewhere in the house. Bed When it gets late and you turn out the light This is the place you'll be found each night. Socks You’ll need to think hard to solve the next clue Find a covering for your foot, but it’s not a shoe. Oven Turn up the heat it will help you bake Cookies, casseroles, even a cake. Shower A place where water falls down like rain after it falls on you it goes down the drain. Microwave A metal box with numbers is usually the norm For this thing that helps us get our food warm. My boy adores gemstones  so his birthday present was a tiny wooden chest filled with gems.  He also got some LEGO and Tech Deck too.

The sun perhaps popped it head out from behind the clouds today, enough to make me see just how dirty my windows were! However, before I start on the epic spring cleaning, it is time to declutter.  Firstly I see no point in cleaning around clutter, secondly that clutter might make me some cash on somewhere like Gumtree (where it is free to list and sell items) and lastly a tidy house always means a tidy mind for me. So now is the perfect time to have a clutter clear out.  Firstly you have to find a system that works for you. But I have some ideas for you below.

1. I love this storage for transient items from The Red Chair Blog.  It is the perfect way to store items until you have enough to make it worthwhile doing something with.  Mine would read Donate, Sell, Recycle and Toys.  I am on the look out for a similar wire rack or bookcase for our garage space.  By keeping toys out of sight you will truly see if children play with them.
2. Get your children involved in clearing their toys.  Have an agreement where they get 50% of any money you make from selling them or let them donate ones to people less well off.  It is a great way to learn about charity.
3. Let go of children's artwork.  If you realty attached to it, then take a digital photo of it to display in a pocket system or recycle it to make cards or recycled art bookmarks.
4. Work clockwise round a room from the door.  This way you are going an an organised manner and if you have to stop then you know where you are up to.
5. If you are unsure of getting rid of something, then ask yourself if you have used it in the last year?  If you haven't then why not part with it.
6. When it comes to children's clothes, why not have a swapping party with friends who have older and younger children.  That way you will all get something new out of it.  You could always do this with toys and books too.

   

Hopefully spring is on its way.  This for me means that I start to think about spring cleaning.  I do try to keep up with most cleaning tasks throughout the year, but there are a couple of things that I only do once or twice a year. The weather this time of the year is pretty changeable, but we tend to change over our winter duvets and clean and store them and replace them with our spring/summer weight ones.  I also pop an extra blanket or throw on the beds for when the nights are really cold and to help the transition from winter bedding to lighter weight bedding.   Now is also the time to review the state of your bedding.  Perhaps your duvet or pillows are starting to show their age and it would be more economical to replace them rather than clean them.  So search online for Duvet and pillow warehouse promotional code and see if you can find vouchers that make the cost less expensive. My local laundrette offers duvet and pillow cleaning and it is much less expensive than the local dry cleaners.  It only takes a couple of days and the duvet comes back all ready for me to store in the airing cupboard.  By having getting it done as soon as I swap it means that it is ready to go back on and I do not have to worry.  I do this for our super king sized duvet cover. The boys single duvets are OK to go in our washer, however, I need to wait for a blowy day, so they can be line dried. Spring cleaning shores:

• Hoover the ceiling to remove any cobwebs
• Swap bed linen
• Clean the curtains (mine go in the wash and on the line)
• Clean the inside of the windows, first wiping down the frames (I use a solution of vinegar and water for this)
• Wipe down the doors, light switches and skirting boards
• Clean any pictures, both the glass and the tops of the frames
• Clean on top of doors and the door frame
• Vacuum under the bed, chest of drawers, bedside cabinet and dressing table

Regular cleaning Due to the fact that I am removing cobwebs etc, I may make more dust, so I also do my regular cleaning in the bedroom too.

• Polish furniture
• Clean all mirrors (we have mirrored wardrobe doors)
• Vacuum
• Dust light fittings and clocks
• Empty the bin
• Flip the mattress

I love crafting with the boys, but as they get older, we need crafts that can fit in with school, cubs, football, cooking and the rest of everyday life.  So things tend to be done in small chunks.  Yellow Moon sent us a fab box of Easter Craft items including some wonderful Baskets and self adhesive foam shapes. The thing is these baskets needed filling and we decided to make some Peppermint Creams, but as we were using them for gifts I wanted them to be egg free. Ingredients

• 225g icing sugar, sifted
• 115g Condensed Milk
• peppermint extract
• Food colouring
• Dark Chocolate

Method

1. Gradually mix the icing sugar together with the  condensed milk. We used the mixer for this on slow.
2. Add  peppermint extract to taste and knead until smooth.
3. Dust a clean surface with icing sugar and roll out the mixture to 5mm thickness. Cut into shapes with small cutter (the boys chose hearts and bells).
4. Leave in a cool place to dry for two to three hours.
5. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.
6. Drizzle the peppermint creams with the melted chocolate
7. Allow to set.

This keeps refrigerated for up to three weeks.  

Eighteen years ago yesterday at noon, MadDad and I were wed.  We have had a wild ride of marriage with some downs and some great ups.  He is always by my side no matter what I do or where I go.  He is my lifeboat in stormy seas and my biggest cheer leader.  We have grown up together and we are lucky enough to really enjoy each others company.  He is one of the most unassuming people I have ever met and is a real joy to live with. He has been by my side in sickness (more often than not mine) and heath (his) and is a wonderful partner and even better Dad.  I miss him when we are apart and love spending time with my family.  He really brings out the best in me and reminds me to always be the best person I can be. He has a weakness for great coffee and curly wurly's.  He likes the odd pint of Guinness and loves Beef and Yorkshire Puddings. Back when we got married I had AJ to JL 18 March 1995 engraved inside our wedding rings, just in case he ever forgot the date (ever the realist I am) and so far he hasn't. He really is my cup of tea......................

What can I say, this has been a weekend of celebrating  cake eating, family, friends  fun,  scoring his first two goals and lots of love.  I live for weekends like these.  

As a parent we all want to try and save for out children's futures and even in today's climate it is worth trying to save for a rainy day.  MadDad works in the financial industry so he is my go too guy when it comes to asking about money etc, but I would always suggest that you find an Independent Financial Adviser to help you out with financial planning. So firstly what is isa season? In very basic terms it is a six week period in the lead up to when you have to subscribe to your Is, the 5 April 2012 (if you don't use it, you lose it). This often means that you can be bombarded with information telling you to  open a cash isa on the lead up to this date and if can be very confusing. So what is an isa? A Cash isa is a  savings accounts where the interest isn't taxed. A stocks and share isa  is a managed collective investment again where the interest isnt taxed. Should I prepare for isa season? I decided to ask MadDad this and he said he would advise anyone to make an appointment with a Independent Financial adviser to discuss this.   My first response was that IFA's are for people with money, to which he told me this isn't at all true.   Many IFA's get their payment from any investment you make through them or charge a nominal fee and they are perfect for people who are going through major life changes such as parents.  They can often take an overview of a situation and help you put your new priorities in perspective. People often think that isa's are only for people with money and that they are not something that they can utilise to manage their finances, but again it is often about working smarter not harder and in today's climate we need to know the best way of making our money work for us. But don't take my word for it, go and see a professional!  

Eight things I love about you!

1. You adore being tickled and trying to pretend that you are not ticklish.  You challenge me to make you laugh.
2. Oh and what a laugh.  it is infectious, it fills my heart with such joy.
3. You are fearless.  You are a mini thrill seeker, adrenalin junkie and embrace new things.
4. You are an early riser, but as soon as your head hits the pillow you are off in the land of nod.
5. You are a team player.  You love football and being part of a team.
6. You do not mind being different.  You embrace your curly hair, wear checked trousers and love being you.
7. You are kind and considerate. You help other people when you can.
8. You love with a passion.

How can you be eight already?  We never really believed that we would have you.  You  were a challenge form the moment you came in to being  and kept us on our toes.  You are a joy, my eldest child, an integral part of our family and I love you more each passing day.