I know I know… no posts in ages and then two come along at once:

Air force payout cures Santa woes.

How did that happen?!

I tell you what, I’ll do you a deal. I’ll stop apologising every entry for the infrequency of posting and just post when I can, if you just pretend I’m updating daily still!

I’m amazed actually, at how busy life is with technically more time to myself. Am really glad I wasn’t seduced by an OU course now, assuming that with Akra Jr at school I’d have plenty of time to fill as it just hasn’t worked that way at all. I’ve made a policy decision to aim for a “simple life” – not commit to too many things, and also not to worry about me “achieving” anything in particular.

And you know what? I’m really enjoying myself, being a mum of a school age child. Akra Jr and my relationship has improved drastically, we have lots to talk about and share when he gets home. His behaviour has settled down a bit (although he still has moments) and I’m trying to ignore an awful lot of it and ham up the praise when he’s pleasant which does seem to have helped – I’m hoping the same will work with Li’l Bhaji’s toddler moments. I like the whole “waiting for him in the playground” thing, and the reading book bag each night. I’m amazed at the sort of things he’s doing in school already – he goes out for a woodland walk twice every three weeks, he came out yesterday shouting “Bonjour, Mummy!” proudly. It’s a lovely feeling.

Household chores are ticking over nicely, so the house is nice. I’ve automated my menu planning/grocery shopping a bit more so that’s simpler. We’re doing “family stuff” at the weekend.

Life is good. Okay, so I have less to blog about, often forget to take my camera and writing has completely taken a back seat, but I’m enjoying the reduced pressure, enjoying being with the boys. I’m chilling out in the evenings to rented DVDs or computer games. I feel very fortunate at the moment.

No-one burst my bubble please!

Well, we’re well over the stomach bug and now into our autumnal cold season. Li’l Bhaji has also hit toddlerhood with a vengeance – having paddies, throwing toys, switching the TV on and off repeatedly and generally being even more of a menace only this time with purpose and full knowledge that he’s doing something wrong. This morning, about half a toy box worth of toys were conviscated and balanced out of his reach, and he seems to have spent an inordinate amount of time in “time out”. Worse, I can’t find what I did with my copy of Toddler Taming from the first time round…

I’m just about functioning… exhausted but functioning. Would like to know if I can have some decent sleep now please? Was my turn to be awake last night as I seem to have developed an eye infection.

Dragging myself through the day though, if a bit zombified. Gradually getting back on track with the washing (amazed my washing machine didn’t blow up this weekend, quite frankly) and getting to some semblance of normality. Akra Jr is back at school (although I forgot to remind him that today he was doing a full day – oops, feel terribly guilty. Still, I’m sure he’ll figure it out… bad mummy bad mummy).

Had another bad mummy moment when someone in Tumbletots asked me what teeth Li’l Bhaji had now and I didn’t really have a clue. Doesn’t occur to me to check these days – he has enough he can chew with and that’s all that matters. Of course, with Akra Jr I filled out that teeth chart in the red book everytime a new one popped its way past his gums. Not that a dentist has ever looked at it, so I’m not quite sure what the point was.

Must go… kitchen floor and bathrooms still to clean before I can really sit down. Argh!

Brief summary of my weekend:

Li’l Bhaji comes home from nursery on Friday with a great big scrape on his nose. Apparently he decided to come into close contact with the pavement. He didn’t even whimper though and carried on regardless. Now has a very attractive black scab over 25% of his nose.

Saturday morning I decide to lop off half my thumb while chopping onions for soup – don’t do things by halves me… took about half an hour holding my arm above my head and putting pressure on the wound before the bleeding finally stopped. What is it about finger wounds that are almost impossible to bandage?! My thumb now looks like something out of a The Mummy audition.

Late Saturday afternoon I start to feel a bit weak and not with it (not blood loss – threatened stomach bug). Feel sick and a bit not with it, but doesn’t really materialise into anything. Go to bed feeling really quite ill.

All Saturday night, Akra is up with the stomach bug – we come to the conclusion it’s the same virus that Li’l Bhaji generously brought home last weekend finally infected us.

Sunday, brief respite. I seem well, so I take Akra Jr to see Herbie Fully Loaded – fantastic film, kept well within the spirit of the original and was a really fun movie. Will be buying the DVD (supposedly for Akra Jr, but really for me) when it comes out.

Sunday evening, Akra Jr been in bed about an hour when … MUMMY! He’s been sick EVERYWHERE. Spend most of the rest of the night clearing up mess from both ends while praying we don’t end up running out of mattress space or bed linen. Today I’ve had to beg loan of someone’s larger washing machine for duvet space and have mine on constantly – Akra has steam cleaned the mattress. And so the clean up operation begins, all while having a child home from school so no available time to do it in.

So how was your weekend?

Get your petrol direct.

Sorry, I kind of assumed that when Akra Jr started school I’d have *more* time to myself not less! That wasn’t in the manual!

Anyway, Saturday night Li’l Bhaji decided to throw up all over me three times for no apparent reason but has been perfectly happy since. No idea why he was ill, but the carpets and our clothing took a real beating. Still recovering from that (and I need to redo the stain remover *sigh*)

Then today. Today was a day you KNOW you didn’t want to get out of bed for. Today was a day that I decided to humanely dump a rather large spider out the front door rather than squish it. Today was a day that Li’l Bhaji was rather closer behind me than I realised. Today was the day that Li’l Bhaji decided it would be fun to close the door behind me.

Click.

Sinking feeling. I try the handle, it’s of course locked. And I’m fairly certain I left the stairgate open momentarily (spider was on the stairs). Oh God.

Quickly check through the window to see if he’s okay, but can’t see him as he’s still by the door. Quickly run round the back to see if by some miracle I’ve left the back door open or any windows. Of course I haven’t. Security conscious, me. Wouldn’t want anyone to come waltzing in around the back now, would we?!

Fortunately, due to texting fervour earlier on (Li’l Bhaji had managed to walk all the way back home from Tescos, and I was busy crowing as you do…) I had my mobile in my pocket. See Li’l Bhaji playing with a socket cover through the window. Oh god, which socket have I left uncovered then?!

Friend from round the corner duely arrives on her day off (what a star!) with a coathanger. Li’l Bhaji getting a bit upset now – can’t work out why mummy is smiling at him through the window and talking to him through the letterbox but not coming back in now. Game over, after all, right?

Coathanger is of the plastic variety and not flexible enough to get to the right angle. Friend goes to knock on all my neighbours doors hoping that someone is in. In the meanwhile, I telephone Akra (he’s half an hour a way) in the hope that he could come home to open the door. Neighbour interrupts business meeting, brings out wire coat hanger and business associate and both gamely try to open the door while friend and I coax Li’l Bhaji around to the window so he doesn’t get jabbed in the eye by said coathanger. Li’l Bhaji getting pretty hysterical now. This just isn’t FUNNY mummy. Come back in NOW.

Plan fails dismally when coathanger just slips off the handle and then they lose their grip and it drops on the inside of the door. Yellow pages summoned instead. We briefly debate whether replacement window or locksmith would be cheaper. I decide I’d rather not be sweeping up glass all week and locksmith is called. Akra arrives home. Key is on inside of door, so spare key won’t turn in the lock. We settle back to await the locksmith. Li’l Bhaji now in full scream mode.

Locksmith arrives having interrupted his previous job because the dispatch lady mentioned baby inside – thank you thank you thank you! Only he can’t get the front door open either. In the end, he had to snap the back door lock and completely replace it to get us in. Lots of cuddles with a thankfully unharmed toddler later, things are looking up.

End result: 45 minutes of horror, a bill of £100, a toddler who had nightmares at his lunchtime nap and is now very clingy and a VERY frazzled mother.

Lesson learned. Next time the spider gets squished.

Well, Akra Jr seems to have enjoyed his first couple of days of school. At least, he was annoyed this morning that he wasn’t going (it being the weekend and all) – so that’s a good sign, right?

Yesterday was a bit touch and go at first, though. He was all excited about going but on the way we met up with a friend who’s little boy is in the year above Akra Jr, who then started to discuss how difficult and daunting it is for them in the earshot of Akra Jr! It hadn’t even occurred to him that it might be more difficult that day with more children in there (first day was only half a class – second had all 45 children attending) and it was a bit of a blow to his confidence.

Entering into the classroom, it was chaotic. Not so much the 45 children (there are 2 teachers, by the way, but just one room for the reception megaclass) but the 45 parents looking very big and bulky amongst the minature chairs and tables. I think it’s going to be FAR less stressful for them once the parents are ordered to drop them off at the door!

And it must be stressful for them. Akra Jr, although happy and cheerful on exit, is easily upset and overtired when he comes out, bursting into tears at the slightest provocation and needing far more cuddles and reassurance. Everything feels very new for him, from the scratchy clothing that he can no longer pick for himself in the morning to the new routines and new faces. It’s hard work being 4!

It’s amazing what other things you can find to do with your time when you’re supposed to be writing. I’ve recently got some more freelance work in (copy-writing) – about 5 hours worth of work in all and am actually keen to get into it.

However, I had 3 hours to myself this morning, what with Akra Jr at school and Li’l Bhaji at nursery and what did I do? Well, lots of clothes washing, dinner in the slow cooker, herb pots on the kitchen windowsill pruned and all the dead leaves plucked off (oh… okay… I say pruned – more hacked at with kitchen scissors in the guise that I know what I’m doing). Since Akra Jr has been back home we’ve watched a film together and my kitchen surfaces are sparkling. And now this blog post.

I managed about half an hour worth of research this morning in between faffing. Pathetic.

Anyone for a cup of tea?

It was the big “first day at school” today and I’ve been drowning under SMSes the last few days from friends asking if I’m upset and coping okay with the thought of Akra Jr going to school. I’ve felt a bit bemused, if anything. He’s been going to nursery 5 mornings a week for the last year, so until he starts going full time on the 19th, there’s not really much change in our routine – just a change in venue. I’ve been looking forward to getting back to a term-time routine again, for both the boys’ sakes and my sanity. Akra Jr has seemed quite excited to go to school and many of his friends from nursery are going to the same school as him, so no worries there.

But then this morning, Akra Jr all ready to go. We put his jumper and shoes on ready to go and suddenly he’s floods of tears. He hates his uniform – loathes it. Is convinced that everyone is going to laugh at him because it doesn’t fit properly. The jumper hurts his head as the neck is too tight (damn cheap acryllic nasty jumpers) and itches. Refuses to have a picture taken for the grandparents. We have to carry him to school with him sobbing all the way. Not the most relaxing start to his first day at school.

The teachers were brilliant. Showed him that everyone else was wearing the same thing. Sympathised with the jumper (apparently, every year they complain to the school shop that their jumpers are crap) and advised on the best way to stretch them without damaging them. Took Akra Jr in hand and found a couple of the children he knew to play with. I eventually left with him looking very subdued and waving mournfully to me out of the window.

Arrived back to pick him up at lunchtime way too early in my worry that he was really miserable and haunted the playground for about quarter of an hour. Eventually he came out of the door, all smiley – he’s had a fabulous time (thank goodness!) – he’s no longer refusing to go to school tomorrow just so he can avoid wearing the jumper! Even got a quick snap of him and his best friend on the camera phone (not an ideal quality picture – but hey, what can you do?!) We’ve had to go into town this afternoon to replace his water bottle for school, as his current one leaked all over his bag, but other than that it was a successful morning.

And no, I’m fine about him going to school, thanks for the concern!