Quick tip

Don't expect a white top to remain white for the entire day.

Life is different

Face it, as soon as you have children, your life has changed. You will, more often than not, compare what you used to do with ease to what you attempt to repeat now.
Leaving the house for example, will take a lot longer. You have to remember more than just your keys, phone and money.
Faffing becomes a pastime.

Quick tip

Need a cold compress fast? Just keep some wet wipes in the fridge.

Easter

Almost 4 year old on Easter:

Mummy, mummy, Jesus ate a hot cross bun and then he died... I ate a hot cross buns earlier, but I didn't die.

World Book Day... a little late

The school of the eldest is having world book day (albeit a week later then the rest of the world as it should have been 3rd March. The reason for delay is understandable if you live in Wales.
If not, then its because 1st March was St Davids Day, and UK Mothers day on the 6 March, it was deemed that the first week of March was already quite busy.

Makes sense really, there's always some national day or event that needs to be recognised in some way. And Spring time, it seems, there are more than at any other time of the year.

So what did our 3 (almost 4) year old go as?
We tried to convince him that his Tigger onesie would be good, but thought going to the toilet would be a bit tricky.
We then considered sending him in his pyjamas, and saying he was one of the lost boys. But after recent news articles regarding parents dropping children off at school and going round supermarkets in their pyjamas, it would become a slippery slope.
The Storm Trooper costume he got from his granddad for Christmas would be good, but unfortunately its not world film day (if there is such a day), and he not actually seen the film anyway, and keeps calling Storm Troopers, Transformers. [sigh]

Eventually we settled on Fireman Sam. OK, its a cartoon, but there is book related merchandise, and we were able to provide evidence of this from his book shelf.

Moment of pride

Sometimes the oddest of things can make you proud. Tonight I had one of those moments.
I'm left on my own to look after the children for the evening. The usual tick boxes to be done;

Finish eating their dinner

• Get them both bathed
• Youngest finishes his milk
• Teeth brushed
• Into pyjamas
• Stories
• Eldest to have a final wee
• Bed/settled/Sleep

All was going well while I gave the youngest the last of his milk quietly in his room while the eldest looked through a book. Then I noticed through the crack in the door, the eldest decided to use his pretty. Excellent, I think. Another box ticked, and go back to trying to settle the youngest.
Then there moment of pride happened. The toilet flushes and a tap is running. I look through the crack in the door. The eldest is creeping back to his room smiling!
Not only did he have a wee, but he emptied and rinsed out the Pty afterwards before returning it.

It doesn't matter what they do, but when they do something you've never seen them do before perfectly & unprompted. And they know it. That's a proud moment. Not only for you, but for them.

Conversations with a child 2

3yo: mummy?
Me: yes?
3yo: ... Your not mummy.
Me: I Know, but this afternoon, I'll answer to mummy or daddy.
3yo: Daddy, why are you answering yourself?

Smart ass.