Don't Google - Saturday

This is 10minutes AFTER it was spotless *sigh*

After finishing Wednesday's blog last night and googling the subject,  I am totally paranoid and freaked out again and wash the towels that are not in the cupboard. There are about 15!! Why do we need so many towels out at once? I also completely spiegel the kitchen, even moving the appliances off the counter this time. I also decimate one of the bathrooms upstairs. Hubby does the downstairs one. The other one we will sort later. We moaned about having only one toilet but three is ridiculous. Ridiculous but so so useful. 

This means hubby gets the lie in and I am not managing to take it easier on the weekend to recharge for during the week. Will just have to have a low key week. Hmmm.

Finally around 4pm we manage to leave the house to go to the park. This time both hubby and I remain remarkably calm and understanding when the car doesn't start again and we decide to take the pram and we end up holding a palaver, and an indaba, and a punchayet, and a pow-wow. Maia realising the car isn't working bursts into tears cos she doesn't want to walk. I had initially wanted the pram to carry the food bag and nappy bag and coats and balance bike and scooter. instead Maia sits in it. I pack everything around her. Realising Maia gets to ride, upsets Ellie who also decides she doesn't want to walk. A fight ensues about who gets to be in pram. I suggest turns. Maia doesn't want to get out. I suggest one on way there one on way back. Not approved by both. I then pad the scooter with the coats and hoik Ellie on top. I take the dog and hubby pushes. No way could I have done that myself. Not sure how hubby did it!

When we arrive in the park I notice before the girls do that there is more than just the bouncy castle there. Honest to G-d I don't want to sound like a grump but ffs can't the park just be a park? Does it need to have bells and whistles? And costly ones at that. I make it clear to the girls that we are not here for the rides. They get it and don't nag. 

Ellie wants to go to playpark first, so Maia goes with hubby to skatepark.

As if to illustrate my point from Thursday about helicopter parents,  there is a man at the play park telling his daughter how to play. Since when did it become ok to tell your kids how to play?. Don't sit at the top. Put your legs that way. Go under there. Shut the fuck up and let her play and she wouldn't feel so unsure of herself. I can't stand listening to it any more and move to another bench.

Ellie is upside down on a bar. I remember fondly how I used to be able to do that. I turn myself upside down sideways whilst sitting on a bench to meet her eye to eye. She is in a funny/off mood and I want to smile at her. I suddenly feel something on my head and realise I am on the lap of the woman next to me. I thought the bench was longer than it was. I laugh a lot. She thinks I'm barmy but takes it well and kind of laughs too. Ellie is ready to go to the skate park. Thank fuck!!

Another skate park day. Another snack time skate park day. I brought some food because they hadn't eaten much all day. A hunger meltdown is always best avoided . This time, I occasionally wander about outside with the dog since hubby is also there. 

I suggest a move to Ellie who looks at me like I've lost my mind. 'why dont you Skate along the top of that block. Drop your scooter to one side and jump to the other'. I have no idea how to do work up to the fancy moves that happen in skate parks but that feels like a good starting point. am I telling her how to play? Am I that dad? Hmm. I don't think so because it's a suggestion. 

She tentatively tries it and is quite chuffed with her efforts. She later tries a hop thing. 

Maia has a fall and I resist the urge to run to her. I'd probably get whacked by a boarder. She gets up no problems and comes to me. "I fell mum" she says excitedly!

Grandpa pops by to say hello and give hubby and Maia a lift home to fix the car to pick Ellie and I up. Ellie remembers she was meant to go in the pram on the way home and persuades hubby to do that instead of car. I love how she expects the bargain to be still upheld even though plans have changed!! And I love how we are able to accommodate. 

I am so tired that when we get home I sit on the sofa with the girls whilst they watch an odd little cartoon with bears. I don't remember the cartoons I watched being so overt in their teaching of lessons??? Maybe it went over my head too. By the power of grey skull......

I wake up to find that for the first time EVER, I have fallen asleep on the sofa and everyone else is upstairs asleep!! No one woke me. No one cried for me or refused to go to bed without me. A Mazing!!

Meltdowns - skilfully avoided

Losing the Plot - too tired for it

Breastfeeding - lovely