Diary of an unconscious mother: Are we having fun yet?

Who am I kidding!! Not only have I not had a minute to pee since the schools went back, the computer is back in the bedroom - standing space only. *sigh*

So much for my vision of sitting writing at a desk and being all happy about that.

Aside from the fact that hubby was MOST put out with me stealing his sacred shed space. So perturbed was he that every time he went in the room, he developed a sort of sickness that rendered him incapable of sharing.

Then there's been the back to school palaver. There was me imagining a 'lady wot lunches' type scenario of languishing decadence. The reality is, somewhat different. Often times Maia refuses to go, so stays with me. We don't force our kids to go to nursery if they really don't want to go. As Maia so succinctly puts it to the horrified dog walkers in the park. 'its my choice'. We had similar issues of non-attendance with Ellie, but far worse. She was emotionally not ready and seriously upset at the thought of leaving me and staying in this room full of strangers. Maia on the other hand is quite matter of fact and calm and just wants to be with mummy. Well why wouldn't she! On the days she does go, by the time I have walked the dog, brought said wet dog home to hose, changed and fed and settled a wet Millie, it is time to go and pick up Maia again and sort out lunch.

On the days she does go to nursery and because Ellie is not with her, her need for connection has tripled. I am finding myself unable to complete any tasks without Maia wanting me to play, read, jump, sit, now now now now now. 'In a minute' I try. 'NO NOW' she responds. Very clear is Maia in her needs!

The rest of the afternoon is muddled between Maia and Millie and house until its time to pick up Ellie. with six, yes SIX journeys a day, poor Millie is often being woken to move her from house to car to car to house to bed to car to back to front inside outside puppy dogs tails...I'm dizzy thinking about it and come 5pm, she has had enough and just wants boob and stillness and sleep.

Bedtime is total military operation now. During the holidays the girls were regularly up past 10pm, so we are having to work quite hard to reset their body clocks. It basically means, that we start bedtime fairly soon after they have eaten and on a good night they are in bed by 9pm. So hubby, who has taken to cycling to work, arrives home around 6.30pm-7pm ish. We eat, I settle Millie. The girls have a 20-30mins playtime, then the onslaught begins. Ellie always decides its the best time to start playing silly buggers and runs about not brushing teeth and not getting undressed and basically NOT going to bed. Maia is so tired she becomes overtired and starts jumping and bumping..basically if the two of them are together, its mayhem. So we divide and conquer. I am usually asleep before they are. I'm not sure if we actually converse during that time, sometimes we text each other!

Sometimes we wake up a few hours later, grunt hello to each other then zombie our way round the kitchen clearing up after dinners mess. Usually we roll over and go back to sleep, after night time nappying and feeding Millie.