Messy Play is good...isn't it?

You know that scene in Pulp Fiction, the one with the hosing down of Vincent and Jules, after the accidental shooting in the back of the car?

Well I've had to do this a few times this week.

Yesterday was due to sand play and today the car looked like a duck had exploded (minus the blood and guts).

The hardest thing for me about this kind of play, is the mess. Being ok with it and letting the girls just be. I absolutely hate sand. I hate the beach. I love the sun. The sea. The surf. But not the sand. It gets everywhere and into everything. So as we drove past the pile of sand at the golf course my initial reaction is to say no way. I know this is my issue and it totally spoils their enjoyment and play (which I am always complaining they don't do enough). So I envisioned what would happen if we went home instead, tv and shrieky girly noise and said 'sure, why not!'. The girls had a great time, I stayed in the car with Millie who climbed about and had a great time too. But. They were NOT coming in the house. So I made them strip outside and shake down before running up to a bath! It was a win win situation.

Today, Maia and I played elephants in the park with pampas grass. Some idiots had hacked at the bush and there were bits lying about all over. We used them for a long time and I was more than happy for her to bring them home until I found out what happens when you use them as a pretend duster. I was going to Hoover the car this morning after yesterday's sand play. I'm so glad I didn't otherwise I'd be swearing about having to do it again never mind having to do it when we got home with very little time because we were going out again. The flowers were everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. The plant is also known as woolly-beard grass and it sheds tiny bits of 'wool' or feather like stuff All. Over. The. Place. I refused to let the girls in the house until I'd brushed them down. Poor Millie had no idea why I was vigorously shaking her down with a dustpan brush. It was worse than the sand because it stuck fast, even to their hair. I think I'll be picking bits out the car for weeks.

Imagine this 1000x worse. Everywhere!

At least the car is tidy for a change.

So messy play. Yes it's fun. Yes it's educational. Yes it helps their development. But sometimes I have to just say NO, no way. Not again.

Meltdowns - none

Losing the Plot - slight exploding duck kind

Breastfeeding - masses. Lots of teeth

Day 12 - Pain Day

I am in so much pain when I wake up today, I decide not to get up.  Hubby changes Millie before he goes to work and puts her back on my boob and there we stay.  I don't really mind the girls finishing the ice cream.  I love listening to them play house in the next room and not disturbing me.  I hate being in so much pain.

The soft play really did a number on my coccyx and yesterday I did a mega hoover and house tidy.  That's an on hands and knees with attachment type hoovering.  So my back and coccyx are agony.  My back has completely seized up and I cannot move and every movement is awful on my bum bone.  I feel old and decrepit. And I have headache.

It also kills my mood.  I warn the girls to ignore my shouting today.  I am snappy.  I am grumpy.  My patience is shot. Pain is a bugger in so many ways.

They have swimming today at 4.30pm and every 5minutes since 12pm,  Maia asks me 'Is it time to go? Is it time to go?' She loves to repeat. It drives me nutso!  Got to love her enthusiasm though.  So thankful they have no concept of time yet as its been really useful today.  'Before we go swimming we have to.....'  So far we have brought plates into the kitchen, put cream on sores, carried nappies upstairs and best of all you have to blow your nose and be snot free before you go swimming!!

Fight the pain mama

I also had a major crack down on their tv watching today.  I felt it was making them really angry and grumpy and sedentary. They don't kick up a fuss and go off to play...I want to say 'go off to play happily', but it doesn't quite happen that way.  Throughout the day they come to me complaining the other has hit them.  I listen to their story, empathise with their pain and remind them we don't hit in our family.  I am sure there is more I could be doing but today my resources are too low to manage more.  So they have bouts of playing brilliantly and bouts not so.

Meanwhile, Millie is feeding a ton and still feeling the effects of my pizza.  Her bum is red raw and she is farting like a trooper.  AND Ellie has given her another cold so she is full of snot and unbelievably unhappy about lying flat again.  She is not a happy camper either.

Swimming is too short, its only half an hour and the girls needed to pee one after the other this week, so the minute I sat down, which is incredibly painful,  I am up again and then up and down again.  Whilst drying the girls, the mum next to me starts complaining about her hubby buying her kids crisps before dinner....I rush the girls and their chocolate minstrels out the door!

Once home, Millie has a complete gurgling snot filled screaming painful squitty pooping meltdown.  I shove two carrots and some lentils in a pot call it soup and count the minutes until hubby comes home.

Meltdowns - Millie sized one

Losing the Plot - most of the morning due to pain

Breastfeeding - all morning