YAY It's graze box Saturday

Here is my secret to what can sometimes be 30mins extra in bed on a weekend, although can sometimes work for ANY day of the week <:-D

last weeks:-

If you fancy trying a free graze box use this code Z828XQV

Is it really all down to just being lovely?

You know, I don't know what i am doing half the time.  Being a grown up is really hard.  Being a grown up with kids is waaay of my scale off knowledge and often it feels, my capabilities.  But tonight I managed.

It started off as "ok, Maia you choose two poems, Ellie chooses two poems, a book each and a song, then its bedtime"  I've started feeling like I need to specify how the evening is going to pan out, if not for their sakes, since I know they won't remember exactly what I said or do it in that order, it was really said out loud for my benefit so I know my limit.  The problem is most nights the girls have a different limit which is definitely way more than mine at 8pm on a Friday night.  

This quickly changes into Ellie reading one of the books she has chosen. I always forget she can do this and is something that every time it happens I am in awe and wonder..ok maybe not every time but I still think its pretty great that she can now give me a break and entertain herself and Maia in one stone, erm....I mean that she gets and gives such pleasure with her reading abilities.  Oh hell its great that she is reading at all instead of watching Scooby fucking Doo.

Then it was Maia's turn, she picked her book.  There was a slight altercation about who was reading the chosen book but it was sorted quickly and essentially all three of us read.

I stuck to my guns on the number of books, and we moved onto the poems.  Maia had hers already chosen.  I know realise she had it chosen right at the start, but when Ellie started reading, I let that be the starting point instead.  Thankfully Maia had been ok with Ellie reading first.  She knew the poem she chose would be read out.

So we had our two poems, which actually turned into way more, because Maia's favourite was done with her name and then with Ellie's name inserted as well as the original. Ellie read her favourite one to us.   I also chose one and whilst I thought Ellie had wangled another one, I had said two each.  Anyway,  I was getting tired by this point and  had decided it would be gentler to go with the flow than try and stick to my feeble plan!

Then we had Ellie's outstanding rendition of Baby Mine, relieved only by the fact that she missed out a few verses the second time round.  I'll ask a few people, husband included if it would be mean to post her version.

Then it was my turn to sing (not recorded thank you very much), then it was sleep.  And if they go to bed happy without any major plot losings from me, than I am happy.  The fact that it was before 9pm made me even happier.

Meltdowns - minimal

Losing the Plot - depends on your definition -  does this count? 

Breastfeeding - reminders now that milk is gone but will be back

Losing Plot or Calculated Plan

Haircut

All my own work

Ellie's fav Poem at the moment

The Three Little Foxes

Once upon a time there were three little foxes
Who didn’t wear stockings, and they didn't wear sockses,
But they all had handkerchiefs to blow their noses,
And they kept their handkerchiefs in cardboard boxes.

They lived in forest in three little houses,
And they didn’t wear coats, and they didn’t wear trousies.
They ran through the woods on their little bare tootsies,
And they played “Touch last” with a family of mouses.

They didn’t go shopping in the High Street shopses,
But caught what they wanted in the woods and copses.
They all went fishing, and they caught three wormses,
They went out hunting, and they caught three wopses.

They went to a Fair, and they all won prizes —
Three plum-puddingses and three mince-pieses.
They rode on elephants and swang on swingses,
And hit three coco-nuts at coco-nut shieses.

That’s all that I know of three little foxes
Who kept their handkerchiefs in cardboard boxes.
They lived in the forest in three little houses,
But they didn’t wear coats and they didn’t wear trousies,
And they didn’t wear stockings and they didn’t wear sockses.

Maia's fav Poem at the moment

                                                     Hoppity
                                                                                                AA Milne 1924

Scooby flying fig Doo

I am so over Scooby Doo.  I must say I am a bit miffed at this.  I used to love Scooby Doo as a kid, I remember it fondly.  Now it bugs the crap out of me, even if I am in the kitchen doing other stuff, if one of the kids mentions they want to watch Scooby Doo I am not shy in letting them know how much I DON'T want to have it on...but they still watch it.  

I am ashamed to say, I was almost relieved today when a bit of Preppy Pigshite came on. I almost felt nostalgic for the Freaky Pig Family.  That was until Daddy Pig pissed me off with his interminable happiness and laughing at every sodding thing...I mean FFS is Daddy Pig on something, because there is no way he could be that tra-la-la all the time? I'm thinking Mummy pig is in on the action too.  Its just not representative of my household and G-d Dammit it makes me mad.  I want to roll about in shit and eat crap all day long and laugh at everything and not give a fuck *or as they say in politer societies a flying fig). I guess I'll have to settle for the mess and crap food, two out of three ain't bad.  

I reckon there could be sufficient audience pressure to turn Daddy and Mummy Pig into  snorting snivelling messes at least once.  Audience pressure managed to make sure Peppa and George were always strapped in.  What do you say? Are you with me? Shall I start another page?  I think I might anyway.

Yes I am over Scooby Doo, doesn't mean the girls are.....so however much I bemoan that I don't want to watch Scooby Doo, I don't interfere or force my choice...much.  Occasionally I put up such a stink that they relent and put something else on...the danger there is that it could be Alvin and the sodding chipmunks...who is Dave and why is he parenting three chipmunks anyway, it just doesn't make sense!!!

There have also been occasions when the true meaning of turn taking occurs (not the one where the girls choose for me) and I get to watch something I want to watch.  Those are rare though...I'm hoping its an age thing!!  I don't think I could live in this family if I didn't get MY choice once in a while..is that too much to ask??!!!  I'm patient *cough*. I can wait.

Also, in keeping with their love of Scooby Doo, because despite my protests, I still think its important to show an interest in my kids interests,  I am making supreme efforts to have a Scooby Doo themed party for Ellie also without going unbelievably over the top.    Thankfully Ellie has thus far asked for a werewolf, then vampire, then strawberry, then who knows what, she is impossible at making up her mind and I ought to tell her I am utterly useless at making anything thats not round or variation of the round I have just made.

Meltdowns - often but minimal
Losing the Plot - often but hormonally slanted
Breastfeeding - strangely completely stopped, I should probably write about that