Category Archives: motherhood

September 13, 2011

I don’t know how she does it

It’s five months since I handed in my notice at work and a couple of months since I received my P45 – nothing says unemployed more that a P45!

The good bits

I don’t have to commute
I can wear what I like
I can work on my blog, with the excuse that I’m ‘keeping my hand in’, for when I manage to land the perfect job
I can say I’m bored, tired, stressed out and people empathise – a privilege not given to many people in paying jobs!
I’m my own boss
I have time to renew old friendships and make new ones

The bad bits

I don’t have a commute which means no time to catch up on google reader or relax
I haven’t drunk a hot cup of peppermint tea in about, ooh, 17 months
My clothes are constantly covered in food or snot
I haven’t had a decent conversation about anything other than Edward, his sleeping patterns or teeth in months
I have no monthly income – child benefit doesn’t count

I was sent a copy of the book ‘I don’t know how she does it’ to read (it’s been re-released to tie in with the film of the same name) which was a great opportunity to see how the other half live – those mums who juggle work and their children.

I loved the book! Allison Pearson is a good writer and I enjoyed reading how the main character, Kate Reddy, juggles work, the nanny, her relationships and trying to do her best as a mother. I especially loved the opening scene where she distresses mince pies so she can pass them off as her own for the school carol concert. “Women used to have time to make mince pies and had to fake orgasms. Now we can manage the orgasms, but we have to fake the mince pies. And they call this progress.”

I really hope I can squeeze in a trip to the cinema to see the film which moves the setting from London to New York. Some of the reviews I’ve read have been great and I’d love to see SJP out of her Sex and the City role.

The film tie-in edition was published by Vintage on 1st September, price £7.99 in paperback. The film opens in the UK on the 16th September.

Top 10 naughty toddler moments

I wouldn’t say Edward has a naughty streak and I certainly don’t want to start giving his behaviour a label at the ripe old age of 17 months. However, I’ll be the first to admit he has his moments as he makes the transition into toddlerhood. I thought I’d make a top ten of his most challenging activities and boy was it a hard job limiting it to ten…

constantly playing with the tv cabinet, switching the xbox on and off and pulling cables out
taking advantage of my forgetting to put all the stair gates up and climbing onto the dining room table
climbing upstairs to daddy’s office to play with his model aeroplanes or his work computer
eating the stale bread put down for the birds
putting our electric toothbrush down the toilet
putting toilet rolls down the toilet
screaming whenever someone he doesn’t know says hello to him (his current speciality)
opening the washing machine door when it’s on
giving me the cat’s water bowl when it’s full of water
taking the box of Weetabix and eating them on their own whilst hiding in a corner!

We also took this little video of him recently, enjoying a trip to look at new beds. My husband cut out the running commentary of me saying mind your fingers as well as the bit where he falls out of the wardrobe as he’s laughing so much. It made a nice change that my husband made this recording as I’m normally the one who gets told off for filming him doing things he shouldn’t be!

This post has been written as part of the Tots100 Blog Hop competition sponsored by Dirt Devil

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Tagged as motherhood, parenting

May 18, 2011

Playgroups and cliques

Yesterday I ventured to our local NCT playgroup for the first time. I’ve been meaning to go for ages but never got round to it.

The playgroup was held in a lovely building with plenty of outdoor space. Indoors, the room was split into different play zones with space for soft play, art and crafts, musical toys, a pretend kitchen, a jigsaw table and dressing up clothes.

We paid £1.50 for the play session which lasted 90 minutes and ended up with a singing session.

I was really disappointed with it. It was our first time there and no-one spoke to us! Fortunately I met up with another mum and her 12 month old so we did have someone to talk to but if I hadn’t known her I think I would have left I don’t know why the NCT has such a great reputation as I find it so cliquey and full of Boden-clad mums who I wouldn’t want to be friends with.

Edward had a great time and I hope we’ll go again as there was a great range of toys and I want him to be sociable and at ease amongst his peers. I don’t understand why I get so intimidated by groups of mums but I need to make sure Edward turns out more confident than I am. He often picks up on my mood and seems to be happiest at story sessions at our local library where the parents and children are a more diverse and friendly group.

I’m hoping I’m not the only person to feel intimidated by play groups. Anyone else got any tips for being a confident mum?

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Filed under motherhood, NCT, playing

Tagged as motherhood, NCT, playing