Being Mom

Being mom is really hard. You have to remember EVERYTHING. We went to Karate last night. Carys was an angel, sitting down playing with her shoelaces and Adam got stuck right in! Acting out this move, then that one, and the intense look on his face as he counted out to 10 in Japanese, 'itch ni ray san so gi' and so on, generally having fun. He then started the 'pants' dance, you know the one where he hops from foot to foot, crosses his legs, wiggles from side to side. Through experience I know where this leads(he has a really small bladder), I whispered , "Adam, do you need a wee wee? He didn't hear so I motioned him over, he shook his head and I waved him over again with that perfected 'you had better listen to me' look on my face. He came over and told me that no, he didn't need to go. He walked straight back onto the floor, his sensei noticed and berated him for leaving the floor without permission, he said 'My mom made me' Boy was I in trouble. Sensei Mark, looked over at me and said "Yeah, I understand mate, she's pretty scary!" Thanks! http://basic1.easily.co.uk/037067/041026/frontpage.html here is a link to Adam's club. He'll be completing his first grading in March, I think.

rest of the day

15:15 Adam up from school
16:00 Library, book return
17:00 Dinner ( spaghetti bolognese.. not included in World cook-off as it is not a new dish or recipe I'm using).
18:00 Karate Adam
19:00 ClassWork.

Love you guys and miss you! Still trying to get out to yours Mom for around about the 25th of May, keep fingers crossed for a flight sale!

Elvis!

Elvis is alive in our house at this moment and time. Carys has a little bear(thank you Auntie Geri) that sings Elvis. She plays with it all the time! I must confess that we 'lost' it mid January when we could not stomach one more rendition of 'Fools rush in', but in true baby fashion, she has dug it out and is jamming to it once again. I don't feel too guilty having done this... I'm certain parents all over the world have done something like this at one point or another! The weekend was pretty hectic, hence no blog Sunday or yesterday (Sunday hectic, yesterday recovering from Sunday).

Update on cooking around the world. Well we've done Mexican chicken (Patrick) but I don't know if that counts as its no a true Mexican dish.. chicken with a packet of Schwartz 'Mexican Chicken' No I can't count that one. Anyway, we had Shepherds pie the other day, so that's Europe, tonight I will 'do' Asia, with a basic Curry with rice, Recipe is from http://www.thecurryhouse.co.uk/. I'll have to go buy the chillies. I have all the other spice from previous experiments.


I am a BAD mom. I sent Adam off to school today with 'bed' hair. It's at the awkward stage where it is just long enough to stick up at odd angles that you cannot plaster down. I brushed it at home and thought I took out the kinks. We go to school, the hair was still 'out' everywhere. So I committed the ultimate faux paux, I licked my fingers and tried to plaster it with saliva. Now, I know from personal experience how traumatizing that can be, and it doesn't work! It didn't work when my mom tried it on my hair and it doesn't work when I see other mom's doing it... so why Oh why did I think it was going to work. Adam gave me the 'look', and then quickly looked to the left and right to see if any of his friends had seen. He then stomped off into the building. (yes the line had already gone in!) No matter how much you say you will 'never' do something, you invariably end up doing it anyway! Subconscious thought is a very scary thing! Another example of how my baby has grown, he will not allow any kisses once we enter the school gates. No kiss on the cheek, no blowing kisses, DO NOT EVEN MENTION THE WORD KISSES. This is really hard to deal with, because Adam is such a loving boy. He is always giving hugs, kisses, winks, cuddles. I have to give him a great big smooch in the car or I don't get any. It used to be I couldn't leave without giving him a kiss goodbye now its all about 'his friends'. 'Growing up is hard to do', for the mom's!



We are about to start a new journey tomorrow. I met our young person with his caseworker on Friday morning. Then we all met him on Sunday and took him bowling. He's really excited and called us all weekend. It is a little bit scary but it is what we trained for , it just seems like a long time ago when it really was just last November. We are looking forward to helping him find his way to independence. We have so much to think about, is it right for us, for Adam and Carys; we don't want to shortchange them or the YP's, yet on the other hand we have so much love and care to give that opening our door to someone who needs it feels natural. He moves in tomorrow morning.

I got a little sidetracked. I'll post some bowling pictures here or Patrick may have already put them into Flicker. I am SO busy I have not got time to sit here chit chatting to my self.

rest of the day
11:00-12:00
Laundry (never ending)
Toy pick up ( Carys emptied all of her toy boxes onto the floor and is sitting in one right now!)
12:00 Lunch ( make 8 paper flowers for kids in family group)
13:00-15:00 Family group
15- 15:15 Pick Adam up from school
15:30-16:00 go to B&Q to buy locks and Tesco for chillies
16:00-17:00 Homework
17:00-17:30 Dinner
18:00 drop Adam at Karate
19:30 bath, story, bed for 20:00

Posting my schedule actually makes me do the things I'll do.. I'm a serial 'list'maker! It drives Patrick up the wall.

PICT6398

PICT6398
Originally uploaded by the_stakes

This is from flickr

Profiteering

I can't believe I missed my post yesterday. I sat down to do it a few times but I had 3 distractions coming in and out of the room. It niver got done. Adam can't bear to have anyone at ANY computer with haveing to ask.. can I play?... can I play?...can I play? Well it would be difficult to 'play' blog wouldn't it! Carys can't bear to see anyone on the desk without being on your knee. She knows there are always little bits to swipe off or stab herself with, c.d.s, dvds, paperclips, pushpins, screws, post its, paper, gluesticks.. etc... not to mention all those buttons on the keyboard to pound on and the red light on the mouse to gaze at. And Patrick, he likes to hover like a vulture as if saying (What are you doing on my computer?) or "Are you done yet? Are you done yet? A little like a furniture or appliance salesman who leaves you to browse.... but yet you always FEEL him stalking your everyone movement.. ready to pounce... at that opportune moment....with the offer of the day.

Last night..Dad askes Adam to go do his 'job'. (bringing in the dogs bowl so we can feed him)

Adam jumps up to do his bidding. (Nina is on the pnone at the time.. "Say you'll so it for a pound!")

Adam quickly jumps on the bandwagon as and says.. "I'll do it for a pound."

Dad- "50p"

Adam- "a pound"

Dad- "70p"

Adam- "1 pound 50.. its only going to go up"

Thanks alot Nina!

Pictures of our walk yesterday are on Flikr account.. I'll try to get them in a slideshow for here but no time now.

Here is Carys .. she found a surprise yesterday and was nice and quiet..... now we know where Adam's missing yogurt went!

NIght-time Shenanigans NOT for the Fainthearted!

Well as the title suggests, today Day4 I will talk about the kids' nighttime entertainment. Firstly, Adam a little late today.. but he is soooo gorgeous his teacher will forgive him. Here is a promised picture of our sleepy-eyed, 5 more minutes please, got up on the wrongside-of-the-bed little Adam! He is crushing his weetabix (like shredded wheat) for breakfast.... Last night I got home from class to 2 lovely sights. The first a sleeping beauty who, rather then go to bed, made a tent out of his bedclothes and invited all his and his sisters stuffed animals join him under it. That explains the tired look today doesn't it! I haven't quite got the hang of putting the pictures in where I want them! The second thing was that Carys had been sick and vomitted on her sheet, it was a "Chunky" one and Patrick was barely able to get it off her bed, so it was nice to deal with a chunky 2 hour old, stuck on vomit bedsheet :-) I love being a momma! Oh another thing happened this morning. I really wanted to photgraph it for posterity but it woudl have been a step too far.... Littel Miss Carys is being potty trained... loosly... so while running about in her bare bottom upstairs while I was tidying.. yes tidying, I smelt a little doodie. I had a look at her bottom and there was no evidence of any action.. so I presumed she must have 'let wind' (a fart is too crude a word and my baby girl is highly delicate so she 'let's wind')..anyway... moved on to her bedroom.....and.... I'll leave you to imagine the rest.....!

Carrots has her appointment with Dr Jones (specialist) this afternoon at 4:40pm. This is the follow-up we have been waiting for since her biopsy in November. We know what it is but hope he will be able to tell us some definites as the JXG on her face is right up to her bottom eyelids now and through her right ear. Her arms have gotten worse as well. It is not as concentrated on her legs so they don't worry me too much. Most importantly though is that they do not bother her one little bit and she is as happy as ever!!!!

We also met a potential new member of the family this morning. I was well impressed and hope it works out for us all. I'll hear on Monday if he is coming to stay or not.

Rest of the day

Lunch

Nap

Sock matching

Make dinner for later----Shepherds Pie (Europe)

Storytime at Library

Pick up Adam from school

Dr's appointment

Work

Living in half a house

Day 3 of my blog. I'll first report that yes.. Adam got to school on time today. He was looking VERY presentable, hair brushed, glasses on. Forgot to get a picture. Carys also had her hair brushed .. but she pulled her hair band out!! as you'll see in the picture, she then tried to eat it. Cessie, thank you very much for those litte teethy clips but I had to put them away for later. I put them in her hair and she pulled them out, stuck them in her mouth, and clipped it to her cheek.. She was NOT a happy camper and cried.... again. I will take some pictures of Adam tonight for the blog tomorrow.

Well, cleaning progress report. I did upstairs this morning... its gleaming! By the time I got downstairs I didn't feel like cleaning anymore! Maybe I have just found the perfect strategy! Clean upstairs one day, downstairs the next.... so we can live in half the house each day! Oh well. Carys has just gone to sleep. Not too much fuss today. She was trying to run me over with her toy stroller this morning and got very upset that I kept dodgeing it.

Wednesday suprise dinner last night ended up being canned soup and cheese on toast (English equivalent to grilled cheese). I decided I am going to make a new dish each week. I am going to try to make a dish from first every continent on earth and then break it down into countries. I don't even know how many countries there are! I came across the smithsonian American Cookbook Project giving recipes state by state so I am sure there is something out there for world cuisine!

This morning:

9:00 school run

cleaning

10:00 Gas man arrived for safety check

11:00 Laundry

11:30 Carys Bed , me Blog

12:30 Lunch-- chicken w rice and vegetables

13:00 playtime

14:30 Library (return kids books, look for China book)

15:15 Pick Adam up

16:00 Homework/get Beavers uniform ready. (Adam to Beavers 6pm)

17:00-21:00 Anti-Discrimanatory Practice Class

VQP (very quick post)

Jumping for joy right now I HAVE an INTERVIEW!!!!! I was sooo worried about it!!! I know its not an offer of a place but its a step in the right direction!!! Liverpool John Moores University is the only one who has come back to me so far, with 762 appplicants and only 60 places available on their Social Work qual course I'm gonna need to keep everything crossed!

Political Unrest

Right, day 2 for my blog. This morning was the usual circus to get Adam off to school on time! (yeah right!!!) Last year when the kids adn me went to Nana and Tata's, Adam woudl tell everyone he met how I did not get himto school ontime. We always got there when the line had already gone into school and he was always late... oh and forgetting to give himhis lunch money...that ones for later. Anyway... Since I was told off by my parents, (I'm 30 years old and they can still make me cringe!) I have been trying to get a little more organized in the mornings to get us to school with plenty of playtime prior to 'lining up'. My performance on that score is abysmal, we manage 3 out of 5 days on the playground before the bell goes. My justification: I have to get 2 up and ready on time, one of who hates to get out of bed! (ADAM!!!!) He asks for 5 more minutes please on a regular basis. Then its eating the cereal at a snails pace.. then finding his school uniform, he takes it off the afternoon before and is supposed to put it on the dresser or hang them up so we know where they are! Then we go to get in the car and he has no shoes on.... or shoes but no socks.... or trousers but no underwear!! I have to start checking that last one again as he is not allowed to change into his P.E. clothes if he has no undies on. I have been gently reminded by the PE teacher that Adam is forgetting again. All the kids change in the classroom. So where was I.. yes the circus, we finally found all the bits to Adam's uniform, tie..check...underpants...check...socks..check.. shoes that fit...check....jumper...check...ready to go... and then we smell something.... Carys has has dirtied her diaper with an explosive poo! We got to school after the line went in! You win some.. you lose some. Mom has just called (I love SKYPE), firs thing out of her mouth " Did you get Adam to school on time?" Classic!


This morning:
9:00 Adam School
9:15 Beano (dog), Me and Carys walk on the beach
10:00 Playtime (thinking about cleaning)
11:00 Carys helped me tidy toys in office.. and then emptied them again.
12:00 Lunch --- Beans and sausages on toast with sprinkle cheese. Yogurt for dessert.

Rest of the day:

13:30 Talking Tots Group
14:45 Doctors Appointment
15:15 Pick Adam up from school
15:45-16:45 Concentrated cleaning effort. (I hate it!) Kids Bedrooms and Laundry
17:00 Dinner Wednesday suprise
18:00 - 18:30 Adam to Karate
19:00 Homework
19:30 Bath, story, bed.
20:00 Ironing with an Ironing movie on

I never got to the political unrest bit...maybe next time...

Masking Tape

I am glad I decided to set up a blogspot. I want to capture those little moments when the kids have done something hilarious , you know, the ones you always forget to regale to friends and family. Well in the 5 minutes it ook to set this thing up Carys has reminded me the dangers of my unconcious actions. Sitting here at the desk with a roll of masking tape under my feet (thats where it belongs you know.. on the floor) .. rolling back and forth, back and forth... I look up and find she has 'found' her own roll..is standing on it... trying to roll it back and forth, except she is not that coordinted.. and has gone flying.. not once but 3 times.. little bugger is determined to get it she's on her 4th attempt. She's gonna scream as I take it away!!! I have to watch what I teach that girl!!!

I even figured out the picture thing. Patrick will be soo proud. I usually leave the technical bits to him.

Rest of the day:

Carys' Lunch: Mac and cheese, (on the stove now)

13:00-15:00 Family group

15:00 Pick up Adam from school

Homework, ( he did absolutley none over the holiday!) No Wii, computer OR playing out with his friends, punishment for telling a lie.

16:00 Make dinner, cajun chicken and rice.

17:20 Drop Adam off at Karate

18:00- 21:00 Meeting with my fellow mentor volunteers.