Bad Mummy Moment #3964

It's my day off today. Yay. I had plans for the day - nothing special but a few chores to do, some errands to run and a last minute arrangement to catch up with a friend for a coffee.

So we got ready for the day and I took the kids to school. Offspring #1 waved goodbye and headed for his classroom and I walked #2 to her classroom. And then #1 appeared to tell me he'd forgotten a special project he'd been working on. I agreed to go back home, collect it, and return to school with it when I'd finished getting #2 into class. All good.

#2 and I sorted out her reading book, she collected her chair and put it at her desk and then she started crying. She didn't want me to leave. She wanted to come home with me. Of course I said no. I wasn't having her pull this kind of stuff three weeks into grade one. What would I be setting myself up for if I let her come home with me because she was crying? I could see the rest of the year stretching ahead of me with a kid who wouldn't stay at school.

Then she upped the stakes.

 She didn't feel well. Her tummy hurt. Hmmm... well that's the first I'd heard of it and since school was about to start I still wasn't falling for her routine. I took her to the teacher, explained the situation and said that I'd like #2 to give it a go and if she still didn't feel well a bit later they could call me and I'd come collect her. She had a relief teacher today, one that #2 knows, likes and is comfortable with who I also happen to have worked with so we did a bit of Mummy/Teacher talking in code stuff and were both on the same page. All good.

I raced home and collected #1's special project, zipped back to school and dropped it off and then took off to pay some bills in the local area before the planned trip down the hill. I made it to the first stop, all of six minutes away from school, before the phone call came.

So, guess who is now tucked up in her bed with a terribly sore belly and a bucket next to her? I followed my instincts and made her stay at school and now I feel awful. But if I'd let her come home when I thought she was bunging it on I wouldn't normally have been doing her any favours either.

This motherhood gig really needs to come with a handbook.

Woot Woot

I get to go walking again tomorrow morning and I'm over-the-top, crazy excited about it. After some time of enforced inactivity, and the inevitable couple of kilo's to go with that, I'm actually looking forward to getting up at 5.30 tomorrow morning, pulling on my trackies and joggers and heading out. I'm a little bit afraid of how much the hills are going to hurt after these weeks off!

And I'm hoping that once I get back into the swing of doing some exercise I'll find it a bit easier to turn away from the chocolate, the chips and the generally crappy food choices I've been making.

Random Ravings

Hello, hello! Sorry for the unexplained absence - the health stuff that we thought was sorted turned out to be not quite. I was trying hard to get back into the swing of the things with work, kids, school and the house while feeling like crap and worrying myself silly. Fast forward a week and all seems good and it's amazing what not worrying can do for your mood and general wellbeing. Yay. Still waiting on results of a couple of blood tests but they won't change things too much either way.

The downside of almost a week of bedrest and then more time of seriously restricted physical activity means that I haven't been doing my usual early morning walk and have been eating huge amounts of not-particularly-good-choices food. My clothes are tight and I'm feeling fat and frumpy. Now that everything seems okay I'm itching to pull my joggers back on and get out for my walks again. I'm really looking forward to that, and catching up with my neighbour who I walk with. I've missed our chats and hearing the news of the street.

The stage show of Mary Poppins is playing in Perth shortly. I really want to see it. The musical-hating-Hubby does not. AT ALL. So I'll be seeking others partners in crime for that one.

But I must, must, must remember to get tickets for Duran Duran. Have been meaning to do it for ages and keep forgetting. Mental note to self - do it this week!

I am LOVING My Kitchen Rules. Love the food, love the nice people, love the villains. Didn't love last season but do love this one.

I can't wait to see the first episode of Revenge tonight. And I really hope it's going to be as good as all the hype has made it out to be.

I am still loving Pinterest and all the things that I'm finding there. I made this totally delicious and super easy Sausage Casserole over the weekend and it was a huge hit with the whole family. Yes, even Miss Fussy! I made a couple of changes, like not using fennel because it's not in season and using zucchini because a friend had extras and gave me one, and will definitely be making this again.

And here's a new fave photo of the kids. We went for a walk along the river last weekend - the kids took their scooters and I took my camera. I got some great shots and am going to get some printed for framing later int he week.

Cupcakes and Comfort Food

You know how the second day of anything is generally harder and slightly worse than the first? Like the first day of a new job is hard because of the unknown but the second day is harder because you actually know what you're in for.

Remember how yesterday, the first day of our school year, was all positive and good? Yeah.

The second day? Not so much.

Poor Offspring #2 came out of the classroom and was in tears before she even got to me. All of five steps away. She blubbered and babbled her way to the car before she eventually started speaking in a language I could understand. Oh my poor baby. Most of it was simple worrying about the world and not wanting to do the wrong thing, one part was about the class being told off because of two children who were misbehaving and another part had to do with the teacher asking them to write something and her having a panic because she's "only just started year 1 and I don't know how to write all the words yet!"

Offspring #1's day was deemed "okay" but he'd cut his finger and it hurt every time he tried to write. And when he saw his sister's tears he decided to join in the pity party

I hugged and kissed, commiserated and eased fears and racked my brain for how to make the afternoon just a little bit brighter. And then hit on the perfect solution.

So we made choc-chip cupcakes, iced them with chocolate icing and covered them with sprinkles. And then I made their second favourite dinner. Tuna and Pasta, or 70's style Tuna Mornay if you're feeling fancy. Cupcakes and comfort food. Guaranteed to make a rotten day just a little bit brighter.

Here's hoping tomorrow's a whole lot better.

Back to School

And the long summer holidays finally draw to a close! That seven or so weeks of holidays just seemed to go on and on and on. Perhaps not to the school teaching Hubby but they did to me. And please don't think I mean that as a negative thing - I have loved having a break from routine, hanging out as a family and having the opportunity to be a bit spontaneous. Yeah, I said a bit spontaneous -I think we all know I can only cope with a little bit of spontaneity.

My kids were up, dressed and raring to go before six this morning. Yes seriously. And yes, that two and half hours until we actually left for school seemed a great deal longer. Offspring #1 is now in Year 5 and well and truly qualifies as one of the big kids. Even if he's still my tiny boy. And Offspring #2 was completely over-excited to be joining the BIG school in Year 1. She told me yesterday that she was looking forward to not having to be with "all those little kids". You know, the ones she spend last year with, quite happily.

 I got a couple of gorgeous First Day photos...

And a couple of crazy face photos. And this one that showed exactly how fed up Offspring #2 was with the whole photo taking caper.

The actual drop off at their classrooms was something of an anti-climax. #1 gave me a wave and told me I could take #2 to her classroom now. And #2 settled into a seat next to one of her friends and told me I could go to work as she needed to be ready "to learn stuff" Good to feel wanted on such a big day.

And I'm very happy to report that while I spent the day at work worrying about them, they both had terrific first days, are happy with their teachers, brought home library books and are looking forward to tomorrow. Phew!