Spring is in the air!

Is spring in the air, or just springing??

Trampolining fun in february.

Ozzy's first musical

I took 7 year old Ozzy to see Oliver Twist, the whole shebang with Neil Morrissy as Fagin.  It literally blew his imagination and I think I got more pleasure from watching Ozzy's reaction, than the actual show!

The Grand Theatre, Leeds, is a beautiful setting that almost takes you back to dickensian times with its ornate styling from the late 1800's.  I managed to get 2nd row tickets, by chance, which was fantastic and the show was fabulous!  

Ozzy made a point of watching Oliver Twist a week before going so he had an idea of the story and songs. And I can't tell you how wonderful it was to watch his little face light up with awe!  Frankly with the intensity of children's imaginations I think any show would be wondrous.

Ozzy was just very lucky his first show was a stella production of Oliver Twist, touring the UK. Beautiful Evening!

Soft play survival musts!

Ok, into battle... soft play centre for the afternoon. Remember to pack the following:

1. "Combat attitude" for irresponsible, or snotty parents who are in denial their precious Tarquin/ Tarquinetta just punched your child in the face! = tick

2. Anti-bac wipes to counter the sea of viruses and bacteria coughed out and dribbled onto the brightly coloured plastic   = tick

3. ipad to numb the boredom, though do prepare for patchy wifi, signs of free wifi lure reluctant parents in but too frequently it doesn't work. 

If only they sold earplugs & strawberry daiquiris, I could almost enjoy the soft play scene!

Children and housework

Mummys delegate more!  Start them young, Izzy now has her own hoover, albeit a little "crum-pet"!

Crum-pet in action!

bowled over!

I had genuinely forgotten how much fun bowling can be and sadly I had also forgotten how to actually hit the pins??  My daughter merrily kicked the balls down the alley and my son bowled so slowly that we could turn around, sit down and watch as they slowly rotated their way to knocking over the pins.  Despite these unusual bowling techniques Izzy's and Ozzy's freestyle approaches still had them score double my points, each!

Funnier was Izzy's disbelief that she was witnessing something 'I' was rubbish at.  She tugged at my top, with a furrowed brow and scrunched up little nose and said "Mummy are you 'not' good at this?" and looked really confused when I agreed and said "No!"

Then Ozzy came up to me, just before I attempted to bowl and conspiratorially said "Mummy you can do it, just concentrate!" and he kissed my hand and then the ball for good luck... I then proceeded to send the ball hurtling down the gully and when I turned around I witnessed him look utterly crestfallen in a backward glace, as the ball missed every single pin!

But the wonderful thing is in these moments I realised that to my children (errr and only my children) I have rock star status!  I am good at everything, I am clever, wise, multi skilled and all knowing...   So to stay that way, I just need to keep them really young, somehow... hmmm and stay away from bowling alleys!

What is the difference between boys & girls?

I think these two pictures fully explain the difference between boys and girls:

Izzy age 4 "When I grow up, I want to be a doctor to fix people"

Ozzy  age 7 "I want to grow up shoot people and be a Cowboy!"

I was in the utility room, after school today and shooooo'd the kiddies out, as I could hear the workmen above the ceiling and feared they'd come crashing through the ceiling.  "OUT!" I shouted at them, Izzy stepped back to the door threshold. "Why?" she enquired.  I replied "because if the workman crash through the ceiling they'll squish you!" Izzy answered "But Mummy they'll squish you if you stay there too, come out!"

Ozzy's (boy) response: he remains in the utility and talks over Izzy, "Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, (got my attention) err ...which do you think is cutest, a Kitten or an Ocelot?"

Firstly I have no idea what an Ocelot is, but I do know Ozzy completely missed the big picture (ceiling crashing in). I think boys think differently, quite singularly. 

I wonder if it stems back to the cave man days where men/boys single mindedly pursued the woolly mammoth, despite all danger.  And when women/girls had to endear themselves to a group, using emotional intelligence to survive.  

Anyway all I know is my little boy is always so focused on something, that we have THE most bizarre conversations.  Ozzy thinks in lists, everything has a hierarchy.  Even breakfast (6am), "What are your top three favourite breakfasts Mummy? Mines Weeetabix first, err then second favourite is Shreddies and my third favourite is Ready Brek!"  
...Arghhhhh...  Mine is 1) A sleep in!  2) Breakfast in Bed & 3) An overnight Nanny.

Mothers little helper 21 century style!

Seriously tempting, feeling harassed today!

Wondering WHO buys these... posh alcoholics?  Workers celebrating a good morning meeting in the office?  Mummys on the edge?  I think the latter. 
I was so tempted to give in.  
I had a flash vision of pushing Izzy in the trolley, cheers-ing other Mummys whilst staggering around the fridge section, trying to master the art of pushing a full trolley with one hand, whilst quaffing a 'froglet" of Rose with the other!  Suddenly mundane food shopping seems a lot more appealing, well done M&S!