Childsplay

In a manner of speaking, tonight is my trial run with the boys. MPLST is off out and not returning until tomorrow morning. I've not done the bedtime routine with two since BB was a nipper and even then, that was on the rare occasion SS was here. The extra year age gap between her and BB made things much more simple.

Not to worry though. We've coped admirably (if I may say so), and apart from one small incident where I caught BB's finger in a door just before bedtime, and there are no deaths to report. BB will be good until I get up tomorrow, I'd bet your mortgage on that, however, I do foresee a mid sleep wake up to feed the little white one. Bollocks, that'll be the second time in four nights....then again, it's also just the second time in eight months. Not bad really.

Anyhoos, kids are fed, watered and bedded.
Ironing in done.
Washing machine is emptied - I spotted it was full all on my ownsome.
Next lot of washing is primed and ready to go tomorrow morning.
Clothes are looked out for tomorrow morning as we have mother (parent!) and toddlers first thing). Even a spare set for LL.
Dishes are washed.
And I still watched the snooker.

So what is it exactly all these mum's find hard about this?

Maybe I'll find out in a couple of weeks - I've got 3 of them for a whole weekend on my own.

SPIK PROPER MIN!

Dinna worry, Ah'm no died. Ah ken it's been a wee while since Ah blogged n'at, but ye ken foo it is. We've been buildin a playframe fur the bairns aw week since Ah got hame, then SS graced us wi her presence this weekend tae.

Anyhoos, the real reason ahhind this blog....ma brither came up wi his wife n bairns the day, along wi ma maw and step faither anaw. It wis fine, cos they brocht dinner wi them - eywiz a bonus that. Me ind him wis brocht up in deepest darkest Fife, ind Ah kin Ah've goat an awfy strong accent. Ah'm evin mair aware o it, cos Ah moved awaw, ind Ah've picked up bits n boabs fi whaur Ah've been ind fae whaur Ah wurk tae.

Noo, Ah'm faur fae posh, but fur Christ's sake, kin yae no spik proper tae the bairns?? Ma wee brither must hink Ah've got ma heid stuck up ma ain arse when Ah get ontae him aboot how he spiks tae ma bairns. Ah've been made even mair aware o ma ain shortcomings this week as BB repeats the odd phrase jist like Ah do......but at least Ah'm tryin. Ma bairns hiv got the potential tae soond like Fifers crossed wi Teuchters wi a bit o Dundonian chucked in tae, no furgettin the West Indian bit anaw!! How thick wid they soond on a quick news snippet if Ah didnae try and teach them tae spik richt?

So, to clarify.....I am not being a snob. I would just like my children to be able to pronounce
their words clearly and eloquently.

Thur's nu'hin wrang wi that surely?

Over Reactions

It's not every day you get some common sense prevailing from the US of A. Now, don't get me wrong, I am no racist - I have no problem with Pakis, Paddys, Ragheads, FEBs, Gooks, Wogs, Niggers, Blacks, Spics, Spooks or even Sambo's. In fact, I've been referred to as several of that list over the years, but I digress, and there is a but!

I openly admit, I really really have to make efforts listening to Americans. I'm not sure if it's simply because they gave us G W Bush? Perhaps it's that they gave us McDonalds? Maybe it was the compensation culture, which is now so prevalent over here? It could be because every single Yank seems to think that they rule the world? Or maybe, it's just because. But, nevertheless, the following article stems from a lady from the US of A. She talks an amazing amount of sense, I wonder if it'll catch on?

http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/2009/04/11/learning-the-wrong-lessons-from-sandra-cantus-death/

It must have got out by stealth.

More money than sense?

Another example of a world gone mad.

MPLST and her friends were chewing over the whole private school debate, as many of them have already decided that their offspring will attend such grand institutions. I'm told the conversation went like this.

Given that the demand for places is high, it makes it easier to get a place in such a high school, if one's child was taught in the feeder primary school. I can see that, it makes sense. It also follows that it makes it easier to get into the primary school if one's child progresses from that particular institutions nursery. Apparently, the affluent north east of Scotland remains unaffected by the current global financial meltdown.

Ok, I'm starting, like you are, to see a pattern emerging here. But it gets even worse. The same rule of thumb applies to anti pre-school nursery. And the test to get your aged three pride and joy into the school in question? They must be able to draw a picture of a butterfly and sing a song, presumably not at the same time. A bit bizarre for my liking, but there you have it. Probably not a challenge even for the slowest of three year olds, provided of course, they are in the mood to draw pictures and sing songs. I can just see it now, we arrive for the interview promptly with BB in his finest grey shorts and knee length socks, sporting the Eton flick, only for him to decide, nah....I'm being shy today. Oh, and they charge you £50 for the interview too.....I suppose it would keep out the trash right enough.

And it gets worse still. There is more than one example locally, where young Farquhar has shown the early promise, but by the time primary school starts, he turns out to be more of a Freddie. What happens here? The school tell mummy and daddy, sorry, there is no place for your little Freddie, you'll have to find another school. Just like that. What they are actually saying is Freddie's place has gone to a family who clearly breeds a more intelligent specimen than you two do.

And this threat I suppose, lingers from one stage to the next, because of course the school needs the brightest kids to rank highly in the league tables.

Time for Another?

LL is now 7 months old. In that time I have gone from a fighting fit 15 stone 12 pounds to a touch over 17 stones. To put that in context, the only other time MPLST has seen me under the 16 stone mark was around the time of our wedding, and let me tell you that didn't even last until the end of the honeymoon.
So, it begs the question....is now the time for another baby? Remember the effect of baby stress on me?
Mmm, maybe that's just a wee bit drastic.

Anyway, back to the kids because I do realise that a few more people than I thought keep up with me through the blog.
SS and I missed our contact weekend, but before I berate her mother too much, I'll reserve print until this next time comes and goes.
BB's eyes have almost cleared up. He is developing a thing for the older woman. Millie is 3, and very much like the little girl in Outnumbered. She's blond though, and I have warned him about the dangers associated with blond girls. I don't want him making the same mistakes his dad made. Millie comes over occasionally with her mother, and BB proceeds to follow her around whilst coming very close to drooling.
LL has picked up the eye infection. I think it's easier to treat him than it was the raging toddler. His skin flare ups are few and far between these days, and yet we've not really changed anything with him. Very peculiar.