5 Things You Didn't Reallised Before Having Children

I often think to myself why didn't someone tell me about these things before I had children?  So I'm just going to get right down to the nitty gritty, here goes:

1. You are no longer able to jump on a trampoline or blow up a balloon.  The mere suggestion leaves you with sweaty palms.  Unless you were very, very good at carrying out your pelvic floor exercises whilst pregnant you will know that you are not as strong downstairs as you used to be (if you know what I mean).

2. You don't only have to worry about your own bottom's cleanliness but of another human's too!  As a first timer I remember actually asking a friend how I should go about making sure my potty trained child's bum was cleaned satisfactorily!  The answer I got was "tell your child to touch their toes"!  This works by the way! 

3. It takes forever to get in & out of the car!  In fact it can take so long some days that you may as well walk! Getting your children to just sit in the actual car seat poses your 1st challenge whether they be babies or bigger kids,  followed by your 2nd challenge,  getting the seat belt fastened.   On the occasion when I am getting into the car alone I actually cherish the speed in which I can do so...ahh bliss!

4. You can never be ill again. As a mum it doesn't seem to matter how bad you feel you have to carry on with your everyday routine when really all you want to do is curl up into a ball with the lights off!  You will still be required to entertain, clean feed and wash (and that's just your Husband)! Seriously there is never a day off when you are a parent.

5. You get wet (a lot)! I have never been caught in the rain as much as I have since my daughter started school! It appears that at the exact same time every day between 8.30am and 9.00am and between 2.45pm and 3.15pm (the school run) the heavens open and us parents get soaked.  Be prepared for this, as when your children are still babies the wettest you'll get is travelling between the front door and the car.  You do not realise that when standing around waiting for the school bell that the rain will come and you will end up looking like a drowned rat.  Also be prepared for the rain to stop the minute you are safe and dry!

I hope this has thrown up a few insightful ideas of what to expect now that you have children - be warned! Ha!

Love Sophie...xxx

The Last Instalment For NaBloPoMo!

It's the 30th November and today is the last post for NaBloPoMo! I hope you have enjoyed hearing from me everyday!?  If not don't worry the torture has come to an end! Thanks to Vonnie at Nowt Special for hosting NabloPoMo 2013 for us and to answer her Day 30 prompt - The hardest part about blogging everyday for me is trying to come up with something interesting to say!

For this last post I thought I'd link to some of my favourite November 13 posts:

1. Turning 30!
2. Buns In My Oven
3. Job Description Of A Mum
4. The Book Of Bedtime Stories
5. Ode To Mummy
6. Pizza Rolls
7. Meet The Kittens
8. Give A Three Year Old A Camera...
9. This Week I'm Loving...
10. A Blast From The Past

I hope you enjoy reading these...if you would like to hear more from me please follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Bloglovin!

Now let's wave goodbye to November and welcome in December!

HaHa! Kids Say The Funniest Things!

My kids are hilarious sometimes, the things that come out of their mouths can really make me chuckle! Take the time when I asked our six year old 'What were the names of the first people put on earth according to the bible?' and she answered "Bert & Ernie?" This one tickled me for days! Another one that remains prominent in my mind is when she saw daddy's Calvin Klein band showing above his jeans and asked "who's Kevin Clean daddy?"

 

Here's a few more to make you smile:

"Mummy I have a really important question for you....Do Africans go to Peppa Pig World?" 

"I can name all the countries Mummy: England, Scotland, France, Africa, The North Pole, Australia, Wales, America, Turkey, France, England, Paris and.........Butlins!" 

Two year old Daughter: "My chocolate milk just bit me!"

And here are a few from my friends children:

My friend's three year old Daughter: "What are the birds looking for? My Friend: "Worms." Daughter: "What flavour?"

Another friend's four year old: "What a handsome willy you have Daddy!"

Hopefully you have had a bit of a chuckle reading these! If you have any funny things your kids have said please feel free to share them below - I'd love to hear from you!

Sophie..x 

P.S This is My NaBloPoMo Post #29 only one more to go! If you would like to keep updated with all things Yummy Mummy Survival please follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Bloglovin (Links on your right!).

Give A Three Year Old A Camera...

Morning Everyone - It's NaBloPoMo #23 today!

My daughter Sasha is three years old and decided she would like a go at using my camera.  The results are quite amusing and gave me and my Hubby a good giggle so I thought I'd share them with you!  

This is what happened...

You've got to love them! 

Please follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Bloglovin for daily updates!

This Week I Am Loving...

This week I am loving... reading to my 6 year old daughter as she is especially into the Clarice Bean books by Lauren Child.  These books are fab and it's not only my daughter who can't get enough but me and my hubby love them too! 

Check out the amazing interactive official website of Lauren Child who is also the writer of Charlie & Lola too.

Don't forget its NaBloPoMo #16 - Please visit http://nowtspecial.wordpress.com for more Blogs taking part! 

Ode to Mummy (Me)!

Isn't this lovely?! I was tidying up the lounge the other day when I found this drawing among a pile of paper work.  At closer inspection I realised it is a drawing by my eldest daughter Brooke (aged six) where she has written down all the things I do for her and her sister!  I must admit after I deciphered what she had written it pulled at my heart strings hence the photo I took and this post! 

If you are also finding it hard to read (I don't blame you) let me decipher it for you now:

Brushing our herre (hair).
Taking us out to fun playses (places) with are (our) frends (friends).
Takeing (taking) us on rides at theme parks.
I like playing skiping (skipping) - I don't think this one is relevant to me! Lol!
Helping us all.
Ceeping (keeping) safe.
Doing chors (chores).
Helping me not to be late whenever I need to go enewer (anywhere).

Ahh bless her, the six year old teenager can be so lovely when she wants to be (cue tear to my eye)!  

Please feel free to comment - Take care everyone!

Remember I am taking part in NaBloPoMo and this is #13! For more Blogs please visit Vonnie at http://nowtspecial.wordpress.com.  You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter just click on the Links to the right! 

Job Description Of A Mum

Its NaBloPoMo #8 time and I am really trying my best to remain positive today but it has been trying I must admit.  I have been really busy this morning, I literally haven't stopped.  I've done the housework, worked out, been to the doctors done the school run and popped into the shops, I have also just picked up Sasha from nursery and have finally got home.  So imagine this...I finally manage to get myself some food when I hear the dreaded words; "Mummy I've spilt my drink"! An entire cup of orange juice is now sinking through my favourite rug and I have to stop any idea of lunch while I clean up.  Whilst cleaning up I am actually carrying around my lunch back and forward from the lounge to the kitchen in order to stop the kittens descending on it like vultures (ridiculous sight I know)! Once I have finished cleaning the spillage I reach for my plate and go to sit down but stop and sniff the air only to find the kittens have used their litter tray - Nice!.  Lunch? Hold that thought! 

My tale of woe goes on but I will spare you the boredom - I know you've all been there too! However after sitting in yet another traffic jam later this afternoon I work out that I have been driving back and forth for 2 hours! I feel like a taxi driver, only I don't get paid!  

This leads me to ponder how much would you charge to be a mum if you could? How much would we be worth if we could get paid for all our services? A mum's responsibility is huge and the amount of tasks we accomplish day to day are insane! 

Here's my job description - not my actual paid job, but the other job (the one I do for love):

Cook - Shop and plan ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner oh and snacks in between making sure healthiness and goodness are monitored (if time permits)!

Cleaner - Bathrooms, beds, hoovering, dusting, dish washing, ironing, general tidying and picking up the same toys over and over again!

Hairdresser - PE, swimming and ballet hair styles all covered, other styles available upon request!

Personal Stylist - Buy clothes, pick and lay out ready for the next day on a nightly basis, helping children get dressed in the morning in order to stop pants being put on back to front and trousers/skirts worn on heads etc.

Personal shopper - Clothes, food anything that is asked for and required - I'm on hand to provide it!

Taxi Driver - Coordinating school runs, after school clubs and play-dates   Sit in car for crazy amounts of time whilst safely battling way through traffic to get everyone where they need to be on time or at least within 5 mins after due time. 

Nurse - Patience and sympathy given with well stocked first aid kit and soothing words of 'it will be all right'.

Maid - Run baths, make beds find lost items - also see 'cleaner' above.

Receptionist/PA - Make appointments and arrange all extra-curricular activities at convenient times to all involved.

Mind Reader - Know exactly how each person is feeling at any particular time of day and respond as needed.

Teacher - Answer any given question with proper knowledge (ahem) and help with homework.

Counsellor - Be a shoulder to cry on with helpful words of wisdom whenever needed even when you haven't sat down for five hours and all you need is 5 mins of 'me time'.

Friend - Play with the children including board games and make believe role play, sing songs, dress up and lose all inhibitions for as long as you can bare!

Body Guard - Be ready at all times and watch children like a hawk saying words like, pick your feet up, don't trip, stop at the road, be careful, watch that, slow down, don't run...the list goes on!

I'm sure there are many, many more services required of us!  Please fell free to comment below - I'd love to hear what you have to say! :) x

You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter & Bloglovin - Please feel free to follow me! 

My Six Year Old Teenager?!

"Ugh what have you bought that for!?" exclaims my six year old daughter Brooke pointing at my three year old's pushchair in the playground the other day. "Because we are walking home today" I reply with a smile...I am then treated to my daughter running off to the other side of the playground shouting "I hate walking!".  So it's going to be one of those I think as I mentally psyche myself up to have the patience of a saint.  

We finally manage to leave the school and my eldest daughter scoots down the road as fast as she can to get away from me and my youngest.  Every time I suggest we cross over the road she refuses and I walk on (counting to ten) with a smile.  We finally cross the road but she will not cross next to me and then we turn a corner literally and metaphorically!  Brooke turns to me and says "Mummy you are the person I love most in this world".  Blimey where did that come from?  "I love you too darling" I say "More than the stars and the moon".  

Ok my patience was starting to wear thin despite my best efforts but I had held it together wearing a serene smile on my face and luckily for me I did as I was then treated to this declaration of love.  Still I am confused by my daughters outbursts and they have been happening rather a lot lately.  Take last Friday for instance..

My daughter's school reward children when they excel and every Friday one or two children from each class are chosen to receive a 'rainbow sticker' handed out by the head teacher.  This is a very proud moment for us parents and we had promised Brooke that when she got one we would treat her to a trip to a pizza restaurant.  So the school bell rang and out came Brooke wearing her rainbow sticker for all to see.  "Well done you are brilliant" I exclaimed! "So can we go tonight then?" was her response. "Um not tonight darling as you have a play date but we WILL go this weekend" I replied.   This was apparently not good enough..off she ran shouting over her shoulder about how much she hated me and how this was her worse day ever (we've heard that one before)!  After I had admitted a large sigh we went home and had her best friends over for the pre-arranged play date.  

So you have read about the most recent scenarios (two of many) and I am sure there will be many, many more.  I'm not sure how my daughter has become a teenager at the age of six but after Googling these exact words I find I am not the only one! Phew! I find it is a hard one to deal with but although she may act like a teenager she is not, and I must remember this (my daily mantra).  Being patient and taking the outbursts on the chin is definitely the best route in my case but sometimes this can be hard especially if your not having the best day yourself!  I hope this defiant moody behaviour will pass...although I doubt it...and I am sat here nervously pondering what she will be like when she is actually a teenager!  God help me! 

Halloween Dress Up Ideas

I have been scanning Pinterest for Halloween inspiration on the internet this week and found these great photos of Halloween Fancy Dress ideas! Check these bad boys out - so funny!

The Tooth Fairy

The time has finally come for my six year old Brooke to loose her first tooth and we have finally had a visit from the Tooth Fairy!  My daughter has been waiting for this day since her first year in school when some of the other children started to lose their baby teeth...and don't we know about it!  We have the same conversation almost every week wondering when she will lose her first baby tooth and if it will be soon. Well, now the time has come for Brooke and Operation Tooth Fairy has come into affect.  

After listening to the other parent's experiences in the playground I have heard children being left money in the value of 50p to £10.00!  Well as you will probably agree £10 is ridiculous so we decided that £1 is quite adequate for my daughter's baby tooth.  I also decided to leave Brooke a teeny tiny note from her Fairy courtesy of a friend of mine's recommendation and it went a little something like this:

Hi Brooke,

My name is Violet, I heard you ask for me in the school playground and now I am  your very own tooth fairy!

I want to thank you so much for letting me have your first tooth, in return I have left you a coin! 

I must say your tooth will be one of the best in my collection and I want to remind you to brush your teeth twice a day to keep all of your old and new teeth healthy!

See you soon...Love From Violet..xxx

Around midnight I nominated my darling hubby to become the Tooth Fairy and sneak into the bedroom which he did seamlessly and all went to plan. Needless to say this went down a treat the following morning and Brooke was very happy with her shiny coin and communication from her very own fairy Violet!  Phew only another 19 times to go, let's hope the rest of Violet's visits go just a smoothly!  Please feel free to let me know what the Tooth Fairy does in your house - Id love to hear from you!

US Highschool Does Katy Perry's Roar!

I love this video on Vimeo.com it is so uplfting and I must admit after I had watched the Lakewood Highschool in Colorado I had a huge smile on my face!  Not only do I love Katy Perry's Roar right now but this fabulous video was filmed in one take while the whole school takes part. 

Why are American Highschools so cool?!  It makes the local comp seems a little boring, doesn't it?