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The Houseguests: Toddlerific
Sunday: House was a bombsite. Oyster and Linnea hit it off beautifully. We ate party leftovers and pizza for dinner.
Monday: Niall had to leave in the afternoon so we stayed close to home; we took them all to the playground after a morning in the house. We came back for lunch in time to let the cleaner in and ask her to clean the jelly off the shelves in the fridge. And that night I cut all my hair off and Radz finished it off with the clippers.
Tuesday: I spent the morning at the library having my breastfeeding supporter lesson. Radz and I took all three kids to the local lagoon pool in the afternoon, which has a gradual slope in so toddlers can find their own depth, and Linnea taught herself to swim. I left her in the shallow end without any float aids, so she couldn't get into deep water, and stood with Emer in the baby pool. Then I turned around to see Linnea swimming out of her depth, grinning widely. So I had to go and get her armbands from the pool attendant. But I am, as always, earthshakingly proud of her new skill, even though, like crawling, walking, running, climbing, and playing the tin-whistle, it makes my job more difficult (tin-whistle is a particularly dangerous skill in the hands of an energetic toddler without respiratory issues). Then we went home via Mothercare and TGI Fridays (urgh) and the True Food Co-op. The Oyster had a ride in the trike, which he enjoyed for a limited period only.
Wednesday: We hung around the house in the morning in case anyone showed up for NCT coffee (no-one did, thankfully) and went to the cafe for the book thing in the afternoon. I don't think anyone is enjoying Cold Comfort Farm much; it's a book one really has to be in the right mood for.
Thursday: We went shopping in the morning and Radz got a few bits and pieces in H&M. I started looking on my own but rapidly became suffused with irritation so went to admire Radz in the changing rooms instead, and she cleverly encouraged me to buy a top when she got out. In the afternoon we went to Alison's and then I went to my therapy appointment, amid much taxi messing about, and we did a little more background and then I went back to Alison's. Eventually we tore ourselves away and came home.
Friday: We went to London and met Radz's second cousin and her son, and a friend of Radz's from school, and Kim, and we played in the park and had a picnic and then it was incredibly late and we had to eat in Burger King which was even worse than McDonalds and only had Coke-brand orange juice. Worse, Linnea fell asleep before her food arrived and didn't wake up until we were on the train home, miles away from food. And everyone needed clean nappies - Linnea's was full of sand from the sandpit and she was rubbed red by it - and it was all very hard work. But apart from travel trouble it was a great day. Radz and I stupidly sat up until 3 am talking about, er, mainly abusive parents, really. And how not to be one.
Saturday: We all went swimming in the morning - three adults and three kids is a good ratio - and afterwards we had chips. We ate a lot of really bad food this week. Then Radz and Oyster headed off to Luton and we hung around at home for the rest of the day. I had horrendous indigestion from mixing drinks (white wine and coffee; just say no) and ended up eating porridge for dinner. In the evening we moved the swing in the back garden and cleared away some rubble; I messed about with finances and checked a few things in the Argos catalogue; I had a late-night bath and went to bed before midnight.
At some point I decided that a week is a bad period for toddlers to visit each other - they need either a much longer time or a much shorter time.
Monday: Niall had to leave in the afternoon so we stayed close to home; we took them all to the playground after a morning in the house. We came back for lunch in time to let the cleaner in and ask her to clean the jelly off the shelves in the fridge. And that night I cut all my hair off and Radz finished it off with the clippers.
Tuesday: I spent the morning at the library having my breastfeeding supporter lesson. Radz and I took all three kids to the local lagoon pool in the afternoon, which has a gradual slope in so toddlers can find their own depth, and Linnea taught herself to swim. I left her in the shallow end without any float aids, so she couldn't get into deep water, and stood with Emer in the baby pool. Then I turned around to see Linnea swimming out of her depth, grinning widely. So I had to go and get her armbands from the pool attendant. But I am, as always, earthshakingly proud of her new skill, even though, like crawling, walking, running, climbing, and playing the tin-whistle, it makes my job more difficult (tin-whistle is a particularly dangerous skill in the hands of an energetic toddler without respiratory issues). Then we went home via Mothercare and TGI Fridays (urgh) and the True Food Co-op. The Oyster had a ride in the trike, which he enjoyed for a limited period only.
Wednesday: We hung around the house in the morning in case anyone showed up for NCT coffee (no-one did, thankfully) and went to the cafe for the book thing in the afternoon. I don't think anyone is enjoying Cold Comfort Farm much; it's a book one really has to be in the right mood for.
Thursday: We went shopping in the morning and Radz got a few bits and pieces in H&M. I started looking on my own but rapidly became suffused with irritation so went to admire Radz in the changing rooms instead, and she cleverly encouraged me to buy a top when she got out. In the afternoon we went to Alison's and then I went to my therapy appointment, amid much taxi messing about, and we did a little more background and then I went back to Alison's. Eventually we tore ourselves away and came home.
Friday: We went to London and met Radz's second cousin and her son, and a friend of Radz's from school, and Kim, and we played in the park and had a picnic and then it was incredibly late and we had to eat in Burger King which was even worse than McDonalds and only had Coke-brand orange juice. Worse, Linnea fell asleep before her food arrived and didn't wake up until we were on the train home, miles away from food. And everyone needed clean nappies - Linnea's was full of sand from the sandpit and she was rubbed red by it - and it was all very hard work. But apart from travel trouble it was a great day. Radz and I stupidly sat up until 3 am talking about, er, mainly abusive parents, really. And how not to be one.
Saturday: We all went swimming in the morning - three adults and three kids is a good ratio - and afterwards we had chips. We ate a lot of really bad food this week. Then Radz and Oyster headed off to Luton and we hung around at home for the rest of the day. I had horrendous indigestion from mixing drinks (white wine and coffee; just say no) and ended up eating porridge for dinner. In the evening we moved the swing in the back garden and cleared away some rubble; I messed about with finances and checked a few things in the Argos catalogue; I had a late-night bath and went to bed before midnight.
At some point I decided that a week is a bad period for toddlers to visit each other - they need either a much longer time or a much shorter time.