School holidays!!

School holidays used to mean trips to the park and the beach.  Planned days to the zoo and safari parks even the occasional trip to the local pool was a family affair. 

But, sadly, those days are long gone.

School holidays now mean staying up late and pretty much sleeping for the majority of the following day.  If you try to get them to accompany you anywhere it has to be after midday and only local incase they get a better offer.

As parents we now have a back seat roll.  We supply the transport or fair money and normally pay for the organised event that we have no part in.

It is quite upsetting but having teenagers is a whole new adventure.  Very stressful when they decide not to answer the phone or ignore your text message, which I have to point out, may have been important to you but really isn't to them.

The usual what time are you home text? Is responded with soon, or when I am finished or my favourite I don't know!!  Are you in for dinner? Is responded with what are we having? Then they will decide!!

And if you do plan a day to the beach, they want to bring a friend.  With my lot that means I am chauffeur for the day as there would be no room for me to take a friend also........great day out!!

I shouldn't moan as I do get to spend time with my girls when they feel up to it, but my son alas now has a girlfriend who is the priority in his life!! :(

Things change and we should make the most of the time they do want to spend with us.  We still love them and wouldn't want them any other way.  If they wanted to be with us all the time at the ages they are we would be worried!!!

Stay calm they say it gets better!!

Getting fit!!

Well this all started in front of the bedroom mirror, deciding that my weight had started to creep up and as we have a few big outings and a holiday coming up I needed to get a grip.  

Also we have diabetes in the family which is a constant worry and another reason to keep my weight under control...

My daughter who is 18 decided as the gym is so expensive she would research a fitness regime for us...

We started it yesterday.

We had to take a picture of our bodies in underwear front and side view, so we can see the changes.  That was quite a shock, I wasn't expecting what I saw.  Felt quite emotional.  It's funny how in your head you look completely different.

Anyway we went into the garden and started doing squats and step ups and other exercises that I would rather forget.  My daughter kept laughing as I kept making noises like a professional tennis player, grunting and groaning.  In my defence it really hurt.

We kept this up for the allocated time and were then supposed to have a break and repeat it, but I felt so sick and shaky.  I was embarrassed by how I reacted to it all... I thought I was going to have a heart attack at one point - not funny.

My husband looked quite concerned when we came in and made me sit and take sips of water.  I think it was the fact that I was borderline in tears that shocked him.

Well the thing with training is you have to do the count for the other person as well, so back into the garden we went so my daughter could have her turn.

She started off really confidently as she does squats and sit-ups quite often.  Within minutes her legs were shaky and she felt sick as well.  I must say I didn't laugh when she had to keep stopping as she was exhausted. It just goes to show me that age doesn't always matter when it comes to things like this as I thought I was rubbish for not being able to do it for the second time around.

But today is the morning after and I can honestly say my body is struggling.  

Every muscle in my legs, back, arms and even my bum hurts! We are meant to be doing this every other day with walking inbetween, sounded great... but, I think I need at least a week to recover.

So in truth I think my daughter is trying to kill me. 

Watch this page to see what happens in our goal for fitness... If there are no more posts it's because I couldn't type as my arms had stopped working!!!!

I know she loves me really x x x

Shopping with Kids

Let me try to think of a good place to start!

Being a mother is a wonderful gift that we should all cherish is what they tell us in the books and baby magazines.  The reality is something quite different.

They do not come with warning stickers or instructions of any kind and let me tell you each child is an individual.  If you have a child that is calm and quiet and think to yourself this is so easy we can handle another one........think again.

This is being said by a mother of three, so it's very tongue in cheek.

Have you ever tried to keep a toddler quiet or still? Just not gonna happen.  
Have you ever tried to do a food shop with a bunch of chimpanzees? That probably describes my experiences.  I was generally a laid back easy going mum.....but not when food shopping!! I would leave home thinking it was all good and then they would start.  
Just let me state, I believe double seated trolleys were invented by childless people who don't have a clue!! You cannot seat siblings that close together without something happening. They either fight or hatch an escape plan, you think you have them under control, then one runs off down the aisle whilst the other one is shimmying down the side of the trolley.  Let me tell you not a lot of shopping got done on those occasions, as I nearly came home without them, just walked out.

On another occasion I was shopping and they started to wander, luckily my eldest daughter aged about 8 was with me, so I was able to at least put some things into the trolley....progress!!  She came running down the aisle looking really worried " mum I tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen" never a good start to a conversation.  I left the trolley to find out what had happened, turning the corner only to see my kids laying on the middle shelf of the cereal aisle, having made room for themselves....another hasty retreat from the supermarket.
Or another time when they climbed the shelves just for the hell of it.  I wasn't the type of mum who would shout at them in public and they knew it.  I would just growl and tell them to wait till we got outside.
The problem was they competed all the time, so if one did something the other had to try and out do them.   
Even the simplest tasks became a problem as they would act up whenever I had to do something necessary.

But saying this they were good kids, very loving, naughty, mischievous, but very loving. 
I have so many of these stories from when they were young and would like to share them with you.  So if your kids are driving you crazy read about mine it probably will put a smile on your face or make your own not seem quite so bad!!
  
No matter how embarrassed or stressed they made me I wouldn't change a thing, as it just makes me laugh now, which is lovely.......

First Post

Well what can I say? 
This blogging was suggested by my sister as she found my life past and present a constant source of entertainment.
I have been married for nineteen years this November and though sometimes we have had no money and wanted to kill each other...I wouldn't change one thing.
I have three children, if you've visited Wattpad they are featured often!!
When they were younger they were always doing something funny, my oldest daughter was 3 1/2 when my son was born, and he was 21 months when my youngest daughter was born, so I was kept very busy. 

But I will get to that in another post.

For now I would like to say how much fun can be had setting up a blog.  I had my daughter helping me and all we did was laugh.  The profile pictures were something to be seen, scary as hell most of them as they always take my picture when I am doing the housework and look my best!!
Then what to write to let you know how interesting and special I am ( ordinary and average more like) and how I love to write about everything.
My daughters versions... were great.  I didn't actually know how many ways you can say hello, hi, welcome or other words unrepeatable and yet amusing to teenagers.
Her description of good ole mum was brilliant, according to her I am a famous author... really? That would be news to me, I have posted random poems on Wattpad, some well received some not so much. 

I enjoy writing, that is why my sister wanted me to do this.  I am writing most of the time, it makes no sense to anyone else but me, but it is fun.

If I am upset, I write, if I am happy, I write and if the kids drive me crazy, you guessed it, I write.

If this is appealing then read on.  As I don't know what blogging is I will just randomly write and hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for being patient with me as I will learn this as I go along.

Gill x