Camp Fever

As much as we love camping (yep, jumped on that band-wagon a while ago) for the last few years we've always borrowed tents, but finally I wore Hugh down and convinced him that we definitely should opt for style over hi-tech function and buy a bell tent.*

So look what we (ok, Hugh) practised putting up in the garden on Saturday!



I'm very glad Coco showed signs of enjoying the whole putting-up/taking down shenanigans too, bonus.

*I'll probably live to regret it when we go camping and have to endure floods or extreme winds - not unfamiliar to English summers.

Trying to shake it off...

Wow. I've been in a bad mood the last few days.
One of those moods that you take out on other people (public apology to Hugh, patient husband), that you can't seem to shake off, even though you know you should. Because on paper you should be happy, your children are happy and healthy, you have a nice place to live, food on the table, even the sun in shining... but no, you still hunch your shoulders and slam down cups because you've done the washing up EVERY night and it's NOT FAIR.

I tried to pull myself out of the grump today by doing a photo an hour project - like I did around this time last year... but I even failed at that - kind of gave up around 3pm.

This is how today went...



8.48 - Grapefruit, my daily half.



9.10 - Henry helping or hindering...?




9.50 On the bus, on the way to the 'Pirate Park' (otherwise known as the Diana Memorial playground - as blogged about here).



10.30 - At the playground... did actually manage to read a bit of the paper.



 10.50 - Tunnel



11.30 - Huge thunder clap equals mass exodus from the playgound.



11.50 - On the way home on the bus... had to fold the buggy so Henry and Coco had a whale of a time at the back of the bus.



12.35 - Multi-tasking had disastrous consequences. Nearly cried. The cup-less saucer will now just have to become part of my plate wall.



1.55 -  Watching the Olympics. Hugh was going to put up the cabinet he is half holding, but we realised we've lost the key so we can't open it to put anything in it! Considered phoning the removal men who packed it up for us in 2009, but I don't think they'd really be able to help us...
Haven't got an un-broken cup to put in it though, so I don't 'spose it matters (I feel like I'm starting to sound a bit like Eeyore now)



1.59 - Meanwhile I try to sort out a pile of random papers in the kitchen.



14.36 - Coco playing French bingo (solo).

Of course, in hindsight we did have quite a nice day really... after the solo bingo Coco asked to go swimming (or whined to go swimming would be a more accurate description) so we did, and we went in the car and dropped off a tonne of baby clothes and toys at the charity shop, which I've been meaning to do for AGES (looks like there won't be a number three around here...!) and then we went out for pizza and just as we were about to order our lovely friends walked in so we had a very jolly dinner and Coco was in heaven!

I'm not going to be in a bad mood any more. If I can help it.

Rain Stops Play

I know, it's so British to complain about the weather. I used to have an American boss and she couldn't understand our obsession with the weather.... we can't function in (slightly) extreme hot or cold or dry or damp... we even get a little upset about leaves falling off the trees and onto railway lines...
BUT seriously... where is Summer?
Cath over at Bristol Parenting Cafe has started a list of plus points about our damp summer... and there are a few good ones there... and I should really add that not having to water the garden is quite good. In fact, the plants really do seem to be enjoying this weather; although we'll need some sun soon to ripen our tomato. Yes, there is so far, only one tomato.



Despite my moaning we have been enjoying the garden this year... have the planting done has made a massive improvement and it's a big change from last year...



Plus when it rains Henry will happily spend hours playing with the rain water in the bottom of the buckets or trugs that are invariable left around the place. Despite the appearance in these carefully framed shots we are turning into the sort of people I SO hoped we wouldn't... there are inflatable balls and pots and random bits of plastic (otherwise known as kids toys) strewn around the place.



One lonely baby tomato.

*** I've been some-what neglecting this blog recently. Henry is changing his routine a little, I've been running around in circles, the builders are back in finishing some jobs which means we've had another bout of sorting/chucking/unpacking (yes, still unpacking after two years). So if you're new around here, please stick around... I do post some interesting stuff sometimes. I have some photos of my friends very stylish flat to share with you in the next few days - when I get around to properly editing the pics, and we got a bit of garden inspiration from a visit to Hampton Court Flower Show... just need to a bit of kid-free time, or energy in the evening... so maybe see you in about 15 years?

Accidental Parenting

When my parents came to stay the night a couple of weeks ago we moved Henry's cot into Coco's room and then we couldn't be bothered to move it back... so now Henry and Coco are now sharing a room - and it's very cute (most of the time). Every morning Coco climbs into Henry's cot and when we go in to get them they are playing or 'reading' together, plus we've had a couple of mornings where we have almost got a lie in. On the downside we've had a couple of extra early mornings where Henry has objected to Coco invading his space. I'm also not sure exactly when she does climb in; the other day I asked her how long she had been in there (stupid question to ask a four-year old) "12 hours" was the confident answer.

So, we might leave them together, or we might not, we haven't really decided, nor will we, it's just not really the way we do things (you know, plan ahead). I know that accidental parenting is a term used negatively to refer to all those snap decisions (like bribing your child chocolate to get them to stay with a baby-sitter) that somehow then become unbreakable habits... but I feel like this is the only way Hugh and I parent and not always with bad outcomes... maybe 'whim parenting' would be a better description?

We've made lots of accidental choices over the years; Henry's first food was a lamb chop - he was sitting at the table with us while we were having our dinner and so we just let him have some... so started Henry's weaning.

Coco stopped sleeping in a baby sleeping bag the day we moved into our house and realised that we'd left all the grobags at my parents house so she had to sleep with a double duvet in her cot instead (the next day we bought a sensible sized one) and that was that.

Both our children are very confident on the stairs as we never quite got around to buying/installing stair gates, and we only had a few accidents!

Coco first 'slept' through the night when we forgot to put the monitor on one night - she used to sleep on a different floor to us - who knows if she woke or not but it was a revelation to us that she'd survived the night without milk/intervention, so we no longer leapt up at every squeak.

Even our nursery (and now schooling) choices have had a strong hand of fate... and we've been alright so far. I guess I'm writing this post for me - to remind me that this is just the way we do things. Other people telling me about their plans for 2014 sends me into a panic... but sometimes however much you try to control your life it determinedly takes another path. So I need to remind myself that going with the flow suits us and me - and there is no point fighting yourself is there?