Learning at half term!

So this week was half term and as it’s been a while since I wrote a blog post, I decided that I would write about our half term holiday. As I started to write though, I realised that rather than a witty post about our half term antics, I was instead creating a list of things I’d learned this week, and in some cases re-learned, about being a mum. As it turns out half term means school is out for the kids but clearly, not for me.

So here are my learning points from the week:

1.     When the sun shines everything is easier. Ellie is less challenging, I’m a lot calmer and generally everyone smiles more.  Conversely, as discovered in the latter part of the week, when it’s raining things tend to move in the other direction. Roll on the summer!

2.     Being at home with the children is physically more exhausting than being at work. Fact. I did know this but it’s funny how quickly you forget.

3.     My daughter has an amazing ability to fall, trip, bang and generally hurt herself at every opportunity. Sometimes it is a complete mystery to her and the rest of us how she manages it. Quite frankly Forever Living’s Aloe Vera Gelly* has been my companion of the week - soothing bruises gained via jumping on the sofa, healing cuts gained from gardening and so on.

4.     Despite the attitude frequently displayed, my daughter is a big softie – she can’t watch the results of Britain’s got Talent because it’s too upsetting when people go out and she still cries when she has to go to the doctors. To clarify, she even cries at the prospect of going to the doctors. She is still my little girl.

5.     Even though at age five Ellie is now incredibly stubborn I can still convince and bribe her. For example, for the cost of a 99p watering can Ellie managed to not sob uncontrollably at the doctors. I also impressed myself immensely by convincing both Ellie and her Step brother to help me prepare the new vegetable patch for well over an hour. (I note the latter was only of course achieved on a sunny day.)

6.     It’s been a busy week with a trip to a country park, swimming, painting, playdoh, gardening, games on the iPhone, playing miniature football (including one game with cars as players no less), playing mums and dads, seeing family and so on. Unbelievably, despite all of this however, it is apparently possible for children to be bored. Go figure.

So in conclusion, it’s been a busy family half term. We've had lots of fun and as always, I’m still learning about being a mum.


(*Please note that this post is in no way sponsored, i just really like the product which I discovered through my sister.)