Little Miss Twinkle ...

Can I have a word please Mrs Smathers?...

All mothers, like me, probably dread these few little words...Can I have a word please?...when you have children at school/pre-school.

William was a breeze - the only time his teachers needed to talk to me was when he had bashed his head or something and the accident book needed signing.  Growing up cuts and grazes.

With Lucy it is different...

The first time I had the words..."Can I have a word please, Mrs Smathers" was shortly after she first started at pre-school, just after her second birthday.

With this particular incident, Lucy was pushing other children up against the wall so that she could take their toys off them! Not my proudest moment in motherhood but at least no one is going to get one over on Lucy, oh no - this little cookie can look after herself!

This was reconfirmed to me the other week.  Lucy has two best friends at pre-school, Lily and Alex.  Alex's Mummy was telling me that being a boy he can be a bit aggressive with his play sometimes and his Mummy was a bit concerned that he was a bit rough with the other children.  As it concerned her, she had a word at the pre-school with the teachers and promptly got the response "I really wouldn't worry - Lucy and Lily are more than capable of looking after themselves and standing their ground". 

Anyway, the other day I got to pre-school and the deputy manager caught me, "Can I have a word please, Mrs Smathers?". 

Filled with dread over what Lucy had done, the story started - they were doing an activity (has she fallen and hit herself?), they were cutting out certain objects (has she cut herself?) and then the teacher suddenly noticed that Lily and Lucy were both laughing with big clumps of hair in their hands!!!!

Apparently they had taken to cutting each other's hair - both blaming the other and had ended up with clumps of hair missing.  Ooooooppps!  Lucy tends to have her hair up most of the time so the bits missing at the back can be easily covered up but, poor Lily who has a beautiful blonde bob and straight fringe now has a wonky fringe and an extended one at that with the missing bits at the side.  Obviously Lucy is not going to be the next Nicky Clarke!

Relief at the fact that Lucy or someone else wasn't hurt turned to giggles as I imagined the horrified expression of the teacher when she noticed the two little girls with scissors and hair in their hands! 

Like buses, these things tend to come together and again today I got the still dreaded words "Can I have a word please, Mrs Smathers?".  This time however Lucy had hurt herself and had fallen quite badly while playing outside - she had bashed her forehead quite badly and there is already a lump and a big bruise - just a shame that there is a clump of hair missing there to cover it up!

Hello "Man"

The following has just occurred within the last hour:

Mummy: The food man is coming soon with our weekly shop.

William: OOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhh - food.  I love the food man.  Lucy, do you love the food man.

Lucy nods her head.

Food man arrives in his van.

William: (Shouting) Mummy!  The man is here, the food man is here.

William and Lucy start jumping up and down.  William promptly opens the front door and shouts at the top of his voice:

William: Hello Man

Lucy: Hello Man

The food man looks a little confused and bewildered as two excited little children jump up and down and cheer as he gets some bags out of his van.  The man comes to the door and hands over some bags.

William: Thank-you man.

Lucy: Thank-you man.

The bags are then rummaged through.

William: Oooooooh, Lucy look - pink milk.  You love pink milk don't you?

Lucy: Yes.

William: (to the food man) Do you love pink milk?

Food man nervously laughs and quickly retreats to his van for more bags. As he hands over the bags:

William: Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you - we love all of this food don't we Lucy?

Lucy: Yes and nods.

William: Wow Mummy! Spaghetti! Thank-you Mummy, we all love spaghetti don't we? Thank-you man.

William: Chocolate cake! Wow Mummy, we love chocolate cake don't we?  Thank-you man.  Do you like chocolate cake?

This went on and on, each bag was scrutinised and checked out with the man being thanked. I have never seen a delivery man look so confused and so grateful to get in his van.  He obviously thought William and Lucy were absolutely bonkers, never eat and are grateful for anything in the form of food.

Delivery man has gone so we then start the unpacking ritual.  Lucy unpacks the bag and takes the food from the hall into the play room at the top of the where the rug starts (has to be very specific).  William then takes the food to the other end of the rug and leaves it for Mummy who has to collect it, take it into the kitchen and put is away. 

Food shopping is taken very seriously in the Smathers household as my mother once found out when she kept getting told off for now being quick enough or for putting the food the right way round!

Anyone fancy being a food delivery man?

Mothers Day - ahhh!

I've just been reading my friend Susannah's fab blog (http://susannah.typepad.com) and I got to the bit on Valentines day.

The post reminded me...

Dave being the sweet guy that he is brought me a wonderful present for Mothers Day - anti wrinkle cream! 

Can anyone beat that???!!!

All partied out...

It has been a busy day in the Smathers (minus one) household.

With Dave out of the country, I have been left on party duty.

It started at 8.30am this morning when we left the house for Leicester.  After a rare journey where we didn't get stuck in traffic we arrived at Molly's party early for a spot of extra play on the bouncy castle. We had a great party, playing games, bouncing and sliding on the castle, eating yummy food of sandwiches, cakes, crisps etc and generally being socialable.

Goodie bags handed out, William was very impressed because he got a van in his goodie bag and even more so impressed when at the end of the party a little boy hadn't turned up so there was a "boys" goodie bag going spare - another van and an even happier William.  On the way home he said "Wow, Molly's Mummy gave me two vans - can we go to this party again?".

We left the party - destination Lincoln. 

On the way home:

Lucy: I need a wee.

William: I need a wee too.

Great!  Quick toilet stop down a country lane only to be slightly horrified when Lucy said "I need a poo too".  Managed to talk her round - thank goodness.  The power of talk - I should be a Politician!

We got home in enough time to allow for another toilet breakand doggie toilet breaks.  William did however have a longer time in the toilet than others and when I knocked on the door to ask if he was okay, a little head popped round the door with a few soap suds still over his face - "yes Mum, I'm fine thanks - I just needed to have a shave before we go out again!".

 And then, back in the car for party number 2!

We arrived at 3pm for William's party.  Another fab bouncy castle so more jumping and more sliding. More sandwiches, crisps and cake followed.  Another great party however by the end we were all starting to flag (despite the number of "E" numbers consumed!) and ready to go home.

The following conversation occurred:

Mummy: Come on William, it is time to go home.

William: We cann't go yet Mummy, I haven't got my party bag.  I need my party bag.

Mummy: Maybe you'll get one in a minute but let's go and get our shoes on and say goodbye.

We put our shoes on and start to say our goodbyes.

Party Boys Mummy: Don't forget your party bags.

William: BIG smiles.

Party bag is given out.

William looks in his party bag and goes to give it back to Party Boys Mummy

William: I don't want this party bag - it hasn't got a van in it - I need a van.

Mummy: Shhhhhhhhhh.

William: I need a van like Molly's Mummy gave me.

Mummy: Shhhh - you don't always get a van, wait until we get in the car and then we'll have a proper look in the bag.

Just about to walk out the door.

Lucy: I need a wee.

William: I need a wee too.

Toilet stops for all.

10 minutes later, still attempting to walk out the door.

We get in the car.

William: Okay Mummy, which party are we going to now?

I don't think we have the energy for three parties in one day!

Fences to paint...

On Sunday, Dave decided to paint the fences.  Two little volunteers were eager to help especially since painting is one of their favourite acitivies. Great fun was had by all and by the end of it William and Lucy were both covered from head to toe in red paint, especially William who had his hair painted red by Lucy!  Ron Weasley watch out - you have competition.

 

Star of the week!

Congratulations to William!

Last Friday, Dave and I went to pick William up from school and imagine our delight when out runs William with the "Star of the Week" crown on his head and a big beaming smile on his face! 

This is the second time William has been "Star of the Week" and we are all so proud of William and his love for school.  Well done William!

I would include a photo of the fantastic crown but Lucy sat on it and squashed it!

Man envy!

Dave has got Man envy and he has got it bad.

When we got our garage converted we got a 8x6 shed for the garden - at the time Dave thought this was the "bees knees" and if we had put frilly curtains in it, a porta loo, flat screen tv and a little fridge for some cold ones Dave would have happily lived there.  We had a happy man, until now...

Gary next door is in the process of having his garage converted.  Dave has watched him prepare for his shed and last week his shed was delivered.  It was not a 8x6 like Dave - no, Gary has got a 10x12!  Dave has shed envy and yes for men, size does matter, a lot!!!

As soon as Gary's shed was up, Dave was in the garden checking it out.  It appears the bigger the shed, the better the man!  It also appears from seeing the men arrive into the garden next door that a new shed arrival also needs to be viewed and assessed by other men friends, it is serious business!

Watch this space - I sense a bigger shed may be on the agenda...

Friends

When you grow your family, you always want everyone to get one.  You want them to REALLY get on - because they want to not because they have to.

I feel this way with Jake and Bruno.  Dave and I love them because they started our family and are so loyal and loving, they give so much back, even when time for them is limited.

The other Friday, it was my day with Lucy - "our time" when we can spend some quality time together.  I was just pottering upstairs and suddenly realised that Lucy had gone quiet - this is often a sign to panic as silence often means Little Miss Mischief has arrived but imagine my delight when I walked into the study to find the following scenes:

 

 

Bruno was really enjoying his snuggle and even didn't mind when Lucy dressed him in a necklace and summer hat. 

P.S. Don't worry about Jake being left out - he had some fetching beads and a tierra!

Time to be socialable???

Thought I would pour out my thoughts of the moment...

I was thinking earlier about all of the things that I need to do and it suddenly occurred to me how much time it takes to be socialable. In this modern age with fast technology and communication, it appears that methods such as letters and phone calls are becoming outdated by sources such as phone text, email, facebook, blogs, twitter etc. etc. the list is endless.

For me, as well as a simple phone call I now need to text to check that the phone call is convenient, update my blog so that photos can be shares, update facebook so that communication can be made with a wider audience, keep up to date with emails while also remembering to reply to texts in a timely manner.  For someone like me who is totally disorganised and behind in this modern society, I need to cancel the day job and become a permanent communicator.  Where does everyone else find the time?

In addition to this, where do the people who devise those millions of chain emails and texts find the time to compile them?  It exasperates me that some people have so much time on their hands - far too much time on their hands and where do they get the ideas?  Do Microsoft secretly have them locked away in a little office to generate additional emails with a bonus system for how many come back via hoards of emailers? 

The same is to be said for mobile phone text messages - and if they are to be believed, I will have so many wishes coming true that I'll be luckier than a euro millions winner!

All be said, it is nice to read other peoples blogs, facebook and emails!  Keep up the good work...

Apology

I need to apologise - on behalf of my husband and son.

Dave being Dave is brainwashing William - their latest phrase is...

Question:      If you want a job doing properly...

Answer:        Ask the boys!

Don't worry - there are others...

Question:    Fast cars...

Answer:       They're not for girls!

And others......

I am just waiting for a call from William's school, after the girls sort him out!