Say what you will about our Harry, but he is very funny. He often gives me laugh out loud moments and has done since he was knee high to a grasshopper.
I remember having to tell people when he was little to try not to laugh when he’d done something naughty or he’d keep doing it. This was at times very hard to do.
The other evening we were watching TikTok. Crazy adrenalin junkies doing base jumps in a wing suit to some pumping angry tunes. The speeds they were getting up to and heights they were jumping from and tight spaces they were flying through.
I asked Harry if he would want to try it and his response was,
“Mum, I’m pretty sure that would be illegal. I’m only 8, you’d get locked up for sure!”
So we had the sponsored fun run yesterday morning to raise money for Priory Pumas, the boys beloved football team.
It came at the end of a very full week so I was amazed how organised I was and wasn’t even sure I’d done it on purpose.
I remembered, not in priority order, to bake treats to sell for humans and dogs, take chairs, take change, sun tan lotion, hats, get sponsors, fancy dress outfits clean and ready, dogs, dog beds,dog pram, a drink for everyone and a partridge in a pear tree, couldn’t help myself, sorry.
We even got there early which is unheard of for me on account of the fact I daydream all the time.
I wanted to give Tilly and Holly a little run first and get all their poo out and collected so we were present and correct for when everyone arrived.
My piercing whistle came in handy a few times to call dogs and children back and to stop Harry mid throwing a boulder moment.
It was all going so well until Holly spotted Franco wearing an inflatable dinosaur costume.
Well she thought it was bloody brilliant and made chase, yelping her little fluffy head off as she did so.
Strangely enough Franco did not think this was a good game but the more he ran, the better she thought it was.
It was over in a flash and I had her next to me with all her “off the lead” privileges lost.
Luckily Franco was fine although he still wasn’t ready to make peace with Holly by the time we left.
It was also lucky that his lovely mum saw the funny side. She actually asked me if I’d caught it on camera. Urm, no, I wasn’t standing videoing whilst my dog was terrorising your child, I was trying to end the situation as soon as possible which isn’t easy when you have arthritic knees compared to a bouncy mini Schnauzer.
The thing is, if there was an ounce of bite in our Holly there is no way she’d ever be allowed off the lead, to protect her as well as others.
Ollie went over to check if Franco was okay and it seemed like his suit had gone down. His lovely sister was trying to find where Holly had punctured it and Ollie was able to say with all conviction that there was no way she would have. Well what about scratched it then? Again, no way, she’s a softy who loves to be cuddled.
Turns out little Franco was sat on the pump so the minute he stood up his dinosaur was inflated again.
His Mum was concerned however after that point as they were about to embark on a 2 mile run across Sand Bay which was filled with dogs on their dog walk.
They came back smiling and unscathed.
Ollie came second and believed this was due to being sabotaged by a sausage dog. I still haven’t got to the bottom of this story.
Today is the first day in a week we don’t have anything we have to do, apart from the normal household chores. Bliss!
Happy Sunday. May it be kind to you and as relaxed as you wish it to be.
In other news, the target for the sponsored run was £1000, so far they’ve made £1527! Well that was worth getting out of bed for xxx
You might wonder why I’m up already. It was not my children who woke me, but Tilly my fur baby and she lives to the beat of her own drum!
My darling husband offered to help the twins make me breakfast and all that sort of lovely thing, but the fact of the matter is, I love our weekend morning routine, it isn’t a chore. As I told Lee, it isn’t Mothers Morning, it’s Mothers Day and they have plenty of time to spoil me rotten.
I jokingly said to the boys last night just before bed,
“Now get to sleep so you have lots of energy for my all about me day tomorrow”
To which Ollie replied
“Why’s it all about you?!”
Me “because it’s Mother’s Day, the clue is in the title”
Ollie “well why can’t it be about me? When do I get my day?”
Me “ darling, I think you’ll find that every day is your day and that is how it should be.”
My friend Lou said something that resonated with me last week. We have both lost our Mums and she said that this year she was just going to use the day to enjoy being a Mum to her beautiful girls (and believe me, they are beautiful inside and out).
Every year I feel quite sad around this time. I’m in the unfortunate position of having two Mums who have passed away, my Mum who lovingly raised me and my biological one who I had the good fortune to meet and spend some quality years with.
But this year feels different thanks to Lou la Belle. This year I am counting my blessings and feeling grateful. I have already messaged Lee from the bath thanking him for his sperm x don’t worry, he’s used to me, he was under no illusion when he chose me off the internet.
In other news, due to the potential of feeling down, I wanted to share a bit of positivity. I came across something called a positive potato with a funny affirmation card, about the size of your palm.
They all seem to be crochet. Whilst that’s good for the environment (no yucky plastic) it’s not good for my brain because crochet hates me, I think due to the maths element. I just can’t figure it out.
I reckon I could knit one of those bad boys though.
As I was looking over a potato knitting pattern on my trusty Google App Harry came and sneaked a peak.
“Mum, what are you looking at that for?”
Me “I’m thinking of knitting some of these as gifts for my friends to cheer them up”
Harry “why are you going to knit them balls?”
I don’t know if it’s how he meant it, but my potatoes are going to be rainbow coloured because I don’t want to be named at the school gate as the mum who knits testicles!
In other news, I’m not sure if you’ll find this funny but it really made me laugh.
I was walking down the stairs whistling my head off, Harry just behind me and he was looking at me funny. I asked him what the matter was and he said
“Because when you whistle it’s a lot better than your singing!”
I just love his honestly. He gets that from his Dad, honest to a fault. Listen, if you don’t want to hear the answer, don’t ask! This dates back to the time he tapped on his plate with his fork and told me my lasagne was bland. Previous partners I would have stabbed in the face with that fork, but he made me laugh, because he wasn’t meaning to be unkind, just honest!
Happy Sunday x the sun is shining, time to enjoy the day and count your blessings xxx
For a while there I lost my mojo. It’s not quite back, but getting there with the help of a delicious sunshine holiday with my little family.
So to get back in the swing of things let me relay to you Harry’s dream from Thursday night.
It went a little something like this,
We were fishing as a family, the four of us (something we are yet to do).
A shark pulled me in and I banged my head on a rock and got brain damage (yikes).
So they took me to a nearby bar, which was Daddy’s idea (urm, okay).
They gave me a drink and I remembered Ollie and Dad but not Harry (are we talking Pina Colada or a shot of some kind?)
So they got a fire extinguisher and put it in my mouth (not liking the sound of this) and then dad freeze dried a bra and wore it ( wondering if Harry has seen the stag do photos).
This made me laugh and then I remembered Harry.
I asked Harry if this was a nightmare but apparently it’s just an everyday dream! Blimey, maybe this is an ADHD thing?!
So when I say I’d lost my mojo here is an example from the morning of our going on holibobs.
Just for the record I’m usually quite organised, I didn’t say sensible, organised.
I’d had very little sleep when the alarm went off at 03:45.
The twins were amazing, they got dressed and out the door with no back chat or grumbling or even getting in the way.
It wasnt until we were on some A road leading to the airport that I realised the parking was registered to my previous car registration. At this point I was already feeling a bit pukey. The internet signal was shocking so I had to try a fair few times to change the reg over after first retrieving the relevant email and website. I told the boys I was stressed and asked them to cross their fingers to give me luck and it seemed to work.
The TomTom then decided to take us to the wrong area and Lee had to sweet talk a parking attendant to let us out without paying so we could get to the right area. It worked, maybe he was picturing Lee in a freeze dried bra?!
We’d paid the extra, talking double, to be in the attached multi storey, but building works meant we still had to walk what felt like 3 miles so Silver parking would have been better. Not good for arthritic knees on a cold and frosty morning.
Somehow we managed to check in fine and again the boys couldn’t have been more helpful.
We went and grabbed a picnic breakfast and luckily Lee decided to check the board only to see that our gate was closing. There had been no announcements.
We ran!
It was far and there were so many steps so I gestured to the boys to run on ahead and halt the plane.
Luckily a cabin crew member had been sick so things were running behind. There was another group of stragglers.
We had to wait for the shuttle bus to be sent back which gave me time to throw up three times. I told the boys to say I was suffering with anxiety if anyone asked. I was pretty sure it was food poisoning from my tandoori prawns and nothing contagious at this point.
We managed to get on the plane, all three boys really taking care of me and Lee stuffing a sick bag in my hand. I held it in with all my might because I didn’t want to be made to get off the plane but it was a close call.
We took off and things settled down only for Lee to be sat next to and in front of some serious snorers and us behind someone eating a banana which they should get an ASBO for!
The holiday was delicious. The sun shone for the majority of the time and the storm was fun. Not like the one in Tenerife which was washing cars away.
We swam, laughed, played games, ate yummy food, well apart from Ollie who decided to become a serious germaphobe and would not eat from the buffet. The chef had to bring freshly opened tortilla chips for lunch and dinner (Ollie can’t eat gluten and didn’t like the freshly prepared gf pizzas, pastas and deserts he made for him) and was not impressed! We had to ask though because buying Pringles from the shop for every meal was bankrupting us.
The boys made friends with Preston and Charlie who were the same kind of weird as them and got up to some holiday mischief.
Harry made friends with Mark who he adored. Mark had been treated to the holiday for his 60th birthday by his beautiful wife. They were a very fun couple and I think Harry will continue to miss Mark for quite a while longer. Harry asked me if it was weird that he wanted Mark to be his best friend. Of course it isn’t! When you meet someone who just gets you and really sees you it’s a special thing and that isn’t defined by age. Plus I got to spend time with Sharon, his missus. who was a dancing queen, beautiful soul and had a revitalising energy.
The holiday did us so much good and brought us all back together.
On the way back it was a different story and the return was very smooth. Everything went as planned and better and I grabbed Lees knee and told him we’d got our mojo back. Not really what he wanted when he was trying to concentrate on the road.
We’ve brought a bit of the sun back for you from Fuerteventura.
So, where to start? My mind is currently a blancmonge. For those of you not old enough to know what that is, I’m a tad jealous! It’s a gelatinous dessert, often made in some kind of fancy mould and served on a plate which is on top of a doilie, bet you don’t know what one of those is either do you?
I digress!
Just before the half term break the boys were
a) super emotional
b) super tired
c) full of germs
d) all of the above!
D ✔️
I tiptoed my way to the toilet and locked myself in just for a bit of respite.
At one point I was close to breaking point, sat on the edge of the spare bed in their room, head in hands, rubbing my temples, arguing with Alexa to put on some soothing music.
I explained to the twins that Mummy and Daddy love them very much, but we also need time to ourselves before bed to decompress to which Harry responded in a spiky, you’re so stupid tone
“ you mean decompose Mum!”
He might have even put a “duh” in for good measure!
I explained the error of his way which caused us all to giggle which in turn pressed the reset button and we were all good to go again.
Let me explain to you what I was working with. Ollies tooth fell out, well he pulled it. He then kept pointing to it and saying it hurt. He then explained to me he was having phantom tooth pain. How does he even know about phantom pain??
I still haven’t quite forgiven him for the other weekend. Off we went to Greenwich to see Strictly. Harry opted to stay at home with Daddy and spend the weekend shooting zombies. Not real ones.
This year we decided to stay in a hotel, the drive there and back was too much last year.
We stayed in the Ibis and it was top notch. Ollie was so impressed with the rocking chairs in the foyer, ooh and it was linked to a delicious Thai restaurant called Banana Tree.
Whilst delicious, the food might have been a tiny bit too rich for his little tummy. Let’s face it, he thinks mint toothpaste is spicy!
We got a cab there and the driver told us where to be for pick up.
Well I’ve never seen so many sequins and happy faces.
The show was magical, but didn’t end until late and just got a bit too noisy for our Ollie so we opted to leave a bit before the end.
We called for a cab and gave the instructions we’d been given and lo and behold our favourite London cabby arrived to get us back to the hotel safely.
Just as Ollie stepped into the back he turned to me and whispered that he’d farted!
He scooched over to his seat and got his seatbelt on as I got in.
How did something so horrendous come out of someone so little? It was rancid! For those of you with a dog who has ever rolled in fox pooh, like that times 50!
Ollie can get easily offended especially when hormonal so I kept quiet.
Ollie however pulled his jumper up over his nose, pointed at ME! and shouted
“ Ew that stinks” whilst frantically waving his hand in front of his face.
Well the cab driver looked at me in his rear view mirror, kissed his teeth, shook his head and cranked his window.
If I’d protested the truth it would have hurt Ollies feelings and I doubt our cabby would have believed me anyways.
So I just sat there amid the fug hoping Ollie wouldn’t pass wind again or follow through.
Right, 09:06, time to get our half term on. With two children being assessed for ADHD I make my coffee STRONG!
Love and hugs, kisses and wishes xxx
We have recently got into Monopoly, specifically the Taunton edition given to me by Uncle Jon xxx
Dwayne “The Rock” Hamster was aptly named because he was a big chungus, another term fondly used by his guardian Harry.
Dwayne was the best dwarf Russian hamster you could wish for and loved to be cuddled, petted and of course fed. Harry chose him because he had a dark line down his back which almost looked like a Mohican.
Dwayne worked out! That hamster was buff! We often saw him spinning on his wheel or using his cage as one massive monkey bar. If we’d popped another hamster in with him I would not have been surprised to have found him being bench pressed by Dwayne.
Dwayne had severe FOMO (fear of missing out) and would often sleep with his body in his hut and his head peaking out ready to spring into action.
He also had a favourite corner of his vast cage to snuggle in as well as under his stairs or behind his wheel.
It was behind his wheel I found him last Sunday, seemingly fast asleep, but cold to the touch.
I moved his wheel out the way but he laid there limp apart from his extended left paw.
Oh no I said to Ollie who was helping me clean out both Dwayne and Cocos cages.
I gently reached in and cupped Dwayne in my hands pulling him into my chest.
He didn’t feel or look dead, he was too squishy. We’ve been around dead hamsters before and they’ve all been, well, stiff.
I Googled it and found out there is a condition called Torpor which affects hamsters. If they get too cold, they go into a deep hibernation mode where their heart beat and breathing slow down to preserve them. It might just have been hope but I believed that was what we were dealing with.
I asked Ollie to carry on cradling him whilst I quickly cleaned out his cage.
Meanwhile we’d had to gently update Harry.
Lee had got a lovely roaring fire going in the lounge and it was a relaxing Sunday afternoon.
Google had said we needed to gently raise Dwayne’s body temperature for him to come out of torpor, it could take a few hours to a week?!
Not ready to give up and sure I could feel a faint pulse and a glimmer in Dwayne’s slightly parted eye I asked Harry to go and grab one of my fluffy bed socks.
I folded it into itself and made a comfy little nest to pop Dwayne into.
Lee was driving his daughter home so the boys and I snuggled up on the sofa to watch Beast Games which I found thoroughly disturbing but they seemed to enjoy.
Harry was next to me and wanted to hold Dwayne. I placed the sock into his hands and ensured Dwayne’s little head was popping out and nothing was obstructing his breathing.
Harry lasted a good 15 minutes and then turned to me and said,
“ I just really don’t like the smell mum”
Dwayne wasn’t as house proud as Coco and I had thought he might have soiled himself whilst in his deep sleep behind his hamster wheel so I took over the exchanging of body heat.
A few hours later it was time to get the boys to bed so I popped Dwayne into his hut making sure he was comfy and warm.
I comforted the boys and we talked about hamster heaven in preparation.
Once they were settled I went and had a little cry, I bloody loved that hamster!
Lee was home and I needed a drink so I poured a generous gin and minimal tonic.
I sat with him to watch something or other but then decided to go and get Dwayne and continue the heat therapy.
I was feeling forlorn and I didn’t know what to do. I was sure that every now and then I felt a pulse or a little kick but wasn’t sure if it was just the blood draining from my hand. Was there a chance he would come to? How long would I leave it? Was it okay to leave him a week to be sure or was that too long to leave a hamster if he was in fact dead?
I asked Lee all of the above.
Never one to mince his words, Lee turned to me and said
“the hamster is dead babe!”
Not ready to give up I text my bestie and here is how the conversation went,
“So I found Dwayne asleep behind his wheel this afternoon but he seemed dead. But there a thing called torpor where they get cold and seem dead. I’m currently cuddling him in a sock but he smells. Can take a few hours to a few days x I don’t know whether to keep cuddling him or give up x Lee no use x”
Kayleigh, “Can you put him in his cage in the sock? Xxx”
Me “I could also just be cuddling a smelly dead hamster which is weird x I think I’ll wait until I go to bed before putting him in the cage x I do think I feel movement every now and then but don’t know if my hands just going to sleep x”
Kayleigh “ Did you put him straight in the sock when you found him? Xxx”
Me “ Ollie cuddled him while I cleaned his cage and then put him in the sock a few hours ago x I might have got my son to cuddle his brothers dead hamster”
Kayleigh “ Put a little blanket over his cage as well. Hope he’s okay xxx”
It was by this time I realised that when I took Dwayne out of his sock home, the smell had got progressively worse and every site I Googled said that was most definitely a conclusive sign.
I popped him into his cage and moved it next to the radiator in the lounge, still a tuppence of hope left.
I didn’t sleep very well and got up at 5 to check if Dwayne had made a miraculous recovery. He had not so I put his cage back in the conservatory not ready to deal with the inevitable until after school. No one needs that on a Monday morning!
Off I went to work and the boys to school.
At the end of the day after chores, homework and dinner had been done I was prepared for what needed to happen next.
I had researched the bejesus out of it and decided upon a hamster cremation at home so we could send Dwayne off in style.
I wasn’t envisioning toasting marshmallows over his flames or anything but I’d won a new bbq in an office charity auction and thought we could put the old one to good use.
In the mean time it had been suggested to role Dwayne into some paper towel and seal in a plastic bag and pop in the freezer to preserve until the time came.
Minutes after I’d put him in there Harry came into the kitchen.
I let him know Dwayne had gone and asked if he liked my plan.
He did not.
He became agitated and tearful and wanted to know where Dwayne was. Informing him he was in the freezer did not help matters. We promptly took him out.
Harry unwrapped him. I asked Harry to try and keep Dwayne off the counter top. Dwayne was somehow still squishy but seemed to have air bubbles in him but still looked so cute and just like he was asleep.
Harry wanted to bury him, but this was not successful with his predecessor as we have foxes.
I had a bright yellow plant pot which had come with some dwarf sunflowers which had never bloomed but the compost was still inside.
Harry had tried some Just Bee honey and got a packet of free bee attracting wild flowers with it. The plan was coming together like the circle of life.
Harry dug down into the pot and made a well for Dwayne. I’d wrapped him in paper and popped him in a toilet tube but Harry wanted to have one last cuddle in spite of the smell.
With that he dropped him splat on the floor.
Harry and I caught each others eye.
Me “ Harry, son, we’ve just got to laugh or we will go mad”
Harry “if Dwayne wasn’t dead before, he certainly is now!”
We picked him up off the floor and gave him a fitting burial a spare dried corn on the cob and a sprinkling of flower seeds.
With any luck the seeds will grow and the pot will be very pretty and we’ll be able to take it with us wherever we go. By that I mean if we move house, not just like when we’re going on a day trip to the beach, that would be even more weird than the rest of the story.
So there you have it. Hopefully I have not traumatised my children or you!
Here’s the thing, I will always be honest and open with you so please try not to judge me on this one, although I already am.
I had a chat with Ollie and we decided to write a blog about this to raise awareness if you will.
It all started the other day when I decided to attack my step daughter’s bedroom. Gosh, I bet you were wondering what I was going to say then with that build up!
She just didn’t seem to have any space and I was pretty sure there might be things living under the bed.
I asked if she wanted us to do it together or whether she wanted it done as a surprise for her return visit, well I fell for that one didn’t I?!
Ollie decided he wanted to help me and do something nice for his sister. It was a very therapeutic job and we filled two bin bags of literal rubbish.
Her room hadn’t been touched since we moved in nearly 5 years ago so there were plenty of childhood toys that were no longer of interest. We put them together in a no longer used fairy treasure chest but I wanted them to go to friends as I was sentimentally attached to them.
Part of the treasure was a pair of twin baby dolls, given to her when the boys were born. Ollie fell in love with one instantly. The other had a pen stain on their face and Ollie is rather particular.
Well he was so happy with it. He named it Blue, dressed it, cuddled it and talked to it, they even had a little boogie at one point.
Meanwhile I carried on with the hard work.
When the room was finished it looked so inviting and spacious. A simple movement of the bed from middle of the room to the side opened it up. I passed it over to Lee who dusted, scrubbed, hoovered and deep cleaned until it sparkled as much as the fairy lights he’d put in there.
The room was transformed from a child’s room to a teenagers.
Off I went downstairs to make dinner but Ollie looked upset. He asked me what he should do with Blue and I said to bring him.
He came up to me later, I’m so glad the boys feel they can talk to me, it’s so important. He said
“Mum I feel weird!”
“Why do you feel weird Ollie?”
“Mum, is it weird I like baby dolls and want to play with them? ‘
I had thought to myself I hope he doesn’t get teased by his friends but then he’s not going to be taking Blue to school, football or cubs so it should be okay.
“Ollie, shall we Google it? My answer to everything”
And here’s what the first answer was,
No, it is not considered “weird” for an 8-year-old boy to play with baby dolls; playing with dolls is a normal part of childhood development and can provide valuable benefits like nurturing and empathy skills, regardless of gender.
Key points to remember:
Developmental benefits: Playing with dolls can help children develop important social-emotional skills like caring for others, empathy, and nurturing behaviors.
No gender restrictions: Toys should not be strictly categorized by gender, and children should be encouraged to play with whatever interests them.
Concerns about stigma: If you are concerned about potential teasing, it’s important to talk to your child about the benefits of playing with different types of toys and to encourage inclusivity.
All the other answers were pretty much the same.
Well this made Ollie VERY happy and he squeezed the bejesus out of Baby Blue.
I asked Harry what he thought about the doll and his response was
“It’s just got such a big shiny head I just want to grab it by the legs and smash it against the wall”
He reassured me he would not feel the same way if it were a real baby.
Isn’t it wrong that of the two responses to a baby doll, the one of violence is the easiest to process?
I’ve always prided myself on being open and accepting. I was cross with myself that I was worried about Ollie getting teased and instead I should be encouraging of this nurturing behaviour. What’s more, Ollie had been having trouble sleeping, but he tucked Blue in and slept next to him the whole night.
It’s going to take a while for stigma to subside but maybe when the boys have children they won’t have to worry about what toys they want to play with. To be clear, Lee and I didn’t have a problem with it, but were concerned about him being teased.
In other news, Harry had a bit of extra energy day yesterday which landed him in trouble. Last night I was giving him an extra big cuddle and smelling his head as you do and I whispered to him,
“Harry I love you so much! I know we have to tell you off sometimes but I want you to know we are so very proud of you and wouldn’t change a hair on your head xxx”
To which he replied,
“Mum, you literally took me for a haircut last week!”
I love Christmas, I truly do, it’s a magical time of year, however it brings with it a rollercoaster of emotions and cold weather germs.
This year nothing was more giving than the Norovirus which was not content with sharing the love once, but went round our family twice! I wouldn’t mind so much if I’d lost more that 2lbs! The amount of time spent in the bathroom does not feel proportionate!
I had jotted down some notes for a blog over Christmas, but they don’t make much sense now. They did remind me that I got woken up Christmas Eve by Harry requesting a cup of tea in his sleep. His first word Christmas Day was Sigma and Ollie cheered that it was 2025 and I had to correct him on which thing we were actually celebrating. Bit of a result if you think it’s the new year and find out it actually Christmas! Oh and did have a chuckle that about 7pm Lee suddenly looked up from what he was doing with the realisation I’d forgotten the prawn cocktail starter of our Christmas dinner. We were all agreed it was bloomin’ delicious anyway so that was a Brucie bonus!
Anyway, we’re now in 2025 and I’ve got to say it’s not too shabby so far. Well one would hope not with it only being the 11th January.
I haven’t written in ages so I’m trying to get back into the swing of it as it’s a form of therapy for me. I believe this will be more of a reflection piece but between you and I, I’m flying by the seat of my pants here and just not feeling it!
So, news years resolutions, not revolutions as I previously believed. It turns out I completed two out of four last year, shame it wasn’t two out of three because I could have linked it to a Meatloaf song.
Obviously we have the usual lose weight, but that’s been there since 1989 and unfortunately I’m not even joking!
They talk of the vicious circle, but I would like a positive circle, one sec, let me just check if that’s a thing already. Turns out there is a virtuous cycle in economics where : a chain of events in which one desirable occurrence leads to another which further promotes the first occurrence and so on resulting in a continuous process of improvement. I totally plagiarised that from the Oxford Dictionary so sue me!
So what should I chuck onto that wheel to set the positive cycle a spinning? Sleep! I used to believe in the motto “sleep when I’m dead”, but less so with age!
More sleep leads to more energy which leads to positive outcomes.
Diet! Not in let’s beat ourselves with it, this is a positive wheel. Keto has been working wonders for me and it is delicious so we’ll stick with that.
Exercise! I have a static bike and an Alexa in the conservatory. 10 minutes a day is good for the old muscoskeketal stuff and produces happy endorphins. Whilst 10 minutes a day is nothing, it’s not realistic so let’s start with 4 times a week and build on it. Ooh yay, I’ve done 3 already this week so one more tomorrow and I’ve hit target! See, feeling better already.
I’d like to be kinder and more patient with the boys and well, everyone. I think this is linked to the sleep for sure but maybe I could incorporate THINK before you speak. T- is it true? H – is it helpful? I – is it inspirational? N – is it necessary? K – is it kind? Will give it a go, will certainly help with the self esteem if I’m not being a meanie to others.
Fun! Yes, that needs to be there! More fun is always needed. Something to look forward to each month. Another fun memory photo to be added to our board. We have a few boards up in the dining room that are empty at the beginning of the year and get filled up with memories throughout the year to be taken down at New Year and stored in an album. So, we went to see Queen of The Night last night. A tribute to Whitney and it was brilliant. Time with my scrummy hubby all to myself and a sing-a-long feel good extravaganza. We have Strictly live show to look forward to next month and holiday the month after so this is in full swing but needs to be kept up.
Yes I’m liking this. Think I will get the boys to create one each too. What will we call it? Virtuous Circle is a bit of a mouth full and a bit grown up for my liking. Posiwheel sounds too much like suppository! Or potty!
OH MY GOSH I THINK WE HAVE IT!
Now bear with me. I consulted my best friend (Google) for another word for positive and another word for circle. Then another word for happy and came across an expression I’ve never heard before Cock-a-hoop which means adjective
extremely and obviously pleased, especially about an achievement.”the team is cock-a-hoop at winning its first game of the season”
Well if that doesn’t punch you in the face and cover all bases, nothing will!
And so the Cock-a-Hoop is born, a new family tradition to be done at the beginning of the year to inspire and fill myself and my children with positive affirmations for the year ahead. Also, my boys are 8 and love rude words so I’m guessing the name will appeal to them on more levels than myself.
Right, the writing worked, I’m back baby and off to walk the dogs and get some sunlight because I is completely solar powered.
Love and hugs and a very happy new year to you all xxx
I wanna tell you a story, but I feel it might still have some way to go yet, so there may well be updates.
As my Dad always says a good story starts with,
“Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin”
Basically I’m addicted to taking photos and videos, ooh I wonder if there’s a name for that, I’ll just Google it…shutter nutter! Love it! I’m one of those.
Anything that brings me joy and peace. Anything I can look upon in dark times to help me into the light and sweet memories for my children to cherish. Oh and pieces of wood on a beach, I have plenty of photos of that!
Grandad wanted to be sensible and invest in the boys future for Christmas. I respectfully asked him to just give them something to enjoy unwrapping and think of him and we can save the grown up stuff for a later date.
Harry has been trying to save up for FC25 for ages! He was cross that he’d forgotten to ask Santa for it (between you and I Santa would have thought it far too expensive and stuck with a Terrys chocolate orange!) and already asked for a fitness watch from us.
With Grandads approval (and money) I ordered it for him. It was a bit blinking obvious what it was so I left it in the padded envelope and then wrapped it in a bigger box.
Sunday 14th December came, our day to celebrate Christmas with Grandad and see the panto which was blooming brilliant (and the vdubs but that’s another story).
We’d had our dinner and it was present time. I knew Harry was going to go bonkers so I took a video.
Well he didn’t disappoint! At first he thought it was a prank and then when he saw inside the final package he threw it down and engulfed grandad in a bear hug. To which Dad was incredibly British and remarked
“Oh dear, was it the wrong way up?”
Harry then went on to say he loved it and grandad remarked, wonderful.
In the mean time Ollie had been a super sweetie, retrieved said package Harry had flung, taken it out of the wrapper and passed it to him.
Well it was all quite wholesome so I popped it on Facebook to spread the Christmas cheer.
We tend to watch a bit of TikTok together as a family on our Super King just before the boys go to bed.
I can’t remember if it was Harry or Ollie who asked to put the video of Grandad winning at Christmas on TikTok. We only have about 8 videos on there of things like the Sprite challenge, the Tortilla challenge and unfortunately Ollie clearing his nasal passage, all things the boys have requested to do and be filmed doing.
Well blow me down with a feather if it hasn’t gone and gone viral!
There were a few likes and a few comments in the first hour, one of which said it was going to go viral, well they weren’t wrong!
We are currently at 11.8 MILLION VIEWS!
WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON???!!!
It was a little bit exciting at first and I was truly happy for Harry, Ollie and Grandad.
The comments were full of positivity and warmth. If there had been a hint of anything unkind I would have deleted the post quick smart.
Here’s just a few of the 6,810 comments we currently have,
@user26792178256623: I love how the kid is immediately focused on grandpa and only after that on the game. That is real gratitude 💚
@Anna: he chucked the present and went in for the hug 😭😭😭 boy was raised right. grateful and loving.
@deb_defaz_1: It’s the “oh, dear” for me and that his name is Harry!! I love the Brits!
@Emma Gorley: After watching this, I believe having a british grandfather would cure all my problems
Well the likes kept on coming. Ollie, math brain, worked it out at roughly 55 a second.
I updated Grandad, I’d especially liked the one that said he looked like he’d smell of peppermint and tobacco or the one that said he looked expensive! Oh and of course all the ones about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Harry Potter and Dumbledore.
He asked if there were any old ladies with snooker tables who seemed interested. I explained it wasn’t a dating app.
It was surreal watching the comments come in from all over the world. I know that because they were in different languages.
The twins wanted to get to a million but I had to manage their expectations and say that was unlikely. Prove me wrong why don’t you?!
Then the requests from global media agencies started coming in and it got serious.
Harry saw one from ESPN and he likes them, I don’t know how they’ve even crossed paths. I asked him if he wanted to wait for a possible spot of cash or let ESPN have a crack at it. He said he really didn’t care about the money but he wanted to see the video on their pages, turns out they are linked to Disney+. It took me a while to track them down again, but we got there in the end and the twins smiles when we saw their video pinned to their page was fabulous.
In the mean time Xbox had commented on the video and the hug. Quite a few people have told them to give the boys a gift, but there have also been a few who have taken the opportunity to tell them PS5 is better. I put a cheeky comment on about the boys being grateful for any merch they wanted to send their way and that they had hugs on tap or a few choice dance moves if preferred, but unfortunately someone accused me of begging so I took it down.
It wasn’t until I was sharing it with my stepdaughter that she showed me Rita Ora had commented on it! 9 hours earlier and I hadn’t noticed! I got star struck! What do I do? Lexi told me to give it a heart. I accidentally clicked the thumbs down button! Then I unclicked it and added a heart so hopefully Rita didn’t get the bits inbetween.
Obviously news spread and then one of my work friends pointed out that I might be letting the boys once in a lifetime slip away.
That’s when the anxiety hit! That wasn’t her intention, but I suddenly felt overwhelmed, what was I going to do? What if I got it wrong? What if it was too late? What if it lead to nastiness?
It was all too much so I buried my head in the sand for a little while, hoped it would go away and that I might be able to start sleeping again.
Then I decided to put my big girl pants on and sort stuff out!
I’d done a business A Level. Well I certainly started one, but left to study fashion, but those few months came in handy!
Right. I needed a company who I felt I could trust who I could hand all the responsibility over to and then I’d at least done something.
I Googled, researched and read for quite some time until I decided on Newsflare. I liked the cut of their jib. Something about their transparency resonated with me and they just seemed to make sense.
I asked Lee what he thought and Kayleigh because I can always trust her to make good life choices for me. Grandad was happy to support my decisions.
I also sent a message to George at Asda as comments were being made about Harry’s t-shirt, a message to EA games who created FC25 and a nice one to Xbox. Then a message to Lee to say, in for a penny, in for a pound.
I also contacted someone I went to school with who has a fabulous looking Graphic Design company on the off chance he might know someone in the know. He asked me what exactly I was looking for so I honestly replied I didn’t have a clue. I’ll be in touch again in another thirty years with a random question though!
Lee then discovered the video on Facebook so it was another sleepless night.
I contacted the stealer of our video and requested he take it down. We had a nice old chat about how he’d had a mental breakdown 18 months before and had started the site to help share positivity and hope. I gave him done numbers for support and he was very apologetic.
Now you are either going to think I’m a raving fruit loop or you too will have lost someone and understand.
I literally didn’t know what to do for the best and had got myself worked up into a frenzy. I picked up my mobile to send an enquiry to Newsflare and an email popped up at the top of my page literally saying Lucy don’t let this offer get away! Claim it by today! Claim it by tonight. Well that had my mum written all over it. Well it didn’t, it was from The Fork, but you know what I mean. Or you don’t.
So I did it!
They came back to me, but because it was over TikTok and they didn’t have a blue verified dot, I couldn’t be sure they were legit.
Not letting that perturb me, I logged into my old LinkedIn account and found them on there. Turns out their chef of staff and I have a mutual friend so I decided to message him. What a lovely chap! He messaged me straight back and put my mind at ease and talked us through the process.
Grandad has signed his consent form as a model! That made me chuckle!
So now we just wait and see. I don’t think we will have made a fortune, but Ollie would like us to make enough to get him this basketball game he wants and to video him getting it!
The boys honest take from it all has been that if you are kind and grateful the world loves you back. As long as it stays this way I am happy to continue and maybe Grandad will get his old lady with a snooker table. I mean, I don’t think she has to be old.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night xxx
At work, I’m always telling people to keep me busy or I’ll get myself into trouble. They think I’m joking, but quite frankly it’s true and the same can be said of my children, especially Harry, therefore we are always on the lookout for new ventures.
One of the lovely Mums at school told us the cubs their son goes to is blooming brilliant, she might not have used those exact words.
Chatted it over with the Twinkles and they thought it seemed like a good idea too, so off I went and filled in the registration form. Well tried to anyway, but the pesky thing would only let me complete it once as it wasn’t set up for children with the same birthday and parents! As far as we knew Harry was on the waiting list.
On one of my early morning calls to Lou “la belle” she suggested I give them a call to chase it up as this had helped getting her girls into Brownies.
That evening I scoured the internet for a number. I didn’t find one, but I completed a contact form, added them on Facebook and not content I’d stalked them enough, sent a message on messenger.
To my surprise I saw the trumpet going. Explanation = to me, when someone is typing me a message on Teams or Messenger the little dots go up and down and make me think of someone playing a trumpet.
Well blow me down with a feather if there wasn’t a live person at the end of the message asking how they could help.
I got a bit overwhelmed, excited and typed a load of waffle about them being a real person. Of course I added a load of happy emojis to which they asked again if they could help.
All business like and professional again I requested they check if my twins were both on the waiting list for cubs.
They were.
I also added that I’d ticked the box to say I was not available to volunteer, but the boys had found out and this was not our agreement. Silly me for thinking this might be the first activity I could drop them off at and leave.
Don’t worry, I am grateful they feel this way and will cherish it while it lasts, for the most part.
Ooh, interesting was the response.
So off I went again with the psychobabble without even being asked. I told the messenger page I was DBS checked, had safeguarding, teacher training, SEN experience, my mum was a Beaver leader and I used to help out.
Yes I was available for a call.
A jolly nice lady called me, I want to say her name was Gemma. She just happened to be the district leader. To which my stupid mouth told her that I would have curtsied if we were in person!
She explained there were going to be places available in the new year and I didn’t have to volunteer to get the boys in.
I came off the call 30 minutes later having been told to expect a welcome pack and some required training for when I start as a leader?!
Oops, how did that happen?
Yes the boys are starting too, I won’t be going without them.
I asked the boys how they felt about it and they were both very excited. Harry did feel the need to add, just pretend you’re not our Mum.
My Mum was a Beaver leader, that always makes me giggle. I also still have her woggle. The first time I cried at her funeral was when a few scouting leaders approached her coffin dressed in uniform and saluted her, I was so proud.
Upon telling my husband this story later I had to reassure him I wasn’t just doing it for a good send off!
I asked my Dad and my brothers if they could remember mums scouting name, none of us can. It would be nice if I could use the same one.
I scrolled through the contacts on my mobile and sure enough there was Jeanette who my mum had volunteered with. We have not spoken in about 13 years. Never one to let time or distance put me off, I sent her a message saying, hi 👋, is this Jeanette the Beaver leader?
Turns out it wasn’t, it was Jeanette who we bought our house off. Well that must have been a bit surreal for her!
Back to the drawing board!
Storm Darragh is blowing a hoolie outside. For those interested and not in the know, the phrase “blowing a hoolie” is likely derived from the Orkney Scots word “hoolan,” which means a strong gale, and the Irish word “hooley,” which means a noisy party. The phrase compares a noisy wind to a rowdy party.
As my Dad just typed, A day for comfort food, a good book before a fire and a dog by your side. ❤️🐻🌈
Love and hugs, kisses and wishes xxx
Earned screen time for yet more achievement certificates from school! Xxx
Well it all started Friday night with a curry. Not overly exciting I hear you mutter, but having been on the Keto diet for a few months and only just realising one can still have an Indian takeaway is like having your cake and eating it, only with Indian food.
N.B being Keto is like being vegan, I have to let everyone know! I have rights.
Anyways, who would have thought Saag Paneer a healthy option? Spinach smothered in cheese. It was so good my little fluffy friend didn’t get a look in! Not a morsel left on my plate to snuffle up, she snorted in disgust and left my side. If you know my Tilly, you can imagine this to be true.
Whilst it was off the scale delicious it was rich and my stomach didn’t know what to do with itself and was very vocal about the whole situation. It deliberated about it all night until it was finally time to get up.
Ooh I’ll just nip downstairs to the loo whilst I have a minute I thought to myself. With that I heard the steps of Harry. Weighing in at 25kg you’d think he’d be pretty quiet but he has the stealth mode of a drunk elephant in stilettos after a night on the town.
I ushered him downstairs in his oodie and slipper crocs followed by the fur babies.
Plonked Harry in the lounge with his tablet. The boys are currently doing a timetable Rockstar competition on line against the other year 3 class and obsessed with it. Ollie won the first one for his class, just saying x another right!
Now time for the loo.
Nope, the dogs are looking all dewy eyed and if Tilly could point at her mouth I think she would. Until now I thought it was doughy eyed and never once have I been corrected. How did I survive all those years without Google? Wait, I mean doe-eyed! That’s what they were doing. Look let’s just agree the dogs were guilting me into feeding them before my trip to the porcelain throne.
I have totally just realised I’ve been having an argument with myself and brought you along for the ride. Happy Sunday!
Anyways, dogs fed there’s a clunk at the kitchen gate and Harry is upset the service is so shocking and would also like his breakfast NOW.
To feed the boy I need to empty the dishwasher. No I can’t just take one thing out and leave the rest, it’s unnatural and makes me feel uncomfortable.
Dishwasher emptied and breakfast made I call Harry to the gate for collection but he has his headphones on so off I trundle to the lounge with his plate of fun. Stomach getting angrier by the minute and almost having to walk cross legged.
On my way back I pass Ollie. I try to look pleased to see him but he too is STARVING and has a headache and could I have a quick look at a spot on his bottom?
I achieve all of the above admiring the strength of my sphincter muscle and pleased for the hours spent exercising my pelvic floor!
We have a baby gate to keep the dogs in the kitchen / conservatory when needed. Useful for weekend mornings when I’m trying to get them to abide by the “don’t wake daddy” rule.
It was foiling me. Could have been my now clammy hands. Why is it that we sweat when we REALLY need the loo? That was rhetorical, but for those interested, vasovagal response! My goodness it’s a learning day today!
Apparently girls glow, they don’t sweat, but glowing wouldn’t have hindered my opening of that pesky baby gate!
Dogs fed, watered and relieved, children fed and watered, dishwasher emptied I finally made my way to the toilet. Almost an hour after initially getting up.
I settle myself on the seat with a sigh of relief only for the door to be opened by Harry requesting the new wifi code!
In the words of John McEnroe “you have got to be kidding me!”
My work colleagues wonder why I like our toilets so much, they really are nothing fancy, but I can just go to them without talking to anyone and be completely on my own and they have a lock! Yes the toilet is one of my favourite work perks! I’m easily pleased and Keto, don’t forget Keto!
Love and hugs, kisses and wishes xxx
Whomever said “it’s a dogs life” had clearly not met my Tilly xxx
A cheeky little Twinkle update xxx 