So I’m not sure if you’ll remember but I was poisoning our son. We believe (actually hope it’s nothing more serious) that he has Coeliac Disease. We went to the doctors and they said to keep feeding him gluten for 6 months and then book him in for some blood tests. Well I managed to poison him for a good 3 months but then decided it was too much for the little fella so contacted the doctors again. Turns out the one I spoke to was not impressed with the locum we’d met and booked him in for some bloods straight away. Thank you tingling spider senses!

Off we went to The Seashore Centre yesterday with Ollies arms and hands already covered in numbing cream and sterile dressings.

There was one nurse in particular who was so warm and friendly and had a smile like sunshine.

They sat us on the bed with Ollie on my lap, in a hugging position with his arm out behind me. They took FOUR vials!

I dared Ollie to say “OI! I was using that!” But he wouldn’t.

He was incredibly brave! Even when trying to peel all his plasters off.

We had brought some reward stickers of our own for Ollie to give out to the nurses to say thank you, they were touched. We even decided to give one to the lady on reception who had not been very friendly, even cold, in the hope it might thaw her out a bit and remind her why she does the job. It induced a smile!

By the time we got home Ollie was feeling poorly and desperately tired. To be fair we’d only managed a total of about 3 hours of sleep the night before. He had a fever, a sore throat and tongue and just couldn’t get comfortable.

Lee took Harry upstairs for a serious gaming afternoon (we could hear the laughter and screams from downstairs) and I made Ollie a comfy den on the sofa and tried to help him catch up on some sleep by putting relaxing under the sea vibes on the telebox.

We tried that for a bit, but the healthy approach just didn’t work and so propped him up, gave him the Lollipop Prime to drink, (the hydration drink not the child killing energy drink)a bag of jelly sweets and watched Futurama and counted the swears! This made him much happier!

I hadn’t got round to doing the washing and forgot Ollie had sharted in his jimjams first thing, so cut up a pair of old pyjama trousers, true caveman style! He didn’t care.

Somehow it got to 7pm and after having a family TicToc session got the boys to bed.

That’s when the spitting started.

Ollie was suddenly inflicted with over salinisation. I gave him the large sick bowl, a towel to wipe his mouth, a bottle of flat lemonade.

I had managed to squeeze in cooking mine and Lee’s sweet chilli chicken stir fry rice noodles somewhere and was about to go and eat.

Ollie held my hand and said,

“Good night Mum, you go and eat, you need to eat or you’ll get hangry and go like (punch fists in air)”

I was about to go when he sat up and spat. He said that would be the last time and smiled. I waited a little and he sat up and did it again. He said that would definitely be the last time and promised promise. Well this kept going on so I went downstairs to grab my blanket and Ollie and I got into our bed in their room. I was grateful when he moved the spit bowl to his side although it did mean I got the side that kept farting.

He was so upbeat about it all. He even told me that if I fancied spitting I could also use his bowl. I had brought 3 others up for back up if needed.

I forgot to mention that Lee had taken Harry to B&Q and they’d put up Harry’s shelf above his bunk bed.

Harry is usually a brilliant sleeper, but last night he could not sleep. I think he was worried about Ollie and must have spent a good hour arranging his new shelf.

We were just listening to the playlist Chillout Pop when I asked Ollie if he wanted to start a gluten free diet tomorrow or wait for his test results.

“Maybe Mum, but I’m not eaten gluten free bed because it’s DISGUSTING and has nuts in it!”

Harry shouts out from his bunk bed like a rowdy teenager grabbing his privates “what?! These nuts!?”

Oh dear!

Just to clarify, I had the Free From seeded loaf and it was delicious, obviously a matter of opinion! It most definitely does not contain testicles.

I managed to get them to sleep about 1ish after a few bowl changes, trips to the loo and making Harry a comfy bed on the floor next to us.

Today we have deduced that Ollie has Strep Throat. Harry is being a lovely caring big brother and making him laugh, Ollie is feasting on fluids and ice lollies and I’m in the bath with the dog. Well the dog is laid on the towel next to me. Lee is working today and I’ve told him to go catch up with his friends after, he can take over tomorrow, plus I’ve got my eye on that new Little Mermaid film.

Ollie did the funniest thing this morning. He felt he had something stuck in his throat so asked for some cold apple juice. He then decided it had worked a treat and cleared it. He asked for a sheet of paper so he could document this in case we should need to remember for the future. He then gave his work an A+ which really tickled Lee and I and now we both keep giving ourselves A+ for the most silly things which is really rather therapeutic, you should try it!

Love and hugs, kisses & wishes.

Well our little Ollie certainly woke with a spring in his step Friday morning.

He bounced over to me and pretty much sang,

“ Do you know what I did last night Mummy? I read the whole of my book and I didn’t pee my pants!”

He was so happy about it and what a lovely, positive way to start the day!

It got me to thinking, SMART goals in every day life. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound.

I’ve heard from different avenues ( mainly Navy Seals) recently to start the day by making my bed. It’s a duvet, a fluffy blanket and a silky pillow, so this is not difficult or time consuming.

The idea of making the bed is a sense of discipline and if you start the day by achieving something you are on a positive vibe. It certainly looks nice, but a bit of a task for the boys who both sleep on the top bunk and can’t reach it yet so I get them to straighten their teddies.

So often we try to be super parent, super employee, super partner, super friend and super family member that we are left deplete and feeling like we are spinning too many plates and it is all going to come crashing down around us.

Maybe we are setting the bar too high?

What do I want for my children? For them to be happy, healthy and kind. They are most definitely that. The house isn’t clean (it is hygienic), their clothes aren’t ironed, I haven’t enrolled them in 100 different classes, they do spend hours on their computers, but they are still everything Lee and I want them to be. The other evening at the school disco Ollie gave 50p to the class bully because he hadn’t been given any money and Ollie didn’t want him to miss out on the tuck shop. I nearly crushed the bejesus out of that boy hugging and crying all over him. Just what every 6 year old wants their Mum to do at the school disco pick up!

What do I want from my work? To shut the door behind me each evening and believe I have genuinely helped people and made a difference. Well my managers and my colleagues certainly enable me to do that. I can’t always keep up with time constraints, but I do the best I can, so I need to relax in the knowledge that I am doing what is expected of me.

I never seem to have any time, but with the support of my lovely Lee I make time for family and friends. This has been made so much easier by realising how blessed I am with the handful of true friends I have, why waste time searching for new ones, when I have been gifted with the ones I have?

Lee and I are out on our first date since we moved to Weston-super-Mare nearly 3 years ago. Tonight I get to spend quality time with my best friend and soul mate and snog on the beach like we’re teenagers even if it’s raining, in my mind I would look like Kirsten Dunst having her first upside down kiss with Spider-Man in a storm.

Just stop! Breathe! Take time to enjoy the present. Make every day count and most importantly enjoy it. Why be on a treadmill to obtain perfection which may never be achievable? Happiness and kindness is true beauty, not your dress size.

Oh gosh, I seem to be rambling. Well I think you get the gist!

Remember, you can allow yourself to be happy just for getting through the night without peeing your bed and then making it!

Love and hugs, kisses and wishes!

So, every now and then, Ollie and Harry ask me to sleep in their room, more often than not.

The sofa bed is lumpy and you could cut the fug with a knife due to their nightly fart fests, but I take them up on the invite because one day they won’t want me to anymore. I would also miss our morning cuddle and the strange workings of their minds.

Here is our real life conversation from Thursday morning.

Ollie “Mum, sometimes when I wake up my eyes are full of dry, crusty bits”

Me “ that’s called sleep although I call it eye bogies. Your eyes clean themselves at night and that’s all the dirty unwanted bits”

Harry “sometimes when I’m really thirsty at night I drink my tears”

Me “okay……. If you’re really thirsty and don’t want to get out of bed, why don’t you just imagine biting into a really juicy lemon wedge so your mouth gets full of saliva and you can drink that instead?”

Ollie “ no mum, it’s better to drink tears because they’re salty”

Harry “ correct! They are seasoned so taste nicer”

Fair to say I’d never thought of that, but I might send the boys to bed with a small bottle of water moving forward.

Which reminds me, the boys can’t say bottle of water without instantly repeating it in an aggressive, cockney accent, they don’t know why they do it.

Harry then proceeded with this delightful story.

“ Mum, do you remember when we were on holiday and you pushed me head first in to the ocean when I had my clothes on because you thought it would be funny?!”

“ no Harry, I do not remember that at all! Ollie do you remember anything remotely like that ever happening?”

Ollie “ nope Mummy”

I think Harry must have dreamt it. Really doesn’t sound like something I’d do and I have no recollection of it.

Not sure which is more concerning. Harry dreaming and believing I’d do something like that or me actually doing it. Well it just wouldn’t be practical for one thing!

Happy weekend ya’all!

Love and hugs, kisses and wishes xxx

It’s been a while so I thought it was time to put pen to paper or finger to button which doesn’t sound quite as romantic.

So the other evening, we were reading a bedtime story together when Ollie decided he needed some teddies to join us, fair enough.

He went and rustled through and settled on a fluffy dog with long ears.

This was the ensuing conversation,

“Ooh I’m going to invite this one. I remember getting him, it was at the school fair. I bought him with my own money. I also bought some beer and you took it off me and kept it!”

My side, “ No Ollie, that isn’t quite what happened. I gave you each £5 to spend at the fair as a treat. You had a few goes on different games, the raffle, bought some cakes and bought this teddy. I then gave you and Harry an extra £1 each to have a go on the tombola and you won some Guiness which was a strange prize to have at a children’s fete so I said we’d give it to Daddy.”

Harry “ so you did take his beer off him then!”

Me “he’s 6!”

The other evening at swimming Harry had done a pretty nifty mushroom at the request of the teacher so for some reason I gave him the rock out gesture. It was bloomin’ hot in there and even the backs of my knees were trickling with sweat, sorry glowing, so could have been heat exhaustion.

Harry mistook my gestures, gave me an open mouth ‘oh my goodness you didn’t just do that!’ look and then the bird!

Little, skinny, iridescent, boy in the pool, surrounding amphitheater seats filled with parents and he gives his Mum the finger! We had some serious words!

In his defence he thought I was doing it at him so we’ve agreed to stick to just thumbs up moving forward.

So perceptions, things aren’t always what they seem and we need to be mindful of others.

It’s Saturday, it’s sunny, I’m surrounded by my family and I’m going to my friends house for a few sherbets tonight! Colour me happy!

Love and hugs, kisses and wishes xxx

Please bear with me reader, we’re in the latter stages of half term and my children are sick!

In the song by Hot Chocolate, It Started With A Kiss, with Harrison it started last Tuesday with a cough.

Just a normal, irksome, chesty cough and a few irritating boogers. Nothing to show off about or keep him off school. Come the end of the week I worked from home expecting a call from the teachers to collect him, but our little Harry soldiered through.

Fast forward to a week later and his body was under full attack from every angle. I have never cleaned a bathroom floor so many times in one week, but at least our little gentleman made it in there every time even if he had to dance like the floor was hot lava.

I won’t go into the details, I’m still trying to eradicate them from my mind.

Yesterday morning there was a glimmer of hope and cheeky chappy Harry emerged for about an hour which made his disappearance all the more saddening.

He threw up again just before bed having only eaten a bite of toast all day.

Lee and I tucked him in with Ollie’s promise to watch over him and visibly concerned.

I sat in the garden and had a cry. I just couldn’t seem to make him better, it’s my most important job and I’m failing!

I called 111 and having gone through a long and thorough assessment with a health care assistant felt reassured.

Lee and I waited for the clinician to call us back, but the allotted 2 hour slot came and went.

We deliberated for a while, called in the mum friends and then decided together there was no point waiting up for a call or taking a loud call in the AM. So I turned my phone off, snuggled up next to Harry under the star projector and wished on all of them the night would pass quickly and he’d wake up better.

Damn those star projectors are good! It came true! Well worth the £10 on Amazon.

Whilst Harry is far from 100% he is eating and drinking and more importantly keeping it in. He even has enough energy to play Roblox.

Yesterday was a rollercoaster of emotions probably mainly brought on by sleep deprivation and a worn out immune system.

I was elated in the morning when Harry had some spark and then devastated when it went back out.

I realised I was mainly wrestling with Mum guilt. We’d had so many yummy things planned and are usually so active that it felt wrong to be tied to the house and simply being. I made dens, put up tents, made tissue box monsters, played in the hot tub, even tried my hand at coding on Minecraft anything to fill the void. But suddenly something snapped and I gave myself and my children permission to essentially be lazy.

Hopefully we will have all the time in the world to fill with active, outdoorsy things as and when needed.

Another realisation was that I’d been wearing the same clothes for 36 hours! Gross! So I peeled them off and sat soaking in the bath with the twins close by playing on their electronics.

Actually, the Asda delivery arrived 15 minutes early. Harry alerted me to a knocking on the window. Why doesn’t anyone use our doorbell? Anyways, I jumped out the bath and had the insight to grab my oodie. Got to the front door and waved to the driver and , then out of sight, changed from my towel into said oodie whilst he started to put together our crates of yumminess.

A apologised for the state of us and explained there had been sickness when in reality I would have been ready by the time he was due to deliver, so British.

Ollie helped me put all the shopping away mainly so I’d help him pass a level on his game.

Before sinking back into the bath I did a bend and stretch test in front of the mirror to be sure the delivery driver hadn’t got an eyeful.

One thing I can be sure of is that I can see a missed poo smear on the door, how did that get there?

Today we will mostly be enjoying getting better in our pants! I’m not sure that is worded how I mean it to be but hey, you get the gist. I’m not going to force the boys to get ready, I’m not going to make them do anything, we can just happily vegetate together until we are all better xxx

I hope the holidays have been kinder to you.

Love and hugs xxx

Let me tell you the story of Myrtle, I’ll take it from the top.

The boys were their usual germ filled selves, but adamant to go to school. On this occasion I was worried about Harry’s nasty cough so worked from home expecting a call from the teachers to come and collect him. The call never came, but his cough is still here so you figure out the math.

The conservatory doors were wide open letting in the beginning of the Summers sun. Then there was a scuffle and what appeared to be a close call between Holly our mini schnauzer and a Magpie.

I started forming a text in my head to send to hubby along the lines of, one for sorrow, two for joy, what do you get if your dog catches one? But never got round to sending it.

The day whistled by and soon it was time to collect the snot rags. The twins are so full of germs at this point they might as well be referred to as handkerchiefs.

They’d done their reading and were playing in the garden whilst I was making dinner when Harry alerted me to the fact he could hear a noise and decided that an animal was hurt.

I’d like to point out that, as is always the case, I still had many jobs I needed to achieve, but downed tools and went to investigate.

This is when we found the magpie, sheltering in the wild flowers and promptly named it Myrtle. Not being able to speak it couldn’t give us its pronouns or protest to the name, so it stuck.

Harry insisted it was to be saved, blew out his chest, let his cape flutter in the wind and announced,

“I’m not leaving an animal to die in MY garden!”

Technically it’s a bird, but not the time to deliberate.

He was all set to jump in, but this is when I taught him, fail to prepare prepare to fail. A wise little nugget indeed.

Dogs locked away, out comes Google.

Google states to pop in a box with a lining and air holes and store in a dark place until out of shock and stronger.

I should probably make you aware that Myrtle didn’t appear to have any injuries, just wasn’t able to fly.

Right, time to makeshift.

Out came the old hamster cage, out came the multicoloured paper tissue bedding. Small bowl for water and small bowl containing soaked dog biscuits for nourishment.

Meanwhile Ollie is in a world of his own wandering around playing with a Fortnite figure.

Ooh, where’s my gardening gloves Lee got me?

Right, we ventured in to the garden and I’d asked Harry to carry the lid and place it on gently once I’d retrieved Myrtle from the bracken.

I told Ollie he could put the clasps on after just so he wouldn’t feel left out.

Harry kept chomping at the bit to help and I explained hanging back and being ready was helping.

Of course Myrtle was now hiding right at the back behind a big, sharp bush which clawed at my hair and dropped spiders on me.

I managed to cup her safely but she instantly screamed at me which was quite unnerving.

I gently carried her back to Harry and popped her in the cage.

Harry just watched her and shouted out “OMG” which gave her time to jump out and back in to the bush.

“Harry! You had ONE job!!”

So back in I went and this time Ollie got to put the clasps on the cage.

In the Summerhouse Myrtle goes and I breathe a sigh of relief.

Whilst Harry gently chatted to her to reassure her that everything would be okay, I Whatsapped the Mum group to ask what to do.

Secret World seemed to be the general consensus so I called them. As requested I sent them a photo and waited for their call as to how to proceed. Obviously I had all the time in the world on my hands!

They came back pretty promptly, actually I have to say they were truly lovely and doing a grand job protecting all our garden creatures.

They believed Myrtle was a fledgling and in great shape. On further inspection her parents appeared to be watching from the Willow tree. Not quite “Birds”.

The best course of action would be to pop Myrtle back where we found her and allow her parents to keep providing for her and teaching her to fly.

I asked how long this could take, mainly thinking of the dogs. She was unsure, days.

So we got Myrtle out, at which point Ollie let the dogs back in to the garden, well done Ollie! Tilly wasn’t going to run for fowl which hadn’t been prepared for her and Harry snatched up Holly and whizzed her back in to the conservatory.

I’d just about managed to catch up and the boys were finishing their dinner when Lee got home.

Ollie ran up to tell him the excitement of which he hadn’t really been a part of.

Lee went out to water the garden and asked if he could let the dogs out. Upon inspection Myrtle had already gained her wings, but definitely with some encouragement from us.

All that fuss! If I’d just waited a few hours!!

Hope you’re having a relaxing bank holiday weekend xxx

I love a Monday, always have, always will.

Fresh start to the week, new beginnings, a chance to wipe the slate clean and start again.

It’s a forgiveness for things that have passed before.

Ha! Do you see? It was a trap! Not for you, goodness no, for me and I’ve grown wise to myself and coming clean.

All of the happy go lucky, rainbows and candyfloss stuff above are true.

BUT!

Yes a big but, spelt with just one T, this is not a story about my posterior although that too would be large!

I have put on a full pesky 3lbs this week.

Zut alors!

Something this damaging needs an old fashioned French expletive.

While I’m writing this I’m seeing a black and white silent movie with a dastardly villain tying a poor over acting maiden to a rail track and piano plinky plonk music revving up the scene.

Both the villan and the maiden are playing the part of my brain!

Usually I would scoff at the scale! Pah, 3lbs on! Just need a poo and it’s Monday after all so back on track and better results next week. I would even give myself a mental pat on the back for being so upbeat about it and having a tenacious attitude.

Here in lies the ruse.

It’s not okay and I have been naughty and I need to step it up a gear and get back on track!

This bank holiday weekend I have gotten drunk and eaten gluten, more than once! Okay, if that’s all I’ve got to admit to I’m doing pretty well. It’s not like I’m mugging old ladies for Mars bars or injecting heroin in my eyes balls, but still it’s self sabotage and just not healthy.

Gosh, writing is so therapeutic. I’ve just realised something. I feel awful for poisoning my son. Well you would wouldn’t you? We’re pretty sure that all little Ollies maladies are linked to Coeliac Disease, but to be sure, to be sure (Father Ted) we’re having to feed him gluten every meal of every day for the next 6 months.

If you are a Coeliac your body can’t digest gluten and it creates antibodies to fight it off. The only way of knowing if you’re coeliac is by testing for these antibodies and eating gluten.

Each meal he doesn’t really want to eat and often needs a lie down afterwards.

As Ollie pointed out, the test will end near his birthday in November. Thanks Oz, way to make a Mum feel even worse!

Unfortunately he needs to be diagnosed by a GP for it to be formerly recognised at school or medically if needed at a later date.

Whilst every ounce of me wants to just give up, what if it isn’t that? So on with the poisoning son it’s for your own good.

Anyway, back to me. I blame Sunday School. I was sent to one of those massive churches as a child, it was very cold and scary with real gargoyles and filled with old people with sour faces, but the one thing I learned was that I could do whatever l liked and I’d be forgiven. I was young and impressionable. I also rang the bells, a la Quasimodo, a campanoligist and that was fun! I even went on a bell ringing tour although I’m not sure I should admit to that. Street cred, meet the toilet.

I’m much more partial to a small, warm, church hall where the pastor wears jeans and we shout out a few “Hallelujahs” and sing, clap and hug. I haven’t been in about 30 years, but I think it would be good for the boys to go. I always felt it helped to have a solid morale compass, but maybe the bible could do with a bit of updating and cut out all the homophobic bits, I think that’s what put me off. However I have been reading that the bible is not homophobic only individuals who choose to cherry pick and misinterpret things and if the bible truly is against same sex relationships then we should also not be eating shell fish and we should stand on one leg every now and then.

Blimey, it’s turning into a ranty kind of day. Good luck Lee when you get up.

So, getting back on track, this morning I’ve had a strawberry, banana and vanilla protein shake for breakfast. I’ll have the same for lunch followed by a severe word with myself and dust for dinner! Ooh and I’ll throw in a 20 minute cycle for good measure and think I should not be playing Toonblast whilst doing it but giving it a bit more welly.

At the end of the day, we all just need to get along and be kind to each other. I’m always up for celebrating love.

Love and hugs, kisses and wishes xxx

So there Ollie and I were, going about our business, doing something mundane like the laundry.

Something was obviously troubling him, so I waited for him to formulate a question and braced myself for what it was. Please be an easy one!

Ollie “Can you wee Mum?”

Me “ Yes thank you”

Ollie “WHAT? Do you wee out your bum then Mum?”

Me (remember I was caught on the hop) “No I wee out of my front bum.”

Ollie “ Where’s that? Is it here?” pointing to thigh.

Me (oh gosh, we’re navigating murky waters) “No, here” pointing to front bum

Ollie “No Mum, that’s your balls”

Me “I don’t have balls”

Ollie “People who don’t have balls aren’t cool! You need balls to stop your wee spilling everywhere”

Me “What’s that smell?”

Ollie “Gotta go mum I need a poo”

Saved by the flush!

In other news, we had a bit of a do for Coronation Day at work and I was too busy to attend so someone very sweetly wrapped up a Bakewell Tart and left it on my desk for me.

I know, cute right?

Bless them I thought, it’s not someone who knows me that well as it isn’t gluten free, but it’s still someone who cares.

I left it there for a few hours and got on with my work, but the sweet cravings set in and I thought, ooh I’ll just have the icing and the cherry, it’s my favourite bit and then I sort of smooshed up the rest of it ready to go in the bin.

Bit later, our G4S manager wandered over and asked me if I’d seen a cake wrapped up in paper, she thought she might have left it on my desk. It had been given to her by one of my thoughtful colleagues.

Oh.

I smiled as sweetly as I could muster and let her know I’d only eaten the icing and the cherry and she was welcome to the spongey bit.

She politely declined, but luckily saw the funny side and I did a swap for some angel slices I had bagged for the boys.

The sun is shining, my sunflower seedlings have made it on to the porch but will likely stay there and get washed away in the storm tomorrow even though I’m remembering this right now.

Love and hugs, kisses and wishes xxx

Yep, I’m still here, but it’s been a humdinger of a week!

With schools closing and no on-tap childcare I don’t know if I’m coming or going.

I think Harry is going through a growth spurt, please let it be that, please let this be a phase as he is Emotional (yes, with a capital E). One minute he’s angry, shouty, punching the sofa, the next he is crying on the sofa under a blanket wanting to be held. I don’t know whether to give him a timeout on the naughty step or a hot water bottle and a Feminax!

Ollie is still a walking bomb of phlegm and vomit although we may have got to the bottom of it! Coeliac Disease and Asthma, gifts from Lee and I, you’re welcome.

We saw a lovely doctor, the kind who genuinely love children and smile at every little thing they do and we’re keeping an eye on him for 6 months . It’s a relief though, at least it’s something manageable, ticks a lot of the boxes.

I didn’t realise how much his health was worrying me. As a Mum I think you’re inclined to pop your emotions in a little box and deal with them another day, a bit like Scarlett O’Hara. Oh hark at me likening myself to Vivien Leigh, that’s a tenacious link at its finest.

The problem with doing that though, the boxing of emotions, is they sometimes leak out at the wrong time.

Thursday lunch time I got a call from the school to say that Harry had been in an altercation and firstly not to worry and secondly Harry was not in trouble. Phew and phew.

Another school boy had grabbed a piece of children’s cutlery and got Harry in the back with it. Hadn’t cut the skin, small graze and looked like a burn.

I was very calm while she spoke to me. Taking it all in and deciding to hold off having an opinion until speaking to Ollie and Harry and getting the full juice.

However I was troubled and by the time it was finally time to leave work and get to my baby I was stuck completing some paperwork that had a deadline and impacted on the wellbeing of my customer. Yes I could have given it to someone else, but I’m a control freak and it was my responsibility to get it sorted for them as I had said I would.

However you should have seen the look on my poor, lovely colleagues face when I asked them to hurry up approving my paperwork because my son had been literally stabbed in the back and I wanted to get to him. The bewildered look they gave me then made me burst out laughing which led them to be more confused. I had to walk away before they signed me up for the loony bin.

All of that shenanigans and Harry breezes out of school without a care in the world happy as Larry, whoever he may be.

Hadn’t effected or affected, I get confused, Harry in the slightest. The school had dealt with it perfectly.

He’s not being bullied, he is okay and it was just one of those things and the school has reacted appropriately and put systems in place.

So we’re pretty grateful for the 5 day break.

The school will be too as it will have given Lee a chance to calm down.

I worked from home the other day. I stopped to watch a squirrel eating nuts from the squirrel feeder Lee and Harry had made together last weekend. It gave my heart a warm boost and makes up for the fact the boys are on their Nintendos at the mo with no intention of coming off anytime soon.

This morning, I purposefully took a few minutes to stroke Ollies head, scratch Tilly’s tummy and indulge in one of Harry’s engulfing cuddles before properly getting up. Capturing the moment. It was still only 05:45.

Life is whizzing by so fast, days are merging in to each other. One has to intentionally stop, breathe, relax and most importantly enjoy. I try to make every day count for something x it’s why I take so many photos. Little splurts of happiness from every day and reminders.

Love and hugs, kisses and wishes xxx

Blimey, it’s been a while since I last wrote so thought I’d best make an effort.

Let’s start with the boring stuff! Had steroids in my knee, it’s not buff and not to be trifled with! I no longer waddle through the office like a duck as one of my colleagues put it, thank you for that. Unfortunately I got Cockney rhyming slang muddled up and informed “HotReg” (another story), the security guard my piles were playing up instead of my arthritic knee, somewhat embarrassing, but amusing all the same.

So the other morning, I awoke in the boys room, it was intentional, I hadn’t been roofied. I was already snuggled up with Tilly my favourite child (a 12 year old Westie cross) and Harry and Ollie came in for a cuddle.

I suggested it was time for a haircut to get ready for the return to school. They understood this more than when Lee told them they needed to get their Barnet chopped, sounded a lot less threatening.

This led to Ollie and Harry having quite an interesting conversation , but one I was ill equipped for before coffee.

O = Ollie

H = Harry

M = Me or Mummy, your choice.

O adamantly “I’ve got blonde hair”

M “No you haven’t, it’s brown like mine”

O “Okay, I’ve got brown hair. Harry you’ve got blonde hair, that’s rare, that make you rare, good skills bruh!”

Pause for thought.

O “I want blue hair, Mum can we dye our hair blue again?”

M “Yes, but not until the summer holidays”

O “WHAT?! That’s well unfair!”

H “Yes that’s WELL unfair!”

O “It’s not like it’s even illegal or a swear or anything!”

H “YEAH!”

Deep concentration.

H “Maybe it’s because bad people have bad hair!”

O “Yeah, like the Joker, he has green hair”

I decided not to point out that their step sister had currently and intentionally got green hair.

H “What about people who are born with blue hair?”

M “Nobody is born with blue hair”

O “Yes they are! Yeti is! (From Fortnite, formally known as Trog) Wait, no he is blue skin with white hair.”

Then in quick succession like a BB gun,

H “Is Yeti real?”

O “Is Bigfoot real?”

H “IS CYCLOPS REAL?”

I hadn’t even had a chance to answer,

O “Yep, Cyclops is real”

H “Yes, it is we’ve been to his house!”

M “When?”

O “With Nanny and Daddy and Uncle Paul and Uncle Ben”

H “It’s in the woods by Nanny’s house, Daddy showed us”

M “Rightyho, can we please go and have breakfast now?”

It is fair to say there is never a dull day in our house.

Love & hugs, kisses & wishes.