My week in five headlines

Croydon cat captivated by loom band craze

I think your paws may be a little big for loom bands Neo 

Threenager climbs to new heights at local park 

climbing frame boy

he's at the wall 

Blogging moggy internet sensation

Cat and keyboard in harmony 

Mojito masterclass reinvigorates power station  

Ooh aaah !!

Muddling like a maniac

Mixologist in training 

Baby basketball star: he shoots, he scores !!

He prepares

He aims

He shoots 

He scores !! 

The cat, my boy and the missing teddy bear mystery.

Our family (including Clovey)

My chosen reading at the moment is a book called, "New Toddler Taming" that was lent to me by a friend of mine who has two boys. It has been a difficult time with our threenager and he's been pushing mine and Hubbie's patience to the very limit. It has made us both feel so tired and sad and disappointed. It feels like we just have no clue how to deal with this seething mass of shouting, kicking, screaming energy and it's demoralising.

Then I look at him right now lying on his front drawing a picture of Big Ben wearing clothes he chose and put on himself - yes they do match. He comes over to show me he's also drawn a picture, "Of me and Daddy and Mummy and my sister Clovey." Then he draws another small face, "That's my baby brother." Our boy is an only child, so maybe it's more aspirational than factual. He knows that we would love for him to have a sibling so it's reassuring to know that he's keen on the idea of being an older brother.

I often reflect on the early days when he was so new and shiny and it was exciting being exhausted, overwhelmed new parents. When he was so tiny he'd lie between us in the bed and I'd hold my breath so I would be able to hear the snuffles that confirmed he was breathing and alive. Carrying my baby son in a sling and being able to kiss the top of his head while strap hanging on a bus or walking to an appointment for a check up with the doctor. Being so scared of every little thing that might go wrong and realising that this would be the emotion I'd feel the rest of my life.

In order to keep a sense of perspective I try and reflect on the positive things that bring a smile to my face. The things that remind me how proud I am of my boy and how blessed I feel that he is in my life.

• The other morning me and Hubbie were dancing in the kitchen to the Prodigy, Firestarter. The boy walked in, looked at us for a moment then joined in with the mayhem. That's my boy !

• He's obsessed with a movie called Firehouse Dog that we've watched so many times I think I spend more time with Bruce Greenwood (the Dad) than with Hubbie.

My little pony

• On the Bank Holiday it was so wet and miserable outside we stayed indoors mainlining movies. Carry on a Cabby was on and our boy enjoyed watching it with us - I have no explanation for why he was dressed in a pink pony outfit. 

• We took him to Peppa Pig world last week and there was torrential rain, thunder, lightning in the morning followed by an afternoon of blazing sunshine, no queues and ice cream for the boys. I asked him what the best thing about the day was. After some thought he said, "the eggy bread you made me for breakfast Mummy."

Look no queuing !!

• This morning he asked if I'd seen his teddy bear Jiggles. We both searched upstairs and couldn't find him. I jokingly asked the cat if he knew anything and he miaowed. I told the boy that clearly Neo was telling us where the bear was and to follow him. I heard a loud squeal as the boy found his bear exactly where the cat was standing - at the bottom of the stairs. I swear those two are pulling tricks on me !

So, as we go into another weekend I am armed with tips and hints from the book and a heart full of hope that this one will be better than the last one was.

I find it's a good life rule to give the last word to Calvin and Hobbes.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The trials of life (and homesickness)

Afternoon tea treat

I've been a bit absent lately and it wasn't entirely intentional. We went to visit the in-laws for a few days and I expected we'd be a bit busy. We took our boy to Peppa Pig World on Thursday. He's been a few times before and loves it there. It was torrential and there was thunder and lightning, but once the sun came out he went on all his favourite rides at least twice and some three times.

On Friday we went to Bournemouth for a spa day. It's going to be my birthday on Tuesday this week so this was a bit of a treat and after hitting the gym, the pool and having a steam and jacuzzi we had a nice afternoon tea. Grandma and Grandpa took care of the boy while we were out and by all accounts he was pretty good. I'd left his scooter and some craft bits for him to do with Granny, who loves painting and gardening so they usually do fun things together.

On Saturday it looked a bit cooler and I had a salon treatment booked first thing so I went to get my nails done and when I got back we decided to take the boy to a local Gruffalo trail. It was at a site called Bolderwood and some of the locations in the woods were just stunning.

tree roots

look at me !!

Of course we'd hoped the boy would enjoy it as he is a big fan of the Gruffalo and we are taking him for a Gruffalo birthday picnic in a few weeks so this was a sort of preview to get him used to what to expect. It did involve a fair bit of walking, but he was unbearably whingey about it all the way round the trail. He kept complaining about having to walk and even when hubbie tried to distract him with an impromptu game of Pooh sticks he just moaned.

watching a stream 

looking for the Gruffalo 

In an attempt to cheer him up I gave him a snack to bolster him along. He ate it and carried on grumbling. When we spotted some massive puddles I said he could jump in them because he had his wellies on. He jumped joyfully and then kicked at the puddles so that we all got splashed with mud too - thanks son. Then he whinged a bit more. Then he had yet another meltdown.

walking on cattle grids

playing peek a boo 

By the end of the walk we had all tried to cheer him up whether it was playing hide and seek with him hiding behind trees, or carrying him for bits of the walk or encouraging him by racing to get to the next signpost. We were all a bit fed up of the screeching, kicking, complaining - and by now squelching - threenager in our midst. It was horrible. He clearly hadn't enjoyed it at all and three adults had basically spent the day being yelled at by a monster of a child.

When we got back I looked up train times to come home and told Hubbie I wanted to leave and try to salvage at least some sanity while he spent more time with his parents and the boy could at least have his precious time with Daddy - who is his best friend apparently. Hubbie sat next to me and said we could all come home a day early. I felt terrible, but relieved.

When I sat with the boy at bedtime and told him we were going home he asked why. I explained he wasn't being nice and that it wasn't fun for anyone so we would go home. The reason I do 'Mummy and boy time' with him is so that we can talk about our day and sometimes he opens up to me about what's on his mind. From chatting to him I found out he was missing his teddy bears, his room, our cat - basically he was homesick.

A little while later I heard a plaintive voice asking for me or Daddy to lie with him in his bed. I closed my laptop and went to lie down next to him. He softly said, "I'm going to miss Grandma" and I said, "so is Daddy. He won't get to spend tomorrow with her now." My voice broke a bit and he looked at me, then he turned and put his tiny arm around my neck. He looked like he was going to cry and he started to stroke my cheek. "I'm sorry Mummy." I asked if wanted to go home and he said he did. I stayed with him until he fell asleep then gently took his hand and put it round one of the bears in the bed and went downstairs.

We came home today and I was shattered, emotionally wrung out and felt massively guilty for us leaving early. I've reorganised the downstairs of the house, defrosted the freezer and Hubbie has cut the grass in the front and back gardens. We took the boy swimming then let him play with his favourite toy cars and watch his favourite film and generally just hang out at home. It was like managing a tiny time bomb of screeching, kicking, yelling hysteria.

I can only hope that if he's like this at three and a half he's going to be an angelic teenager.

That's how it works isn't it ?

A letter to my teenager (while he's still a threenager)

On Saturday morning at an unearthly hour I was on a train travelling to Birmingham for the awesome Tots 100 Blogcamp. Sitting next to me was a woman who was with her teenage son and from the Birmingham University prospectus on the table between them I deduced they were attending an open day or something similar. He was clearly tired from whatever teenage debauchery he had been doing the night before and Mum was flicking through the weekend Guardian magazine while he talked about his planned travels round Europe before starting at Uni.

My threenager

At one point he mentioned that he'd be arriving at his destination very late and did she really want him to 'Watsapp' her at 2 in the morning ? I wanted to reach across the foldy table thing and take his hands and plead with him, "Yes, please always call your mum at 2 or 3 or 4 in the morning to let her know you are ok.
A) She's not going to be asleep if you are in a different country and 

B) You're going to want to tell someone from back home so that they can post it on FB so that all your mates are jealous.

However, I didn't say anything - which is unlike me. I always say something. It's my thing.

So as I didn't say anything to two complete strangers who most likely would have smiled weakly and pretended to care I am going to say it to my teenage son. Of course he's actually a threenager right now, but if I say it now then when he actually is a teen I'll have done it in the cold light of reason instead of the fog of having a teenage boy living in my house.

Dear son,

• Your taste in music is wonderful. I know you think we just don't get it - and we probably don't - but, please don't assume that we're clueless. We were going to gigs before you were even born and we took you to some while you were still being made. 

• Wearing the same clothes for days on end will make them smelly and no one will fancy you. No one. 

• Stop pinching Dad's shaving and washing stuff. Do you really want to smell like your father ? Think about it. 

• Just because your friends are doing it doesn't mean you have to. Sometimes doing it differently is what makes you awesome. 

• Be brave, take risks. I will worry about you - it's my job - but don't let that stop you from being amazing. 

• When you don't want to tell me or Dad something that you are worried about, please find a way to do it. We won't hate you or stop loving you, whatever it is. Honest.

• We don't expect you to agree with us on everything - well on anything actually. We love that you have your own opinions. Please be gentle with us when you discover the meaning of life and want to tell us what it is though. 

• If you are not in the house/country we are worrying about you. It doesn't mean we don't trust you. It means we love you. 

• Whatever the time of day or night if you need to call me or your Dad, call us. Nothing we are doing is so important that we won't want to talk to you. If we are busy we'll call you back.

You know me so you know I could go on, but for now that's what I want you to know. 

We love you,

Mum & Dad xxx