capturing memories as we make them
Well it is just my luck, number four has turned a corner and has massively calmed down for number five who was my angelic baby to take his place!
Whist getting ready for the nursery run he desires to paint my bedroom door with mascara!! I’m just grateful I’m more of a Rimmel girl than Channel.
You would have thought that by child number four I should be hardened to that ‘first day’. As today proved I’m clearly not!
It was number four’s first day at nursery and all of those mixed emotions came flooding through just as they had with the others, but with a few more thrown in.
Number four has without doubt been my most challanging child. He is massively strong willed, extremely boisterous and is hugely outgoing.
This has driven me to the edge over the past three years yet I wouldn’t have him any other way. I just worry now how his character is going to go down in a nursery environment. Play areas and toddler groups have always been a challange for us and I would be on guard the whole time. In a large nursery with lots of children I am worried he will realise he has a bit to much free reign as there are plenty more children that need to have an eye kept on them.
There is also the worry that I’m not there to watch what he is eating and as he has not reached a level yet where he understands his allergies I am in a real panic that I am going to be getting ‘that’ phone call!
The upside to him getting some much needed structure to his day is that I get to have a few hours on my own with number five. He is such a placid child that has really been a little pushed into the background being the last in a long line of little ones. It’s his time now and I am going to make the most of trips to the park, toddler sessions and cuddles on the sofa with my little baby for those precious few hours of the day.
We have just got back from another fabulous trip to Center Parcs. It is by far our favourite place to visit as there is so much to do. Because of this the youngest two were completely wiped out and ended up in a sleepy tangle like this in their trailer several times.
With 18 years of parenting under my belt you would have thought in some situations alarm bells would ring and you would learn from past mistakes.
Oh no not me! When number three came away from the pocket money section with a ridiculous balloon toy filled with flour I should have point blank refused. Instead I looked at her sad face and then listened to the promise she would keep it away from the boys.
Only a day later four and five have got their sticky mitts on it and caused a flour explosion across the entire house!!
Here we were sitting on the sofa with my bundle of joy looking lovingly at me.
I thought it would be a perfect moment to capture until I pulled my phone out to take a snap and he inserted his little finger right up his nose!!
Only number four could stand there covered in chocolate, rubbish all over him after drawing over nearly every inch of the wall up the stair case and still smile at me!!!
So your school ages child comes bounding out of their classroom after school clutching an invitation to their much rehearsed school play.
You are of course so proud and can’t wait to see their performance, yet the whole experience it going to be one full of stress if you have toddlers in tow!!
This is of course my own experience and I’m sure lots of you have wonderful little ones that sit there watching intently as the play is performed. In fact I have sat through many a performance jealously looking on at a well behaved toddler sitting with their box of raisins taking everything in without moving a muscle. After five children however I am still longing for that day.
I always start out well prepared with non messy/crunchy foods to pacify for as long as possible, drinks that can’t be easily tipped over the poor person we are sitting next to, toys that will keep them amused without being massively noisy or can be rolled into the audience with no hope of getting back; which will obviously cause mass hysteria!
Through experience though even with my military precision planning nothing will stop me from having to fireman carry them screaming and shouting from the hall.
My sweaty palms start the moment the headmaster introduces the children followed by the same sentence about removing noisy children that I can’t help but think is always aimed at me.
After this point they usually spot their older sibling on the stage and from there continue to bellow their name whist waving furiously. Once this is over and the singing begins we usually get a rendition of a beautifully sung nursery rhyme at the top of their voice which has no connection to what is going on on stage.
This causes uproar from the audience and the hundreds of children which just adds fuel to the fire as they are loving the attention.
If we make it this far every toy, set of keys, bit of rubbish is then emptied from my bag in a bid to keep them quiet.
Lastly boredom really kicks in and they need to be removed. Usually before their sibling has got to do their main part which in turn then sends a massive wave of guilt as I am bundling a screaming child through the door whist looking at a forlorn face standing on the stage.
I then have to congratulate my poor performer and try to convince them that I could hear every word through a fully closed fire door!
I am sure that a free classroom and a classroom assistant keeping a watchful eye on bored toddlers would save a lot of stress on everyone’s part and would leave parents to enjoy their offsprings performance and I will be taking this suggestion to out PTA soon.
How do you cope with little ones in the same situation?
Please let me know if you are in the same position as me as it would make me feel so much better!!
Well last week I was dumbfounded that my monsters did not perform any Wicked Wednesday worthy acts and I had nothing to link up.
This week however number five thought he would get the ball rolling by entering the mess that is number two’s bedroom and spread a half eaten yogurt across the room!!
At the moment number five is completely obsessed with juice. He has gone from a baby that wouldn’t drink a thing to a toddler that is constantly asking for a drink.
I had hidden these at the back of a cupboard; he had managed to sneak them out and clearly couldn’t get them out of the packet so just left it in there to drink!!
To be honest I was quite impressed!!
