How to have a relaxing bath (not)

• Decide to run a hot bath & read while sick 4 year old has fallen asleep after putting herself to bed.
• Choose book, choose bubble bath, locate towel. Run bath.
• Undress, step in bath.
• Sounds of puking emerge from bedroom.
• Get out of bath, wrap up in towel.
• Find 4 year old, the duvet cover, actual duvet, blanket, pillow case, pillow itself, sheet, undersheet & mattress covered in sick.
• Clean up the mess, while wrapped in a towel.
• Clean up the child.
• Put child in the now lukewarm bath.
• Get in bath too, wash child.
• Get out, wrap towel around self once more & put as much bedding as can fit into washing machine.
• Make cup of tea, read books with child, dream of undisturbed bath later on.

Communication

Yesterday, I spent the day in Leeds with my parents and the 4 year old. My youngest was 4 on Sunday and had a party in a hall with a magician, so she is officially no longer a baby.

I'd told the husband several times of our plans. I phoned him just before we left the house to double check which platform we needed at Wakefield station. The 4 year old & I texted him & sent him a photo message from the train. The 4 year old rang him after our lunch for a chat and to tell Daddy what we'd been up. We sent him another photo message.

So, what does he say when he gets in from work?

Oh, I wish I'd known you'd gone shopping as I need a new jumper.

*boggle*

Nose picking

I made chocolate croissants with 6 Year 3 children on Thursday and a 7 year old boy with special needs told it it was more fun than picking his nose.

I am assured that this is high highest level of compliment, so go me!

I've now baked with the entire class as it's a big class of 38, so am now going to make Christmas cards with them each Thursday and with Year 4 on Wednesdays.

I did the Workers' Education Fund's course in Helping in Schools last term. I spent a day each week on the actual course for 20 weeks, plus 2 afternoons a week helping in the 2 Year 4 classes. I concentrated on giving 1 to 1 handwriting, maths and reading help to those who needed it, plus did general Teaching Assistant duties. This term, I go in twice a week still and bake with the Year 3 and Year 4 classes. I'd love a paid job at the school, but there's a serious lack of money at the moment.

Bugs

Out of my 6 year old's mouth:

"There's no school tomorrow, as it's an insect day"

Never work with animals or children

The dog was barking as he is incapable of pushing doors, so was "stuck" in the lounge with the children. I took pity on him and went over to push the door.

He thanked me by jumping up onto the bread board in the kitchen while I was in the lounge and stealing a cake, minus the 1 slice I ate about an hour ago. It was expensive too as was a gluten free one.

I am seriously unimpressed at everything now.

Flapping, limping, definitely not FLYing

My house goes through phases. It is my responsibilty as I am the Stay at Home Parent / Mother / Dogsbody / Cook / Cleaner / Calendar Co-Ordinator / Organiser / Nurse etc etc etc.

It's either tidy or messy, it very rarely falls between these extremes and is just ok. It is in a very untidy phase and I am now offically fed up with it. I decided to do less housework this month and concentrate my efforts on writing a 50,000 word novel for NaNoWriMo. It wasn't a good idea, I believe that I have a dog and a 3 year old somewhere in the lounge, but they are indistinguishable under piles of colouring books, a taken-apart RSPB kid's diary pages, dog fur and toys.

I should actually be tidying it up, but am instead sat in the kitchen organising parcel re-deliveries online, tidying up paperwork and drinking cappucino from our wonderful new coffee machine.

Now, if I had a cleaner and housekeeper, I'd have time to write a novel, bake cakes, scones and bread every day, I wouldn't run out of cheques and have no cash left in my purse, so be unable to pay for pantomime tickets and I'd be superwoman, wouldn't I?! I wouldn't have to tidy the kitchen table each evening so we have room to eat our dinner, as I would have a well-designed kitchen with storage and worktops and space. I wouldn't have had to tidy a pile of toys, books, letters, socks, a bat-shaped torch and a Chinese dragon so I could have room to put the new coffee machine next to a plug, would I?

But, what would I then blog about? The 3 year old and I did make pink-coloured fairy cakes on Tuesday morning, but we were supposed to be at a Jo Jingles class. We had fun and giggles and both scraped the bowl afterwards :)

Should I just cut out the middle man?

Should I save on washing up & put my daughters' breakfasts straight into the dog bowl, as more seems to end up in the dog's stomach than theirs :/