R.I.P Rhino..

Sadly, after a short illness, our little fluffy friend has gone to Hamster Heaven....try telling that to a seven year old!!
My son was a little prepared as Rhino has been poorly for a week but today the vet put him to sleep...it turns out he had a tumour.
When I told LF that Rhino had died he stared at me, his little eyes filled with tears and we sat there together in silence. I asked him how he felt and he just said "I wish he didn't die"....
We had a chat and I think he is coping well...me on the other hand is an emotional wreck!!!! How can something so small have such a big impact??

Hopefully as the days pass LF's pain will lessen....the offer of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD Box set is helping!!!!

We are off on our annual summer holiday soon....sun, sea, sand and sangria for me and sun, sea, sand and late nights for LF...Big D can choose his options!

When we return I think a trip to the pet shop will be high on our list of things to do...

PS If there is such thing as a Hamster Heaven I hope they know Rhino likes to sleep in his little blue box!

Sick Hamster...

and it's not a joke!

Little Rhino has quickly become part of the family. LF loves his daily play with the furry rodent and whilst I am yet to actually cuddle it I have to admit to being fond of it...or at least fond of the pleasure he gives my son.

However...two days ago we noticed that Rhino seemed out of sorts...he was making squeaky noises and grinding sounds....not a good sign according to the various websites I checked!!

We promptly made an appointment to take him to see the vet....At 5pm yesterday, with Big D in tow, we made the journey to the vet...LF was happy that his furry mate was in the car, I was petrified that we were about to hear bad news...I can honestly say I was "fearful" !!

By coincidence we met my friend V and her kids at the vet...they were collecting their bunny rabbit who had been castrated that morning!! What a strange bunch we were....3 laughing kids, 3 stressed out parents and 2 poorly pets..

The vet called our name and off we went to face the news...

Well....its good and bad,....Poor Rhino has an abscesse and has been given antibiotics. If these don't work by Wednesday the vet says Rhino may have to have the abscess lanced under anasethic...he hinted that hamsters don't generally respond well to this...I understood what he was saying...LF has no idea how this may all end up...

I guess I should prepare LF for the worse....but how do you tell a seven year old that his pet may not be around much longer..

Watch this space.................

End of Term....

My son finishes school for the Summer holidays next week. Joyful Joyful, Hallaluejah, 8 weeks of having my darling 7 year old following my every move and demanding every second of my time!! Yipppeee, I can hardly wait!! Crack open the Champagne....oh sorry, thats reserved for September!

I know it's wrong to imply that you don't like being with your kids and to be honest that is not what I am saying...I just feel that as a Mummy it's important to have "Mummy Time" ! However, I love having a lie-in and no school run to do, I love when the sun is out and we meet friends in the park...I love watching my son climb trees and exploring....however, I also love my time to stop and smell the roses...On that note I think I shall take LF to Kew Gardens!

My son's school report was sent home last week and it was actually better than I had expected. However.....I think nowadays teachers are very generic with the reports and I fear that there is some "cut, copy & paste" going on. To be fair it must be a daunting task to sit and write about 20 children and how they have performed at school. I always like to read the report once quickly and then tounge-in-cheek. This way I truly understand what is being said..

For example...."LF has produced some good work".....but not a lot is what they really mean!!!!

"LF is capable of producing very good work"....I just wish he would is what she means!!

" LF should aim to listen more"...in otherwords LF should shut-up more!!

My favourite part of the School Report is the Teacher's Comment....I my-self never excelled at school and the words "could do better" were often mentioned. My son's report says" he shows considerable potential".....I think that means he "could do better" !!

Should I laugh or cry???

I haven't blogged for a while as my new lodgers have been around a lot....sorry, I meant painters and decoratoors...they seem to have moved in!! The job which was supposed to take 3 weeks has somehow stumbled into week 6!! Getting hooked up to my computer has been difficult as the dust and paint is all around..

Today they assure me is their last day....I shall be celebrating and enjoying my home hopefully by this evening!! Watch this space...

Now for my blog!!

I like to consider myself a fairly low maintainance kind of girl....I like to look and feel good but always aim to do so within my budget...I have not, like the majority of my 40+ friends, had the wonderful french Botox man near my face....I would love to try it but have a needle phobia and although its only a little prick or two I just can't face it....No comments please!! My friends are all delighted with their faces and I have to admit they look good too. One friend went to see the French Botox Man as at 48 years old she felt it was time to face the needle and dance! He promptly told her at the cosultation that she didn't need botox. Her happiness and joy were short lived when he announced that Collagen Fillers were required, Botox would do little for her!!!

I like to buy expensive face creams and am a sucker for a serum or two. I love having a manicure and as a treat I enjoy a facial....I am not a natural blonde but at least my hair is all mine, my teeth are all mine, my face is mine and with all this lovely sunshine the tan is real too!

Anyway...this morning I was up early and so decided to use my new hair moisturising mask. Bought the other day at great expense I was looking forward to having that"just walked out of a Salon" feeling! Shock horror...the tube was empty...aaaaggghhhhhh!!! LF then appeared and it seems he used it in his bath last night!! It seems that if you mix shaving foam and Kerastase Hair Masque you get a really frothy bath.....

That's it...from now on all my beauty products are being kept out of the reach of 7 year old boys!!

Sometimes as I lie in the bath surrounded by various plastic ships and toys and mouldy submarines I remember my bathroom pre-children. A scented candle or two, a bottle of Jo Malone Bath Oil and a fluffy white towel...all mine. Now I am lucky to find a clean towel, my Radox is under a pile of soggy flannels and the scented candle has long gone...But you know what...I wouldn't have it any other way

xx

Allo, Allo !!!

Today I had an appointment at our local hospital to follow up a scan I had a while back on my sinuses...I have been suffering from a stuffy nose for a while and today I went to get my results.
The appointment was with Mr Patel at 2pm....
At 2pm my name was called...
The Dr introduced himself as Monsieur Nicolas...oh la la..Bonjour!! 6 feet tall, blue eyes, slender and looking like a french Jude Law...I was certain this was not Mr Patel! He asked me how I was and then logged on to get my scan results. I sat there horrified as he showed me my scan images and pointed out the areas with mucus...yuk!!. He then said "follow me please"..He drew back the curtain and there was a reclining chair...a scantily clad fit man handed me a large glass of cool white wine...oops, sorry that was me fantasising..A stern looking nurse gave me a bib and told me to stick my chin out, then Dr Law asked me to relax....If anyone ever says relax I seem to do the opposite and rigor mortis sets in! He then produced what looked like 10 inches of rigid wire...STOP IT...Yes...it was a microscope for looking at the nasal passages...As he inserted it I confess I shouted "Ah Ah Stop...please!"..He then said "I think she needs anasethic!!"...how true!!
It was an eventful hospital appointment which ended with Dr Law prescribing a nasal sparay and follow-up appointment in 12 weeks...Let's hope Dr Patel is still away!!

Tonight has been equally eventful..Rhino has been allowed to leave the confines of LF's room and ventured to our bedroom..He played happily on the bed with Lf as I ran the bath ...Suddenly I heard the words..." Mummy...Is it OK that Rhino has pooed on your bed?"

Now I am going to change the sheets and blow my nose...it's been a long day...
x

I have converted...finally!!

Well, having lived the past 15 years with a brick in my back pocket I am now the proud owner of a sleek and shiny iphone!

When Apple introduced this amazing life-changing do-it-all singing dancing version of a mobile phone people queued to get their geeky little hands on them...now it seems everyone has one and I have must confess it is rather clever.

Standing in John Lewis yesterday afternoon I received an e-mail from my sister who lives in New York. Ping! I replied and sent her a photo of LF too...all whilst buying door knobs!!
Ping! A friend texted to say lets have coffee next week...Ping...reply sent. Taking my son to a birthday party I used the Map function..Ping! My iphone got me there!! " Look Mummy balloons on the door"...Ping!
The phone is, according to Big D, not just a phone and needs synching??? Sorry, you lost me there!! However I am sure there is a function on the damn thing to find me again...
The Apple Store holds tutorials to show you how to fully use the phones etc and if you need extra help I think you can book a special appointment with a Genius. Wow, my old Nokia just came with an information booklet and off you went!
Suppose I got to move with the times....

PS If you don't hear from me for a while it is either that I am synching or sinking!!

Sports Day

Today was my son's Annual School Sport's Day....He is not a very sporty kid and this morning told me he was worried. I asked him what he was worried about and he replied "the sack". My mind raced forward 20 years and I imagined my little boy all grown up and worrying about getting the sack from a job he loved. However, reality and back to the present day...it was the dreaded sack race that was the problem! I did my best to tell him that it wasn't the winning that mattered but the taking part etc etc and that he was just meant to have fun...how wrong was I??

Some parents, like me, were happy to hang around chatting and quietly confessing that the actual day was rather boring and slightly tedious...sshhhh, don't tell my son!! Other mums were over bearing, over zealous and determined that their child would win first place. Equipped with camcorders, camera's with telescopic zoom lenses and words of encouragement they cheered their kids to victory. How I laughed when Over Zealous Mum's little darling crossed the finish line and came fourth, the look on that mum's face was sheer disappointment...she, like her daughter, had not been prepared to lose...unlike my lovely boy who had no dreams of winning...he just wanted to remain upright in his sack which I can proudly say he did!!

Sometimes we must remember that our kids are learning lessons in life every day...we are not all winners and sometimes we lose...however, to lose with a smile and congratulate those that win can actually, in my book of life, make you a winner too!!

Oh...in case you wanted to know, Rhino, our hamster, is doing very well and hasn't bitten anyone for quite a while...LF adores him and I am thrilled that such a little thing brings him so much joy..

Friends

I was thinking the other day about an article I read that said the average woman had 5 real friends. I consider my-self lucky not to be the average woman as I have more than 5 !!

Friends are important to me....a good friend is really hard to find and even though I am 45 years old I am still making friends!

One of my oldest friends...in "friendship years" not age, has known me all her life...we speak often on the phone but due to distance we rarely meet up. However, when we do meet it is as if we saw each other yesterday...She knows me like the back of her hand...whatever that means!!

My youngest friend...in friendship years not age, is someone I see daily and therefore our friendship has had time to grow...I now consider her a real friend...one who shall be around hopefully to celebrate with me when we are old and grey!! V...You know who you are!!

PS If we continue to have highlights we shall be old but NEVER GREY!!!

My dearest..or best friend as some say, is a girl who I went to school with...she is now happily married with 4 lovely children and as a special bond made me god-mother to her first child...I always feel special being a god-mother and hope I am a good one. Does a £25 Top Shop voucher for Christmas and Birthdays make me a good one...yeah, hell it does!!!

I also have male friends...My friend G and I have known each other for 20 years...he is American and we met whilst travelling around Australia...we formed a friendship that has continued and grown and despite living thousand of miles apart we have communicated often...such friends are special for many reasons....they may not be able to hold your hand or be a shoulder when needed but words are powerful...Hey...what did we do before Skype and cheap international calls!!

Another friend who is dear to me I met via the internet!!..A vitual friend becomes real... I was going through a very painful time in my life and needed reassurance that my feelings were not unusual..Having suffered a miscarriage at 13 weeks at age 39 I felt very low....I googled this and found myself in a chat room with similar like-minded people..Thats where I found my friend P...I was her maid of honour 2 years later at her wedding and we meet up often to chat about life, husbands etc...Although she sadly remained childless she has been a fantastic friend and we support each other as much as we can! If we had been searching for love on the web you could say we found it..

I could go on and on about friends but the following sums it up for me...

Friendship is when people know all about you but like you anyway!!

PS If any of my friends are reading this and haven't been mentioned its only because LF needs a bath and Big D needs feeding...I just don't have the time to mention you all..However...you mean the world to me..xx

The Birds and The Bees..

My good friend V told me over lunch the other day that her 10 year old daughter was showing signs of moodiness, teenage angst and generally being horrid to her mum!! Sound familiar any-one??

She bought her daughter a book which explains the changes that happen during puberty in the hope that it may ease things a bit...knowledge is power and all that,..I remember reading Peter and Jane books when I was a kid and it explained, in simple detail, the differences between girls and boys and what to expect when growing up. To be fair I had a head start...Angus, our next door neighbour who was about 5 years older than me, had already shown my sister and I what he had that we hadn't got!!! And I am not talking about the swing in his back garden...I wonder where Angus is now, I never got to say thank-you!

My son's old school have already started sex education for the 7 year olds. One of the mums told me her daughter didn't reveal too much about the lesson but on a Sunday Lunch with the Grandparents she proudly announced that "Daddy has a penis and mummy has a China!!!"...Not sure how well that went down with the Tiramisu!!

LF has asked me the usual questions such as how do babies get in mummies tummys and why can't girls pee standing up...I don't want to tell him that nowadays petri dishes and ladies in Thailand may be the answer...now what was the question????

I believe that kids need to know the simple facts of life but not sex education...they are after all only 7 years old....Where is damn Angus when you need him!!!

The School Gates

Everyday, twice a day, I do the School Run! Weaving through the traffic I take my little Man to his Private School in leafy Hampstead...along with about 1,000 other mums on the run.

For some Mums this is the highlight of their day...seeing their little one's face entering the school gates and then collecting them later with a treat or two.

For others, like me and my Mummy Friend V, it is a somewhat routine task that just has to be done. Don't get me wrong...whilst we love seeing our kids after their day at school, it's the other Mums and Nannies that we have to tolerate!! Pushy, boastful and education-obsessed mums really don't interest me...I couldn't care less that little B just had his first violin recital at Wigmore Hall or little J is scuba diving next Summer..These competitive mums love nothing better than getting one up at the School Gates...and usually the best parking space!!!

My lovely friend V and I usually stand around chatting about our day, the nice pair of shoes we saw earlier or what we watched on television the night before...call us Dippy Mums if you like...we don't care!!

The School Gate Stereotypes are easy to spot...

Dippy Mum....thats me and V.

PTA Mum...Knows everything and everyone! Never misses a deadline to bring in a consent form or empty cardboard boxes for some school project..would never leave PE Kit at home and has everyone's contact numbers stored in her phone!

Buisness Mum...attached to Blackberry and very stressed!! Always seems distracted and vacant...

Uber-Nanny..Fluent in 3 languages and prepared for anything. Takes the kids swimming after school then manages to get them to do all their homework, eat all their vegetables, have a bath and wash hair and ready for bed at 7pm!!...secretly I want her...Or want to be her....and she gets paid!!!

Yummy Mummy.. Arrives in her 4 x 4 with personalised number plate, usually dressed in black gym gear with immaculate hair, make-up and sunglasses. Brings delicious expensive cup-cakes as treats at pick-up and almost seems to skip back to the car with her off-spring...I assume there may be medication involved but that's another blog I think!!

School Gates....love 'em or hate 'em are just another challenge for Schoolmumontherun !!

Complicated Coffee..

Today I went out for a coffee as my home is full of painters and the coffee machine is under a dust sheet somewhere...

What I want to know is when did coffee get so complicated!!

I went to Starbucks as I fancied a cool Frappucino...I stood in line and was amazed at the different orders. My favourite was from an American lady with tight black leggings on and a baseball cap with WINNER on it?? She ordered a Venti Iced Half-Caf Toffe Nut Soya Latte, light ice, no whip with extra shot...what the hell is that I thought.
When it was my turn to order I almost said " I'll have what she's having" but wasn't too keen on the Soya..Instead I ordered a tall Coffee Frappucino....

Like everything in life it seems we over complicate...I long for the good old days when a coffee was black or white!

Once I settled into my comfy chair I was disturbed by how many people were either talking on their mobiles or tapping away on Laptops...I longed for the old days when we used to go out and had no mobile phones or PCs...all we had, if we were lucky, was an ansaphone at home taking messages!!

As I left Starbucks I noticed the American lady with the baseball cap....she was chatting on her I Phone whilst using her Mac and drinking her complicated coffee....WINNER sums her up!!!

Race for Life 2010 for Cancer Research

I took part today in Cancer Research Race for Life...what an amazing experience and very emotional too. Most of the 3,000 people taking part had lost a loved one to Cancer and in memory wore signs on their backs. It was so moving to see young girls running for their Grandpas and middle aged women running for their kids....it was a happy event but also a very poignant moment...

I managed the 5K race and will hopefully do the same next year....

My son was impressed as I came home with a medal!!!

Now I am having a well deserved glass of wine and thinking how lucky I was to have so few names on my back today....

Smile...

And the world smiles with you...Frown and you frown alone...
I love a good giggle and my good friend EP posted this on facebook today...

The government is worried that mens willies are getting smaller. To find out how great the problem is, they have asked all men with penises smaller than 3" to put a white flag with a red cross on their car this summer... x x x

It made me chuckle....

Laughter is a great medicine...I think we all need a good laugh once a day!

Lets hope our boys do us proud in South Africa this Summer and don't cause us to frown!

PS For those of you....especially my follower in New York!!!...The joke refers to World Cup fever and our boys are footballers...

Well...its Saturday evening and hot in the City...Have a good evening and think about me tomorrow slogging it out for 5k race...why oh why did I not train for it??? My legs are weary at the thought of it but I love a challenge...bring it on!!!!!

Mummy I love you soooooo much...

Today LF said he loved me more than life itself....and that I was really pretty!! He said I was the best mummy in the world....and he said I was thin!!!
Then he asked me for Smarties!!! And it was only 10 am.....

What did I do????

Of course I asked him to repeat his adorations and then gave him Smarties!!!!

It is now 8.30pm and his request for Smarties is ignored...I may be pretty and thin but I have told him I was not born yesterday!!!!

Playdates!!

When I was a little girl I remember having friends over for tea. We would play outdoors, hit a tennis ball around, walk to the woods and generally find our own amusement until it was time for tea...usually a jam or cheese sandwich and lovely colourful biscuits as a treat..party rings I think they were called!!...Admittedly we almost set fire to the garage once by melting wax crayons in a plastic dustbin but the fact is we survived and we had fun!

LF has been to playdates and has been asked to take his Nintendo DS! I have heard from other parents of children arriving on playdates with their own DVDs to watch and battery chargers for their electronic devices...These kids are only 7 and it seems they just want to play computer games against each other or watch television.

Please don't get me wrong...I am not one of those "creative" mums who get the sticky back plastic, paint pots and any other arts and crafts materials out as soon as I have little ones in the house but I do think kids need to learn how to amuse themselves. LF is happy to play with his various Star Wars toys and lego ships and engage in pretend battles but a lot of his friends seem to want more. " I want a wee" is now replaced with "We want the wii"...

Today we are having a day with a very good friend of mine and her little boy. We shall take the boys for a 2 hour run-around at an indoor play place or perhaps the park and then go back to her place where no doubt the boys will wreck a load of toys whilst we sip a deserved glass of wine !

Times have changed...I guess modern technology is the future but I just wish we could hold off for longer...Why does a 7 year old need an I Touch?? Why do 2 year old have portable DVD players in their prams, Why do kids want to play wii so much...I guess its cos mummy is chatting on her mobile phone, tapping on the computer whilst sipping a glass of wine!!!!

Is any one out there???

A friend just called me to say she loved my blog!!! Then she asked who was reading it...

That got me thinking....

What if I just blogged away and no-one read it...To be honest I quite like blogging...when you write a blog it then gives you the option...PUBLISH NOW or SAVE DRAFT. If only life was like that...

So if you are reading this and want to read more please let me know!!

xx

The Sun is Shining...

Come on get Happy!!!

After complaining of yesterdays miserable weather what a lovely surprise to wake to blue sky and glorious sunshine.

I am hoping that Sunday's weather will be as nice because I am taking part in Cancer Research Race for Life on Hampstead Heath. Well, when I say Race I mean Walk! 2 Years ago I had a tumour removed from my thigh , along with one of my quadriceps, so my jogging days are over...to be honest I was never the jogging kind of girl! Thankfully my tumour was not cancerous but that was not discovered till 2 weeks after the initial biopsy and operation. A huge relief but also a real reminder how precious life is....

I am doing the Race on Sunday with my friend H who has recently been diagnoised with breast cancer...she is now on the mend and we shall both be walking, talking and hopefully raising lots of money for a wonderful charity. H and I have been friends for over 20 years so we should have lots to talk about whilst walking 5k!

Rainy Days and Half Term

Why oh why is it that Half Term week is always so unpredictable with the weather..

I had planned to take LF to Hampton Court Palace today as he is studying the Tudors at School but on waking to grey sky and rain we decided that a day building Lego was a better idea...Did the Tudors have Lego?? no idea,...I was never very good at History!!

Rhino, the latest addition to the family, was a spoil sport and slept all day...when he is awake all he does is bite so I am re-naming him Psycho!!

Today I watched a video that made me blub...check it out..

http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2010/06/01/video-captures-baby-hearing-mum-for-the-first-time/?icid=main|uk-ws-bb|dl7|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parentdish.co.uk%2F2010%2F06%2F01%2Fvideo-captures-baby-hearing-mum-for-the-first-time%2F

I think it shows how much we take for granted...

A friend of mine asked today..."Do you think we EVER stop worrying about our kids?"

I replied..."When we stop worrying about them is the day they start worrying about us!"

I wonder...

Are children just smaller versions of their parents mixed together or are they little individuals??

In many ways LF is just like me...stubborn, head strong, wilful, witty, intelligent and smart. In other ways he is like his dad....a pain in the arse, irritating and single minded!! Ooops, did I really say that?? Oh well..not a problem as Big D is too busy playing Angry Bird on his I Phone to bother with my blog...let's hope!!

As I told you already my son has "issues" at school and today I received an e-mail telling me that he possibly has an autistic disorder....However, its non-conclusive and therefore further testing is required...at £595 a pop why not!!...we have an appointment in June with a Psychologist and prior to that LF willl have some lady visit him during his school day and observe...Boy am I pleased I managed to go to school 40 years ago when kids were kids and teachers were allowed to throw the book at them if needed...now it's all "issues and tissues"....plasters are forbidden as they may be allergic!!! I have however signed a form at my son's school allowing him to have a blood transfusion if necessary.......plus he is allowed nuts and plasters!!!

It angers me that we are so quick to label kids these days..If little Jimmy doesn't play nicely he will soon be visiting Educational Therapists, Psychologists, Speech Therapists, Alternative Therapists and if he is really lucky a trip to Legoland for all his hard work!!

My son may not be perfect but he is perfect for me...isn't that what counts?

Easy like Sunday morning!!

Sunday Sunday...looks good to me...

Started the day like most Sundays...no alarm clock, no noisy neighbour plodding around at 6am and no rush to get out of bed....except I am an early riser and was up and busy at 7am!!

First I checked on Rhino...still breathing...phew!!
LF was snoring so no need to check and my hubby, the Big D, was roaring...it's like snoring but way louder!!

Having watched Sky News, made a cup of tea, put washing machine on, emptied dishwasher, checked e-mails, made cup of coffee, had bath etc I was ready to face the day.

I have an inability to stay still for very long...I need plans...I need direction...

So I decided to take LF and Big D on a day trip to Milton Keynes where I heard there was a new indoor waterpark for kids........Stuck in traffic for ages but to see my son's face when we arrived was worth it...WOW..AWESOME!!!...

Later that day I got to thinking...if only I had a Cosmopolitan and a pair of Manolo's how easy life would be..My mum...who I shall refer to as SWKIA, and I went to see Sex and The City 2...what a disappointment and on reflection what an insult to Muslims worldwide...I think it insulted my intelligence and actually was a little below the belt with its humour..plus SJP looked way too thin!!

On returning home I was met by LF with blood stained tissue wrapped around one of his fingers ...the damn hamster had bit him!!!!

Tomorrow is another day..
Oh and SWKIA...You can work it out!!!

Welcome Rhino!!!

Today we bought our hamster...its a Syrian Male called Rhino...for those of you who have seen the movie Bolt you will know where the name originates.

As we left the pet shop it reminded me slightly of the day I left Hospital after the birth of LF. I was given a care sheet and strict instructions that it needed daily feeding, water, soft bedding and the odd stroke...that was Rhino's instructions....LF also needed frequent nappy changing whereas a hamster's cage cleaning is weekly...yiiipppeee

Here's a joke for you...

What's worse than having a house full of painters and decorators???

A house with no painters and decorators!!!!

No show today and I am not happy!!! The Albanion painter's car broke down and the dog ate his homework...yeah yeah yeah...

They promise to show up tomorrow , let's see..

Meanwhile LF is taking charge!!!...see top photo!

Is it a Rat??

No its a Russian Dwarf Hamster!

That is the question I asked in the pet shop...LF has decided he wants a pet. A dog is out of the question as it is too much of a responsibility and we are not really cat people.

LF thinks a hamster would be great...he saw the movie Bolt!!

I went to our local pet shop and the nice lady told me a Dwarf Hamster makes a great pet for a 7 year old, especially if they are not used to animals. The teeth of a Dwarf hamster are much smaller than those of Syrian Hamsters so the bite is less painful...great!! They live in a cage, eat once a day, don't make much noise and like a daily cuddle...sounds perfect to me!

Tomorrow we shall be returning to the pet shop and the nice lady will show LF how to handle these little hamsters...if he likes it and we think he will manage having such a pet then by tomorrow night we shall have a new addition to the Family!

Oh...and have you guessed the name LF wants to call it???

LEGO!!!!....

2 of my favourite things...

2 of my favourite things seem to have merged to prevent me from impersonating Eyjafallajokull and erupting and exploding next time we open the little yellow packet!!

Let me explain for those of you who do not have a boy under the age of 8!!

Lego have bought out a collection of 16 tiny mini figures..they cost £2 and come in sealed yellow packets all looking the same. That way you have to keep buying them till you have the entire collection. To date we have 3 Clowns, 2 Wrestlers, 1 Skateboarder but not the Astronaut or Ninja that LF really really needs!

However...some clever clever person has managed to decipher the tiny barcodes on each packet and is selling the code on Ebay for 99p!! It arrived and it worked...we now have Astronaut, Ninja and a very happy little boy...all for 99p!!!!

Last night the Ebay saved my life...sing along if you know the tune!!

PS If you need the codes let me know!!

Some days..

Some days are best forgotten...others are memories never to be forgotten.
Today was the former...
However...a call from a friend today reminded me how fragile and precious life is. Never take anything or anyone for granted...
Would love to sit and blog but LF is calling me and its almost bed time...for him not me...
Take time each day to remember what is important and what is not....

Ebay

One of my hobbies is Ebay...selling and buying and thinking how amazing the whole thing is.

I have sold large items, such as cots, prams, washing machines and small things like Lego....but PLEASE DON'T TELL MY SON!!!

But the amazing thing is what people will actually buy....there seems to be a market for anything. You want it, Ebay has it!

I have, thankfully, got 100% positive feedback rating on Ebay...validation, however small, is always nice. If only we got more feedback in life, how lovely that would be...
" What a lovely cup of coffee...100% " or "love your jeans 100%"..ok, maybe it wouldn't be so great as I am lousy cook and it wouldn't take much for my rating to plummet after one cooked meal.." Pasta not bad 75% "...

Today the Painters have arrived to repaint our home. Since 8am this morning they have been moving all my possessions into a pile and have covered them to keep them protected. Its going to be stressful I know but I keep telling myself its worth it in the end.
Choosing the White for the walls has been as difficult as searching for the right pair of jeans...just when you think its perfect you suddenly notice that maybe its too white..the paint that is, not the jeans! I have never ever worn white jeans in my life...unlike Liz Hurley mine would be off white by day 2, grey white by day 3 and after washing would probably be pale blue! Actually the White we have chosen for the walls is a bit like White jeans after wearing 2 days!! Its Farrow and Ball and called Jeanius!! Only kidding...

Lego

My son has a very huge collection of Star Wars lego...these are basically huge amounts of very small pieces of lego that you build and they resemble a ship from Star Wars. They cost, on average, the same price as a decent meal out but according to my son's happy face keep you satisfied for a longer time..until the moment that the ship gets broken!! Its a shattering experience for my nerves and I am sure that the new wave of depression that is sweeping the country may have something to do with Lego! Frantic searches start , where is the blue square piece that goes on top of the little yellow pole?? Without it we are all doomed....tears all round, usually mine then his, no hope in sight, can't live if living is without the piece of lego.. and then hey presto we find the piece and the lego drama is over...for the moment anyway, till the next time!!
Having just celebrated his 7th birthday we seem to have acquired enough Lego to stock a small toy shop....his bedroom looks like Toys r Us and all I can think of is its only 7 months till Christmas and the next influx of damn Lego!!

Finally managed to get an appointment for LF to get assessed...end of June but over the moon...ok ok, it costs the same as a pair of Jimmy Choos but haven't they got a waiting list too!!

Now to get back to normal life..

What kids eat...a subject that I find interesting. My son won't eat Strawberries but loves Strawberry Jam. He won't eat fish but loves Fish Fingers, he would never eat a tomato but loves ketchup!! What did Jamie eat as a kid, did Gordon hate fish...Ramsey that is not Brown!
Now I have to go and rebuild a 545 piece of Lego....my next topic to be discussed!!!

Long story short...

To cut it short I need to get up to speed...



LF's teacher called me again to school for a chat. This time she informs me that my son has "issues"....Don't we all???

I am told that he needs to see an Educational Psychologist pronto!

And so begins a merry-go-round that I am sure would not pass Health and Safety!!

I am given a list of Psychologists and begin calling to arrange an appointment. Easy enough you would think...Oh no, it appears these people have waiting lists!! If I had known I could have put his name down just before my c-section along with his school application forms!!

Little People..

I have often wondered how we all grew up ....

When I was a little person I played outside, I scrapped my knees, I rode my bike too fast, I went to the Woods and only came home when I was hungry!

Now the little people have "indoor play areas" which resemble old mental institutions...wall to wall padding, no shoes allowed and no sharp objects allowed....

They play in play areas in parks that have soft flooring so as not to damage their supple little sturdy bodies. The roundabouts we all went on have been removed for safer things as no one wants to be blamed if little Johnny has an accident...

The school teachers aren't allowed to apply suncream to the kids...due to Health and Safety as if they did apply and a kid got sunburn who would be to blame?? Yet its fine to send them out to play in 30 degrees unprotected from harmful rays....explain that one!!

Birthdays are still celebrated at School....however candles are not permitted...Health and Safety love!! Whats a cake with no candles....its just a cake...hip hip horray!! oh...and please remember NO NUTS ALLOWED!!! I think thats referring to peanut and hazlenut and not some of the parents!!

My Story so far

Hello
Today I decided to start a blog about my life as a mum....I have one child, a 7 year old boy who is the apple of my eye and the cause of the bags under my eyes!!

My son, who I shall call LF, goes to a private school in London where the kids all appear to be bright, highly intelligent and have social calenders that make mine look positively sad. If it's Monday then the little people will no doubt be learning Italian, Tuesday is Mandarin, Wednesday is Piano, Thursday could be swimming and some will have weekend tutors..Oh well, I guess its what the parents think is best!

This is where LF, my son differs...

Last week I was called in to see his teacher...she said she was concerned that there may be a communication problem with my son and he needed to see a "specialist".

So off we went to see a nice lady who did all sorts of visual and verbal tests....the result was LF is a normal, happy chap and she saw no problem!

Ah, that is the end of my story....or is it???