“I love you with all my heart, well, most of it”

We’re into week three of the summer holidays (though someone clearly forgot to inform the sun)
We’ve had a couple of fall outs, a LOT of chattering, a close escape, a fair bit of foot stamping and declarations of inhumanity, a LOT more chattering and not enough wine.

That’s just in the five days since the children returned from my parents.

I’m working on this whole ‘being positive’ thing still.
Trying to focus on the good things in life and not get dragged down by all the horrible crap going on in the world.
Being thankful and grateful for all that I have.
I will confess that this morning was a struggle.

I woke up to Aoife lying in bed next to me arguing.
With me.
I hadn’t even opened my eyes and I was wrong!
So this morning, the first ‘thoughts of thankfulness and gratefulness’ were

“Thank you that I am blessed with a daughter who’s imagination is so great it can create an argument with a sleeping person. Thank you that my daughter knows her mind enough and is confident enough to speak it, loudly, even when she might not be correct. Thank you for blessing her with a voice so loud that if she were ever to get lost we would totally hear her shouting. Or telling someone how wrong they are.”

I hope the universe is as satisfied as I was with myself for finding some positives there!

The school holidays get more challenging every time they come around. Mostly because Seth is getting older and so he and Aoife not only interact more, but they wind each other up more too.

She takes his box and sits in it.

He takes her brioche right out of her hand and crams it in his mouth so she can’t retrieve it.

She takes his trains.

He takes her cake.

When we decided to have a second child, I had this lovely, romantic notion that Aoife would be like a mother hen at first and as time went on they would play wonderfully together and maybe I’d be able to leave them to play together whilst I enjoyed a quiet cup of coffee or had a wee in peace.

We’d do lots of wonderful activities together like crafting and baking and we’d look like one of those perfect families that you see on other peoples social media/blogs.

I was deluded.

They have had their funny moments though.
Thankfully.

“Your dress is bigger because you have quite a big tummy”

“I’m NOT chasing him, I’m walking slowly where he’s running. In fact HE is chasing me really.”

“We’re not running, it’s called speed walking”

“I was what?”
“8lb 2”
“And Seth was?”
“8lb 10”
“So, I was, like, 8p cheaper?”

“I love you and Daddy with all of my heart. Well actually, I love you, Daddy and Seth with most of my heart. I love Grandma and Grandad and all the other people I love with the rest”.

“When you read the bits where people are talking I want you to do it in a French voice”

“Can we have pizza for tea tomorrow please?”
“I don’t have one in, Ohh I could make you one though”
“No, don’t worry, just buy one”
“But I make nice pizza!”
“You really don’t, it’s terrible pizza”

“Right, go up to your room now!”
“Umm EXCUSE ME! That was RUDE!”
“Upstairs, NOW.”
“NO”
“Oh”

Although it’s kind of funny (or would be if it were someone elses child) this last one is a killer.
What do you do in that situation?
You’ve got to the point where you’re sending them to their room or the naughty step and they point blank refuse?
It’s like the last resort of telling off and they completely ignore it rendering you a huge fail!
Hog tying is frowned upon, I’m at a loss!

Still, only 28 days more to go!