Latest purchases in the shire...

Yesterday, a weird thing happened. I left my children at home and went shopping with Yummy Mummy for a whole 5 hours. (Husband stayed with them, obvs, am not INSANE!)

We finished sentences, noone had to pee/nap/stretch their legs/be carried/demanded to go into the hell that is the Bear Factory... We also sat and enjoyed hot food and cold wine in Pizza Express. It was lovely!

Didn't find as much as I wanted to...still need new sunglasses and am STILL on the hunt for the elusive little white tshirt (two I ordered last week from Boden were see through, but stupidly I thought 'oh fuck it, I'll wear a vest underneath' and they promptly shrunk on the first wash, am ringing them tomorrow!!) but I did get some little gems...

This tshirt from Zara, looks nicer in real life??

After going into store three times on the hunt for these to no avail I came home and ordered them online. Khaki linens from H&M!

Spotted these in town but not in my size, so came home and found them on dorothyperkins.com for a mere £13.30, would be rude not to at least TRY them on!!

So again, we find ourselves wondering why we bother leaving the house when we can order everything online for free delivery and returns? But I did get to spend some lovely quality time with a dear friends, the pasta pollo was yummy and when I returned noone had fallen out. So all in all, a lovely Sunday.

Hope you've all enjoyed a delightful bonus day at home today? We all went swimming this morning and then treated the boys to lunch out in honour of our 8 year anniversary (which we had both forgotten until a friend texted us from her holiday in Cornwall, oops!) We spent the rest of the afternoon lying on blankets in the garden reading while Husband weeded the patio, coz that's how we roll ;-)

Toddler isn't feeling 100% so am looking forward to another lazy day tomorrow. I say lazy, I mean a quick trip to Aldi, haircuts with Nana here at the house and then a playdate with Eco Mama and her crazy-ass blond babies. But all at home, so he can crash and chill if he needs to.

Wednesday is a day with no plans. Thursday is a Kindergarten playdate at Attingham and Friday brings with it swimming lessons for Boy and a playdate at BFF's house.

Oh, how I love half term holidays with my boys!! I'll let you know how I get on with the trousers and espadrilles xx

Must-buy!!

Apologies for 2 random posts in one day, I promise I'll just chat about sports day tomorrow, but I had to share this earth-shattering, life-changing news. 

As ever, I am well prepared to find out that I am 6 months behind the crowds, but that's my charm, excitedly announcing things that everyone has already discovered, got blasé with and moved on from!!

The latest product of wonder in my life is this:

Now, I must admit, when I first saw the advert for this my reaction was the same as when I first discovered pre-grated cheese in the fridge section in Waitrose. 

'Who on God's green earth is lazy enough to buy this product???' I sneered, totally incredulous at the idiocy of the marketing team who had dreamt it up. 'Who is soooo busy or so feckin' lazy that they simply cannot be arsed to spend 90 seconds flinging some Nivea on their arms and legs when they step out of the shower???'

Well, as luck would have it, ME! That's who. The smug, arrogant, scaly person over here who never ever ever moisturises when she gets out of the shower and as such spends 6 months of the year staring down at her bare feet/ankles/legs thinking 'wow, my legs are white/dry/flaky...I really should moisturise more often...' and promptly never does. 

So I reluctantly picked some up in Boots the other day (other, probably cheaper, stores are available, but it was on 3 for 2!) And man alive, it has changed my world. I've only used it twice and can immediately feel a difference. Granted, in comparison to using no moisturiser at all, of course it's going to feel awesome, but I suppose that's my point. It gets the laziest of us to hydrate our parched skin and therefore the change is instantly recognisable. Here's hoping it continues to work??

In my defence, the real reason I don't like to moisturise is because I don't like the gloopy cream all over my hands and stuck in between my jewellery. This genius addition to my shower routine means that I get to rinse my hands before I get out and never have to touch anything feeling all sticky and clammy. Winner!

Now I just need to work on a genuine reason to love pre-grated cheese, like an allergy to cheese graters...!

Nivea in-shower body moisturiser. Has anyone else given it a go?? Think hard? You may have tried it this first time round when it was popular and cool about 6 months back...!! x

Busy little bee, zzz

My God, today has been mentalist.

It was BFF's birthday today so after school drop-off we headed straight to Costa for a celebratory coffee (natch) with Toddler, before racing across to Shifnal for a final meeting with the hotel about the school ball. How is only 2 weeks away? And how have I still got so much to do? Waaahh!! Can't think about it.

Anyway, as well as a few practical things to make (centrepieces, table plans, flyers etc...) the meeting gave me 4 emails to send and 1 phone call to make, so Toddler and I came straight back home and got to work. Auntie and Niece have been here since Tuesday so they kept Toddler busy while I caught up on my admin.

OR THOUGHT I DID!

I then answered a phone call from the Cancer Research committee chairperson and that gave me another 2 emails to send, a trip into town and a visit to the local children's boutique (to speak to another committee member). So we all loaded up into pushchairs and headed into town. Got all those jobs done and swung by the bank on the way back to deposit cheques (event is now officially SOLD OUT!!) Home for lunch. Ahh, I thought, now I can exhale and sit down.

ERROR!

Phone rang and it was Husband asking if I could bring him some contact lenses to work. Sigh! So after we had eaten our lunch and waved goodbye to Auntie and Niece we headed up to Telford, Toddler promptly slept through the entire journey, and by the time we were heading home it was almost time for school pick-up so we just drove straight there and parked up early. By this point I could have happily sat down on the sofa and ordered a takeaway!!

BUT NO!

Toddler knocked a candle off the coffee table and little pieces of glass scattered everywhere, as it will. Then Boy decided he'd really like to read me his new reading book (which was fabulous because normally he's too tired after school to read) Dog decided his water bowl wasn't quite full or fresh enough. I remembered that Auntie and Niece had decimated the playroom and left it that way. And Boy reminded me that I said I'd bake a banana loaf with him after school.

Bugger!

So, in conclusion, it is now 5.47pm, the banana bread is cooling, the dinner is still cooking, the boys are bathed and watching Blaze and the Monster Machines and I am trying to resist opening the bottle of Pinot in the fridge ;-) I genuinely do not know how people find the time to go to a full time job? They must be mega stressed. Or maybe they're just smarter than I and don't sign up to every committee going? Hmm...?!

Anyway, pilates class is at 7.45pm so not long until I am lying on a mat, trying to find my centre and spending a blissful 60 minutes on my own, focussing on my sore lower back. Can't wait. Shall spend the relaxation time at the end counting my blessings, because, as busy and frantic as it sometimes feels, being a Mum is all I've ever wanted so...shouldn't complain!

Back tomorrow with sports day news!!

Silent Sunday

So this happened last Wednesday. It was only a one-off so that Mama could go into Kindergarten and help with a carnival painting project but, eeshk, it broke my heart.

Flash forward to September and that will be my Toddler boy two mornings a week. I should be kicking my heels with glee, instead it made me wail into his hair.

Here's hoping this week isn't QUITE as emotional as last!!

Hello Fresh! A review

Am officially worst blogger in world, ranted on and on about our Hello Fresh! box that was destined to jazz up our eating habits FOR LIFE!!!, made the damn meal and...totally forgot to photograph it.

Sorry dudes!

So anyway, as you may remember, I recently got a £20 offer code for Hello Fresh! and after months of umming and ahhing I finally went ahead and signed up.

This week our Hello Fresh! box has two main meals inside designed for a family of 4 as I initially thought it would be a new thing for the whole family to enjoy. Next week we're switching to three meals designed for 2 people as I realised the boys just don't want big, exciting evening meals when they've had a hot meal at lunchtime (Boy has hot school lunches and I try to give Toddler a reheated portion of a frozen meal I've portioned up in the previous weeks or a portion of the previous evening's meal I've popped in the fridge to ensure he too has had a hot lunch...if that makes any sense?!)

This week the recipes we chose were Orange and Honey Chicken Jambalaya and Sesame Soy Glazed Pork with noodles (see above, not my photos!!) Everything arrived in one massive box on Monday morning (I think you can choose any day of the week for delivery which is handy) and then inside I found everything small and twiddly measured out into little pots, all the veg looked fresh as a daisy and the meat looked great.


I was all excited, so on Wednesday I got everything out to make the jambalaya and cracked on. Conclusion? Easiest. Thing. Ever!

The recipe cards are simple to follow, having the ingredients pre-measured is a small luxury I can definitely get behind...the only issue I had was that my definition of a 'medium-low heat' is obviously a little different to theirs as, after the requisite 10 minutes, our jambalaya was stuck to the bottom of the pan and turning black. Bad times! I guess it comes with practise and cooking the same recipe a few times over...? That said, we managed to salvage it no problems and it was incredibly tasty...and lasted us two nights running, double score!!

Points to consider: The cost. We won't be able to keep this up for months on end, but as a rocket up your backside to get you into the kitchen and expand your culinary horizons it is perfect. Also, I'm a chicken snob so only eat breast meat...I struggled to enjoy the thighs we'd been sent...but that's a personal choice, Husband had no issue at all! (He did mutter 'Orange doesn't really belong in a main meal now, does it?' but then he is a simple country boy who was raised on plain meat and two veg so we can disregard the majority of what he says about food!!)

Bonus features: You get to keep the recipe cards so you can always make the recipes again on your own time, and there didn't seem to be any totally random ingredients that you would have to go out and buy especially, you know? I hate recipes that call for exotic things that you need to spend a fortune on but possibly not use for another 6 months...by which time they're out of date and need binning! Oh, and I just came back to add in the fact that they have a handy app where you can access all the menus and see what recipes are coming up in the coming weeks, pause your deliveries, choose your specific meals...very clever.

All in all, I really like the whole concept. I cooked a brand new meal from scratch that I'd never even heard of before, I felt like Super-Mama!, it was super easy and really good quality. Thank you, Hello Fresh!

If you fancy trying it out for yourself, Hello Fresh! sent me an offer code for £25 off your first box. It's

96AJC2

and I guess you just paste it into your order form when you sign up on their website?? 

(Disclaimer: if people do use this code then I get £12 off my next box, I guess as a thank you for referring a new customer...? So please do use it if you decide to give it a whirl, I'll be your bestie!)

Go forth, friends, and revamp your menu planning!! Enjoy x

What a shambles!

Good God, it's all going to shit over here. On the outside, I think I do a pretty good job of appearing like I've got this living thing lark down to a fine art but in real life?? Here's a list of utterly ridiculous and farcical things that occurred in the last 7 days...

A yoghurt tube got squeezed energetically at dinner time and its contents sprayed across 2 walls, the bench and the wooden floor. I may or may not have shrieked at Boy and thrown a packet of wet wipes in his general direction!

The iPod still has Christmas songs loaded onto the 'everyday' playlist so we keep finding ourselves listening to Cliff Richard. It's May. Almost June. It was annoying me in January, I am not proud of the fact that this still hasn't been rectified!

Boy pee'd on the school drive. It had been a long day and had taken ages to extricate the pair of them from the gang who stay and play on the playground whilst waiting for older siblings, I was damned if I was going back in to use the toilet. So yes, that happened. 

School sent out a consent form that only needed filling in if your child has allergies or a phobia. Mine has neither. I filled it in and put No next to each category and took it back. Idiot, much? The women in the office just smiled sweetly and accepted it...probably filing it in the recycling as soon as I'd closed the office door on my way out!

I may or may not have uttered the phrase 'no darling, you can't eat it now because it fell down the toilet.' This is an upsetting set of words to use in itself but worse when you realise that a) he was eating dolly mixtures (pure sugar!!) and b) he was eating them whilst doing a wee and one fell between his legs. What? Motherhood is hard work!!

Both boys wound up with 'Bob the Builder pasta' for dinner. Two nights running. (Disclaimer: note how it says '1 of your 5 a day'!!

And I may or may not have fallen asleep during sex the other evening. So am nailing motherhood AND marriage, yay me!!

Just keeping it real, friends. Which reminds me, tomorrow I must publish my review of Hello Fresh! (whose first delicious meal I managed to burn to the bottom of the pan...)

Random piece of info...

So, it turns out that using your hand to measure something and 'guessing' at the length doesn't work??

Also note, when measuring windows for curtains, you must include the height above the window where the pole will sit.

Fucks' sake!

Kindergarten Skip Day 2016

(Edited to include the photos I took that I forgot I had so never inserted, durrh!)

(random cat photo)

Honestly, this is the life of a blogger, weeks of having feck all to say so drivelling on about trainers and lipstick and err some other vain, vacuous nonsense and then BAM all of a sudden I have an outdoor activity to review for you guys, an opinion on our Hello Fresh! food box and Toddler spends the afternoon at nursery!!!

First things first, on Tuesday Boy and I enjoyed our very first Skip Day. Stealing the idea entirely from Shay, I decided that I was pulling Boy out of Kindergarten for the day and spending it doing whatever his heart desired. Now, the thing is, that sounds delightful but since a) my kid is only 4.5yrs old and not gifted at making decisions on the spot and b) I really didn't want to spend my day doing something we could do any old day (such as McDonald's for lunch and a trip to the park, say) I may have lead his decision-making process a little bit ;-)

I had gone along with the charade and dropped him off at school at 8.25am as normal, came home to hand Toddler to Nana, grab a few supplies and then gone back to pick him up again. I collected him from school (they knew I was coming, he didn't) and just told him we were being naughty rascals and could spend the whole day together doing something special. His little face lit up like a torch and he skipped all the way to car! I'd got his change of clothes in the bag and we headed to the Crocky Trail just off the A41

If you've never been, the Crocky Trail is advertised as a 'mile-long adventure trail for kids, with slides, rope swings, climbs and a chain bridge'. I wasn't aware that there was also a small theme park at the entrance with various mechanical rides and attractions. One of the slides is THIS big...

and looks completely terrifying for a Mama who is scared of heights!

Now, I'll be totally honest. I had heard many, many good reviews of this place and, when we first pulled up, I was a bit disappointed. The theme park section is the bit you see first and the entire site was so quiet that I was worried it was closed (but that's to be expected on a mid-week visit during term time, granted) Also, on closer inspection, it turned out that most of the rides and attractions at the start of the trail were quite simply too big for Boy to enjoy. Boo!

BUT! Once we found the entrance to the trail itself, we were immediately won over. The Crocky Trail had won our hearts right back! Little rope bridges, metal ramps, wooden boards to tip-toe over the creek, slides and swings, mazes and loads more. Boy really enjoyed himself and not once over the entire mile did he moan or ask when we'd get back to the start.

Just look at his happy little face!! As you can see, we had the place almost to ourselves, I can imagine at weekends and in the holidays this place is rammed (but in a good way?!)

POINTS TO CONSIDER: The trail isn't really suited for prams. Children over 5 are £13 entry because it is assumed they will want to go on the rides. I'm not convinced some of the younger 5 year olds I know would want to (some of them are pretty impressive in size!) in which case it's a fairly expensive walk in the woods which you could do on Cannock Chase for free? Adults have to pay either £9 (for some rides) or £14 (for all rides). Again, unless you've got an older child, this seems costly, especially for a Mama who would have no intention of going on ANY rides whatever the age of her child!!

PROS: Super friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere, beautiful woodland adventure trail, huge playing field for ball games and picnics, you could easily spend all day here which makes the cost better value.

CONCLUSION: We will recommend it to friends with older children and will definitely be back, but probably not for a few years. 

After we left the trail, we headed to the Combermere Arms in Burleydam for a late lunch.

Part of the Brunning and Price chain, we knew exactly what we were in for, a yummy, varied menu with great kids options and delicious puddings. Perfect! Boy did some reading and dictation while we sipped our drinks and then we enjoyed a grown-up lunch with hot waffles to finish. Such a naughty treat, and much nicer than McDonald's! He had the tractor in the garden all to himself and this Mama got to soak up some rays in the peace, I almost fell asleep. 

We zoomed home to Toddler and Nana via Argos (needed curtain poles!) and were back in time for supper and bathtime. It was, all in all, a pretty magical day. I think we both enjoyed the time together, just us two, and he said multiple times how much fun it was being naughty and missing school. I have reminded him that it only happens once a year!! Don't want him picking up any bad habits ;-)

So yes, Skip Day is a winner. A total indulgence, but so worth it. I loved every second...and we look forward to exploring the Crocky Trail again...when we're a smidge bigger!

Back soon with food updates and nursery news...

Hello Fresh!

Don't know about you guys, but I flit between this...

and this...

More often than not it's the second one. Sigh!

BUT last week I opened a parcel from Amazon and inside was a £20 voucher for Hello Fresh. I've seen the vouchers before and Leeds Dad even has these boxes delivered, but I've always dismissed them as a) too expensive and b) a bit naughty for a SAHM who has all the time in the world to menu-plan and cook??

Well, this time I looked at it and thought, yes. We are stuck in a rut, rotating 5/6 easy to cook meals and I am BORED of cooking. This must happen to all families, you get to a point when you find yourself cooking the same old things all the time? But also, for this Mama, it's due to the kitchen we currently have, I do not get on with the layout AT ALL and as such, I don't really enjoy cooking in there. Thing is, we've lived here for over a year now and a new kitchen is nowhere in sight (damn you, old house!) so I really need to get over that grump or we'll all starve!

So, our first box has arrived. We've opted for an orange chicken rice dish and a pork sesame noodle thing. I am not a chef. Don't ask me any more than that! But, all the ingredients look delicious and good quality and I'm excited about cooking brand new recipes. Here's hoping Husband and the boys enjoy them...!

I'll let you know how we get on!

Sunny Saturdays

Goodness, how I love a sunny day, especially when it falls at the weekend when my four greatest loves are all at home!

First thing, this Mama was at the dentist with her boys...

...which they both aced so we walked down to B&M to reward them with electric toothbrushes. Boy had been asking for one since January...!

We came home via the bakery with fresh rolls for lunch, ate a picnic outside and then I took Boy to meet up with Nana for his first 'long' distance bike ride (long = longer than any stretch he ever managed at Centre Parcs!!)

Apparently he was a very good lad, but a 25 min stretch took them 1.5hours... because he kept asking to stop for a snack or a drink. Mama possibly packed too many treats in that backpack?! Nana didn't mind, she is always happy to follow his lead and enjoy the golden times and from what they told me, they certainly had a magical time all together so that's what counts. He is such a lucky boy to have them love on him so hard. I collected them from Aldi carpark and we came home for drinks and icepops in the garden, where we found this dirty pair...

Toddler had been outside with no shoes on for over an hour...his feet were the same colour as Dog!

After we'd cleaned his dirty little toes, we walked him down to Clarks for some summer sandals, then invited Leeds Dad over for dinner in the garden (his wife and boys are away overnight) which was a lovely, impromptu, relaxed affair.

AND to top it all off, while Husband puts the entire contents of the shed away in a slightly different place to where they all were this morning, Mamma Mia is on in the snug (which he HATES and I ADORE!) so I get to load the dishwasher and sing along!

Best dash, Pierce is about to propose... Hope your Saturday was as lovely as ours. Does anyone have any great plans for tomorrow??

It's the freakin' weekend, almost!

Could be wrong, but think I woke up with a teeny tiny hangover this morning. I put the banging headache down to Husband leaving the bedroom windows open and thus letting all the evil pollen in to make me sneeze 32 times when my head hit the pillow...but in actual fact it may well have been the second glass of wine...? Just maybe. Perhaps?

Either way, we were on time for school, remembered to give the obligatory Friday morning swimming safety speech to Boy (hold hands when walking down the canal, pay attention in the park, don't speak to any strangers, don't drown! etc etc...) and made it home in time for Toddler's Paw Patrol at 9am (WHAT?? He LIKES it!! #guiltyface)

Have tweeted npower, again, thrown some laundry in, eaten some breakfast and downed a glass of water in an attempt to clear my head. Now need to explain to Toddler that Paw Patrol is finished, wrestle his hot, screaming, angry little body into the car and go BACK to Telford to return/swap these sandals I bought for Boy that are too big (they look like diving fins!)

I want to go as much as I want a slap in the face. Sigh!

Haircuts at 4pm (just incase you hear screaming and are worried for our safety!), then a trip to the dentist followed by a bike ride with Nana tomorrow, then some animal gambling on Sunday with Eco Mama and her floppy haired crazy ass Boy, what fun!!

I hope Monday takes her sweet time rolling back around...

Emotions

It's coming up to lunchtime and so far this morning I have experienced a rage of emotions so extreme and intense that I need a lie down.

FATIGUE
I was woken at 5am to take Toddler for a wee (serves me right for not lifting him at 10.30pm to test if he could make it through the night, the answer is apparently no!)

RAGE (and the copious amounts of GUILT that go with it)
For some bizarre reason I ballsed up two bowls of porridge and had to make more, which made us super late going back upstairs to get dressed, therefore we were super late coming back DOWNstairs to grab everything and head out the door, and since it's all sunshiny and happy I wanted to walk to school and didn't have TIME to make us late...so when Toddler refused to get off the toilet I stood in the bathroom and ROARED. Like a crazy woman. It was that or throw a potty at the window. So both boys stared at me for a second...then sobbed in fear for their tiny lives.

HEARTACHE and HUMOUR
Since it's the middle of the month I wanted to go to the churchyard and take some flowers to my Dad's stone. That needs no explanation. Toddler kept me smiling...(Question: is it appropriate for a child to randomly pick up other people's memorial decorations and pretend to use them as a sword with loud sound effects in a graveyard?? I like to think it makes the departed smile, I hope it's not incredibly offensive?? We do always put everything back as it was...Awkward face?!)

PANIC

As we were leaving church, Toddler announced he needed the toilet and I'd left the travel potty at home (obviously!) so had to scoop him up and let him pee old-school style between his legs. This sent me into a flat spin. He uses the phrase 'poo-poo' for any toilet trip so I never really know what to expect AND he hadn't pooped yet this morning so... luckily it was just a wee. I guess I'm still not over the unfortunate incident at the safari park where he told me he needed (what I assumed was) a wee and promptly pooped on the pavement just as the sealion show opened their doors and 100 people filed past.

HAPPY!!

And then I came home to find that a fellow blogger Charlotte has included me in her list of blog recommendations this month and said some really lovely things about Mama of Boys. Isn't that just the nicest thing? I am equal parts proud and embarrassed. 

So yes, it has been a busy morning. No wonder this Mama is always so bloody exhausted, it's not the physical side of parenting I struggle with, it's the emotional toll that comes with it.

Toddler and I aced our health visitor 2 year review and even though we a) think it's baloney and b) didn't really care either way it's nice to have an excuse to buy a sticky bun for lunch so we're off to the bakery!!

Enjoy the sunshine, friends xx

Latest Lust Items

Here's a list of the latest items I am lusting over for my home and wardrobe.
NB I neither need nor can afford any of them!!

Slash sneakers £85

Hazel espadrille £69.50 (but I'll have them in navy, thanks!)

Linen trousers £24.99

Striped dress £15.99 (yes, this is for goddaughter but it is DIVINE in the flesh, saw it in town today!)

Am definitely going for 'Mole's Breath' paint in our master bedroom, the decision has been made. Now just got to convince Husband and book the decorators.

Am in love with this dress for the summer ball £55. It is sold out apart from a size 8. A size 8 will not fit my right thigh. Fuck it!

Oh, and I thought there were more, but that's the whole list. 3 hours in Telford town centre today and that's all I spotted!! Maybe I can afford some of it after all...?!

Productive PLA meeting this evening, got loads organised for the summer ball. Now just have the health visitor to deal with in the morning and the weekend is in sight...

Hope the week is going well for everyone, let me know what purchases you might be making this weekend!

Monday Monday

Am channelling this...

But am trying to change my mindset to this...

Niece is still here although Auntie is coming to collect her around lunchtime today supposedly! I managed to do the school run with 3 children under 5 years old (woo!) and we weren't late (even more woo!) I rewarded the babies, and me, with an episode of Paw Patrol when we got back and since then they've been playing quietly in the playroom. I am aware that this probably means every single toy we own is scattered over the floor but frankly, it has meant a hot coffee, so I'll let it slide this once...!

Having a nice lazy day here in the shire. Puttering around and tidying the house after an amazing family weekend in the sunshine, then hitting up Aldi and seeing BFF for coffee this afternoon. Boy doesn't finish school on a Monday until 4.30pm and that extra hour makes such a difference, feels like we have all the time in the world to get things done.

Hope you all have a nice start to your week. This Mama has two pilates classes, a PLA meeting, a shopping trip with BFF, Toddler's 2 year review with the health visitor (groan!), a visit to the dentist with both boys and a duck race. True story!

Oh, it's such a perfect day...

I'm glad I spent it with these guys...

He's getting faster!!

Donkey-riding Boy!!

Dog got a new bone, promptly buried it in Toddler's sandpit!

Hot day? Naked sprinklers, natch!

Pushing Niece around the garden this morning!

Despite the children being slathered in sun lotion and being reminded to wear their sun hats all day, repeatedly, sometimes in a loud, shrieky voice!, all 3 of them look a bit 'healthier' than they did first thing this morning. 

Boy almost got stung on the winky, Toddler got so distracted digging a hole that he poo'd his pants and Niece is suffering from PTSD from the sprinklers. All in all, it was an epic day in the garden.

Wish me luck on the school run tomorrow, I have a buggy board and I WILL succeed. She says. With trepidation!!