Our Family Life 2021 (11/52)
Monday 8th March – the day the kids went back to school. Will they last longer than the one day they went back to school in January? Let’s hope so.
These last couple of months have been tough.
The kids need routine.
We need routine.
As well as the schools re-opening, the weather has turned a corner which is always nice. I wonder how long it’ll be before the nation is moaning about doing the school pick-up. Thursday maybe Friday I’d put my money on.
Tuesday was a cake making day for me. It’s my Nephews 21st birthday tomorrow so I’m making a huge chocolate cake with lashings of chocolate butter cream, chocolate ganache and topped with more chocolate.
I also went to see my Step-Dad before he moves to a nursing home. It’s a bit worrying that this might be the last time I see him since the rules for visiting nursing homes are really strict for obvious reasons.
When I arrived at the hospice I had to have a lateral flow test and wait 30 minutes for the result to come through. We saw my step-dad in the corridor and he was trying to get into the room that we were in.
When we finally got to see him after testing negative it was a bit of a shock. He was so thin and had changed so much since seeing him a couple of weeks ago. He still had some of his sense of humour, but he also kept disappearing mid conversation and mumbling things we couldn’t make out.
It was quite upsetting to see him like that, knowing that we well lose more of him bit by bit.
Wednesday we were back on the potty training with Freddie. We tried a couple of weeks ago but he started holding his wee in and ended up getting really upset, but today he asked to wear pants. So far so good!
Thursday I had a bit of a blog catch-up and did some of the admin bits and pieces and then treated myself to a long soak in the bath which was a bit of a treat.
Friday was a funny weather day. It was either lashing down with rain or blue skies and sunshine. We’ve reached a tricky stage with Freddie in terms of his pushchair. Generally we don’t use it, but there are days when we’ve been busy and I know he won’t cope with the school pick-up. It’s trial and error at the moment. Some days I take it out and he doesn’t go in it and other days he knackered and will happily sit in it. My other two were out of prams by his age, but they all do thing in their own way.
Potty training is still going well with no accidents.
Saturday Ryan was back with us and he had Luka, so it was a day of lots of playing and noise. I though Freddie would be too distracted to remember to tell me if he needed a wee, but he’s done amazingly well. He had his first accident today when he was doing some secret Mother’s Day stuff with Belle and she couldn’t get him to the potty on time, but one accident in four days is pretty amazing.
Sunday it was Mother’s Day, and the day started off as a good one. I was given homemade cards by the kids and a huge hamper from Darts Farm with loads of goodies including cheeses and truffles. Chris made bacon sandwiches before he had to go off to work, and the day took a turn for the worse. Isabelle has been having huge outbursts for the last few months and today was one of those days. It’s so hard to get her out of these awful moods, so we had a good few hours where she stayed in her room in a grump. I always wonder about the pics people put on social media of their perfect days, and whether it’s true to form or just a small snippet of a day where all the usual family squabbles, tantrums and fallouts happen.
I wanted a picture of all three kids and as you can see, none of them are insta-perfect!
Next year I think I’ll take myself off for a spa day with a good book!
This is the lovely Mother’s Day Sweet and Savoury Afternoon Tea that we ordered for Chris’ mum from Orchardlea Occasion Foods who are local to us.
That chocolate cake looks so tasty. I agree they need the routine but it didn’t take long until we were fed up with the school run – now looking forward to Easter.
What lovely mothers day gifts for both you and MIL. Love that cake you’ve made, it’s amazing. Our daughter is in a care home, restrictions are actually lifting now, I’ve been able to visit 4 times over the past year, all in the garden or for a distanced walk, I hope the same is allowed for you and your step father
Happy birthday to your nephew, I bet he loved his cake – it looks delicious. Looks like you were spoilt for mother’s day
Ah sorry to hear about your step-Dad 🙁 That cake looks amazing though. Could eat a piece now! Hope you had a lovely Mother’s Day too xx
Oh wwo! That cake looks amazing!
So sorry about your Step dad. It sounds like a tough visit.
It sounds like the potty training is going well.
Yum, yum! What amazing treats in the hamper x
That cake for your nephew’s 21st looks amazing. I’m glad you were able to see your step-dad but I can imagine it must be hard not knowing if/when you’ll be able to see him again. Well done Freddie on the potty-training, hope it continues to go well. That in-between stage with the buggy is a tricky one. We’re still using ours for longer walks. Love your Mother’s Day hamper. #project365
That cake looks amazing!! Wish I could make one look like that. Hope he liked it. Sorry to heard about your Step-Dad, it’s so very hard and even more so at the moment isn’t it #365
Those mother’s day gifts look lovely. Hope the potty training’s continued to do well. I hated it, but thankfully 2nd time round mine decided when to do it himself. So much easier for us all
Agree with you that we need routine. That cake looks amazing! Love a chocolate cake. Does sound like potty training is going well! And some lovely gifts for mothers day!
Sounds like the potty training is going really well!! My youngest also hung onto his pushchair for a lot longer than his older brother.. and was later to train as well. They are all so different aren’t they? We had a lovely mothers day, but there were still tears, sulks and tanturms you are not alone! That chocolate cake looks amazing.
I would give anything to have a spa day right now! Maybe soon. So sorry to hear about your step-dad, I hope you are able to make regular visits. It sounds like potty training is going well even with an accident #365
We lasted 4 days before Anya’s bubble burst! It was heartbreaking seeing my grandmother in the nursing home before she died as she barely recognised us and kept saying the same things over and over. It sounds awful to say that I’m glad she died before covid hit. It is so tricky to get the kids to pose nicely together! #project365
Looks like you had some lovely gifts for Mother’s Day. Well done on the potty training and sorry to hear about your step-dad, must be so hard to see him like that
Thanks. Times are hard for everyone at the moment but the bad things do seem to hit a little bit harder x
Fingers crossed that spa’s will be accessible soon 🙂
That’s normal life I suppose. Some days it feels like everyone else’s kids behave and mine are monsters, but I’m sure all kids are like it at some point 🙂
The potty training is going so well. I’m so proud of him 🙂
Thank you. I didn’t even get a piece of the chocolate cake but it went down very well with the birthday boy so happy days 🙂
Thank you. Freddie’s doing really well with the potty and we’ve only used the buggy a couple of times this week which is good progress. I will miss it though, when I have to carry my own bag again!
Thank you. I do enjoy making birthday cakes, but not sure I could do it professionally as it’s super stressful 🙂
Dare I say it but all three of mine have been really easy to potty train *touches all the wood* 🙂
The goodies look so lovey.. hope you had a great day with the kids.. those casual blurry pics are my favorite!! I am so sorry to hear about your step dad..
Unplanned pics are always the best 🙂