Chickens in a box

A relaxing day spent with Janie and her two girls - lunch, livestock and Toy Story washed down with alternate cups of tea and coffee. Great to catch up with an old friend and put the world to rights while Izzy and James hung out together and William took charge of baby Charlotte. Friendships change over the years but the way you approach parenting has a big impact on their futures. Very relaxing to be able to chat to someone who has exactly the same approach to life as yourself. And while we were wittering, the children managed to build a den, nick all the chocolate Halloween treats from Janie's handbag and woof (almost) the lot. Angels.

We recently got invited to a party in London, thrilled at the prospect of getting dressed up, seeing good friends and a potential end-of-evening bop I accepted immediately. Excited about the do I started planning the logistics around such a trip and this is where it gets tricky. Firstly (almost) everyone has one or more offspring now, so there are no spare rooms on offer. I looked into the B&B option, which was reasonably priced but miles out of town and with a minimum stay of 3 nights. Then there's the high-end hotel; you're looking at spending between £250 - £400 a night for a double room. Alternatively you could go budget and find a NovaHell or Travelodge but it's still going to be around the £100 mark before you've even parked the car, let alone bought a drink. Next, childcare. You need someone who can stay overnight, do breakfast and keep the children amused until you get back late morning. Clearly the staying-in-town-idea wasn't going to fly. So we...

Sucked into the instant gratification that Facebook brings, it's been ages since I wrote my blog and suddenly I missed it terribly. A lot has happened since last I wrote; James is 3, William is a Cherry, it's half-term and we're all home after 3 days away in Dorset. So. After nearly 5 years of living next door to the school, I have arrived. I am a 'Mum'. And it's a minefield out there - politics, intrigue, factions, cliques - it's all going on and you have to hustle your way through as best you can, dodging the bullets as you go. Trying to keep my trap shut has never been a forte, but if I'm going to survive the next 6 years it's something I need to work on. In the meantime William is in heaven, he loves it and definitely seems to have an aptitude for words and spelling. His strength in maths remains to be seen....we can only hope for the best!