Jumping in Muddy Puddles

The other day at a crucial point in 'The Wonderpets' a catastrophe occurred. Our electricity went out. Thomas was not thrilled but considering this was the 3267th episode (slight exaggeration but certainly feels like that many!) he'd seen you'd imagine he'd just accept that the wonderful Duckling (who can fly), Guinea Pig (who can swim) and Terrapin (who has a snazzy shoe collection!) are gonna inevitably save the Hippo, Beaver, Dragon or whatever lucky creature happens to be in need of help from a flying duckling, swimming guinea pig and a shoe wearing Terrapin! But no, he wasn't happy to come to that conclusion by himself at all.

I called the Electricity provider who informed me that it'd be off for probably an hour, the cause being a blown cable somewhere close by. The list of things you can do with zero electricity is far shorter than I imagined. Luckily Rob was home and seeming as the only modern day luxury we had left was hot water he decided to take the boys to play outside in the garden in the rain. Boys are great like that a few drops of rain or even a torrential downpour are not going to stop them having fun in the garden.

Rob being just like every man I know (a child on the inside) decided that while they were getting wet they may as well have the best possible fun in the process. So he took them to the park across the road to jump in muddy puddles. Which they of course adored and request a repeat of the experience regularly.


I'm just grateful that we did have hot water and a fully restored power supply for our washing machine when they arrived home. I just wish Eli's coat wasn't dry clean only and caked in mud. Bring on Summer and then I can just throw it away! But in the meantime every time I hear that 'Wonderpets' theme tune I keep my fingers crossed for another power cut!

Waterlogged

I have never been much of a drinker. Generally I'll have a drink with lunch and again with dinner, sometimes I'll just go crazy and have a third (all of which I prefer to be caffeinated!). I just don't feel thirsty so what's the point? Now, I am fully aware that one of the key signs of dehydration is a lack of thirst. But really are you telling me the more I drink the more thirsty I'll actually become? Is that even possible? Well I am always on the lookout for ways to become more healthy that require very little effort from me. (Hence why exercise is a big no-no!)

So, I looked at what the benefits are of drinking more water:

1. Improve your energy (I have existed in a constantly lethargic state since Jan 27th 2005 when I became a mum, so sign me up for some energy saturated H2O!)



2. Increase your mental and physical performance (My brain has also been in a semi-comatose condition since the start of Pregnancy number one, my doctor assures me this is irreversible but maybe water is the very cure I need. Physical performance? No thanks!)



3. Remove toxins and waste products from your body (Well considering I have dehydrated myself for pretty much the last 32 years I am probably in desperate need of a good old detoxifying.)



4. Keep skin healthy and glowing (Maybe for me this should say begin having healthy and glowing skin, something that has been previously unachieved without the aid of Roaccutane.)



5. Help you lose weight (Completely unrequired she says smugly!)



6. Reduce headaches and dizziness (Always a bonus!)



7. Allow for proper digestion



8. Help to keep you more alkaline (well who wants to be acidic?)

So, I decided 8 days ago to experiment and increase my fluid intake to 8 glasses a day of water. That is a 400% increase, but I had faith I could do it. Yes, entirely because it required very little effort at all.

This is the outcome:

1. I have had to pee more in the last 8 days than I have had to pee in the previous 32 years combined.



2. I have gained empathy for those humongous pregnant ladies who have to get up repeatedly in the night to pee. I now have to get up in the night to pee despite avoiding that through two entire pregnancies.



3. I have discovered the strange satisfaction that comes from having completely clear urine.



4. I have been more thirsty. Medical fact confirmed!



5. I have felt more healthy and revitalised. But, would probably feel more so if the kids weren't insisting of going through a phase of waking between 6:30 and 7.00am. It's a killer!



6. I feel like I'm carrying a big water balloon around in my tummy all the time.



7. I think if I ever stand a chance of kick starting my brain I'll need to increase my intake a few more hundred percent.

Righto I'll have to finish there. I need to go pee............again!

Oh Poo!

On Friday while Thomas was at Playgroup Eli kept saying "Poo!" I kept checking his nappy but it remained a poo-free zone. So then a light bulb went on and I thought maybe he's telling me he wants to go, (full of hope that he's gonna be one of those children that potty trains themselves as they turn two years old) so I ask and he says "Yep!" so I take him proudly to the potty whilst thinking of all the many lovely things I can buy with the extra £20 a month I'll save not having to buy nappies and baby wipes from now on. So there he sat for the next 40 minutes (yes, with his penguin which he safely placed between his knees for the duration) occasionally standing up and putting both arms in the air whilst exclaiming "Yeah!!!!" In the end I had to actually wrestle a clean nappy on him so that we could be on time to pick up Thomas. I guess the dream of him potty training himself and saving that £20 a month will just have to wait after all.

Project Completed

I started this project last June. I am fully aware in that much time I could have grown an actual human being in my uterus (though thankfully I didn't!) but as Summer ended and the evenings grew darker I found it so much more fulfilling to cosy up on the sofa in the evenings with a big bar of chocolate. The project was literally 10 minutes away from completion at this point but still it spent Winter hibernating on top of Eli's wardrobe collecting dust. Until last night when I finally got it finished, after 10 whole minutes! So it's a quilt for Thomas as you can see by my splendid hand embroidery of his name (I know you're thinking you had no idea I was this talented, but it's rude to think that!)
Finally for those of you that think that despite taking 4 or 5 months off to account for those Winter months (that I devoted to comfort eating and sitting on my backside) that this was still a phenomenally long project I'd like to point out that every single stitch on the picture below was hand stitched by me. Bring on the next project....which incidentally is a quilt intended as a Christmas gift in 2007, I guess it'll be just as happily received at Christmas in 2008 (or even 2009!).

This Weeks Major Accomplishment

Clearly my boys thought long and hard (which I know is an impossibility for a three and one year old but still) about what would be the best gift they could personally get me for Mother's Day. The gift was given on Tuesday afternoon when we went to the local play gym for 180 minutes, I wasn't required to embarrassingly apologise to any parents for the entire duration of our visit. Miraculous!

I don't mean to paint the picture that my sons are complete hooligans but this is the first time in a gazillion years that one or both of them haven't made another child cry. It's kind of inevitable that a room with a vast array of toys is going to cause some level conflict amongst the under 3's. Thomas is at the age where he'd prefer not to share and will retaliate but only if someone tries to take a toy away from him. Eli has the temperament that requires biting as a defense mechanism (which is showing signs of improvement as he currently prefers to bite his own arm when he's mad, it's not ideal but I'll take it!).

Too bad I'll probably have to wait another gazillion years for a repeat of it. But for three hours I got to bask in the smug glory of having children who play perfectly with others and even got to experience being apologised to (which was actually a very pleasant change). So there you have it, best Mother's Day gift ever!