My son got 82%!

Fabulously my son already knows his way around Hotel Chocolat and chose this lovely bar of 82% gorgeousness from Equador for my Christmas stocking.

Top choice! It certainly hits the spot, especially after said son has been a bit of pickle.

Girls to be homemakers? - What a scandal!

I let out a groan the other morning in bed after reading an article on the BBC website on my phone.  Apparently it is shocking that schoolgirls in the year 2012 are still being given the impression that later in life they will become homemakers. This, according to the article, is a scandal that should be rectified with immediate effect.

From my own experience, I went to a girls school in the late 80’s/early 90’s and sadly was not given career guidance on being a homemaker.  Instead, we were told that we would follow an academic route to University and beyond.  We were lead to believe that our options were unlimited, that the glass ceiling was being smashed ahead of us.  Being a mum was never mentioned.   

That was all well and good in my 20’s.  I was inspired and had ambition.  Now, though, I frequently feel unprepared for this stage in my life where I have a child.  My career is now constrained by my son’s need for a stay-at-home-parent and soon, school run times.

I wish someone had pointed out, all those years ago, that I should think about planning my career path to fit in a few years of freelance or flexible hours.  Being the same age, Husband was not given this kind of career advice at school either. 

I was disappointed that the BBC article is still calling for girls to disregard the importance of being a parent.  The call should instead be for more career guidance for both sexes on how to manage the inevitable scrum for a work/parenting balance.  Surely it is time for boys also to be taught that being a parent can be a tough job.  They should be given career advice that includes not expecting your future wife/partner to stay at home with the kids.  Until boys start to think about sharing parenting and taking on the tough role of ‘homemaker’ when they grow up, women will inevitably be the ones to fill the role.

The Curse of the Faraway Tree

Well, tonight we read another chapter of the Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton.  Once my son was in bed and snuggling down, he announced that he'd actually like to change his mind on Christmas.  He told me he'd need to write a new letter to Santa asking (instead of more wooden railway, trains, etc.) for some spells, a brush (if the spell came in a can, like in the book) and also for a car.  

Naturally, I asked about the car.  The response?  Well, he'd apparently use his new spells to make me really small, then, of course, he'd need to have a car to drive himself to the supermarket.  He felt confident that he'd manage just fine at the supermarket.  He did check that I'd give him the list first though.  As far as driving was concerned, I would also need to tell him which roads to go on.  Oh yes, I'd be taken along too.  In his pocket.  Apart from in the supermarket, where apparently he'd delight in putting me in a trolley and pushing me around.

I'm not sure if this tells me something about how he feels about being a small child and his impatience to grow up.  Or, if he's just gonna have some interesting dreams tonight.

Moved in. Now back to blogging.

Well, finally I can knock one item off my 'to do' list.

Yes, after months of planning, we are living in our new home.  The whole thing was exhausting and, really I suppose will continue to be so.

The move itself went smoothly but the stress associated with the organisation and the length of time it takes to unpack is really not fun.  There are plenty of other things I should, and would rather be doing than searching through boxes, unpacking boxes, moving boxes and so on.

On the upside, once things are settled in properly, I shall have some real space to put my files and thoughts and finally get on with the grand plan of a Working At Home Mum (WAHM).  I rather suspect that the onslaught of winter bugs and the depletion of financial means will ensure that my plans for world domination may take longer than I would like, but I am eager to get going at least.

Another advantage of the move is that since each evening there has been packing/sorting/moving heavy furniture/manic searching for things, both me and husband are feeling a bit fitter, trimmer and all round less interested in sitting on the sofa watching TV and eating snacks.

I wrote a post earlier in the year about doing more and moving house has reminded me not to fall back into bad habits.  I have put a note in my diary to remind myself again at the end of the year as it seems without a kick every now and again I have the tendency to seek out the solace and comfort of the sofa.

Blogging will be back on the agenda slowly as I still have a huge list of stuff to get on with, but for now, it is just great to be logged back in.

Finally, a bit of colour on my legs!

Finally some colour on my legs, although red, brown and green wasn't exactly what I was hoping for this summer.

A couple of months of rain and summer holidays filled with trips to unfamiliar playgrounds and woods has left my legs covered in bruises and insect bites.  I have enjoyed my adventures with my young son: following trim trails and footpath signs, but I do feel like I am back at school when I look down at my shins.

Our lack of sunshine has left my legs distinctly moon-kissed as they have hardly had much exposure to the elusive sun.  I don't mind that so much.  I'm content to be the colour I was born, but it is nice to wear skirts and shorts when I can.  However, the added colour of bruises and fading bites is not exactly the sophisticated, well turned-out yummy mummy look I aspire to.

Am I really too busy for housework?

So many Mummies I know these days avoid ironing like the plague.  It is much considered to be a waste of time when there are so many other things to do in this short life of ours. So many are also lucky enough to be able to afford a cleaner who prevents them having to carry out most of the daily drudgery of keeping house.

I recall my own mother in rubber gloves more often than not .  She was always cleaning and frequently found ironing.  She had far more children than me.  This got me to thinking about how we (me) are all so busy these days.  And certainly too busy for housework.

What do mothers of this generation do with all this time that technology has given us?  It should now be quicker to vacuum, iron and clean than ever before.  We have elasticated sheets for the beds, washing machines with quicker spins, even tumble dryers if we choose.  Other lucky people (yes, I'm still bitter!) have dishwashers which prevent them being tied to the kitchen sink all evening as well.

Is it really down to Twitter, Facebook and Mumsnet?  That we fritter away our valuable time instead?  

I wonder whether some of it is because our local shops are no longer a few minutes down the road.  We have a round trip of half an hour's travel time just to get to the supermarket. 

It can take hours, if not days to renew the car insurance, home insurance and get cheaper energy bills.  We are now able to sort out our own banking online, at a time that suits us, but is it quicker than it used to be to pop into the local branch?  We have to keep all our own paperwork for our own pensions, ISAs, mortgages, etc. and take time to file them all away.  Our houses are bigger than they used to be in many cases.  An ensuite and downstairs loo all sound great until you realise that you have to find time to clean them all.  

Even booking a holiday online can take several days of your life to book as you compare prices, research destinations and compare seat space on the airlines available.  Sometimes I hanker for the opportunity to walk into the travel agent, give them my requirements and go back the next day to pay and pick up tickets.  Of course, this option is available and I would take it except for the fact that I believe I can find it a lot cheaper online.  

If I charged out my 'free time' though for all these activities, I wonder how much money it would cost?  I wonder how much less stressed (ignore the poorer part) I would be if I could just hand over the regular stuff to a willing and competent PA?  I'd no doubt be able to sack the cleaner (I don't have one right now to sack as can't afford one, but you get the idea) as I'd have more time on my hands.  I'd have more time in the evenings too.  I could maybe even take up a hobby instead of plodding through the ironing.

So, the question is: Am I too busy?  Or just too busy for housework?

Where have I been?

Well, I have been busy.  Busy working on my 'to do' list finally.  Things are picking up a pace and I'm feeling all nervous at the opportunity to change things at last.

One of the reasons is because I now have a huge list of things to do!  And very few of them are fun.  So, I need to make sure I get that balance right between having time out and gettings these things knocked off the list as well as keeping up some exercise.  Of course, it is also a good opportunity to test out more yummy chocolate.

They say moving house is the most stressful thing, so am not looking forward to it in the way I perhaps should.  However, I am really pleased that we will get other things sorted as a consequence.

So, I will be back more regularly, but for now there is a lot of things on my list.