snglemum – The Way it Really Is

July 6th – BBQ Weather

1999: Slept until seven when the alarm went off. Didn’t sleep at all at Edons today and when mum picked me up it was reported that we had all been very hyper for the past hour and a half. I was very excitable. I played in the garden and distributed my sand everywhere but the sandpit. After tea I decide to paint the kitchen window with my bottle brush and soapy water. I think it looks lovely but mum reckons it might not look quite so lovely once it’s dried. Had a bath and fell asleep cuddled up to mum at 6.30

2019: Mum and Mark are still in Ireland. Kiegan is at theirs looking after the cat – Prince Eric Catona (How embarrassing). I went over for the day and we decided on a BBQ and were not going to let the rain stop us. My Aquarian mind put the double line up with the bbq cover pegged to it and stayed perfectly dry whilst the food sizzled

#toddlers #parents #ManchesterUtd #Family #BBQ #weather #starsigns #childsplay #cleaning #cats #cooking #EricCatona #

April 10th – Entertaining Conversations

1999: Mum’s feeling a bit worse for wear this morning, so she lay on the settee and I let rip in the lounge. She let me have my last Easter egg for breakfast – well it is Saturday, and mine lasted longer than hers did! I got dressed and went to play in the garden and oops! – made a mess of my pants. I ended up in the bath, which I didn’t consider very fair as I’d only just got dressed, and needed an afternoon nap. We had a joint dinner and lunch at 3.00 and then walked to town to buy some milk and ‘duice’. I also got a packet of wine gums (named after me apparently) and we sat on the wall watching the boys on their skateboards. I walked nearly all the way back but had to have a piggy back some of the way (which I thought was great fun but mum didn’t seem so keen). I played in the garden and I got extremely muddy as mum was washing all my garden toys and I was helping. Our nicely mown grass is now a mudslide. Yippee! Watched Lion King again tonight – the things I have to do to keep mum amused

2019: Mum came round for dinner tonight but I forgot that the sausages weren’t gluten free so I cooked the chops she had to pop to the shops to buy. Made the mistake of telling her my Crohn’s is really playing up (like she didn’t know anyway) and so ensued the “make sure you go to your appointment”/ “I will if I’m not working”/”Well you wont be working if your back in hospital” conversation! My bad ………. Still. I ended it b putting Ant-Man on. Still having to entertain her.

#crohns #IBD #hospital #antman #Lionking #movies #cooking #dinner #easter #chocolate #

April 9th – Handy Man Tantrums

1999: Nan and Pa stayed the night as mum has apparently gone out on the town. I’m sure that must mean something more than just standing over the town centre for the night, even she’s not mad enough to do that. Mum picked me up from Edon’s at midday and when we got home Pa was doing more work on the garden – building a nice new gate and bin store. Great more workmate stuff for me, but my helping hand seemed to make Pa work slower for some reason. The health visitor called this afternoon for my 2-year check. She asked mum lots of questions and measured my head. She said things looked fine – including the temper tantrums, which are apparently perfectly normal. Yippee! Permission from the professional to strop!!

2019: Thank goodness for Pa teaching me so much so young, as being handy has helped me over the last few months bringing the pennies in, even if it is exhausting. I don’t think anyone taught me about tantrums but they still seem to come naturally – especially if Im hungry or tired. Feed me NOW!

#toddlers #tantrums #building #woodwork #construction #nightsout #family #food #sleep #parents #grandparents

April 3rd From Mischievous to Lazy Days

1999: Hot cross buns and chocolate Easter eggs for breakfast. I love Easter (and so does mum by the looks of it!). We went swimming this morning and had a lovely ‘dim’ for an hour. I got out of the pool okay, but mum had to fight to get me out of the lovely warm shower. We set off for a walk to the local shop this afternoon and arrived back home an hour and a half later! On the way, we had decided to explore the alley way opposite our house thinking we could cut through to the shops, but it turned out that it led to the other end of our road (a dead end) and we had to walk all the way back again and start over. Nice one mum. I did find a great stick though and took it all the way to the shops and back – even though it was nearly as big as me. Amongst my antics I hit someone’s car with the stick, pulled someone’s parking chain off the hook on their drive, tried to climb the street lamps, stopped and waved at all the cars and touched all the traffic cones as we went past the roadwork’s. Once home I went out in the garden and discovered that I could use mums clothes horse to climb up my slide. Mum keeps going very pale today. Think I’ll have to keep an eye on her – she might be sickening for something

2019: Got into Zofs parents late last night from Stansted. No antics today just lazing around and trying to acclimatise. Looking forward to heading back to our flat tonight but not so much work tomorrow

#work #stansted #easter #chocolate #ditzy #antics #airports #toddlers #growing up #mums

April 2nd – Late Easter and Chocolate

1999: – Good Friday, but mum didn’t seem to think so at 6.45! I don’t know why, she got 15 minutes longer than usual and we had hit cross buns for breakfast. There’s no pleasing some people! We walked over to the town to get some shopping and I walked all the way back. I made friends with a dog, who in return wrapped his lead around me and pulled me over. It was a lovely day and I played in the garden and then Uncle Teddy took me to the park where I found not just the wettest, but the muddiest spot and Uncle Teddy had to rescue me. I was very tired when I got back home and sat drinking my tea unable to move for about 10 minutes. Mum thought it was great, but I wasn’t so sure.

2019: A week or so until Easter this year. Last day in Budapest and sunshine as tonight we flew back to reality and the cold. Bit of a rough landing but it was Ryan Air – last time we flew with them was to Ireland many years ago. They threw it on the runway that time, just 10 minutes after serving mum a second hot chocolate. She wasn’t too happy with her chocolate patterned, white t shirt then but it makes us laugh now.

#GoodFriday #Eating #food #Easter #dogs #walks #ditzy #playing #Budapest #holidays #weather #sunshine #rain #ryanair #flying

March 10th Adults – hinderance and help

1999: Mum tried to fob me off this morning by putting me in her bed, with my milk, to drink alone but I had other ideas. I looked at her really really sweetly, patted the bed beside me and said “ Mum”. It worked like a charm and she obliged (for a whole 5 minutes). Went to Edons and when mum picked me up tonight she bought me a packet of crisps and I was on my best behaviour getting into the car extremely nicely, with no fuss. We called in to see Nanny and Pa, I think it was because I kept saying “Nan, Nan, Nan” for the first 3 minutes of the journey. We ended up staying for tea and Uncle Eddy called in as well. I’m doing well for attention this week. Nan has bought me a new stool, which I was chuffed with, until Pa and Mummy tried to confuse me. I mean I knew it was a stool, it was perfectly obvious to me, but they thought it was a table. What planet are they on? You know us kids would learn a lot faster if we weren’t hindered by adults.

2019: Haven’t managed to get back to rugby but went to watch U11 rugby today at Wymondham and then drove to Acle to meet mum who brought my paperwork half way. Mum to the rescue again! She cant complain too much as I take after her!

#toddlers #growingup

rugby #

March 6th – Modelling with Blond Highlights

1999: – Mum it’s Saturday – a busy day none the less! We went to Chelmsford to get my 3rd ‘watch me grow’ photo taken,. Mum put my leather waistcoat on for this occasion and I proudly told everyone I was ‘mart’. I pulled my usual stern face during the sitting with the odd smile here and there. I actually thought it far more fun to very slowly dribble out the corner of my mouth, putting more force on it just as the man took the photo! Mum didn’t seem too impressed though. We walked through the high street to the swimming pool only to find it does not open until midday. Doesn’t anybody realise today is Saturday? People want to swim. We walked back to the car and on the way mum bought me a packet of milk buttons to munch on in the buggy and we popped into Zanzibar to buy some tapers and incense sticks. We then made a quick exit when mum noticed a lady walking around with a chocolate button wrapper stuck to her trousers! We eventually left town and got stuck at the traffic lights. Hold up mum, the lights are green, the right hand lanes moving but we’re at a standstill in the left. Mum. MUM. Those cars are parked! How embarrassing. Everyone behind was very patient. Well she has died her hair blonde……….

2019: My mums blonde moments are endless. There really wasn’t any hope for me. Having said that I’m definitely the more sensible one and actually have some common sense. But then again mum did remember to leave me a list of jobs to do today! Shopping and cooking were the highlights.

#blond #hair #ditzy #growing up #photography

March 5th – Holy Barking Falling Tackles!

1999: Mums impressed as I’m sleeping through again. I find it’s nice to lull her in to a false sense of security. Had milk and bix downstairs watching TV and then I was off to Edons for the until midday when Edon dropped me off at Nanny’s.. I walked in, sat on the stairs and called ‘Bomps’, but he isn’t here today as Nanny has a cold. Uncle Tel, Tez, Eddy (dependent on mood) called round this afternoon and we had great fun playing. You wouldn’t believe he’s nearly 30 really. When mum came home we showed her our new game – Uncle Eddy falling over backwards whilst holding me in his arms. She said she hoped I wouldn’t expect her to do it! Tonight Aunty Bim came round with a new addition – Jarvis her West highland ’god’ (which is apparently funny).

2019: I was dyslexic ok? Still am but just never fully diagnosed. But I now know its a DOG. Thanks to computers! The worst thing for me (and mum) is the complete disorganisation and forgetfulness. Apparently it was rugby training tonight …. I’ll aim for it again on Thursday.

#dyslexia #memory #rugby #dogs

March 4th – I’m a Foodie Born and Bread

1999: Early start today. Awake at 6.30 when mum bought my milk in! Is she feeling all right? It’s a bit on the early side and she did it all on her own. I held my own inhaler and spacer unit this morning, something I’ve started doing over the past week. Why does it take big people so long to realise that we will happily do things, if only they’d let us get on with it? I tried to play with my racing cars this morning but they wouldn’t work. Mum had a look at it and then blamed me accusing me of leaving the battery on which I felt was mighty unfair and so I had a look and I managed to get it going. When mum picked me up tonight we went home via the shops and I chose Jelly Tots and went running up to mum. Oh, was that not the reason we were here then? Apparently not – it was to collect a paper for Nan! She gave in. I’m just far too cute, but it’s definitely for my own good! Whilst she was paying I went for a wander. Mum found me in the cake section drooling over the iced buns; she seemed rather relieved that she reached me at that point; personally I found it quite disappointing. No milk tonight because mum forgot to buy any – even though we’d just been to the shop!. We’ve only just been to the shops! It’s typical, I really don’t know what she does with her day, or her memory come to that. Tired, milkless and asleep by 8.00

2019: Well mum hasn’t changed over the years and neither have I really. Still love my milk, although I know it probably makes my Crohn’s worse, along with gluten, but my motto is “You’re here for a good time, not a long time”. Death really doesn’t bother me but dying of boredom and restriction does. That’s not the depressed or morbid side of me talking, I’ve looked death in the eye with sepsis. I wasn’t scared – I was too delirious to know or feel anything – but I did make up my mind afterwards to live. And food is my passion so I’m gonna enjoy it. I’ve long grown out of asthma – 7 years ago but it stopped me enlisting for the army at 16 as had to be 3 years clear, and then Crohn’s came along …

#crohns #autoimmune #depression #positiveliving #food #milk #asthma #growing up

March 2nd -The Problem with Communication

1999: When I got up I was full of beans and I got mum to join in my antics too (even though we were running late). I found the headphones for mum’s walkman and sang into the connector piece (as usual) and today I did it on my very own stage – mum’s flat packed wardrobes which are on the floor waiting to be put up. I wish she’d hurry up and do it, my room’s still full of all her clothes (and I thought I had a lot!) Told mummy that I’d had a good day at Edons but I refused to put my shoes and socks on tonight so mum had to carry me to the new, shiny red car. I love it! Mum’s bought a smelly for it, but I didn’t care for that much, it smelt far better than it tasted. When we got home I found ice-lollies in the freezer which mum made me eat in the kitchen (I can’t think why). The phone went tonight before, during and after tea – Dev, Eesa, Nan, Karen and Tracey! Mum and I cuddled on the settee but she put me to bed at 7.45 as she thought I was tired and miserable. I thought I’d been trying to communicate! I was asleep within 10 minutes – perhaps she was right, but I won’t tell she knows best.

2019: Communication’s not my best thing currently. Low mood and arguments. Got an email to advise I did not get short listed for mental health support worker role I applied for – but at least they bothered to email me. My grumpiness when tired and hungry has continued into adult life but not working definitely makes everything 10 times worse. Self esteem is taking nose dive as is my Crohn’s

#depression #self-esteem #crohns #autoimmune #work #humour #growing up