Working mum on the verge

A Week in Which.........

2012-01-28T14:38:00.005Z

I attend our first "Come Dine with Me" with friends absolutely fantastic evening, great food, hysterical entertainment and a very high standard set for me to aspire to - I'm the next host (more details in a later post)
Daughter loses her PE bag or, more accurately, someone "borrows" it without asking and I spend three days scouring cloakrooms, changing rooms and bag racks until it suddenly turns up where she orginally left it
I abandon a Chorale rehearsal due to my inability to find a parking space near the RNCM in the dark, cold and rain that doesn't involve walking through dodgy places on my own in the dark
I suffer a very stressful Parents' Evening why, oh why, have the government decided to heavily fine oversubscribed unis which has lead to universities refusing to give pupils offers lower than AAB and hence parents, understandably, getting very anxious when their child is not achieving a grade A standard and blaming teachers for not teaching their child to get a grade A? (If I could teach every child to get a grade A, I would write the book and earn a fortune!)
Daughter loses her school library book (risking a bill from school which will cost her her pocket money from now until Easter)
I have my lessons cancelled by my Head of Department because I was seeing double (stress related problem where my brain can't process two different images from my eyes - an hour sitting in a dark room fixed it)
Daughter loses her snack time fruit tub (notice a theme emerging here?)
I ask husband to drive me to RNCM at 6.30pm, nip home to receive Tesco delivery between 7 and 8 and then return to RNCM with daughter at 9.00pm to pick me up, Tesco don't turn up, half the band get stuck on the M62, concert is delayed for over an hour and I finally get home at 10.00pm, thanks to a lift from a fellow Chorale member!!

Phew!

Clash of Cultures

2012-01-23T17:47:00.002Z

Driving home from school again, I thought I'd keep trying to foster a love of classical music in my daughter (I live in hope) so I put Classic fm on the radio.

Suddenly she shouted:

"I know that tune! It's Hungarian Dance no. 5!"

"I think it is, Izzy. How do you know that?" I replied,

feeling very proud that she had recognised a piece of music.

"It's the tune for the synchronised swimming at the Olympics on the Wii"

Pardon?

2012-01-19T21:20:00.002Z

Driving home from school today I was testing daughter on her times tables:

"What's five times six?"

"Pardon?"

"WHAT'S FIVE TIMES SIX?"

"Thirty"

"What's four eights?"

"Pardon?"

"WHAT'S FOUR EIGHTS?!"

"Thirty two"

And so it went on. After every question I asked, she said "Pardon" and I repeated it.

Eventually I got fed up of it:

"What's going on? Why do you keep saying "pardon"? Are you playing for time?"

"Pardon?"

"WHY CAN'T YOU HEAR ME?"

"I've got my earmuffs on!"

Fair enough!

Baking vs Sport - guess which one wins?

2012-01-17T09:57:00.005Z

Just donning an apron and baking a cake makes everything seem right with the world, doesn't it?

Daughter and I are currently enjoying watching the Sport Relief Bake Off (we recorded it) and howling with laughter at the celebrities' mistakes; how hard is it to make a banana loaf?

Daughter has now decided that she wants to do her own bake sale to raise money for Sport Relief (let's face it, neither of us are particularly sporty, so a bake sale plays more to our strengths) and has been deciding on what she wants to bake: lemon drizzle cake, chocolate rocky road cupcakes, red velvet cake, etc, etc.

We just need to decide on a date and get baking!

If you would like to do the same check out the Great Sport Relief Bake Off website for info and ideas.

Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland)

2012 the story so far ...

2012-01-14T11:13:00.004Z

It's been a niggling start to 2012. I've been busy sorting out lots of silly, annoying things. It's also cost us a lot of money when we're trying to save up to go somewhere warm this summmer - £500 to replace a filter in the car's exhuast; really VW? Shame on you!

Money just seems to be running through our fingers at the moment with things going wrong in the house and cars, even my car tax has gone up 4% (what happened to the government understanding families' struggling to pay bills with no-one getting pay rises for the last two years?) I think we'll have to have a staycation in Summer (unfortunately hubby seems to have his heart set on a fabulous hotel in Mexico - £4000? I think not!)

And then, knowing that I was going on tour to the Isle of Man with The Manchester Chorale next October, we agreed to go to a cottage in Northumberland with my mum and dad this October only to find out, after it had been booked, that the choir's concert schedule contained a typo and the tour is actually this year when I'm in Northumberland! Doh!

Daughter doesn't want to go to the Brownie trip to the Pantomime this afternoon; she says she's got no friends at Brownies and no one talks to her, so I'm trying to pursuade her to go and be more sociable (she has no trouble talking to other children in any other area of her life) and this, following on from not going to the Brownie Christmas Party for the same reason, is now becoming a problem that needs to be sorted.

I've missed two friends' birthdays already this year and I have a self imposed ban on baking until I lose the 5lb I put on over Christmas!

So what happened to my New Year's Resolutions about being positive and doing a random act of kindness?

Let's see - no-one in my family is ill, we're not in any debt (apart from the mortgage, obviously) and next weekend I'm going to a "Come Dine with Me" meal at a friend's house which I'm really looking forward to. (I'm taking my Show Me boards and marker pens from school for the judging - he he he!) My dad is retiring next month and looking forward to spending more time with his gorgeous daughter, sorry, granddaughter. My mum won an i-touch in a raffle at Christmas (first prize out of thousands of tickets, how lucky is she?) and I've been teaching her how to use it which has been fun.

Random act of kindness - I've typed MIL's church reading for her in a larger font so that she can continue to be a reader at church even though she can't read the tiny font in the lectionary anymore. Five minutes' work, years of continuing pleasure for MIL.

Things are good, they are.

I just need to keep reminding myself.

Spread a Little Happiness

2011-12-31T11:50:00.000Z

I've pretty much given up making New Year's Resolutions. It's such a bad time of year to make changes and I've ususally failed by 10 Jan (ok, 2 Jan), but last year I made a sort of resolution to be more positive. I decided to resist the urge to moan or complain and, instead, to see the good in things, to make a concerted effort to be happier with my lot.

I do think you can get into a mindset of being unhappy and negative (I refer you to my MIL), therefore I think you can do the opposite and develop a more positive outlook on life instead.

To a certain extent it worked; I felt like I had a more pleasant time at home and at work and, if you ignore the little wobble in June when hubby crashed the car, I had a pretty good year.

Well, this year, I've decided that my sort of resolution will be to spread the happiness and try to do some random acts of kindness when I have the opportunity.

So here's to spreading a little happiness in 2012:

So that was Christmas .........

2011-12-29T15:06:00.004Z

It passed by in a haze of trifle, turkey, strudel, champagne and chocolate!

Today is the first day I've managed to sit down and have a rest. I cleverly invited one of daughter's friends round today to play so they are busy amusing themselves by playing on the Wii with husband (husband occupied too - bonus!)

Looking back on the last week or so, it's been a pretty good Christmas. (Just ignoring the fact that some miserable scrooge cut the wire on our Christmas lights outside - hope Father Christmas didn't visit their house!)

I thoroughly enjoyed my Christmas Concerts, not having a cough or cold made a huge difference.

Christmas Day went well, with MIL only referring to the war, dead or dying people about every 15 mins at which point husband would say very loudly

"Talking about the war again, mother?"

"Would that be a dying or dead person then, mother?"

until it became such a joke, she nearly got the point and stopped.

I cooked a ready stuffed turkey breast for the first time and I'm never going back to a carcass again!

Daughter made and decorated the Christmas Cake:

(Victoria Sponge because she said she didn't want fruit cake)

and last night some friends came round with far too much champagne and tried to pursuade me to cook a meal for their daughter's in-laws on Friday for them, but I resisted. I've got my own guests to cook for tomorrow.

Now settling down with a good cup of tea and a big box of Hotel Chocolat chocolates.

Bliss!

Nearly there........

2011-12-23T08:59:00.002Z

Two more sleeps!!

We're nearly ready.

Hubby has just popped off to the butchers to collect the turkey.

Today will be spent doing lots of Christmas baking.

I've one more concert on Christmas Eve at the Bridgewater Hall.

Then it's time to party!

Merry Christmas!

All I Want for Christmas

2011-12-18T11:07:00.003Z

Finally made it to the end of term!

Last week consisted of work every day and rehearsals and concerts every night so I'm exhuasted.

Mind you, on Thursday I did a full day's work, drove daughter home, hopped on the tram to Manchester, sang in a concert in St Ann's, went to the Chorale Christmas meal on Deansgate, hopped back on a tram and was in bed by 10.30PM. Not bad!!

Now all is calm in the Working Mum house as we do the final preparations for the big day. Just two more concerts to do on Monday and Christmas Eve.

Yesterday consisted of tidying and DIYing to Michael Buble's Christmas album followed by the week's "It Takes Two" (I hadn't had chance to watch any) and then the Strictly final.

Looking back on the day of Michael Buble and Harry Judd I said to daughter "You know, there's something about a man who can sing, and a man who can dance............."

(Yes, I admit, I looked wistfully into space as I remembered when I was in sixth form and had boyfriends who could do both)

To which she replied:

"So, basically, daddy is the wrong man for you."

Ah, hadn't thought that through, had I?

More Stuff to Keep Me Busy

2011-12-04T16:12:00.005Z

And this week I got a cold!

Yes, I've been struggling on with a runny nose, sore throat and aching bones.

And I made it to the weekend!

Which is quite surprising given that I am dealing with this at home:

You try having conversation on the phone from work with the builder about how you want your patio, paths and driveway to look when you leave the house in the dark, return in the dark and can't see a thing he's done until the weekend!

I've also managed to get all my reports written and make two dozen cakes for the school Christmas Fair:

(Overcompensating working mum syndrome kicking in?)

Then yesterday we attended said Christmas Fair and bought our cakes back (no, only joking). Daughter and I tried our hand at ice skating at the fair, but it wasn't ice, it was plastic and ice blades are not meant to glide effortlessly sideways, that's how you are supposed to brake! Consequently, not a lot of skating took place, mostly clinging and falling.

Today I charged hubby with taking daughter to swimming and riding and sending her off on the Brownie Winterwonderland trip and stupidly decided to brave the Trafford Centre to do some shopping I couldn't do via t'internet.

"I'll go early" I thought, "I'll be in and out before the crowds"

How wrong I was.

Seems the crowds also decided to go an hour before the shops opened.

Then, at the first till my credit card was denied.

And the second.

"Odd" I thought.

Then I remembered that I had topped up my phone that morning and my credit card provider always stops my card when I top up as a security measure and I have to phone them and confirm my last week's transactions before they release it.

Damn!

I'll be glad to get back to work tomorrow.

Getting close to the edge now

2011-11-26T13:53:00.003Z

Things are piling up.

26 reports left to write by Monday, then form reports due.

Strike looming on Wednesday and things are getting very stressful at school.

Husband came home last night saying his car's engine management system light was on and he would be taking my car for the weekend (to various football things) while I try to sort his car out.

I'm not happy.

The stress is beginning to show.

I forgot to order any fruit this week in my Tesco shop.

I forgot to buy a present for the girl whose party daughter is attending this afternoon.

No Christmas shopping done yet.

I just want to go to bed until it's all over.

November Nightmare

2011-11-20T18:25:00.004Z

November is always the worst month of the year for me. In the last three weeks I've worked 50 - 60 hours a week, I've done a Sixth Form Open Evening, an UVI Parents' Evening, marked 100 tests and then written the corresponding reports (only 50 more to do this week) and then yesterday, I worked another Open Morning!

On top of that there's been extra parental duties with daughter attending a party last Saturday (I took my laptop and sat in a corner writing reports, very antisocial, but very necessary) and husband abandoning us to yet more football matches leaving me to do all the choir, piano, swimming, riding and Brownie runs. I even had to return to school after dropping daughter at choir to attend her Parents' Evening!

Talking of which, I was chatting to another mum before I went in to see daughter's teacher and I said I was going to raise the issue of the amount of homework that is set (about 3 hours a week; yes, she is in year 3) and the other mum said, quite earnestly, "Do you think they don't get enough?".

Huh?!

It seems I am lacking in the pushy mum gene because I don't make my daughter do an hour of homework a night! Apparently I am dooming my child to failure because I just rely on the 8 hours hard work my daughter and her teachers put in every day to educate her. Funny how she came top of her year in the creative writing test, then. Do you think that has anything to do with her playing imaginatively in her room and in the garden, reading lots of books on her own and writing her own stories in her myriad of notebooks? And do you think my playing those games of Uno, Set and Acuity with her might have something to do with her having a maths age 4 years above her actual age? And all those books she reads and tells me about with great enthusiasm, do they contribute to her having a reading age 4 years above her actual age? There are many more ways a child can develop than being chained to the kitchen table doing homework.

Okay, rant over.

Anyway, back to November. It's the Christmas Fair time of year as well and so far I've donated bottles and chocolate the the school fair, decorated a Christmas cake for a colleague to raffle, donated chocolate to the Brownie's stall at the church Christmas fair, made 10 sweet and toy filled jam jars for daughter's class stall at the school Christmas Fair and sold 20 raffle tickets for the PTA (okay, I wrote a cheque for £20 and wrote various people's names on the stubbs) and I've yet to bake the cakes to take in the day before for the Cake stall. Help?

On top of all that, I'm rehearsing for Christmas concerts in Manchester and at the Bridgewater Hall and also rehearsing a piece written to celebrate the Olympics which we are performing around the country next year.

And I think there is something happening next month that I should be getting ready for............

What is it now?...........

Oh, that's it!

Christmas!!

Ghost of Christmas Present

2011-11-14T13:01:00.003Z

Saturday night I was sitting on the sofa next to husband who was watching some programme about people who can't sing. I was playing with my i-touch.

"Oooo!" I said, "Michael Buble has a Christmas album out!"

(I love cheesy Christmas songs)

"Yes" said husband, "it was on the radio"

"I've got enough money on i-tunes" I said, "I'll have that!"

and proceeded to download it.

Fast forward to Sunday night - I am sitting on the sofa next to my husband who is watching some programme about people who don't like heights jumping out of helicopters.

Suddenly, husband says:

"What would you like for Christmas?"

"I don't know really, maybe Will Young's new CD?"

"Michael Buble has a Christmas album out, would you like that?"

"WERE YOU SITTING NEXT TO ME LAST NIGHT?!"

Another thing they never tell you about having children

2011-11-02T13:16:00.003Z

While we were away I realised yet another thing that no one tells you before you have children. I hadn't realised until I was about to tuck in to my sea bream on a bed of samphire with broad beans:

In seven years I have yet to eat a hot meal in a restaurant.

I can order something hot, it arrives hot, but the minute the meal hits the table:

"Mummy, I need the toilet"

Not only that, she always wants the toilet a further three times during the meal thus rendering my food cold.

I have eaten cold pizza, cold pasta, cold chicken, cold soup, cold fish, etc, etc.

Perhaps I should just give in and order salad?

A Fortnight of Fun

2011-10-28T19:26:00.000+01:00

Since my school changed to a two week October half term three years ago it has become a much more relaxed holiday. I still have a list of jobs to do, cars to MOT, garden to sort out and such, but at least I have another few days to relax. My enlightened headmaster said that this would reduce illness in the second half of term for both staff and pupils and he was right; it has made a huge difference to the second half of term.

So what have I been up to?

Well, I went to see Peter Kay in "The Tour that doesn't Tour Tour" at the MEN Arena and laughed until my face hurt.

I've made lots of pumpkin cake and thai pumpkin soup, but none of it survived long enough to be photographed.

I went out for meal with two girlfriends, which felt like having a pass out for the night because I never go out unless it's work or choir related.

And we spent a few days here:

Husband surprised us by booking a couple of nights at Albrighton Hall, near Shrewsbury. He found a great deal on a family room for dinner, bed and breakfast. Unfortunately we didn't find out until we got there that it must have stated in invisible small print somewhere (it certainly wasn't on our booking confirmation) that the dinner part of the family room deal only applies to the adults of the family. Huh? Don't children eat?

Anyway, we decided not to starve our daughter, so we all enjoyed lovely food in the restaurant, we swam in the pool and we had a couple of days out.

We spent a day in Shrewsbury visiting the Abbey ( where daughter was amazed to see the 1000 year old tomb of William the Conqueror's right hand man, Roger de Montgomery) , the castle and wandering around the amazing Tudor streets with higgledy piggledy buildings.

We also spent a day at Ironbridge where we walked over the first iron bridge in the world:

and then visited Blists Hill Victorian Town (use for the TV series "Victorian Pharmacy"):

Tonight daughter is at a sleepover, husband is out for the evening and I've got my bar of Green and Blacks and an episode of Downton Abbey to watch. Great way to end a great fortnight!

It's Wagner, but not as we know it!

2011-10-24T19:36:00.003+01:00

As part of her musician's badge, daughter needs to talk to the tester about some music she enjoys. Now, over the last few months I have been trying to broaden her horizons and have been introducing her to some classical music. Mozart has featured heavily, but there have been other pieces which I thought would appeal to a child and I hoped she would choose something that I have played to her to talk about.

"I like that 'Raid of the Vikings' " she said.

"I don't know that one" I said, "Sing it to me"

She promptly did:

"Da da da daaaah dahhh, da da da daaaaah daaaaah"

"It's the "Ride of the Valkyries", sweetheart"

A Proper Little Imp

2011-10-20T21:31:00.001+01:00

Quick update:

Daughter was enrolled into Brownies this evening and is now a proper Imp (it figures).

She has gone to bed reading her "How to Be a Brownie" book which she brought home this evening.

I now have the list of dates and contact numbers on my pinboard in the kitchen and I've just spent an hour sewing Pack, County and Six badges onto her sash.

All is well with my little Brownie!

Brownies, Badges and Bread

2011-10-19T19:12:00.010+01:00

Well, I finally got round to phoning Brown Owl and all became clear.

I explained that I have a depsondent little Brownie who wants to be enrolled and did she know when that was likely to be? She said that they take a while to complete their book for enrolment, but she would dig out daughter's book and see where she is up to and test her tomorrow on her promise and law (she'd better relearn them!) At least I can now explain to daughter and she seems happier.

Brown Owl also said that she gave out a list of dates and events at the start of term, but I suspect my dizzy Izzy of a daughter walked right out of the hall without collecting one! She will give me another one tomorrow.

Brown Owl has now explained to me how they do their badges, some on Brownie nights and the others they do independently. She told me the sort of evidence we need to produce and we've already got people to sign for her Rider, Swimmer, Swimmer Advanced and Musician badges as she already fulfils the criteria. Izzy's also made invitations to invite her grandparents to dinner and fireworks on 5 November as the start of her Hostess badge.

She's now a happy Brownie!

And the bread?

Husband bought me this book for my birthday:

I've been trying out some recipes.

Who knew that cherries and chocolate would go so well in bread?

Concert, Curtains and Cake

2011-10-15T11:45:00.003+01:00

It's another busy Saturday morning: I've done the Tesco shop, unpacked it whilst doing four lots of washing (all the while husband sat watching the rugby, don't go there) and I've got two minutes to check my e-mails before I have to get ready to go and do a concert tonight for which I haven't yet memorised three pieces of music (wonder if I can do that whilst driving to the venue?)

Whilst whizzing round the house tidying up I noticed our weeping fig had very aptly weeped sap all over the carpet, cabinet and curtains in the lounge and during the last six slobby weeks, in which I have only entered the lounge to open and close curtains, the sap has happily grown some lovely green fungus on the cabinet and curtains - aaaaaargh!!

Good job I've just broken up for half term and can now sort the house out.

And I will find time to phone Brown Owl, promise.

Oh the joys of being a working mum!

And the cake?

Well, I've bought a pumpkin to make Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes.

Watch this space!

No Brownie Points for Brownies

2011-10-13T21:02:00.003+01:00

Daughter started Brownies five months ago and apart from the initial "Welcome to Brownies" leaflet, I've had no information at all.

Five months on and every week daughter comes home upset that she hasn't done her promise yet, but I've no idea what she needs to do or how long it will take, so I can't placate her.

I haven't had any lists of dates of meetings (vital since daughter does not have local school holidays so I don't know whether Brownies are meeting or not) or of Church Parades, consequently we missed the first Church Parade of the year. Luckily my MIL told me when Harvest Festival was so we didn't miss that one and I assumed they would need a Harvest Box.

Last week, in sheer desparation, knowing that some sort of subs must be due, I sent a blank cheque with a note saying I didn't know how much it was or who to make it payable to!

The last straw came tonight:

Daughter said that this week was "Badge Night"

"What does that mean?" I asked her.

"Don't know"

I assumed that they would be doing some activities toward a badge.

When I picked her up I asked

"Did you get a badge?"

"No" came the dejected reply, "But loads of girls got two or three!"

"How?" I asked.

"Don't know"

I now have one very demoralised Brownie on my hands.

Now, I know there are some wonderful Brownie leaders out there who read my blog, so I want some advice:

I don't want to be the "mithery mum", but should I phone Brown Owl and ask what is going on, when daughter will do her promise, ask for a list of dates and what daughter needs to do to get badges? Or do I just let it run it's course and all will be revealed at some point?

Move over Freddie!

2011-10-02T15:42:00.004+01:00

Another busy week in the Working Mum house.

Luckily, daughter's class teacher has been off ill this week. Well, not luckily for the teacher, I hope she is better soon, but it did mean a reduction in homework this week and we've done lots of other stuff instead.

The first thing I did was to become

"Best Mummy in the World, Ever!"

How?

Well, my daughter loves Lauren Child books and has ambitions to be an author herself, so when I saw that a local bookshop was holding the launch of Lauren's latest book "Look into my eyes" (about Ruby Redfort; Clarice Bean's favourite character) with food, a talk from Lauren and a signed copy of the book, I got straight on the phone and booked daughter and me a place.

Daughter was so pleased she could hardly speak!

Then she said,

"Shoot me if I'm not already dead!"

I think that meant she was happy!

She also wants to enter the Ruby Redfort Code Creator Contest that accompanies the launch of the book so I've been teaching her about different types of ciphers and she's been leaving coded messages for me all over the house!

Music has figured highly this week as daughter passed her audition for a local choir and has continued to show enthusiasm for learning the piano. On Thursday she asked me could she play "Bohemian Rhapsody". No, not after two lesson sweetheart. But then I got the sheet music for Bohemian Rhapsody and I played the "bummmmm, dum, dum, dum" bit while daughter played the "tink, tink" bit. (You know what I mean, just hum the intro to yourself.) We could hardly play for falling about laughing!!

Then, this weekend I have been preparing for a cupcake demonstration I'm doing tomorrow for some Duke of Edinburgh Award pupils at school. I decided to go for a Halloween theme, so daughter and I have been busy making all kinds of cake decorations:

So now I think it's about time to sit down with a cup of tea and catch up on "Strictly", another favourite of daughter's and mine.

So much better than homework.......................

Rain Gauge Sends WM Over Egde!!

2011-09-23T17:39:00.006+01:00

For the past three weeks I've been drowning in daughter's homework.

9 pieces the first week.

11 pieces the second week.

12 pieces this week.

Surely this is too much for a 7 year old?

I can't bear her sitting at the kitchen table with tears streaming down her face any more.

We can't do the internet based maths one on a Monday because daughter doesn't have access to a computer on Mondays (she does her homework in the car before going to choir, then it's milk and bed when she gets home).

The only way she can fit in all her homework on a Thursday before piano lesson and Brownies is for her to have a picnic tea in the car so she doesn't have to eat at home!

I don't think choir, piano and Brownies is an excessive amount of extra curricular activity during the week, but I'm starting to think something might have to go to accommodate the homework!

And now this weekend's homework has just sent me over the edge.

"Make a rain gauge and record the rainfall every day for a week from this Sunday"

Excuse me?

"All you need is a lemonade bottle and a measuring jug"

Well, we don't drink fizzy drinks in this house and if we did, what are the chances of us having an empty bottle or finishing one within the next 24 hours?

And who has time to measure rainfall every day?!!

I did consider making it up, but they want us to send in a photo of our rain gauge.

Anyone out there got a photo of a rain gauge I can pass off as ours?

The Mystery of the Repelling Cakes

2011-09-19T20:56:00.002+01:00

Yesterday, as per the tradition in my department, I made cakes for my birthday to take into work for my colleagues. This year I decided to make two types - chocolate brownie cakes with chocolate cream topping and red velvet cakes with cream cheese topping.

Now, the chocolate brownie cakes I have made before and the chocolate cream topping I had made before, but I thought I would have a go at chocolate transfers. I perused a few designs and then saw the perfect one for a maths department - Curves of Pursuit!! (Yes, I know, only a mathematician would get excited over curve of pursuit transfers). I melted dark chocolate and spread it over the transfer, then, after it had cooled, I cut out circles with a cutter and peeled them off the transfer to reveal perfect decorations:

Then came the red velvet cakes which I hadn't made before. It seemed a standard recipe with buttermilk and white wine vinegar, but I used gluten-free flour since a member of my department is gluten intolerant.

Now here's the mystery.

They looked beautiful when they came out of the oven.

They tasted light, fluffy and velvety (well, I had to try one to make sure!).

But then, as they cooled, the cakes came away from the cake cases!

Now these were Squires Kitchen top quality cake cases which I always use because they never, ever lose their colour. So was it the buttermilk, the vinegar or the gluten free flour? If anyone can tell me why they came away from the cases, and how to avoid it in future, please let me know.

Luckily, I managed to salvage a few:

Birthday Cake

2011-09-18T12:46:00.002+01:00

Today is my birthday and, for the first time ever, husband said he would make me a cake. I gave him a foolproof recipe for a Victoria Sponge, I gave daughter my cake decorating stuff including ready roll icing and cutters and left them to it.

And here's the result:

Best Birthday Cake EVER!!

Is it half term yet?

2011-09-11T20:44:00.002+01:00

Where did that week go?

I've been rushed off my feet with all the new term stuff, including settling daughter into year 3 and pursuading her to do her homework each night. (She's reluctant to read aloud after a summer of reading to herself and she said she couldn't write about "Autumn in my garden" because it isn't autumn yet, see? all the leaves are still green - sometimes she reminds me of that girl on "Outnumbered")

Here's a short version of the week:

Monday; INSET day. Discovered that my personal tolerance for listening to information is about a quarter of the time I had to sit and listen to stuff. Hope I didn't miss anything vital. Also discovered that my interactive whiteboard in my classroom was broken, have to teach without a board.

Tuesday: Pupils back in school and I went back to Chorale; consequently lost my voice half way through the first rehearsal. IT told me that my interactive whiteboard needed a new power thingy (technical term).

Wednesday: Dealt with all the parents' complaints from the first day. (Really, who complains that the lessons are too easy for their child after one day? Of course we start off gently, they can't remember anything after eight weeks' holiday! And, yes, the year 7 text books are used; at £15 a time we try to keep them a while before replacing them! ) IT said they didn't have a power thingy so they've ordered one.

Thursday: Introduced the sixth formers to the library; hoping they remember where it is. IT said power thingy should arrive tomorrow.

Friday: Year 7 Clubs Fair, Dinner Duty and Epipen Training to fit in around teaching lessons. Power thingy will arrive next week. Ready to hit the bottle!

This week is going to be even more hectic as I have an Information Evening to attend and daughter starts singing in a choir and piano lessons.

Oh the joys!

Back to School

2011-09-04T21:12:00.002+01:00

Tomorrow I go back to work after my lovely, long summer holiday.

Half way through the summer holiday I started to worry about going back to work, about jumping on the hamster wheel, teaching 130 teenagers a day, suffering from stress and generally being exhuasted all the time.

However, now, I'm ready.

I'm more than ready, I need to go back to work.

How do I know?

Well, I've started watching daytime TV.

I'm addicted to "Come Dine with Me", I'm trying to think of answers on "Pointless" and I'm on the verge of watching "Loose Women".

Help!

I definitely need to use my brain again!

Back to School "Whys?"

2011-09-03T09:47:00.000+01:00

WHY.........?

Why does daughter need 8 pieces of uniform, but 15 pieces of PE kit?
(I've always had a theory about the megalomania of PE teachers)

Why do school insist on every child having the same PE bag?
(Thus ensuring pupils pick up wrong bag or can't find theirs that has been taken in error)

Why do Clarks not realise that we will all buy school shoes in the last week of August and thus they need to stock accordingly?
(At £40 per pair we won't buy them any earlier in case of growth spurts)

Why do sports shops not sell hockey shin pads in August?
(I know it's not the hockey season, but daughter needs them for PE next week!)

Why did I not realise until I bought her trainers that daughter can't tie shoelaces?

Why does daughter have to provide her own pens, pencils, felt tips, rubber, pencil sharpener, ruler and glue stick (?!) for school when she is only 7 years old?

Just, why??

Give me strength!

2011-08-31T09:39:00.001+01:00

Izzy is away at my parents' for a few days.

Husband is off work today so he asked what we should do.

"Well, I'm going shopping for school shoes" I replied.

(That's school shoes for me, not Izzy.)

"I'll come with you" he said, "I'll just nip to the barber's first. I'll go on my bike."

Off he disappears into the garage to get his bike out.

Five minutes later:

"My bike's got a flat tyre. I'll have to drive."

Then:

"I'll nip to the dry cleaners while I'm in the car and pick up my suits"

Half an hour later he returns:

"I'll just phone the bike shop"

Then:

"They've got an inner tube, I can drop the bike off on our way"

Will I ever get to the Trafford Centre?

Cease and Desist

2011-08-28T00:09:00.008+01:00

It appears that a blogger has been copying and using content from several blogs and passing it off as her own, including content from this blog.

"Thinking" has now been found out and this evening she has made her blog invitation only. She should do the decent thing, shut her blog down and learn from her mistakes.

Having made her blog 'invitation only' I cannot contact her to tell her to cease and desist, thus I am publishing the following letter for "Thnking":

Dear Sir or Madam,

You are using a work that I own the copyright of. The name of the work involved is “Conversations with a four year old - the one about being late” and "Anything you can do............." from "Workingmumonverge.blogspot.com". It appears on a site operated by you at http://thinking-lifeandyou.blogspot.com. I have reserved all rights to this work, which was first published on http://workingmumonverge.blogspot.com/2009/03/conversations-with-four-year-old-one_14.html and http://workingmumonverge.blogspot.com/2009/03/anything-you-can-do.html in 2009.

Your copying and or use of my work, which appear at the link above, is unauthorized. You neither asked for nor received permission to use the piece nor to make or distribute copies of them in the manner you have. Furthermore, you have taken credit for my work and caused confusion as to whom the original author of the work is. Therefore, I believe you have willfully infringed my rights under 17 USC §101, et seq. and could be liable for statutory damages as high as $100,000. Further, such copyright infringement is a direct violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and International Copyright Law.

I demand that you immediately cease the use and distribution of the work and all copies of it, that you remove any further works you may have stolen and that you desist from this or any other infringement of my rights in the future. Furthermore, I demand that you post an apology on the site clarifying who the real author is and that you inform others that might have been misled by your misuse of the works’ origins.

If I have not received proof of compliance from you within 72 hours, I shall consider taking the full legal remedies available to rectify this situation including contacting my lawyer and/or your site’s administrators.

Sincerely

Carol Foster

aka Working Mum on the Verge

Update, 29 Aug 2011: Both of "Thinking"'s blogs have now been removed. I would like to thank Yellow Gal for alerting me to the plagiarism and to Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers and Crystal Jigsaw for their invaluable help.

Fun in the Yorkshire Dales

2011-08-25T14:30:00.007+01:00

Having spent a week in the Yorkshire Dales last summer, we decided to go back and sample more of the delights of this Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty and we weren't disappointed. Not only that, a week in a cottage in Masham, food, petrol and all the following days out cost, in total, around a quarter of that of our week at Center Parcs. (Hmmmmmm ........... food for thought)

So here's what we did.

We had a lovely day walking at Aysgarth Falls, after buying up half of the stock of the Wensleydale Creamery ("Abbot's Bronze" is the best cheese ever!):

After a morning at Middleham admiring the racehorses and watching them train on the Gallops:

there was an amazing trip to The Forbidden Corner (even after two hours we hadn't managed to find all the items on the list in this weird and wonderful garden!):

We had a free day at Lightwater Valley Theme Park (TGFTesco Clubcard points):

We enjoyed climbing all over the rocks at Brimham Rocks:

Whilst walking the Masham Leaf Trail (a walk punctuated with sculptures of leaves symbolising things about the area) daughter was delighted to be joined on our walk by a few ponies who wandered across the stream to see her:

We had a super day at Fountain's Abbey......

.............. and Studley Royal:

There was dressing up both at the Ripon Museums and at Fountain's Hall:

and of course, a trip to the Black Sheep Brewery, fudge from Joneva and ice cream from the Brymor Ice Cream Farm.

Guess I'll be going back on the diet now........

Back and Baking!

2011-08-23T19:43:00.002+01:00

I'm back from the Yorkshire Dales.

I've done the washing and ironing.

I've done the weekly food shop.

And I've been baking.

Presenting..........

......... ever so sophisticated Earl Grey Cupcakes:

Just the thing for a summer's afternoon tea!

These Boots are Made for Walking

2011-08-10T14:30:00.000+01:00

We're off on holiday again soon to the lovely Yorkshire Dales to eat lots of Wensleydale and do lots of walking.

Unfortunately, daughter had grown out of her old walking boots:

So we had a day trip to the Lake District and bought her some new ones:

Spot the difference!?

Landmark Post

2011-08-08T18:30:00.003+01:00

Can you believe it?

This is my sexcentennial post.

Yes, 600 posts and I'm still no nearer to "having it all".

But I am having fun!

Here's to the next 600:

Cheese Anniversary

2011-08-06T08:02:00.002+01:00

Today is our 18th Wedding Anniversary and according to Working Mum's (not-too-traditional) Anniversary List that's the "Cheese Anniversary".

Why?

Well, hubby asked me if I'd like to go out for a meal for our anniversary, but we went out last week for his birthday so I fancied doing something different.

After thinking for a while I decided that he could go to the Cheese Hamlet in Didsbury and buy some lovely cheeses (he has to have permission to go there because he always goes mad and buys the entire shop!).

So we're having baked Camembert, Grana Padano, Sage Derby, Hereford Red and Duckett's Caerphilly with a baguette from the French bakery and Scottish oatcakes, a few grapes and a nice bottle of red.

Hence, it's our Cheese Anniversary!

Sing us a song, you're the piano man

2011-08-01T20:16:00.005+01:00

I'm so excited.

I've bought a piano!

Daughter will be starting piano lessons in September but we don't actually have a piano. Small problem. So I've been looking and researching for over a year now - upright, digital, ebay, loot, music shops, etc, etc. I've been offered a second hand upright and a clavinova, but they were too expensive. I was beginning to despair of ever finding a decent one in our budget when my lovely parents surprised us with a cheque from my dad's retirement money. They didn't even know we were trying to buy a piano - how timely was that?!

After much research and umming and ahing I decided on a digital piano. The big plusses being no need to tune it and the ability to plug in headphones so she can practise without disturbing anyone else!

So today we took a trip to Harker and Howarth's in Bolton, drooled over the Steinways (at £23,000 I decided we didn't have the room for one!) and bought this one:

(click on the picture to find out more)

She'd better stick at the lessons now!

I Want to Ride My Bicycle

2011-07-30T15:14:00.003+01:00

As a mother I am a constant worrier about my daughter's health, weight, height, eating habits, fitness, etc, etc. I'm sure you know what I mean.

One thing I've noticed is that during term time my daughter puts on weight. Sitting in school all day and eating huge portions of unhealthy school puddings does her no good. (And yes, I know she does, because I work at the same school and sometimes I can catch her at lunchtime in the dining room feasting on a portion of syrup sponge and custard that would feed all three of us at home!) The school nurse has reassured me that children grow like Christmas trees, out then up, out then up, but I know that those puddings are a slippery slope!

So, at weekends and in the holidays I try to redress the balance. There is lots of healthy food and lots of exercise: games in the garden, walks, bike rides, trips to the park, swimming, etc.

Since I bought my new bike earlier this year I have been out cycling with her a lot as she seems to enjoy cycling more than anything else, but I fear I have overdone it.

Cycling to the shops, to the Water Park, along the Mersey, down the Bridgewater Canal, all over Center Parcs for a week and then Delamere Forest has been too much for her.

When I asked her to cycle to the Post Office with me this morning she said;

"Mummy, since you bought your bike I've had the tiredest legs in the world!"

Perhaps I should give the poor girl a break?

Delamere Forest

2011-07-29T18:30:00.000+01:00

This week we took advantage of the weather and took our bikes down to Delamere Forest for one of our Family Fun Days.

Delamere Forest is a place close to my heart. My parents used to take me and my brother there for walks and picnics and we used to get our Christmas tree there.

My grandparents use to pile 5 or 6 of us grandkids in the back of their car (you could do that in the 70s) and take us for walks and picnics.

When daughter was born it was a place we could go for a nice long walk with the pram and she first met Father Christmas there.

My brother proposed to his wife there and, as a wedding present from daughter, we bought them a tree there to remind them.

Now we take daughter for walks, picnics and bike rides. There are even open air concerts and a "Go Ape" aerial ropes adventure course now; never had that in my day!!

It's easy to get there by train (Delamere Station) or car (plenty of car parks) and the station cafe sells the most gorgeous Snugbury's Ice Cream ("White Mountain" and "Turkish Delight" are my favourites, not that I've had lots of Snugbury's ice cream, honest, I haven't)

So, if you want a nice family day out, pack a picnic and head to Delamere.

A Plum Harvest

2011-07-28T15:16:00.001+01:00

It's plum picking time again!

So far my plum tree has yielded 12lb of lovely ripe Victorias.

In the past few days I have made 7 jars of jam, 6 jars of chutney, one plum and hazelnut cake, 72 bars of sticky plum flapjack and one delicious plum drizzle cake:

Next I'm going to try plum and almond crumble slice........

For recipes click on the links

The difference between men and women, again.

2011-07-25T20:10:00.000+01:00

This weekend there was a good forecast for once so on Saturday morning husband I were sitting eating breakfast deciding what to do. Spot the difference.........

Him: We could go on a bike ride or a walk or visit the new maze at Speke Hall.

Me: It's not raining so we're doing the gardens, weeding the drive, mowing the lawns, washing all the bedding and cleaning the windows.

Well, you have to take the opportunity when it arises!

Back, but exhausted!

2011-07-24T11:24:00.003+01:00

We're back from Center Parcs.

And I'm exhausted.

As predicted, husband filled every minute of every day with swimming, cycling, walking, aerial ropes course, canoeing, crazy golf, quadbiking, archery, driving range, horse riding, laser combat, etc, etc.

You get the picture!

Actually, it was great fun, and we had such a good time.

What surprised me was how quickly I changed from being a caring mum saying things like:

"Are you warm enough, Izzy? Do you want your fleece?"

to running through the woods shouting

"Die Izzy, die!"

He he he!

Beware flying slugs!

2011-07-09T12:22:00.000+01:00

Daughter and I were enjoying a walk and a chat on the way home from Brownies on Thursday evening when, all of a sudden, a slug fell from the sky and landed right in front of us.

Followed by another.

And another!

Raining slugs!

Then I realised that this was not a natural phenomenon.

It was a neighbour in his garden launching slugs out into the road!

Eugh!!

Oh What a Glorious Thing to Be.....

2011-07-07T18:15:00.000+01:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks since I went to the Good Food Show.

It's also been a hassly couple of weeks for various reasons.

There's been some good stuff and some irritating stuff, but I've finally made it to the end of term!

Yes, I've broken up today!

So what have I been up to?

Well, there was Sports Day where daughter gave it her all:

At work there was Speech Day, "Picnic in the Park" featuring a Take That Tribute Band, our Department End of Term Meal and millions of reports to write.

There was singing in a concert in Manchester.

There was the usual taking daughter to parties.

There was driving all over the Northwest before and after work due to problems with husband's car. Don't get me started on last night's quest to find him at Saddleworth Golf Club!

And there was husband's triumphant second place in his work's Masterchef competition:

You can see why we were happy for him to practise on us at home:

(I taught him everything he knows!)

And now, finally, I can relax.........

......... well, apart from the shopping and packing for our holidays!

Good Day at Good Food

2011-06-19T21:35:00.000+01:00

I had a great time at the Good Food show yesterday with my old school friend. You know you are meant to be friends when you independently choose exactly the same three courses at lunch and you both pick the best sausages in the show!

(Thanks, H, for organising the trip when I was too stressed to think about it!)

I was overexcited watching John Torode and Gregg Wallace in full flow hosting a Masterchef cookoff between Dhruv Baker and Tim Anderson. I chose Tim's dish, but Dhruv won; I never pick the winner.

I watched a bread making masterclass by Paul Hollywood from The Great British Bakeoff:

Unfortunately, they sold out of his book at his booksigning, so I didn't mangage to get a signed copy, but I have his recipe for stilton and grape flatbread that I just have to make.

I had lunch at the Masterchef restaurant (courses inspired by those made by Masterchef winners) and enjoyed an hour of peace eating good food and drinking good wine with good company, before hitting the stands again.

I sampled lots of fabulous food and purchased a few, including this:

Well, how could I resisit cheese with chocolate?

(click on the picture to go to the website if you want to get some yourself)

Believe me, it is delicious; I sampled it four times, just to make sure. Just had to.

I got home just before bedtime and told husband and daughter all about it and they, being great Masterchef fans, are so jealous that they have insisted that we all have to go next year.

I think I could manage another visit!

Stuck in the 1950s?

2011-06-19T09:08:00.000+01:00

Today is Fathers' Day and earlier in the week I asked husband what he would like for Sunday lunch.

"Pork chops, stuffing and those roast potatoes you do with goose fat"

No fruit, vegetables or anything vaguely light and healthy was mentioned.

Have his taste buds not entered the 21st century?

I'm surprised he didn't ask for Spotted Dick and custard for pudding!

(He's getting this)

Food, Glorious Food

2011-06-17T20:43:00.002+01:00

Yes, well done to those who guessed Masterchef.

I'm going to the Good Food Show!
(with tickets to see Masterchef in the kitchen theatre)

Being an almost lifelong subscriber to Good Food Magazine I've always wanted to go, but the show was always in November which is the busiest time of year for me, so I've never managed to go.

Funnily enough, daughter has been. Our fabulous childminder took her. I was so jealous.

Now they have a Summer Good Food Show and a while back an old friend of mine,"old" as in I've known her since we were 10, not that she is old, asked me if I wanted to go.

I was super stressed out at the time and couldn't think about it, so I said "Yes, if you organise it" and organise it she did!

So I'm off to my mum and dad's tonight for a quiet night's sleep (no snoring) and she's picking me up in the morning.

We've got tickets to see John Torode and Gregg Wallace of Masterchef and I'm going to stuff myself with samples, buy lots of goodies and generally indulge my love of food!

I'll let you know how I get on.

In which I look for the silver lining

2011-06-16T18:14:00.008+01:00

It's been a bit of a week.

Short story - slight car crash on Sunday (husband's fault, no one hurt, two cars a bit crumpled), lots of hassle, lots of driving hubby to work at 7am and many hundreds of pounds worse off (mainly due to finding out hubby had points on licence which I hadn't told insurance company, because I didn't know, so they've bumped up our premiums by £250, trebled the excess from £125 to £375 and charged two admin fees of £15!)

Well, at least I've got something to look forward to this weekend.

Guess where I'm going.......

Clue: I'm going to see John and Gregg

Cupcake Consolations

2011-06-11T18:48:00.003+01:00

Today was the school summer fair. Thankfully it only rained for a little while at the start and then the sun came out and a good time was had by all.

There were lots of stalls, games and demonstrations in the arena, but the item daughter was most looking forward to was the cupcake decorating competition.

Well, she would, wouldn't she?

She spent hours this week making flowers, leaves and butterflies and then, on Friday evening she assembled her creation:

Unfortunately, she didn't win.

(I think the judges couldn't believe that a 7 year old could make such a creation by herself!)

Let them bake cakes

2011-06-09T19:02:00.002+01:00

So daughter had an idea re my pension or rather lack of pension problem. She said that we should move to the country and then I could bake cakes all day and sell them to people.

"Why do we have to move to the country to do that?" I asked.

"So that I can have a horse!" she replied.

I see, an ulterior motive!

With a heavy heart I fill in my ballot paper..........

2011-06-06T18:35:00.008+01:00

I wasn't going to blog about the strike ballot that's going on at the moment, but, this is a blog about a working mum and my job is teaching, so I shall.

When I started teaching I joined a very moderate teaching union that never, ever strikes and has always dealt with issues in a calm, rational manner whilst keeping us informed of the facts. I never wanted to be faced with a decision about whether to strike or not. Unfortunately, the government have decided to making sweeping changes to our pensions without any consultation and are not prepared to even give the unions vital information to understand their plans, never mind consult us or negotiate with us, so I find myself in a position of being balloted to vote about strike action for the first time in my career.

I'm not going to go into all the complexities of the problem, and believe me, it is complex, but I'll give you a quick precis in case you don't know what's going on.

To start with there is the fact that I will have to find an extra £1000 a year to pay into my pension (why? when we had a review of teacher pensions that we accepted in 2006 to ensure the future viablility of the scheme) or leave the teacher pension scheme altogether, there is the changing of the way they calculate the pension we will receive and future pension increases that mean I am going to be far worse off than I had planned for. Not to mention the fact that the government say I may not be allowed a pension at all!!

This is a big moving of goal posts. When I chose a career in teaching I accepted that I would earn less than my friends in other graduate professions, but that I would get good holidays and a half decent pension at the end of 40 years of lower pay.

However, the big one that scares me to death is the increase in retirement age. I know very few teachers who manage to keep going beyond the age of about 57. Most change to part time in their fifties to cope with the workload, stress and exhaustion before retiring early (on an actuarily reduced pension). It just isn't a job you can physically do for forty years.

Now, I've been teaching for eighteen years and in that time, in amongst all the coughs and colds, I've had the following:

I've developed asthma from using chalk
I've suffered two bouts of tendonitis in my shoulder (from writing on a board) so severe that I threw up with the pain
after one cold I suffered Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome for almost a year and was unable to do anything but work and sleep
two years ago, following a cold, I suffered Chronic Bronchitis for six months
I suffered a bout of debilitating migraines that led to my being on medication that knocked me out for ten hours a night
after being forced to cover lessons for a sick colleague on top of my own timetable I suffered Irritable Bowel Syndrome
I've currently got Plantar Fasciitis in my foot which can't heal because I'm on my feet all day
I've been rushed to hospital in an ambulance with chest pains and an irregular heartbeat

And I'm only 41.

Do you think I can teach until I'm 68?!!

I reckon it's the government's way of making sure that all teachers die before they retire and then they won't have to pay the pensions at all!

Nearly Perfect Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

2011-06-05T13:23:00.007+01:00

My favourite dessert by far is Lemon Meringue, so it makes sense that I would want to make Lemon Meringue cupcakes. I've made a few using different recipes, but never quite been happy with them. I can't quite master the meringue part - too crunchy, too gooey, not cooked through, etc.

Well, yesterday daughter and I went to a friend's for a barbecue and I was asked to provide cupcakes as my contribution. Perfect excuse to try out lemon meringue cupcakes with what I thought may be the answer to my problem, Italian meringue.

Here are the results:

Almost perfect.

The meringue was fabulous, just what I wanted. However, to make them perfect I think I need to make my own tangy lemon curd. But in the meantime here is the recipe for the nearly perfect cakes:

WM's Nearly Perfect Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

(makes about 18)

For the cakes
6 0z butter (room temp)
6 oz caster sugar
6 oz SF flour
3 medium eggs (room temp)
milk
zest of a lemon

For the filling
jar of good quality lemon curd

For the topping
3 egg whites
170g caster sugar
water
small silver balls

Heat oven to 160 deg C.
Put cupcake cases in muffin tins.
Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time beating until combined.
Add flour and a little milk until a light batter consistency.
Fold in lemon zest.
Put 1 tbsp of batter in each cake case and bake for approx 45 mins.
Cool on wire tray.

When cool, scoop out a teaspoon of cake from each one and fill with a teaspoon of lemon curd.

To make the meringue:
Beat the egg whites until soft peak stage.
Put sugar in pan and cover with water.
Heat gently until boiling.
Boil until syrup reaches soft ball stage (a small amount on a teaspoon dipped in cold water will form a soft ball when rolled between your fingers).
Then slowly add the sugar syrup to the egg whites whilst whisking on medium speed.
Turn up to high speed and whisk until bowl is cool.

You can now pipe the meringue on to the cakes and decorate with small silver balls.

The meringue does not need cooking since the sugar syrup sets the eggwhite, but I flashed them under the grill for 30 secs to brown just for aesthetic purposes.

Shops are So Last Century

2011-06-02T11:30:00.009+01:00

So, following on from the last post, we set about looking for a DS for daughter.

Being a savvy internet shopper, I searched and researched, price compared and decided on a pink DSi from Tesco Direct. All without leaving my sofa.

Husband, being an old fashioned kind of shopper, wanted to actually go and visit a shop with unhelpful staff, no stock and no interest in actually getting us what we want. So I indulged him and we set off for that temple to commercialism, the Trafford Centre.

After an hour of

"We don't have any in stock but we could order you one" (John Lewis)

"We only have a preowned one with no instructions" (Game)

"No, we don't have any pink left" (HMV)

"We don't sell pink ones" (Currys)

etc, etc, he admitted defeat and we returned home with a very disappointed seven year old.

So it was mummy to the rescue; I fired up the laptop, found Tesco Direct's pink DS, used their voucher for £10 off, used my Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for it and gained 240 extra points at the same time! (So basically they've paid me £2.40 to take a DS from them)

Voila!

Her DS arrives tomorrow!

Husband has now learned the power of the internet vs the inadequacy of shops. Even my mecca, Hotel Chocolat, didn't have the whisky truffles I wanted for my dad - they told me to order them on-line!

Well, since they've sent me a 10% off voucher for entering their Easter Competition............

Hmmmm, must try their new Summer Desserts, Peach Melba Knickerbocker Glory, Cherry Pop Slab and Making Sandcastles Raspberry Puddles.

Oooooo, the Summer Collection comes with a bottle of Sparkling Rose and a bottle of Prosecco!

Ooops, think I've discovered a drawback with internet shopping - far too easy to add stuff to your basket!

To DS or not to DS?

2011-06-01T18:31:00.006+01:00

Unbeknown to me, husband told daughter that he would buy her a Nintendo DS when she got her 400m badge at swimming. Well, last Sunday she did just that and returned from swimming lessons shouting, "I get a DS, I get a DS!".

I was not happy.

I am not happy about my daughter plugging in and checking out.

We have a laptop and a Wii, both of which she can use under supervision and usually together with me or husband. Things like Wii Sports or the Horrible Histories Game on CBBC (love Horrible Histories!). Sociable technology.

As far as I'm concerned DS = antisocial.

Husband did admit that he thought it would take her longer to get her 400m badge, but a promise is a promise.

So we've compromised.

A DS she shall get, but it will live in the games cupboard in the lounge (that's proper games like Uno, Pictionary, Scrabble and my latest acquisition Acuity) and we will ration its use.

So that's another thing to create arguments, whinging and sulking.

Thanks, hubby.

How much dirty washing can you accumulate in fortnight?

2011-05-30T19:05:00.001+01:00

Let me tell you:

School uniform, PE kit, work clothes, casual clothes, riding kit, swimming kits, Brownie uniform, four sets of bedding, two sets of towels, bedding from spare room, guest towels and several tea towels.

We are now drowning in dirty washing.

New machine comes tomorrow.

Just pray it doesn't rain so I can get it all dry!

Butlins for the Middle Classes

2011-05-24T19:53:00.001+01:00

This year, as Chancellor of the Working Mum House Exchequer, I announced that we couldn't afford a holiday abroad as well as replacing my car. So we decided we'd give Centre Parcs a go. A few of my colleagues have been, enjoyed it and said it would be great for daughter.

"Butlins for the Middle Classes" one of my colleagues said.

Well, I enjoyed family holidays at Butlins when I was young and I've nearly reached the middle classes (I know what pesto and focaccia is and I love Boden, does that count?)

So we booked our lodge.

A nice one because this is our main holiday.

Then I saw the price of bike hire, so I bought myself a bike.

And a cycle carrier for the car.

Then I booked a few activities: archery, a riding lesson for daughter, a banquet night.

Then husband found the "Book Activities" button and booked Laser Quest, Quad Biking and Aerial Ropes Course.

As retaliation I booked a massage at the Spa.

And I'm not cooking on my summer holiday, so I booked some restaurants.

Just got the credit card bill.

Ooops!

(Should've gone abroad)

Not Fretting

2011-05-22T14:16:00.003+01:00

Sunday.

Day of rest.

Well, thanks to a broken washing machine, it is.

No washing, drying, folding or ironing for me today!

Unfortunately, a broken washing machine also means that the Working Mum household are heading for slobsville. I've hand washed daughter's school dresses, but anything else will have to wait until I can get a new machine at half term. So no clean PE kit, towels or bedding.

See, that's a thing about working full time, you can't deal with stuff that goes wrong until the next time you are off work. Sure, I could order a new machine on t'internet, but when could I take delivery?

So, I'm not fretting about it.

Nor am I fretting about that toothache I've got, but can't get to the dentist until half term.

Nor am I fretting about the up and coming Speech Day at school where daughter has to attend school 11 am - 12 noon and I have attend from 1 pm - 6 pm and thus don't have enough time in between the two to deliver daughter somewhere that can look after her 'til 6.30pm.

Nor am I fretting about daughter's Sports Day, which this year is on the same afternoon as my school Sports Day (and it's the same school), so I am unlikely to be allowed time off to cheer her on even though she'll be on the next field!

No, I'm not fretting, honest!

Flying Solo

2011-05-16T18:28:00.001+01:00

Finally, my exam classes have gone on study leave.

Over the last three weeks I have marked 194 past papers for them.

I've helped, cajoled, pushed and encouraged them for long enough.

They're on their own now.

(Apart from when they come back into school to ask me for help, of course)

Over the past year, every time I've taken cakes into school my year 11 pupils have asked if they were for them and I had to disappoint them.

So, this time, I baked cakes for them.

I made lemon and lilac butterflies to symbolise their growing wings and flying off on their own.

I think the symbolism was lost on them.

They did enjoy the cakes, though.

Pot of Gold

2011-05-15T10:55:00.000+01:00

As Kelloggsville so rightly pointed out, daughter becoming seven also means the move from Rainbows to Brownies.

How did that happen?!

One minute I'm taking her to Rainbows for the first time, attending her Promise Party and sewing badges onto her tabard, now we're discarding the tabard in favour of a sash, jogging bottoms, t-shirt and hoodie!

She's talked about Brownies for the last few months and about how grown up it's going to be, the adventures she's going to have and going away to Brownie camp. She was so ready.

So last Monday was her last ever Rainbow meeting:

where she got her "Pot of Gold" badge (at the end of the Rainbows, get it?). I promptly sewed it onto her Brownie sash and on Thursday she started Brownies:

How grown up does she look in her Brownie uniform?

Another of life's little milestones.

Good time to ask for that Mini Cooper I want?

2011-05-14T18:41:00.005+01:00

For the first time in my husband's lifetime:

How good a mood will he be in when he gets back from Wembley later?

About being seven

2011-05-13T17:47:00.000+01:00

Yesterday daughter declared that it is no fun being seven and she wished she was six again.

Why?

Well, when daughter turned 7 last month we instigated some new rules:

Use knife and fork properly
Tigger to stay in bedroom (to prevent thumb sucking)
No getting up again after being put to bed (it was starting to become a habit)

It seems that these rules are not acceptable to her.

I did point out that other things changed when she turned seven:

Her pocket money went up to 70p per week (it's always ten times her age)
Her bed time increased to 7.45pm
She can choose her school snack (from a prescribed list)

She said she'd rather give up those three and not have to do the first three!

Time to bully off!

2011-05-07T15:31:00.004+01:00

We've only been back at school for two weeks, okay seven working days, and I'm already drowning in a sea of marking. I have four exam classes who are all working through past exam papers at a great rate of knots and a quick turn around is necessary to give them useful feedback. Hence I have been busy every night at the kitchen table.

No TV, no computer, just exam papers, pots of tea and lots of chocolate.

Except on Thursday when I went back to school in the evening for information about daughter moving from infants to juniors in September.

Who knew she was going to need a dentist fitted mouthguard, fitted shin pads, long hockey socks, a gym skirt, cycling shorts, a micofibre suit and three, yes, three sports bags!!?

It seems the difference between year 2 and year 3 is the physical education. Dance, gymnastics, netball, hockey, swimming, athletics and tennis.

My worst nightmare!

Luckily my daughter has not yet realised her physical limitations (she hasn't cottoned on to the fact that she has inherited my sporting genes) and is quite looking forward to playing hockey.

Unfortunately she has now declared that she wants to play ice hockey and wants me to take her ice skating as well.

Help!

Three Thousand Three Hundred and Thirty Three

2011-05-01T18:51:00.004+01:00

For a while now, on the advice of my speech therapist mum, I have been encouraging daughter to pronounce her "th's" properly. My mum says that this is the age they need to develop the "th" sound and if she doesn't it could be a problem to correct it later.

So, she has been trying really hard to pronounce words like "three", "the" and "then".

I've even heard her practising to herself:

"three thousand three hundred and thirty three"!

However, I felt she'd gone a bit too far last week when she asked me if the Royal Wedding was on Thriday!

Cakes for William and Kate

2011-04-29T11:27:00.001+01:00

Thirty years ago, as an eleven year old, I was totally transfixed by the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer. Today I am just as excited enjoying the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Daughter and I are watching the coverage on the BBC and oohing and aahing over the outfits, the Abbey and the horses, joining in the hymn singing and relishing this little bit of history being made.

Husband is jet washing the patio.

Of course, to celebrate the day I have made some special cupcakes:

The cakes are a mixture of raspberry, bluebery and vanilla sponge cakes (red, white and blue, get it?) and then patriotically decorated with Regal ice, vanilla buttercream, red, silver and blue glitter and plenty of union jacks.

I bet husband won't turn his nose up at them!

Congratulations William and Kate!

Pony Party Take 2

2011-04-24T10:15:00.005+01:00

Yesterday was daughter's 7th birthday party and she requested the same pony riding party that she had last year. ( Well, she would, wouldn't she?)

So eleven children mounted their ponies and set off for a little trek before enjoying a birthday tea.

Perfect!

No cooking or catering (except the cake), no entertaining to do, no clearing up and no washing up.

My kind of birthday party!

Unfortunately, I put husband in charge of photos this year and he hasn't yet grabbed the concept of digital photography, ie he spends ages trying to get the best shot and misses it, rather than taking 12 photos of the same thing thus ensuring that one of them is a really good one (my preferred method of photography!).

Anyway, here are a few good pictures he got of the birthday girl:
(I've blurred the other children's faces, it's not his bad photography!)

Hmmm, seem to have a bit of deja vu about this post........

(see Pony Riding Party Bliss)

Birthday Cake Take 2

2011-04-22T15:45:00.001+01:00

Well, the Easter holiday is nearly over, it's been jam packed with walking, cycling, seeing friends and family and generally enjoying the unseasonably good weather but there's one more important event before we go back to school.....

............ tomorrow is daughter's 7th birthday party.

Her birthday is on Tuesday, but tomorrow was the only day anywhere near her birthday that I could book the pony riding party that she wanted, again.

So it's the same as last year, pony riding and then a birthday tea with the same cake as last year. (Have to get my use out of the tin since I bought it!). This year, instead of vanilla sponge and a pink and lilac colourway, we've gone for chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream and a brown and yellow combo.

So I've spent this lovely Good Friday locked in the kitchen for hours making the perfect cake for a seven year old pony mad girl.

I've finally finished it.

Ta dah!

Definitely going to put my feet up now.

Blue Moon

2011-04-18T20:05:00.000+01:00

Well, I guess I have to eat my words since City managed to beat United on Saturday.

Husband has worn his City shirt constantly since.

Unfortunately this means that the whole "queueing up at 5.30am three times to get tickets, miss the coach tickets and have to drive to Wemberlee" thing starts all over again.

But, as he keeps telling me, "I've waited 30 years for this"!

You have to hand it to City fans, they are patient.

Wem-ber-lee

2011-04-15T19:18:00.004+01:00

You have to pronounce it like that, apparently.

Yes, husband is off to Wem-ber-lee tomorrow to watch City get beaten by United.

He queued at the City of Manchester Stadium from 5.30am three times to get tickets for himself, his sister, niece and nephew and his brother-in-law.

(You can only buy tickets on certain days according to how many points you have and no, they don't bend the rules to let families sit together, so they are sitting separately)

He even got himself, me and daughter mentioned on Chris Evans' Breakfast Show one morning whilst queueing!

By the time he'd got all the tickets all the seats on the coaches had gone, so after all that hassle he then had to organise transport to Wem-ber-lee.

In the end he has decided to drive.

330 miles there and back.

Now, is it me, or is there something odd about the fact that this weekend Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bolton and Stoke fans are all travelling 330 miles to London and back to watch their teams play?

Not to mention the congestion that will be caused by half the North West travelling down the M6, the pollution it causes and the cost to the fans.

Whose idea was this?

(I suspect it's the government's who are making 80p tax per litre on the petrol)

Easter Holiday Stuff

2011-04-14T16:45:00.005+01:00

It's the Easter Holiday! Yay!

I actually broke up last week, but due to pure exhaustion (see last post) I haven't blogged about it until now.

Having slept and regained some of my energy I've done a bit of gardening, walking, shopping and baking and I've finally finished making a Blurb book of our trip to Disney last Easter (only taken me a year!). I've also been for a bike ride on my new bike, even if it was only to the local cafe for breakfast; so much nicer when someone else makes it and no washing up!

Last night daughter had a friend over for her first ever sleepover. Was I mad? Two screaming six year olds too overexcited to sleep. Didn't help that husband had told daughter that they could have a midnight feast and they were determined to stay awake to have it at midnight! Luckily, clever mummy had removed the clocks from the room and managed to convince them it was midnight at 10pm. They had their feast, brushed their teeth and then went to sleep content that they'd had a midnight feast!

So, with another fortnight ahead of me I'm going to enjoy this holiday seeing friends, singing at the Bridgewater Hall and organising daughter's 7th birthday party. How did that come round so soon?

And the best bit of the Easter Holiday.......... only nine more days until I can eat chocolate again!

Lipstick, Powder and Paint

2011-04-10T17:58:00.002+01:00

Last night I was doing my face getting ready to go out with some friends and daughter was watching me, as I used to do with my mum.

"What's that?", she asked.

"That's eyeshadow", I replied.

"What's that stick for?" she asked.

"That's mascara for my eyelashes", I replied.

"And what's that grey stuff?" she asked.

"What grey stuff?"

"The grey stuff under your eyes"

"That's not make up. That's exhaustion."

Why gambling never pays

2011-04-07T14:58:00.005+01:00

This Saturday is the Grand National.

For as long as I can remember I've watched the National with great anticipation and excitement.

When I was little I would choose a horse from the list in the paper (usually something to do with what I'd dreamed about the night before) and Dad would go and put bets on for us.

It always seemed strange to me that my parents would encourage me to gamble, but now I'm doing the same with my daughter. It's the one horse race of the year in which whole families cheer on their favourite.

The whole of Britain seems to stop at 3pm and an eerie silence falls around apart from TVs and radios broadcasting the commentary.

I think the excitement comes from the fact that any horse could win.

This year one of the secretaries at school organised a sweepstake so I thought I'd give it a go, paid my £2 and waited to hear which horse I'd got.

Yesterday they made the draw.

I was first out of the hat and allocated "Madison du Berlais".

The problem?

"Madison du Berlais" isn't running in the National!

Am I the quickest ever loser of a sweepstake?

Mother's Day Cupcakes

2011-04-03T20:34:00.003+01:00

It worked.

Lowering my expectations, that is.

I had a quite nice day.

Breakfast in bed.

(No croissants or muffins, but a round of toast and marmelade and a cup of tea)

A homemade picture daughter had done at Rainbows, a bouquet of paper flowers she'd made at school and a Hotel Chocolat "All about Mum Collection" which husband had ordered on t'internet (I'd circled it in the Hotel Chocolat brochure just to make sure).

Of course, I spent the day hoovering, cleaning, ironing and standing in the rain at daughter's riding lesson, but inbetween I thought I would make some cakes for our weekly Sunday afternoon tea.

Now, it is traditional to make Simnel Cake on Mother's Day. In olden days, on Refreshment Sunday, maids were allowed to make a Simnel Cake in the kitchens and take it to their mothers, hence why Refreshment Sunday became Mothering Sunday. However, I didn't want a big heavy fruit cake, so I saw this recipe for Simnel Muffins and thought, "Perfect"!

What do you think?

How to enjoy Mothers' Day

2011-03-29T18:24:00.001+01:00

Yes, it's come round again.

Mothering Sunday is this Sunday.

A day to cherish mothers everywhere.

So what do I want for Mothers' Day?

Hmmmm, let me see.......

to wake up naturally having had enough sleep (ie not by an alarm, husband's snoring or daughter jumping on top of me)

to experience the magic fairies for myself (you know, the ones who do the washing, cleaning, tidying, etc)

to have five minutes' peace at some point during the day

However, after six years of Mothers' Days I think I have realised the best way to enjoy it..........

................ lower my expectations.

I ....... need ........ chocolate!

2011-03-23T18:39:00.004Z

I've been doing so well.

So well in fact that I was beginning to feel a little smug.

"This giving up chocolate for lent thing isn't too difficult", I thought.

Well, not if you replace the chocolate with marshmallows, Starburst and fudge, it isn't!

Oh, is that not the point?

Anyway, I was doing well until this week.

You see I have fifty subject reports and twenty form reports to write by Friday and a Parents' Evening tomorrow. I still have forty lessons a fortnight to prepare and teach, 260 pieces of homework a week to mark and 130 children to assess, record and discipline.

Oh, and tomorrow I've got one of those "personal development" interviews where I realise my career is going nowhere.

I'm so tired I could sleep stood up.

Easter is still weeks off.

There is no end in sight.

I need chocolate.

Only Green & Black's Maya Gold will do.

I .... must..... resist....... temptation

Hide and Seek Hamster

2011-03-20T11:50:00.005Z

After a very trying day yesterday when daughter whinged and moaned about everything and also throughout our entire bike ride in the afternoon, I was looking forward to going to my friend's 40th birthday bash at a smart teppanyaki restaurant in Manchester.

MIL was booked to babysit and husband had been and collected her.

I had managed to get ready whilst corralling daughter into tidying her room and putting her pjs on and I was just putting the final touches to my face while she and MIL were in lounge.

Then I heard the scream.

Intense sobbing ensued and we rushed into the lounge to see what had happened.

It appears that daughter had taken her hamster out of its cage to show MIL, she had put it down on the sofa where MIL had taken a large cushion away (she needs to sit on a tower of cushions in order to be able to get up again) and the hamster had promptly burrowed down into the bottom of the sofa.

We found a shocked MIL, a sobbing child and a hamster rattling around in the sofa!!

Well, we couldn't leave the house with all that going on; dead or alive that hamster had to come out of the sofa (couldn't have a decaying hamster inside it) and with daughter's hysterics, it had better be alive. So husband began trying to entice the hamster out with food.

I texted my friend to say that we were going to be late.

Afte 30 minutes of trying to get his hands down the back of the sofa and entice him out, drastic measures were needed - husband got the stanley knife.

After hacking holes in the bottom of my beautiful sofa he eventually managed to extract the hamster.

Daughter was resoundedly told off and we set off for Manchester.

We arrived 30 minutes late to find everyone waiting for us, including the performance chefs!

And our excuse was an errant hamster.

How embarrassing!

Things about me

2011-03-18T17:17:00.002Z

The inspiring Studentmum, who amazes me with her determination, drive and perseverance in pursuing her Master's degree, has given me an award:

Now I have to share 7 things about myself and pass the award on to 15 bloggers.

Well now, seven things, hmmmmmm............

What don't you already know after three years of blogging?

You know about my obsession with height order books on bookcases, that I can recite the alphabet backwards, I've sung with Jose Carreras and Pavarotti, I've paddled a canoe on the Amazon and I can ring church bells.

Not a lot left.

So, scraping the barrel, here goes:

I have a phobia of frogs.
I can't bear beetroot. Or liver.
I have no sense of direction.
I'm allergic to cats and pollen.
I love fine china plates and crystal glasses (my mum says I was born to be a lady!)
My favourite composer is Mozart (although I can't listen to the Flute and Harp Concerto anymore since it was the soundtrack to my 20 hour labour)
I never empty bins (drives husband insane, but I just don't do it, don't know why)

Now, I'm notoriously bad at passing on awards, so I'll just say the first fifteen bloggers to comment who wish to take up the meme can have the award.

Genetically Modified Daughter

2011-03-15T19:51:00.000Z

It's very strange going to daughter's Parents' Evening; the shoe being on the other foot, so to speak. Making small talk with other parents whilst waiting for our turn. Reading daughter's school books, which, quite frankly, amaze me with the volume and quality of work.

I don't remember doing that much written work when I was six; I remember singing, painting, watching TV programmes about Victorians and drawing on the board in differently coloured chalk. Well, it was the seventies!

Anyway, when it was our turn we entered daughter's classsroom and listened to her teacher tell us about daughter's achievements, potential and targets. All good stuff and I was starting to feel immensely proud and just a little bit smug. Then we get to "Personal and Social Stuff" (not the official school term for it).

Her teacher tells us that daughter has perfectionist tendencies, displays anxiety when she can't achieve her own high standards and gets upset when given constructive criticism.

Wonder who she inherited that from?

Oops!

A Day Off

2011-03-12T18:27:00.004Z

It doesn't happen often, but today I had a day off. Not a day off from work, no, it's Saturday, I'm off work anyway. No, a day off from being a wife and mother.

How so?

Well, yesterday hubby declared that he would take daughter to work with him this morning and then on to a fabulous swimming pool near where he works. He's just found out about it and wanted to try it. It has a wave pool, fountains and slides. Just her sort of thing.

So I had a day to myself!

What to do?

I considered going out somewhere, but I didn't fancy traffic or crowds or spending money I haven't got. I thought about going out on my new bike, but the forecast was rain. Then it hit me. I could stay in and enjoy having the house to myself.

So what did I do?

Well, I spent the morning spring cleaning the kitchen which may not sound like fun, but I spend a lot of time in there and I like it to be clean and sparkly. I cleaned every surface, window, cupboard door, etc until the whole place gleamed. Hugely satisfying.

Then, I enjoyed a quiet lunch of feta and pomegranate salad with red wine vinegar and wholegrain mustard dressing. Who says eating alone has to be dull?

Next I had a cup of tea and a homemade cranberry and cream cheese muffin whilst watching an episode of "Downton Abbey". Such a luxury to eat in the lounge - I can't do that when daughter's around, have to set an example!

Then I cut up some old Good Food magazines and stuck recipes in my book making a mental note of things I want to try.

I did some on-line shopping for daughter's summer wardrobe, spending money I haven't got, I know, but she needs clothes and I did have a code for a discount at Mini Boden!

Finally, I did a bit of pottering. You know, mooching round the house moving stuff, sorting stuff, etc. Reading daughter's "News Book" from last year which her teacher has just sent home following inspection. I'm not sure I liked daughter's description of me as "has thousands of handbags"!

Then the rest of the WM family arrived home, daughter made the evening meal for all of us and hubby will do the dishes.

I'm now sitting with a cup of tea and my laptop while daugher gets her pjs on, then it's an episode of Doctor Who with her before bedtime and a DVD and a bottle of wine with hubby after.

I enjoyed my day off, but it's nice to have them back.

Giving up for Lent

2011-03-09T19:12:00.006Z

Yesterday we had our pancakes. Lovely homemade ones with the traditional lemon and sugar. We talked to daughter about why we eat pancakes and about Lent and why we give something up during Lent.

So we all decided:

Daddy's giving up bread.

(Very good idea, he has a real bread habit and it's not good for him)

Mummy's giving up chocolate.

(I know, I know, but it was either that or wine so you can see why I chose chocolate!)

Daughter said she'd give up "seconds".

However, when I picked her up from school today she declared she couldn't give up seconds because there may be crumble on Sunday.

"So what are you giving up?" I asked.

"Eating bogeys"!!

Euwww!

Serendipity

2011-03-07T09:15:00.001Z

Serendipity.

"An aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident"

Well, here's a little example:

I have to do a couple of "duties" a week at work.

I hate duty.

Especially outside.

I hate being forced to walk around in the cold and the rain for half an hour while there is tons of stuff to do on my desk.

Well, this term I'm on duty by the astroturf on a Thursday lunchtime.

Primarily to ensure that year 10 boys don't kick their footballs through the Headmaster's Study windows by accident.

However, it is precisely when my daughter and her little year 2 friends are all doing "Football Club"!

Such a joy to watch them try to pass the ball to each other!

And, of course, steal a quick kiss through the fencing when she runs up to see me!

Serendipity!

Survived

2011-03-06T19:14:00.001Z

So I survived the week.

A week of Inset, Inspectors and yet another Parents' Evening.

I managed to stay alert and look like this:

Mainly because when I got home I looked like this:

Oh, okay, more like this:

This weekend was a whirl of catching up on housework, catching up on schoolwork and taking daughter to parties, swimming and riding.

I am worn out.

So tonight I am going to look like this:

Just me, a "Madmen" DVD and a bar of Green and Blacks.

Bliss!

Under Pressure

2011-03-05T08:50:00.001Z

On Monday on BBC2, a fellow working mum, Sophie Raworth, is presenting a documentary entitled "Parents Under Pressure" exploring some of the reasons why, in a UNICEF survey, Britain's children come bottom in a table of 21 developed countries for well being.

What interests me, as a permanently guilty working mum, is how to avoid this depressing statistic.

An American scheme, Families and Schools Together, featured in the programme, give a few pointers such as

eat together as a family once a week
give your children 15 minutes of undivided attention each day
pick your children up from school at least once a week
teach your children to cook

(Is is me or are those things that our parents did with us?)

Well, I manage all of those, but I want to add a couple of my own:

firstly, play games together - see The Happy Puzzle Company for ideas - families that play together stay together! (Of course, you have to not mind when your six year old starts giving you tips on tactics when playing Uno!)

secondly, get outside together every weekend: walking, bike riding (on my new bike!), welly wanging, etc (and amuse your neighbours in the process!)

thirdly, once a week, put on a Queen song and sing and dance your hearts out (air guitar optional)!

Altogether now..........

"Under Pressure - dum dum dum diddy dum dum"

How do you like your eggs in the morning?

2011-03-04T18:52:00.000Z

Recently I have been encouraging daughter to be a little more independent. To take more responsibility for herself and her wellbeing. Now that she's really keen on cooking I had the idea for her to start making her own breakfast, rather than just pouring herself a glass of juice and putting her order in!

Today I mooted the idea:

"Would you like to make your own breakfasts?" I asked.

"Oooo yeah!" she replied, with much more enthusiasm than I expected.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Chocolate ice cream every morning!"

Not exactly what I had in mind.

Half Term Happiness

2011-02-28T17:00:00.002Z

I have my laptop back and it's intact!!

Have laptop, will blog!

I'm afraid I won't be wading through the 607 unread posts in my google reader, but I will get round to visiting you all eventually.

So, on with the blog......

Half Term was busy as usual so I'll just give the highlights:

daughter got new hamster, "Nibbles"

I got a new bike! Love it!

I got a new car!!! "Persephone Polo"

We went for a walk around Alderley Edge to look for wizards and witches

Endured lunch with MIL (precisely 11 minutes before she began to be depressing and talk about illness and death) but the food was good

We went for a bike ride on our bikes. I love my new bike! Why did I wait so long to get a new one?

I baked lots of bread (inspired by Lorraine Pascale)

Bought some of these:
and some of these:

for my neice, nephew and goddaughter.

(Now feeling very smug about getting ahead for Easter)

I watched "Avatar" (bit disappointing, must have been great in 3-D on cinema, not so impressive on a little portable TV in my bedroom)

I watched "Coco avant Chanel" (Very disappointing; didn't really go into any depth about her life except her ability to sleep with men for self gain)

Reread two "Lucia" books by E F Benson; I'd forgotten how good they are.

Booked daughter's birthday party at pony riding centre again. If it ain't broke........

Made some biscuits:

Guess who chose the design?

Now it's back to work and "hello inspectors"!

I want a person, not a system!!

2011-02-27T13:49:00.005Z

Still suffering the temporary loss of my laptop.

Have snuck upstairs to use husband's laptop while he's at City so that I can tell you the story:

So my laptop broke.

Well, to be precise, daughter broke a mouse button whilst caring for her Bratz fish (don't ask).

I rang up to see if the repair was covered by my laptop insurance thingy and luckily, yes.

However, they said I had to back up all my data in case they had to restore factory settings.

What? To fix a mouse button?

Well, the data is no problem, but I didn't want to have to install all my software again, set up my e-mail client, i-tunes, etc, etc.

So I asked what I thought was a reasonable question:

"Can you note that if you have to restore factory settings to fix the mouse button, please don't do it, I'll use an external mouse?"

No.

Apparently, their systems do not allow for this.

"Well," I thought, "I'll ask when I take it in", and I proceeded to book it in.

Now, I thought that a booking-in system means that your laptop gets fixed when you 've booked it in.

No, they need to keep it for 10 days!!

What's the point of booking in?

So I took the laptop in and asked the girl on the desk if I could leave a message that I do not want it to be fixed if it entailed restoring factory settings.

She looked puzzled.

They don't do messages.

"Well, how about we leave a message actually in the laptop?", I suggested.

"Okay, but I can't guarantee they'll read it"

Give me strength!

Then she handed me a notice to sign to say that I agree to their restoring factory settings, if necessary.

Oh, I can write a note on here", I said, and proceeded to write my proviso.

"Oh, no one reads that", she said.

"Unless someone makes a complaint", I thought.

So, I left my laptop with much trepidation and a wearying sense of doom.........

Yesterday I received an automated phone message to say that my repair has been completed and I can collect my device tomorrow.

Watch this space.......

Which do you want first? The good news or the bad news

2011-02-19T10:07:00.002Z

Bad news: Hamster had to be put down today.

Good news: Daughter has seen another one she wants.

Bad news: The car I saw in a garage yesterday has been sold

Good news: They have a similar one coming in

Bad news: Laptop broken

Good news: Repair covered by insurance

Bad news: They are keeping my laptop for 10 days to fix it!!

Good news: I might get some housework done without t'internet to distract me!

See you in 10 days!

Rapunzel in a Tangle

2011-02-15T20:55:00.004Z

Right, happy posts again, I promise.

Actually, I had a very happy time last Saturday.

We did our "mummy and daughter" thing:

a hot chocolate for her, a cup of tea for me and a good film.

We went to see Disney's new film "Tangled":

It almost passed me by.

I hadn't seen any publicity for it and I hadn't even realised that it was actually based on the story of Rapunzel. In fact, Disney's original title for the film was "Rapunzel":

but they changed it to "Tangled" saying it was a "really fresh, smart take on the Rapunzel story".

Well, it certainly was that.

Great story, great characters, fabulous villain.

The songs were a little cheesy, but then, it is Disney.

We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Well, apart from when the mum sitting behind me spoiled the ending by telling her son what was going to happen so loudly that we all heard.

Why?

Why would you do that?

Anyway, if you're looking for something to do on a wet afternoon in half term I would recommend a couple of hours at the cinema watching "Tangled".

Just watch who you sit in front of!

Feel the love

2011-02-14T18:27:00.003Z

Baking always makes me feel better.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Riding along on my pushbike, honey

2011-02-13T20:21:00.003Z

Haven't posted for a while. Bit busy. Bit stressed. Bit down.

Everyday there seems to be more bad news.

Both personally and nationally.

And this recession feels more like a depression.

Taxes going up, prices going up, and the latest blow - the Government have declared that from next year they are going to take an extra £1000 a year out of my salary for my pension.

I need a new car.

We have decided that we cannot holiday abroad this year.

I know people will say I'm lucky, I've got a job, I can still have a holiday, I don't have to worry about paying bills, I can still afford a decent lifestyle, but here's the thing:

I've worked hard to get qualifications, I work hard at my job, I have spent 20 years living within my means and now it feels like I'm being financially punished for the excesses of others.

I've done nothing wrong!!

I can't change it. I just have to lump it.

The only thing to do now is to stop moaning about it.

And I promise I will.

Stop, that is.

And with expert timing, my dad has decided to cheer us all up!

He has suddenly decided he wants to treat us all.

He said he wants to buy us all something we want, but won't buy for ourselves.

Clever dad.

He knows that if he gave us each some money it would go on food, petrol and clothes.

He will only get us something we won't buy ourselves so that it will be a real treat.

So I'm getting.............

........... a new bicycle!!

My old one was on its last legs (or wheels!) so I got rid of it when we moved house. I said that I would get a new one when daughter had learned to ride so we can all go cycling together, but haven't got round to buying one yet.

So, I'll be off to the local cycle shop soon to get my new wheels.

When I told daughter I was getting a new bicycle she thought for a minute, and then said,

"Will you need stabilisers?"

Pass the chocolate.............

2011-02-03T17:43:00.002Z

It seems to have been the week from hell workwise.

A very long and difficult Parents' Evening on Monday night followed by the arrival of the Inspectors on Tuesday was not a good start.

For those who asked, it isn't an "OFSTED" inspection because I don't work in a state school. Independent (private) schools have their own type of Inspection which consists of a two pronged attack; they came this week to check compliance and regulatory stuff and did some preliminary work on lesson observation, pupil interviews, pupil and parent questionnaires, etc and then they come back after half term for a much more detailed inspection including lots of lesson observation! So I find myself having to write quite detailed lesson plans for every lesson just in case they pop in, which is very time consuming. It's all in my head, I just don't usually write it all down in minute detail for someone else!

Consequently, I don't seem to have caught up with myself at all this week and, despite taking a packed lunch into school every day, I am still drowning in a sea of admin and marking.

Then, remember last week my mixer blew up? Well, this week my hairdryer blew up! Imagine, a stressful week at work and trying to dry your hair every morning with a travel hairdryer!

It's no wonder I've cracked open the box of Cadbury Heroes left over from Christmas!

Just when you think life couldn't get any busier.......

2011-01-30T18:36:00.005Z

I seem to have been my usual busy self since Christmas and now it's all catching up with me. Too many evenings out, too much housework and definitely too much marking are taking their toll. Last night I was at a 60th birthday party wishing I was at home having a night in with a DVD and a glass of wine!

Am I getting old?

Things don't look like they are going to ease up any time soon, either.

I've got a concert next Saturday which I'm not quite ready for.

I still need childcare for the afternoon rehearsal while hubby is at City's match.

I've got another Parents' Evening tomorrow.

Oh, and just one small extra little thing to stress me out........

I somehow need to change from this:

to this:

Why?

Because we've got the inspectors in this week!

Flash, bang, wallop!

2011-01-27T19:07:00.001Z

Remember these?

Last year I made a load of these Valentine Cupcakes and sold them in our staff room in aid of the Haiti Disaster Fund.

Well, our Head of Food Technology hadn't forgotten and a couple of weeks ago she asked me if I would do a Valentine Cupcake Demonstration for the Year 11 Home Economics pupils.

They've been working hard on their GCSE assessments and she thought it would be nice for them to have a lesson that was a bit different.

I thought it would make a change too, so I agreed.

So over the last couple of weeks I've been busy making demonstration cakes, cakes for pupils to decorate, heart decorations and a handout of recipes and information.

The demonstration is tomorrow, so tonight I made the buttercream.

Or rather, I tried.

I put the butter and icing sugar in the mixer bowl.

I turned it on.

I thought it sounded a bit different.....

Then.................

............. a flash, a bang, some smoke and all the sockets in the kitchen blew!

My mixer is no more!

Aaargh!

A Working Mum No More

2011-01-22T12:26:00.004Z

It's the end of an era.

It doesn't feel right.

No longer a working mum.

Not me!!

Nooooooooo

My Mum

This week my mum retired.

She is no longer a working mum.

She can sit back and enjoy her retirement.

Or, knowing my mum, buzz around like a busy bee doing lots of other stuff instead.

(Hmm, so that's where I get it from!)

Tonight we're going out for a family meal to celebrate and instead of a cake, I've made some cupcakes for the occasion.

Now, what kind of cupcakes do you make for a retiring working mum?

Shoes and handbags, of course!

Feeling Guilty

2011-01-18T11:28:00.004Z

I'm feeling like the worst mother in the world at the moment.

Last week daughter complained of a sore throat and, given that she is very rarely ill and has never had a day off school, I dismissed it as "You're just getting a cold and not used to it" and ignored her.

On Thursday night she kept getting up and coming into our room complaining of a sore throat, headache, feeling sick, etc. I checked her temperature (normal) gave her Calpol and sent her back to bed. On Friday I still planned on taking her to school, but after she threw up her breakfast I gave in and kept her off school.

On Saturday I started with the same symptoms.

We've both now got what our GP called "a nasty throat infection".

Nasty!?

I can see now why she didn't eat for three days - you can't!

My throat is so sore I can't speak; I've got earache, headache and feel nauseous.

I feel so bad for not believing her.

And for trying to make her eat toast.

I should have known she was ill when she turned down a pony riding party she'd been invited to on Saturday.

Daughter and I have spent the last four days under a duvet on the sofa watching Indiana Jones movies and trying to eat ice cream to ease the pain.

Husband has excelled himself with filling the last four days with football and today he's going straight from work to City's match.

Sometimes I wonder who there is to look after me.

At least he didn't complain there was no dinner for him when he came home from work at 8pm last night.

If there was, he would have been wearing it!

A WM on the Verge's Guide to Motherhood

2011-01-14T19:50:00.000Z

I've noticed, since writing this blog, that Jan/Feb is when I get really fed up with being a Working Mum on the Verge and hanker back to my old, carefree, child free, easy life. In fact, I started this blog in February when I was feeling weary with the drudgery of it all. I know it will pass as Spring returns, but in the meantime...........

To warn my still childless friends of what would befall them should they venture over the precipice into motherhood I am now going to post five things that no-one ever tells you before you have children:

1 You will never finish a cup of tea again.

Yes, my friends, enjoy that peaceful cup of tea from start to finish because you'll forget what that is like. After 3 - 4 years of motherhood, you may think that you can do it. You make that cup of tea, sit down and take the first sip, but then......................... "Mummeeeeeeee, can you wipe my bottom?" or a child will appear in front of you in tears having spilt/lost/broken something that you then have to clean up/find/repair. No, that undisturbed cup of tea is now the stuff of legends.

2 You will never enjoy a bar of chocolate again

Should you be lucky enough to sneak a bar of Green and Blacks into your shopping basket without your offspring noticing, you won't be able to enjoy it. You either have to eat it in secret in the kitchen while your child is engrossed in CBBC or suffer the accompanying whining of "Can I have some? Why not? That's not fair, you have chocolate and I don't. Wah, wah, wah" taking all the enjoyment out of that piece of Maya Gold.

3 You will never go out with your husband again.

You will go out, just not together, because going out together would entail arranging a babysitter. This means that either you hire one thus doubling the cost of your evening, or you have to chauffeur one to and from your house before and after the event or you engage your MIL. Let's face it, after a lovely night out with your husband, who wants to come home to face the MIL? Much easier to get a DVD and a takeaway and never speak to your husband again.

4 You will never read a book on holiday again

I used to take 9 or 10 books on holiday with me, lie down on a sunbed for a fortnight and read them. Now the chances of getting past chapter one are virtually zilch. Books are for the undisturbed, childless holidaymaker. Mothers have to admit defeat and buy a magazine (just one is enough) at the airport and dip into it five times during the fortnight.

5 You will never see a film when it is released.

The only time you will go to the cinema will be for the Odeon Kids Movie on a Saturday morning. You will be an afficionado of all films by Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks and will know all the names of the Chipmunks (including the girls). All other films will be ordered from Lovefilm to watch at home when they are released on DVD (see point 3).

So there you have it.

WM's guide to things they never tell you about motherhood.

Be warned!

The Weight Loss Secrets of Working Mum

2011-01-05T18:40:00.000Z

Happy New Year!

New Year is traditionally a time when a lot of us make a resolution to lose weight.

Well, I won't be making that resolution this year!!

Permit me a moment of smugness ...........

You remember at the start of June I embarked on a quest to lose 16lb?

I said if it worked I'd let you know how I did it.

Well ............

................... ta dah!

So, how did I do it?

Well, I decided that:

I can't take out an evening to attend a weight loss class (far too busy being a working mum)
I love messing about on the internet
I love cooking (and baking, which was one of my problems)
I don't want a faddy diet, I want to eat sensibly and healthily again, permanently

So I put it all together and decided to join tescodiets.com which is all conducted via t'internet. Perfect!

I chose the Light Choices Recipe Plan so I could still indulge my love of cooking, I picked up a few new recipes which went down well with the whole Working Mum Family (who knew daughter would love Chinese Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup?) and I managed to kick the sugar habit (I still bake the cakes and biscuits, but I give most of them away).

It took a bit longer than intended, but I got there in the end, just two days before Christmas!

So I have lost the pounds I had gained and I have regained the healthy eating habits I had lost.

Now I need to find a new New Year's Resolution!

PS This was not a sponsored post, but if Tesco want to credit me a few more Clubcard points for my favourable review, I wouldn't say no!

New Year's Day

2011-01-01T14:26:00.001Z

Who knew I would be spending New Year's Day filling in holes, sanding down and repainting a wall in daughter's new bedroom?

Why?

Because I married a man deficient in the DIY gene.

How difficult is it to hang a mirror?

New Year's Eve

2010-12-31T21:25:00.002Z

It's New Year's Eve and I've got a streaming cold.

A cold that started on Boxing Day.

That's six days of coughing and sneezing.

First Defence couldn't defend me from this one.

I've almost gone through three boxes of Kleenex.

I feel lousy.

But not lousy enough not to have made inroads into that bottle of Pink Champagne I won in The Christie's raffle!!

Cheers!

Another WM strategy - how to cheat with dessert!

2010-12-28T15:51:00.002Z

Got people coming over for food?

No time to make a fabulous dessert?

Got some leftover Christmas Pudding?

Try this recipe.

I made it on Boxing Day and displayed it on the buffet. It looks stunning and if you crack the filo a little after cooking, it looks like bark on a Christmas log.

Guests thought I'd conjured up a delicious dessert especially for the occasion.

Little did they know..........

Emergency Plumbing

2010-12-27T14:55:00.004Z

A lovely Christmas was had in the WM house. We had a gorgeous goose for dinner with all the trimmings, a Black Sheep Brewery Christmas Pud which I'd bought in August, Christmas Coffee from Whittards and Christmas Dinner Chocolates from Hotel Chocolat.

Mum and Dad livened up the evening by producing a variety of wind up toys they'd bought from Hawkins Bazaar and we all proceded to race them across the coffee table. The sight of the false teeth chasing the dinosaur was very amusing!!

MIL went to Yorkshire and we promised to keep an eye on her house.

All went well until this morning .......................

My mum and dad had gone home last night so we had a lie-in and then hubby said:

"I'll just pop over to mum's and we'll all have breakfast when I get back"

Five minutes later I got a phone call from him:

"Do you know where mum's stop tap is?"

Turns out that a pipe had burst in the garage, the condensing pipe had frozen up and her heating wasn't working.

She was due back this morning.

The clock was ticking, we had to fix this or she would never go to Yorkshire again at Christmas.

I rushed round with daughter and I started to sort out the heating while hubby dealt with the burst pipe.

I released the condensing pipe, got the heating working again and started to defrost the frozen pipe.

Hubby dashed to DIY store for plumbing stuff and home for his tool box then he set to work on the burst pipe.

He was just fitting the last little bit when BIL's car pulled up and MIL got out.

She went straight into panic mode, but I was able to say:

"Don't worry, everything's okay, just checking on your house"

Then we discreetly packed up and left for a very late breakfast.

Disaster averted!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T15:38:00.003Z

Well, I made it.

It's Christmas Eve and I've still not got a cold!

Not only that, MIL is on her way to Yorkshire, the goose has been collected from the butchers, the wrapping is all done, there is a mountain of food in the kitchen, favourites have been circled in the Christmas Radio Times and the tin of Quality Street is about to be cracked open.....

............. it's Chriiiiiiiiistmaaaaaaaasss!!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Fingers crossed!

2010-12-23T20:05:00.001Z

I preface this post with the plea: "don't judge me".

The plan for Christmas is that we have MIL one year, husband's sister has her the next, etc. This year it's SIL's turn. It is very much her turn. I can't have my Christmas spoiled again by complaints, tears and negative comments. It's the first Christmas in years that I've been well and I really want to enjoy it. My parents are coming and they are much more fun. There's plenty of Christmas cheer, silly games and laughter when they are around. I am so looking forward to a fun-filled Christmas. (And they help with the cooking and the dishes!)

However, SIL lives over the Pennines and there's been a bit of snow around here lately.

MIL says she won't drive over there.

Fair enough, so BIL is coming to get her on Christmas Eve.

MIL says they're are snowed in and can't come and get her.

They were at City's match in Manchester on Monday night so not snowed in then!

MIL says all roads over the Pennines are closed.

The Highways Agency says they aren't (I know, I've checked!)

MIL says she won't go because she doesn't want to get stuck there and not be able to get back to look after her house.

We've promised to check on the house.

MIL said that if she had somewhere else to go she would phone SIL and say she's not coming.

I have instructed husband not to invite her here thus giving her a get-out clause.

(Of course, we would have her if she truly couldn't get over there; I wouldn't leave her alone at Christmas, but while there's a chance she can go somewhere else.............)

Tomorrow is D-day.

BIL is still on schedule to pick her up.

Keep your fingers crossed!