Fifteen year olds are not meant to stand on toddler toilet steps.

Six foot tall hairy adult sized young men can't stand on a toilet step and jump about, not even if it's making their little brothers laugh, because it breaks into a bazillion pieces - and has a big foot hole where the bit for standing used to be.

We need a toilet step. Boy no.3 and boy no.4 can't quite reach to pee without it, and taking off their trousers so that they can climb up onto the loo is not ideal, especially not at 3am, so boy no.2 had to replace it - immediately. With his own money.

Off he went, head down and annoyed to the nearest shop likely to sell a toilet step, and returned with something beyond our wildest expectations.


The King of all toilet steps, in a beautiful blue with a big smiley face and 2 huge foot-controlled buttons. It plays music! It has a button for teeth cleaning which plays a 2 minute tune, and a button for hand washing which plays a 30 second tune. The boys think it's fantastic, they love it, it's amazing, it was even "awesun". It's also incredibly loud at 1am when everyone else is asleep and I (being only 5 feet tall with little short legs) put my foot on it when I go to have a wee before bed. Techno it may be, but it's lacking a 24 hour clock....


Obviously I have the guilt now because I'd expected it to cost him about £3, and he had to use all of his hard earned £10. But there's a big lesson learned there, not only for him, but for all of our lot.....

Still.....I might let him sweep the drive later for a fiver if he's lucky......

Finally boy no.3 has caught chicken pox. It's taken years of trying and of course it happens exactly when we have outings and parties planned, it's the last week of pre-school before Easter and there is loads of fun stuff to do....and it's 3 days before his little brother's 3rd birthday.

Last night ~ Day 2

I don't really want boy no.4 to have chicken pox on his birthday, but that is kind of outweighed by a desire to get it over and done with......

It would be really handy if they both caught it from the same source and it's only a matter of hours before boy no.4 joins his brother on the sofa not wanting to touch anything. What's more likely however is that he'll continue to be fine and want to play fight four times every fifteen minutes and will spend the next six days leaping on his sore brother and removing the tops from his spots via the power of friction, scraping every available inch of skin as he jumps up and slides down him, grabbing at his arms and anywhere else that is already acutely painful.
He'll want to play and go do loud things, and his ill brother will mainly want to read books and watch movies and we'll have a week of trying to keep 2 little boys busy at both ends of the table.

This morning ~ Day 3

Boy no.3 is being the stroppiest, whiniest, grumpiest and mardiest he's ever been, which is standard for Chicken Pox, and combined with his brother wanting to invent another 15 wrestling moves before lunch isn't going too well, but thankfully he's not really very ill, just a bit hot and tired and feeling very sorry for himself  (Calpol and Piriton are doing a great job).

I've never had to look after a chicken pox child while I have another at home who wants to harass them the entire time. I wouldn't recommend it.

This afternoon ~ Day 3 ~ Lets hope his brother leaves him be for an hour

Obviously in order to draw out the agony to it's fullest extent boy no.3 will just get better and we'll have a couple of days of normality, but not quite enough to get back into the swing of things before boy no.4 develops spots and then I'll have the entire thing in reverse......

On Thursday we took boy no.3 and boy no.4 to the Legoland Discovery Centre at Manchester Trafford Centre to see a preview screening of the new Lego 4D movie which is officially released this weekend.


We've been to the Lego Discovery Centre many times, we bought Annual Passes last year and used to go in and have a coffee while the little ones and boy no.2 played and the girls went shopping - something for everyone. We have never been at night though, and we've never been on a school day. Boy no.3 knew all about it, and was incredibly excited, he had even explained everything in great detail to his pre-school teacher and the rest of the Foundation Stage (age 3-5) children.

When we got upstairs I was delighted to see that not only was Pippa aka Red Rose Mummy there, but I also got to meet two other bloggers who I've harassed with inane comments several times - Jen from mymummiespennies, and Laura who doubles up as Tired Mummy Of Two and Blogs Up North.

My boys are very used to the 3D glasses, and because of our prior knowledge we knew where to sit in order to get full benefit from the 4D special effects (i.e. we sat at the front because we don't mind getting a bit wet!).


The film was brilliant. We've been waiting for a new film for a long while now, and it didn't let us down. The story was fairly basic and straightforward enough for boy no.4 to follow easily, but interesting enough to hold an adult's attention. It features a tour of Chima by 4 young animals and their guide which starts out as a normal tour but they become increasingly involved with other characters in the land. There was action and there were jokes (watch out for the skunk) and the 12 minute film introduced a lot of the Legends of Chima characters and Lego sets, including a great Speedor race between Cragger the Crocodile King and Laval the Lion Prince.

This time the film seems to have made much more use of the lighting on the walls at either side of the room, using it to enhance what is happening on screen, depicting water, greenery and the special powers that the Chi Orbs have. The 'snow' 4D effect seemed much better done than before, it covered the crowd much more thoroughly and floated down really effectively.  Be warned there is a lot more water than in the previous movie and although you will still be dry after 5 minutes you might find tiny children aren't impressed and it's better to sit further back than the first 5 rows!

We had a great time and I have no doubt it won't be long before we're back again....

The Legoland Discovery Centre is at Barton Square, Trafford Centre, Manchester. It is open daily from 10am all year round and is entirely under cover. Until 2nd June there is a special Star Wars miniland display and special events include a Star Wars weekend May 18th & 19th.

I have hundreds of 7" and 12" vinyl records, I even have far more than my fair share of 10" vinyl.I have picture discs and shaped discs and discs made from paper and recycled bottles. I have a big collection of CD's and tapes (tapes, for goodness sake, the kids would think we were insane).

I used to work 3 part time jobs when I was at College, and if I didn't spend it on booze and fags, I spent it on music.
I used to buy a new CD each time I did the weekly shopping, now I order online for delivery and rarely even venture into music shops in town.



I'm actually quite annoyed at myself for the lack of interest I pay in the new music. Maybe it's just the natural way of things, but I'd rather fancied myself as still giving more of a damn about the charts when I'm 60 than most people do when they're 30 and I am beginning to realise that just isn't going to be. In some ways I've 'passed the baton', my older kids all grew up going to Glastonbury and other festivals and have really eclectic musical taste, my eldest now works part time at a big music venue and hopes to do Event Management at University. The children have all dabbled with instruments and we have a budding bass player in my 15 year old. There is music played in my house all of the time, but it's usually not my choice!

Sadly I haven't had anything that plays vinyl out where it can be used for the last 6 years, I only play CD's, so mostly I don't play any of my old favourite music. I may not be using it, but it's occurred to me several times that maybe I'm storing my pension in the loft (or maybe I'm fooling myself and it only has sentimental value). I know there are a few rare ones in there but I wouldn't ever sell any of them unless I had to. Vinyl really does have a special something, it's sexy and sleek and it's huge, so the cover artwork is poster-sized. You have to care for it or you break it. It has a special feel and the ritual of removal from the sleeve and putting it onto the turntable is one that CD's have never managed to replicate.

I do play CD's though, and when I came to live with my partner we had a lot of musical taste in common, so we have a few duplicate copies of albums, mainly from the last 15 years. We also have a lot of CD's that were bought on a whim and we've played once and won't play again. I do not have the same sentimental attachment to CD's as I do to vinyl at all, so I've been meaning to have a look through and sell some on for the last 6 years, it's just one of those things you never get around to - until today. I had a look on Music Magpie to see what my haul might be worth. It was really easy and took seconds, it even totals it up so that you can see at a glance what reward your unwanted duplicate or rashly bought CD's can realise in total. It's not going to make me rich in a hurry, but I'm not doing anything else with these discs and they're just sitting gathering dust, so it really is better to clear it out a bit - everyone keeps telling me that if you haven't used it for over a year then you don't need it, and while I wouldn't ever agree about vinyl, I think they may be right about CD's!


Come to think of it, I can also trade in some of those old Wii games.....

Boy no.4 is only 2, but he has excellent speech and can hold a conversation with anyone, so it's a rare one for us for him to not be able to explain himself.

One whole hour of crying and sobbing and asking me where his sta-danger was and I felt like a failed parent. 

Later we picked up 4 year old boy no.3 from pre-school, brought him home and I asked if he could try and work it out. "Can you tell what your brother is saying, because I can't?"

Boy no.3 says "I'll try Mummy".

Boy no.4 pipes up "Yes, I've been looking for the blue power ranger everywhere and I can't find it. Do you know where it is?"

Way to make Mummy look stupid....

I've spent the majority of my Mother's Days over the last 20 years feeling a bit conned. You got your 'day off', but the fallout is all a bit hard work....

On 'Mothering Monday' as you're sweeping, washing pots, washing 3 extra loads of clothes, finding a hidden broken plate and picking up 27 different bits from jigsaws and box games, it's hard not to wonder why you didn't actually do a bit more on Mothering Sunday in order to protect yourself...... I think that's why we get all the chocolates and flowers, it's to distract our attention - and gives us something to nibble on while we sit in a corner sobbing for 2 hours.

My lot tried this year, they tried really hard and I had a lovely lazy day (well, after being woken at 7.20am because the little ones were so excited to open my chocolates). I got a lovely pile of gifts, certificates and cards. I had chocolate brownies cooked for me, takeaway for tea, pots were washed, toys were picked up. I got 3 coffees without even asking. No-one argued. It was a very good day.

Today I got everyone off to school and came home ready to face my task, prepared for a long day. It actually wasn't so bad, in fact it wasn't really any worse than a regular Monday morning. Apparently it really does get better as they get older. To all of you with only young children ~ do not give up hope.


To my children (and my partner) ~ thank you xx

I am terrible for shoes - and not in the way you'd expect. I don't have any! I have a selection of wellies and flip flops and my trusty 12 year old boots, but no shoes. I'm terribly lazy where footwear is concerned and am happy to be barefoot whenever I'm at home. I've not bought any actual new shoes for years and I've always made do or worn a really long skirt to hide my feet. I have been invited to a wedding this summer and really want to find something special and dressy that I like. As I'll be spending a fair amount I want to be able to wear them again later with a selection of different outfits for different occasions. One place I've never bought clothes or shoes from before is John Lewis. I've never really browsed the clothes in store or online, and I can't think why it didn't occur to me because their range is huge and has everything you could need for any purpose or occasion.

There are heaps of brands represented, but it was really the LK Bennett shoes which took my fancy on this occasion.


These Sally suede scalloped leather trim ballerina pumps in black are on offer at £75, are lovely and pretty without being too girlie and will work with a skirt, dress or trousers. They'll be appropriate for any meetings I might have to go to and will add  little touch of femininity without losing any of the sophistication.

The Linn leather Mary Jane flat pumps in brown snake finish are on offer at £95. They are a bit quirky and add a textured element to any outfit. I love the variety in the shades of brown and tan. They would allow me to choose from any length of skirt and an outfit in any of the earthy or neutral shades.


 If I was feeling brave and daring I could even go for heels. I've never really worn them, but these Freda suede point toe kitten heel court shoes at £95 are subtle and small, and will suit me as I am not tall. The shoes are classic, yet have detail on the toe which adds a little interest and makes them more special.

These Florrie Leather Cut-Out Ballerina Pumps at £165 are my absolute favourite. Although they aren't very formal and wouldn't match with every outfit, they are pretty and they really are very 'me'. They'd be perfect for every event I might wish to go to during the Summer and I have a gorgeous 'oyster' coloured skirt with a cutaway pattern down the centre which would match perfectly. These would be absolutely ideal for completely spoiling myself!


John Lewis has department stores all over the UK. They offer delivery on most items for only £3 and free delivery for orders over £50. There is a Click and Collect service whereby you can collect the next working day from any of a list of 234 John Lewis Department stores and branches of Waitrose, and they are expanding this service in the near future by working with ConnectPlus, which will allow customers to collect from a network of 5000 local shops at a time convenient to them at a cost of around £3.

We did it! With RedRoseMummy in 6.9 degree temperatures we raised over £100 for comic relief. Thank you to everyone who sponsored us, and everyone who made it possible. The children had the best day ever.....although none of them fancied getting in with us....hmmmm


And if you wish to donate -   Our Red Nose Day giving page

Thank You!

Well, it's getting close, the huge box of Gelli Baff is here and on the kitchen table. This time tomorrow I'll be staring at a paddling pool in my back garden and willing the sun to come out.

For those of you who don't know, on Saturday along with my friend Pippa aka RedRoseMummy I will be in my garden getting into a paddling pool full of jelly, in the (no doubt) rain and cold, in the name of Comic Relief. The kids will be able to pay us to throw jelly at us, Pippa's going to read a book 'The Jelly That Wouldn't Wobble' by Angela Mitchell and we're going to try and stay in the pool until she's finished. My partner will be filming the event for posterity and mass humiliation.

However it goes, what it'll definitely be is cold. It'll be blinking freezing. There was a thick fog this morning, and it's barely gone now. We've had a frost the last 3 nights and the weather forecast is not being very kind to us after last weekend's beautiful sunshine and positively balmy 11degree temperatures. If you haven't yet sponsored anyone for this years Comic Relief, we'd love to beat our target, and as I type this, we're nearly there... if you've already sponsored or given your kids half your purse to wear their own clothes at school for a day, just send us some warmth. Blow hot air over towards North Manchester, we'll be very grateful....thank you

You can sponsor us on our Red Nose Day Giving Page

We have two teenage girls. I have spent plenty of hours in New Look, mainly watching the girls drool over potential outfits and listening to their carefully worded arguments as to why they absolutely need two new tops rather than one. They can both shop for hours (days?) and thankfully at their age we can leave them to it and come back when they've whittled their choices down to less than half the shop, or at home we can direct them to the PC and they can browse in comfort and leave all 47 windows open ready for the negotiations when they're done.

 Both of our girls are very slim and fair, but have gone in different directions where clothes are concerned, so our 'girly' girl would choose a pretty Teens Pink Ditsy Floral Hudson Button Front Dress costing £17.99, and our 'rock chick skater' girl  would be more likely to opt for something like the Teens Stone Nerd Pug T-shirt at £6.99.

New Look isn't just for teens though, and for me they stock loads of pretty plus size tops which (to my delight) are not based on tents or huge prints. I'm short with a large chest and a tummy that's still suffering from 2 years with a hernia (and the aftermath of 5 pregnancies) so need big tops and smaller skirts. I have always been able to find something suitable in New Look that is within my budget.


I love this years loose tops with the feminine touches around the neckline and sleeves, and the baggy lower half which helps hide my tummy. This Inspire 2 pack of Red and Black Frill Sleeve Gypsy Tops is also incredibly reasonable at £12.99 for the pair, or the plum version (which is my real favourite) is £7.99.

I'd team it with a maxi skirt such as the Brown Ditsy Floral Print Maxi Skirt at £16.99 for casual wear and relaxed evenings, or a pencil skirt such as the Black Scuba Pencil Skirt at an amazing £7.99 for smarter or more formal occasions.

New Look also have ranges of maternity wear, clothes for younger children, designer labels and a menswear range - which includes the Black Nirvana Band T-shirt which would be ideal for either of my teenage boys, and the Khaki Zip Up Hoodie at £14.99 which will be a perfect gift for my partner for Fathers Day!