Survival of the fittest....

We did it - survived the two week Easter break! I feel like a big pat on the back is due as it was a fortnight that saw a birthday, a 10 year wedding anniversary, a major press announcement for a client and two little boys with endless energy and curiosity!

When it comes to juggling my career and my family I do have it pretty 'easy' - being self employed I can set my own schedule. However, whilst I don't have a 'boss' to keep happy I do have clients and colleagues. I joined a new networking group over the holiday period and have got some exciting new leads for projects - one of the members presumed I didn't have children as I'd attended a meeting in the school holidays....she was quite impressed when I said I in fact did have small people at home.

To grow a successful business it is impossible to down tools completely for the 13 weeks a year when the children are at home - I'm lucky that my boys are sociable and sporty so booking them onto some courses in the holidays isn't a big deal. It allows me to keep everyone happy and it is completely without dread that I look forward to the 6-week summer break which isn't too far around the corner!

Such a good juggler...maybe I should join the circus

When I decided to work for myself my children were nursery age - I worked 3 days a week, dropped them off at 8 and picked them up at 5. They'd been fed and entertained all day, it was, dare I say it, easy!

Fast forward to today and my boys are both school age and shock horror, there are 13 weeks a year when there is no school! We get by on a mix of camps, sports clubs and of course dear Grandparents helping out but my goodness, is it a juggle.

As my business partner and friend pointed out to me today, we are working in the most flexible way possible - we dictate our own hours and workloads but there are still regular clients to service and admin to get done.

And of course, there are my wonderful sons who are fab company.... I want to spend the holidays with them. With my 8 year old I can already sense the 'I'd rather be with my mates playing footie' vibe so I want to cling on to these happy carefree days of visits to the farm, the park,  the pool so that I can look back in a few years time with happiness, not wishing I hadn't been to this meeting or that, or locked myself in the loo to take another work call!

So to all you working parents out there (and I know Dad's juggle too!) hats off to you and as it's Friday night why not enjoy a glass or two of whatever takes your fancy.

For me it's Prosecco...well there's a successful weeks' juggling to celebrate!

Claire x

Farm fun!

So Bucklebury Farm was a big success - the boys all had a ball (5 of them aged 5,6,7,8 & 9!) and the Mummy's got to sit in the sun, catch up & chat about old days (our friendship spans 25 years!)

Highly recommend this as a day out and look forward to many more this holiday

Holiday fun

My boys are 8 and almost 6 and when planning holiday fun I start to think how much longer they will think a day at the farm is exciting!

We have been keen not to encourage too many video games and as we have a dog we as a family are more outdoorsie than many but I am aware than in not too many years spending the day with their old mum, bottle feeding lambs may not cut the mustard!

So I make the most of these days and am looking forward to a day at Buckle hey Farm!

Triple salco anyone?

Well for any parents out there looking for something new to do with the kids....give ice skating a try! We had the best morning at Absolute Ice in Slough. Dan and I stayed upright (just!) and the boys were so brave and determined. Evan reminded me of a gangly baby giraffe! He stuck at it though and after an hour, and with very soggy trousers from many many falls, he got it and was grinning from ear to ear.

Little Gabriel started with a penguin but soon found his groove and 'ran' around the ice with gusto!

Great fun, great exercise and great family time!

Claire x

Ps. Couple of Dancing on Ice pros on the ice at the same time as us made it look way too easy!

I wonder if I can type with my toes?

We are taking the children ice skating, making me wonder if I can 'toe type'....y'know just incase any fingers are spliced!!

The last time I skated my husband flailed around like he was pretending to be really badly balanced, my Dad was seen crawling from the centre of the ice to the edge and my brother had the raving hump because he just couldn't get it!

So it might not be Gabriel who get's the penguin to help but me........I'll update later!

Claire x

Mini me....

A friend took some photos of my boys yesterday and text me later in the day to comment on how much my eldest son looks like me....it's true he really does (my Dad is often spooked by the similarities between us. At this point I think I should  clarify he's a really pretty boy...I am not a masculine looking woman...well I hope not...I would invite comments on the picture below at this point but don't think I want to invite that!)

Anyway I digress......so this got me thinking as Evan may look just like me but every single inch of his personality is his Dad.

Confident, a born leader, competitive, not the most tactful or sensitive soul in the world and never-ever (like..ever!) wrong!

I make him sound awful but he's not - just a super strong character.

Almost six year old Gabriel on the other hand has physical elements of both Dan and I (and strangely my Nan's jawline...weird!) but personality-wise he is me!

Kind, funny, sensitive, creative and sadly a born worrier!

Other than being our second born Gabriel has been brought up no differently to Evan. I had lovely straight forward pregnancies and births with them, was on mat leave for the same amount of time, they went to the same nursery and are at the same school.

So...... maybe nature is as powerful as nurture.

I firmly believe in bringing up our children in a manner that ensures they are kind and decent human beings but I also firmly believe I will never be able to fundamentally change either of them.

Evan will always call a spade a spade and Gabriel will always have that little nagging worry-genie on his shoulder.

x

I really am crap at this....

....blogging malarky!

I must do it more because when I do I feel a bit like I've had a quick burst of therapy. It's just the 'modern' way of keeping a diary isn't it? I remember the days of writing in my secret lockable diary every single day - which boy I currently fancied, what I was wearing, what I'd had for tea! How thrilling. Life is slightly more exciting now (only slightly) but I do think I'm too old for a pink diary with fluffy pen....or am I?!?

So what's been going on with me

Well there's been trials and tribulations this half term with my boys.

Eldest is super confident, super clever and if I'm honest has got a bit of an attitude brewing - don't get me wrong he's an amazing kid and I am uber-proud of him but sometimes his freight train approach to life gets him into bother. He upset another boy at school, his Mum phoned me, I took all she was saying as a complete assassination of my son's character...you get the picture. Anyway, all sorted now and a fab parents evening last night reassures me my boy is not a nightmare in the classroom or playground...perhaps just needs to learn when to 'sshhhh' (just like his Dad!)

Then youngest son was prescribed with his first glasses. Now, he does genuinely look awesome in them and he can see what a difference they make to his 'wonky' (his description) eyesight but he is a worrier and we endured a good few weeks of worry about being different and being laughed at 8-( Turns out Vision Express don't exactly live up to their name.....4 weeks to make a pair of kids specs...really?!?! so he had a lot of time to stress. Anyway he's got them, looks cooler than I ever will and his mates think so too. Phew!


Work has been good - youngest son gets the worry gene from me, so I have been stressing about being too busy, not busy enough, over-servicing, forgetting things, sending out a press release with a naff headline...you get the picture I'm a worrier but all in all work is fab. I work with my best friend, at home, I can stay in my PJs if I want to...how bad could it be?

So today is the last day of school before 2 weeks off - I'm doing the usual juggle but has some fun planned too. It also happens to be my husband's birthday and our 10th wedding anniversary during the school hols so I think we can safely say a little bit of wine will be consumed and I'll then be 'slim-fasting' so I don't look like such a heffer on the beach when I go to Dubai with my size 10 Mum at the end of April!

Happy Easter one and all and I promise I'll try to blog more than once a decade in future....Claire x