Kids and Chores

It is the first week back at school after half term for Felicity and even though she is only in half days nursery, her schedule is packed tighter than my thighs in pre baby skinny jeans!  So, although as my husband keeps passing comments on how the weather is beautiful I should take them for a run around somewhere, in reality when you have a tired 3 year old it would be easier to take a lion on lucozade for a walk. If you add my darling, never sits still, crazy Edward to the mix, you have no hope.  

However, feeling the guilt I decide to try Tamba Park for a walk around the Dinosaur trail but then arrive to realize it doesn’t open on Tuesdays... Why? I really feel bad for the employees because who else is off on a Tuesday? I mean imagine having a day off when everyone is working and all you can do is mess about on your own doing trivial boring mundane things... Actually wow, I want to work at Tamba, this sounds heavenly!

Anyway, Edward is now freaking out and Felicity has fallen asleep anyway.

We head home and a decide we should have a bit of a play on the balcony. I am feeling pretty smug with myself as I am thinking the children will be happily engaged if I give them a couple of brushes and some soap suds to “help” me clean the slabs. This was not a good idea whatsoever. As the suds foam uncontrollably with the children pumping their toy brooms in and out of the overflowing bucket, making an amazingly slippery white pool of disaster I realize I’ve already said, “NO Edward” at least 30 times in the five minutes since we began.

Edward is putting suds on all of the plants and whacking them so hard with his broom that they are becoming shadows of their former robust, heebie selves.

Ladybugs are surfing the foamy waves and Edward tries his best to catch them. I’m praying he doesn’t manage to as I am well aware he has not had a snack in like a whole 30 minutes.

Felicity is so proud of herself, announcing that, “Daddy is going to be so shocked and happy” that she cleaned the balcony for him. I have a little chuckle to myself and imagine Robs face if he were to come home right now and see this... I’m pretty sure his head might just explode! BOOOM!

Just then, Edward spots the cat on a chair on the ground floor apartment patio.  He becomes obsessed shouting meow at it.  I’m too busy trying to actually utilize some of the water to clean the slabs as initially planned but both Edward and Felicity are desperate for me to look at the cat.  So, I rinse off the slabs and peer over the balcony to see this sacred cat. Now this is a prime example of when children should definitely not be ignored... I see the cat but I also see a half full champagne glass and a beer bottle and our neighbors now walk by the building. Oh Holy Turnips... they must have been sat there enjoying a quiet drink in the stunning afternoon sun getting soaked from the chaos on my balcony! I am mortified.  I can feel my ears glowing like beacons with embarrassment and I usher the children inside as quickly as possible and avoid looking out of the window knowing they can likely see me glow.

I spend the whole evening asking the children to be quiet to redeem myself and I even put a sorry card outside their door the next morning, which is homemade using one of the children’s drawings.  I even add a few scribbles and some glitter myself as it just needed a little something more, bearing in mind we are seeking forgiveness and their silence never to mention the matter.  It was tricky to write as any which way I said it I sounded like a complete idiot! How did I not realize! I shock myself sometimes! Yet again Mummy Fail!