Tuesday, April 14, 2009
House Husband two days a week
Well I did once mention to my other half that I would be prepared to be a kept man and look after our children when they came along. In the big scheme of things, I didn't expect for it to be happening quite so soon.
It hasn't exactly worked out as envisaged in that I'm not a fully kept man as I'm still working (but for how much longer in the present climate) 33 odd hours a week, but I do have two free days to look after my daughter.
1st Week Honeymoon
Having scheduled myself for my first week, everything went swimmingly, my daughter managed to go for her afternoon nap both days, with the willing participation of myself (I was knackered just trying to get her asleep) We went out walking with the dog around the fields and to our special fallen tree in the woods, where we can sit on the tree and listen to Turbo chasing the odd rabbit, bird or prompted chase (whats that - whas 'at, was 'at, was 'at! normally does it for him). We went for her Ducklings swimming lesson where for the 1st time she had her lesson without her father. There was another 1st, an unwanted 1st at that - all I'll say is thank god for for swim nappies.
2nd Week
Being Easter holidays our normal Tuesday morning swimming lesson was not scheduled to happen. I rang the leisure centre as the holiday timetable was not up and showed that our normal toddlers session was running and the 1st swimming lesson we could attend was at 1:30pm. Not really what you want given a toddler insisting on "swim swim daddy". So a trawl around the various leisure centres with swimming pools was in order. I decided that the swimming pool in Kenilworth was worth a punt as we could get in for 10am.
The pool was okay if a little cold for a toddler, but free for under 4s and £3.15 for an adult was more than reasonable. The kids playground is probably the best one for toddlers I've visited with plenty of soft areas underfoot. Unfortunately the busted lip was not appreciated, but plucky wee thing that she is, she got up and dusted herself down.
Complacency leads to Comeuppance
On arrival home I got drinks ready and got our lunch out of the fridge (thoughtfully prepared by Anna - Okay I'm an amateur, but I need to get my eye in, before chancing the repercussions) while my daughter came into the living room and proceeded to empty about a pint of purple disinfectant all over the floor. NIGHTMARE.
One quick clean up later and the back window frames and windows got an impromptu clean, a wee sift through the recycling box to get a newspaper (a tip from my earlier life as a weekend valeter) and the windows were polished and cleaned to perfection.
Time for a nap, but no matter what, when you have an obsession with Higgledy House nothing will allow you to go to sleep. Now a toddler with no sleep is a bit of a nightmare for them and their parents, cause nothing is right and nothing is going to be right no matter what you try to do.
"It's Moyne", "moyne", "That's moyne" at first I thought it was an Irish brogue, but it then dawned on me it was brummie for "mine". Where it has come from I don't know, but I guess it is inevitable. That she also has taken to copying one of my sayings "Happy Days" is a bit of a consolation prize.
It hasn't exactly worked out as envisaged in that I'm not a fully kept man as I'm still working (but for how much longer in the present climate) 33 odd hours a week, but I do have two free days to look after my daughter.
1st Week Honeymoon
Having scheduled myself for my first week, everything went swimmingly, my daughter managed to go for her afternoon nap both days, with the willing participation of myself (I was knackered just trying to get her asleep) We went out walking with the dog around the fields and to our special fallen tree in the woods, where we can sit on the tree and listen to Turbo chasing the odd rabbit, bird or prompted chase (whats that - whas 'at, was 'at, was 'at! normally does it for him). We went for her Ducklings swimming lesson where for the 1st time she had her lesson without her father. There was another 1st, an unwanted 1st at that - all I'll say is thank god for for swim nappies.
2nd Week
Being Easter holidays our normal Tuesday morning swimming lesson was not scheduled to happen. I rang the leisure centre as the holiday timetable was not up and showed that our normal toddlers session was running and the 1st swimming lesson we could attend was at 1:30pm. Not really what you want given a toddler insisting on "swim swim daddy". So a trawl around the various leisure centres with swimming pools was in order. I decided that the swimming pool in Kenilworth was worth a punt as we could get in for 10am.
The pool was okay if a little cold for a toddler, but free for under 4s and £3.15 for an adult was more than reasonable. The kids playground is probably the best one for toddlers I've visited with plenty of soft areas underfoot. Unfortunately the busted lip was not appreciated, but plucky wee thing that she is, she got up and dusted herself down.
Complacency leads to Comeuppance
On arrival home I got drinks ready and got our lunch out of the fridge (thoughtfully prepared by Anna - Okay I'm an amateur, but I need to get my eye in, before chancing the repercussions) while my daughter came into the living room and proceeded to empty about a pint of purple disinfectant all over the floor. NIGHTMARE.
One quick clean up later and the back window frames and windows got an impromptu clean, a wee sift through the recycling box to get a newspaper (a tip from my earlier life as a weekend valeter) and the windows were polished and cleaned to perfection.
Time for a nap, but no matter what, when you have an obsession with Higgledy House nothing will allow you to go to sleep. Now a toddler with no sleep is a bit of a nightmare for them and their parents, cause nothing is right and nothing is going to be right no matter what you try to do.
"It's Moyne", "moyne", "That's moyne" at first I thought it was an Irish brogue, but it then dawned on me it was brummie for "mine". Where it has come from I don't know, but I guess it is inevitable. That she also has taken to copying one of my sayings "Happy Days" is a bit of a consolation prize.
